2024: message_topic.aspx?topic=654477
2023: message_topic.aspx?topic=653815
2022: message_topic.aspx?topic=653033
2021: message_topic.aspx?topic=652487
2020: message_topic.aspx?topic=651849
2019: message_topic.aspx?topic=651155
2018: message_topic.aspx?topic=650451
2017: message_topic.aspx?topic=649505
2016: MIA
2015: message_topic.aspx?topic=646551
2014: message_topic.aspx?topic=643933
2013: message_topic.aspx?topic=639963
2012: message_topic.aspx?topic=632553
2011: message_topic.aspx?topic=620902
2010: message_topic.aspx?topic=605245
2009: message_topic.aspx?topic=584031
2008: message_topic.aspx?topic=552174
2007: message_topic.aspx?topic=506882
2006: message_topic.aspx?topic=447821
2005: message_topic.aspx?topic=375305

I'll be posting mine as a video again this year, but there's still a week and a half left in the year so i'm not quite sure how my 2025 was yet. see y'all in 2026.

12/19/2025 10:30:43 AM

To best knowledge, was the 2016 thread never made, or was it lost to a crash or purge?

12/19/2025 4:33:21 PM

never made

12/19/2025 5:40:55 PM

RIP 2016 Thread



GNSP

12/19/2025 8:47:17 PM

GTL

12/20/2025 1:48:45 AM

It was aight I guess. Status quo.

Made a bunch of money. Stayed in decent shape. Flew airplanes, went out on the boat, rode motorcycles a lot with the bros. Dated or hooked up with a few really hot chicks. Sent my daughter off to college—the strained relationship with a teenager of the last couple of years seems to be getting slightly better since then.

It’s a good life, relatively. No real advancements in substantive ways, though.

12/20/2025 9:09:00 PM

I have so many questions. Where do you take your boat? Do you meet anyone around that is not an attorney? Seems like everyone successful we meet is either a small biz owner, dentist or attorney.

12/21/2025 6:39:55 AM

I don't know any dentists other than mine, and don't know any attorneys locally other than the ones I've hired or had opposing me.

My social circle is basically a few people at work, my motorcycle friends (we have a group of maybe 10-15 dudes, and some of us ride street, dirt, or racetrack almost every weekend and sometimes plan trips, or just get together to drink beers, work on bikes, go out on boats, etc), and a couple of people in the aviation scene.

I mostly stay between Orange Beach (Robinson Island and Bird Island) and Destin (Crab Island) with my boat. I've take it out in the Gulf a couple of times. I've trailered it out to 30A and then taken it from there to Panama City Beach. I've gone a little further west, like Gulf Shores area, but never all the way to Mobile Bay (although I have previously on a jet ski). Mostly it's cruising around the bay and hanging out at sand bars at Pensacola Beach, Ft Pickens and Ft McRee, or Orange Beach...and various waterfront bars and restaurants in between. Oh, and Juana's out in Navarre sometimes, which is also a hangout frequented by my motorcycle guys.

The boat is for sale, though. I'd rather have the money invested somewhere; I don't use the boat enough now that my daughter is off to college. Might buy a jet ski or something.

12/21/2025 9:42:06 AM

Highlights:

Got an award at work.
Mostly removed alcohol from my life.
Earned more money.


Lowlights:

Got an award at work.
Mostly removed alcohol from my life.
Earned more money. (Mo' problems.)

12/22/2025 9:33:55 AM

^LOL!

12/22/2025 11:41:28 AM

2025: No Ragrets

12/23/2025 1:01:12 PM

Honestly. One of the worst years of my life. Federal employees had a rough go this year. Can't really say much more about it on a public forum though.

On the plus side, I did land 7 payloads on the moon at least.

[Edited on December 24, 2025 at 12:53 AM. Reason : ]

12/24/2025 12:51:59 AM

Hey, I'm really sorry to hear that the fuckers fucked with you. Fuck 'em all. Never forgive and never forget. I'm not going to.

12/24/2025 1:00:47 AM

Can't break my streak now.

Career: B-

Work has had it's ups and downs this year. My promotion and new pay started at the first of the year, so that was really nice. But the Legislature has fucked with higher ed this year, so no across the board pay increases or anything. Worse than that, because they are encouraging cuts in higher education, my position and indeed my whole department is being reorganized into a centralized service and cuts are expected as part of this. There is no clarity on what will happen but we are supposed to get more information in April. One of the only nice things about working for the state has been the stability and lack of stress about the company closing down or major cuts or whatever, so that has been a bit of extra work stress that I have no control over, so that has been a bummer.

Family: B+

Family has been mostly pretty good this year, aside from one big issue. Our kids are both in college pursuing trades and really enjoying their classes and doing very well in them, so that is awesome. They still stay at home and ride to school together and my youngest has started working at the ice cream place our oldest has been working at now for over a year now. They get along great and are making money as well as saving up quite a bit. Our oldest has started building up a nice nest egg for the future since they still live with us and drive one of our older cars, so he just pays for gas really. He's been paying for his classes for the last year as well so that is really awesome. His brother should be able to after this semester as well.

The biggest issue with family this year has been my father-in-law. He has been a chronic alcoholic since his teens and almost never held a steady job and lived with his now 87 year old mother and basically never lifted a finger for my wife. This summer he was kicked out of his mom's house by his BIL and had a serious health issue, Afib caused by pancreatitis caused by half a century of alcoholism. He ended up in the hospital for a couple weeks, then rehab for a month or so, and finally in assisted living near us. He hasn't had a drink or smoke since this summer but just something else my wife has to deal with as he's completely inept and can't figure out about his finances, his medical insurance or anything at all. So that has caused extra stress on my wife. He does nothing but sit in his room and watch TV all day and only leaves to go to the cafeteria for meals. It's just wild to me to see a 70 year old man in this shape and doing nothing when my 72 year old father with pretty serious mobility issues still holds a fulltime job and goes to work every day.

Love Life: B

Mostly the same again this year. Wife and I have been together for 23 years now and did a fun trip just the two of us to LA for our anniversary back in February. Left the kids home in NC for an entire week while we were on the west coast. Furthest away from them we have ever been. But we had a great time out there, spent a day in Disneyland, did a bunch of touristy shit, ate some great food, etc.

Social/Friends: A

Going great. I still have out with our drinking club twice a week and my other friends and I continue to hang out pretty regularly. We planned a trip to Charlotte in October and had a nice dinner out. Made some new friends this year from our concertgoing that we hang with at shows, so actually making more friends as I get older, which is awesome. Also have some friends who are season ticket holders to Canes games, so I ended up at 3-4 games last year which is always fun.

Health: B+

My MS has been under control for another year with no new symptoms. I just keep taking my monthly shot and so far no change in symptoms or on my first annual MRI. I'll do it all again next year and hopefully no changes again. Otherwise same old thing.

Hobbies: A+

Hobby is still going strong and kind of added a new one this year. My photography and the groups I help run have been great. Our group did several trips around the state this year to see some things, get some tours and whatnot, so that was a lot of fun. As mentioned above my wife and I also got into concerts in a BIG way this year. In past years I would do 1-3 concerts a year, but I started tracking who was going to be coming to venues in the Triangle and Triad and got in on presales for a bunch of shows. I ended up going to 25 concerts this year, with my wife joining me for almost all of them. We had a great time and made some new friends, including another Chris who also went to NCSU and happens to work at our local news station as a meteorologist. I only watch the morning broadcasts even before meeting him but now it is even more fun because he will talk about metal shows and sometimes toss song lyrics into his forecasts and then we see each other at shows all the time as he goes to a ton of shows as well. I've already got tickets for 15 shows for 2026, so looking forward to even more fun concerts next year.

Money: A-

Finances were much better this year with my raise that kicked in January. Started saving some decent money, could afford a couple trips like to NYC and LA, and the aforementioned dozen concerts. Also went to my first NFL game (Panthers beat the Dolphins at home), so been nice to have a little more disposable income this year. Still didn't make any big purchases this year with the biggest one being a new 65" LG OLED 4K display. Mostly been trying to save up more since we currently have no debts and the uncertainty with my position next year and the big increases both our health insurances are going to be hit with next year, again with no COLA increase from the Legislature to help offset it. Without my raise though this year and next would have been a real kick in the teeth financially for my family.

Overall: B+

For the most part a pretty good year for my family and I, but national issues and uncertainty about the future have put a bit of a damper on it.

[Edited on December 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM. Reason : ]

12/24/2025 2:45:07 PM