2005, To Toot My Own Horn
It was at 6:32 this morning, as I lay awake in my bed unable to return to sleep, that I remembered. Remembered, that is, how much I've actually done this year. Of course, lots of people can do lots of things in a single year but that's not my point at all. It again occurred to me that the quality of said events was astronomically entertaining and interesting, not to toot my own horn too hard.
"Oh Come On Michael, You're Just In Love With Yourself!"
NO, really, look for yourself!
In January I started this blog off with a secret. My friend Jeremy and I were going to be moving to Los Angeles to work on a 'reality TV show' In the end it didn't work out, but I'm so happy that I went anyways because there were a great many memories and people that I wouldn't have ever been able to have had I not entered the Giant's Lair.
On our first attempt into the USA, we were turned around at the boarder. We were almost blacklisted. Let this be a note to all who read these words. If a company with a lot of money is going to hire you to work in their country, and the plan to get you into said country involves 'lying,' tell them to kiss your ass.
We did eventually make it across, but not before I swallowed my pride and took my job at Wal*Mart back for 3 days.
In Los Angeles I discovered WiFi.
And Costco.
And the Supernatural.
It was indeed different from Southern Ontario where I've grown up, and we did enjoy the ocean about 8 times.
Downtown Los Angeles is a complete waste of time. Never EVER go. Unless you want to see a ghost.
I got to see snow capped mountains for the second time in my life.
We were given a bike budget. I did appreciate the daily workout, because I sat on my ass all day long and would have gotten terribly obese. I was hit by an Asian driver while crossing the street with a walk signal. I also ended up in a bush once. And I unfortunately realized the extent of my uncoordination.
I got to meet David of San Diego for the first time ever. I had only ever known David off the internet, and we had met through his girlfriend who I went to school with in South Africa. It was a great experience, and paved the way for many new and wonderful experiences and people I would encounter along the way.I began audioblogging while I was living in California. This one is my favorite.
This is a secret that I have kept for a while, but I guess there's no harm to tell it now. I almost lost my job because my work looked at my blog in February and thought that I was spiritually unfit to be working for their company (Christian). Fuckers! I had to change my URL to http://seeasilverlining.blogspot.com to get them off my trail. Coincidentally, the inspiration for seeasilverlining came when I was trying to explain my actions in my blog. It's then that I realized that my blog really is about the silver lining of my life. It's not like I post all the shit that's going on, who cares about that? Not me, I certainly don't want to be reminded of it years down the road. So for all you die hards who have been around since shangao, I'm glad you're still here. They didn't like this photo at all.Jeremy and I had quite the problem making friends in Los Angeles. I prayed about it to God, and He helped us out.
Although we never got to visit Disney Land, Dave did take Jeremy, Clint and I to Magic Mountain for Clint's going away present. I audioblogged from a rollercoaster.
In My Country was one of my favorite movies of the year, and I bawled.
I had the pleasure of helping Erin Manning break onto the big scene by helping shoot a promotional resume. This is Me holding the Camera, and Jeremy.
2005 was a good year to take a step back and re-evaluate my life. I made some decisions about my faith that I had been putting off, in two posts. 1 and 2.
I met up with Deborah in Hollywood. Since I've returned in 2003, she is the second person I've visited who was with me at school in Africa.
Jeremy and I broke into Botanical Gardens. That's also been a secret up until this point.
I have never been so happy to be Canadian. What a difference perspective can make! With 3 months behind us, Jeremy and I visited British Columbia partially to renew our health care, and partially to get out of the USA for a few days. Our trip coincided with my blog's first anniversary, and I took this new photo on May 14 to grace front page of my blog. I also began dabbling with vlogging around this point, although I wouldn't know what 'vlogging' was yet, if you asked me on the street.
This is also around the time I met the rhetorically cunning Valancy Jane and her past life caper Therese. These two woman have forever changed my life in ways that I myself can no longer find definition. I would later stay with VJ when I had no where else to lay my head, and I'm planning on going to school on Therese's turf in September.
I found myself mentioned in the newspaper for a video I helped Kate Ryan, a friend, produce for a school project.
I also had the chance to instant message Jen while she was going into labour!
Things began to change this month, which would steer my life into the direction and destination I find myself today.
The first thing to mention is that I vlogged for the very first time. And it was a lie vlog, where I made it seem like Jeremy was the cause of all my household woes. A vlog nonetheless. I haven't looked back.
I also didn't really look back when I found out that my contract wasn't going to be renewed at the end of the month, and I was going to be returning to Canada. That was all going to change suddenly, but I didn't know it yet.
Saying goodbye to Dave was really difficult. Dave moved away to South Africa, probably permenantly, at the end of the month. Saying goodbye was difficult and I still miss him today. He was, however, one of the last things keeping me from quitting my job. I really wanted to be there to see him off.
Two days after Dave left, I decided that I wasn't going to be treated like Mexican labour any longer and decided to quit. I was actually fired. After determining that I would like to be fired instead of quitting. I became an illegal alien in the United States. It was quite exciteing. The earliest flight I could book out of the country was more than two weeks away, and I found myself homeless. Thankfully, wonderful people like Valancy Jane exist in the world and I had a place to stay within 24 hours, in sunny San Diego. I love that city, the people are so friendly and warm and intimate, unlike L.A.
I couldn't very well sleep on VJ's couch for the next two weeks though, so I decided it would be in both our best interests if I went on vacation. Oh how I needed a vacation. You have NO idea. I was burnt out physically, mentally, and spiritually. I chose Portland, Oregon, to get my book Blue Like Jazz autographed by Don Miller, one of my favorite authors, and to visit the church he talks about so fondly in his writings. And I vlogged the whole thing. Naturally.After such an intense month, I really needed the time to sit down and reflect on everything that had happened this year, leading up to that point. And what to do with it all.
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This is where I'm going to stop the concordance of the year 2005 for Michael Tyas. I realize this is a really long post which, combined with the total running time of any vlogs you will encounter, equals ridiculous. And the remaining four months of this year aren't nearly as interesting as the first 8, although you will find my favorite time of the year in October, as well as some beautiful photography.
So long 2005! You've been interesting and entertaining. Parts of you I would never like to repeat. But if I hadn't suffered, I would never have experienced some joys or met some magical people that have changed my life. I guess I'd do you all over again if I had to.
Happy New Year!
