2005: The moments that made the year.

Like most people, the end of every year leaves me feeling a little sentimental and 2005 is certainly no exception. It’s been an unbelievable year and I feel like I’m nearing the end of a great book that I just don’t want to end.

I had some time yesterday to ponder not only the inordinate amount of weather-related delays I seem to get every time I fly to Ohio, but also the moments that helped to make 2005 the best year of my life so far. It wouldn’t be possible to put them all here, but I wanted to hit a few of the highlights. So here goes....

- Arizona on a whim. Hiking through Saguaro National Park in February was a thrill and the fact that it was completely unplanned made it all the more memorable.

- Hiking the Fairyland Loop Trail. The ground was covered in snow, the weather was crisp and cold, and I had the entire place to myself. It’s special just being in a place like Bryce Canyon National Park, but not seeing anyone else in five hours made this one of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

- A few new additions. In September, I got a phone call from Rick Van Gundy, one of my oldest friends, telling me, “You’re an uncle!” He and his wife Kathryn had a baby boy, Nels. In January, my cousin Charlene and her husband Jason had a son, Trevor. In other baby news, Thomas and Dawna Drury had a son, Eli, David and Beth Swink had son, Adam, and Brent and Alisa Beattie had son Maddox. I guess it was a year for boys. Congratulations to all the new parents.

- Two major championships. I got to watch a lot of golf this year and it was a thrill to be able to attend the US and British Opens. It was awesome just to watch a great friend compete in those tournaments, but also being able to share that with other friends made it very special.

- One wedding and a bunch of engagements. Over Memorial Day weekend I saw my friend Tony and his wife Megan exchange vows in Columbus. This year was also one for engagements. Special congratulations go out to Kevin and Sarah, Dimitri and Rebekah, Lee and Angel, Dana and Matt, Scott and Carina, and last but not least, Dave and Vanessa.

- Two countries where I couldn’t understand a soul. In July, Gary Gillis, Elliott Schwartz and I headed over to Europe. We visited Prague in the Czech Republic and Edinburgh, Scotland. The Scottish may speak English, but the Czechs were far easier to understand. This was my first time outside of the US and it was an amazing experience.

- Visiting the 49th State. In September I hopped on a flight for a 5 day whirlwind adventure in Alaska. The entire trip was unbelievable, but renting a canoe and spending four hours completely alone on Byers Lake, in the shadow of Mt. McKinley, was nothing, short of spectacular.

- Oregon revisited. In October I headed out to see a great friend, Jason Wilcox in one of the most beautiful states I’ve ever been to, Oregon. I was only there for three days, but we managed to get in three amazing hikes and enjoyed enough local brews to make even Norm and Cliff beg for mercy.

- Thanksgiving in Atlanta. For the first time in my 27 years I wasn’t able to be home for Thanksgiving. I may not have been with my family, but it was very special to spend it with friends that have become like family.

- In remembrance. In a perfect world, the only moments we have would be good ones. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen that way, and I was left shocked and saddened by the loss of two people in 2005. Greg Mergen, a friend from college passed away in August. Before I ever met him, Greg was a mentor to me in my days on the Ohio University Student Senate. In September, my first manager at NCR, Cindy Auer, lost her battle with cancer. I learned a lot about sales from Cindy and I owe her a lot for giving me my first opportunity in that field. They will both be missed

2005 has been an amazing year and since it seems they just keep getting better, I can’t wait to see what 2006 will bring. Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a great year. Stay tuned for the year-end awards, coming to you tomorrow.