Here's my own recap of 2004.  I still can't get over how fast it all went.  I can't believe it was all a year ago. Crazyyyy

 

I guess I'll start with New Years.  I was actually NOT closing last year, so I went to a party at Jay and Lisa's house, friends of Rob and Sue.  So I obviously went with them, lol.  I had a fun time even though I didn't know too many people who went.  I didn't even know Jay and Lisa, so it was a little awkward at first, but I ended up enjoying myself.  I didn't drink too much, I just had a few.  The only thing I regret is not being with all of my friends and family.  Everyone seemed to have different plans or something.

January 5th was pretty interesting too.  I remember I went to the mall for whatever reason, I think it was to visit Melissa at work on her break.  Well it was snowing while I was driving to the mall, but I didn't care.  I figured it would go away.  Haha...it just got worse.  I had lunch with Melissa, and while we were walking around the mall, my mom called me and was like, "you are not driving home in this weather.  It's a blizzard.  Wait for Melissa to get off of work and drive home with her.  I'd rather have the 2 of you together driving than alone."  So I waited til 6:15 when she got off, then we both went outside and attempted to wipe the snow off her car.  When we left the mall we didn't go on the parkway because they hadn't salted it yet or something and it was bad.  So we took 36 home,  we went through Eatontown, through Seabright, and allll the way down 36 til we were home.  We did 20mph the whole way.  (oh and we stopped at a Dunkin Donuts drive thru near the mall lol) it was a scary drive, but we had so much fun.

And I forget the exact date, but classes had started up at this point.  I was taking Fashion Coordination with Marilyn, and my 1960's pop music/counterculture class.  I loved both of those classes so much, even when they first started.

January 11th.  Oh mann....this was the date that I started dating Mike.  We weren't a couple yet, just dating.  I think we both closed or something at work, and a bunch of us were supposed to go to the diner, but the few people who were supposed to go bailed on us.  So I met him at the diner parking lot and I'm like, "why don't we just go to Applebees?  It's cheaper and the food's better!"  So we did.  And we must have sat in there for 3 hours talking to each other.  Well that's how we started dating and getting to know each other.  That night we exchanged screen names, and that was it.  So I guess that's the official day we started going out.

Those were the dates in January that stand out......

 

The first was my Mom's birthday, so I went out with her and Pop-pop.  We ate at Red Lobster.  I remember I had good chicken, lol.  Then I convinced mom to go down to the Ocean Target store.  I was looking for these shoes that were on clearance that we no longer had at our store.  I didn't think I'd find them, but sure enough I did!  After that we went to the mall.  That's about it for that day.  I just remember it being a fun day.

February 7th- Mom's surprise bday party!  Sooo much fun!  My entire family came, and all of our family friends came.  I saw people I hadn't seen since I was little.  I also saw Amy, Jenna, and Jodi, my 3rd cousins who I never get to see.  Melissa, Rob and Sue came too.  It was a fun night of seeing my mommy happy, dancing, food, and just everything being perfect.  Man now I am realizing how soooooooo lucky I was at that point.  I want to erase everything that has happened since then and just go back to it.

Vday....was one of the best days of 2004.  I never thought it would be, I had always hated valentine's day.  Mike took me out to dinner at Olive Garden, then we went to Rascal's and saw some some funny stand up commedians.  A few of our friends from work went with us.  It was soo much fun.  I had such a great time.  It's also the day we officially became "boyfriend/girlfriend."  It felt so special to finally be dating someone.

The rest of February....hmmm...I know I spent alot of time and late nights on the phone with him and hanging out with Melissa and despising the winter....

 

I believe March was kind of boring.  I wasn't hanging out with Rob and Sue by this point cause they were mad at me.  I was constantly hanging out with Mike and Melissa.  I was also enjoying my 2 classes.  Oh and I remember the last time I stayed over Danielle's was in March (she's moved out since) but it hasn't been our last sleepover.  All the rest of the times she's stayed over here.  The time I was over, though, we went to this club near her called Platinum.  It was alot of fun.  The club itself was on the ghetto side, but it was fun anyway.  I remember trying a midouri sour (sp?) and I hated it cause it was extremely sweet.

 

Still dating Mike, hanging out with him and Melissa, working, and enjoying my 2 classes.  This one time (this sticks out in my mind as being one of the most fun times ever with Mike)Mike and I drove his brother and his wife to this airport in NY, I forget the name of it.  That was such a fun time, even though the drive took forever and we sat thru much traffic.  This was the month that I began speaking to Rob and Sue again.  Us and Rob's friend John actually we went to Penn for a night because it was their friend James' birthday.  We went to a barbeque in his back yard, then to this awesome club called Banana Joe's.  Better than any club in NJ!  Then we went back to our hotel room, put our stuff away, and ran across the highway, where there was a Dennys!!!  I loved it, it was sooo much fun.  Easter was also this month.  My family and I ate at Carraba's, this yummy Italian restaurant, then came back to my house.  Had a fun Easter egg hunt in the house with all my cousins.  Then later that night Melissa stopped by, then Mike did right after her & we went to Red Head's in Tinton Falls with some other girls from work & we hung out there.  Wow...April really was some fun fun times.  Little did I know that these were the best months of 2004.  

 

Usually, May through August are the best months.  They were in 2001, 2002, and 2003.  Not last year!  I went through my first breakup, we broke up on Monther's day.  I was so sad after this for such a long time.  Classes ended.  Even sadder.  Because I really liked going to them.  I got into a fight with Rob and Sue and went through my second round of not talking to them.  It happened right after Rob's bday.  Melissa helped me and hung out with me all through May.  Oh and I still hung out with Mike alot too, we were still friends at this point.  But it was hard cause I didn't even want to break up with him.  The only good thing about May really was the anticipation of the summer.

 

Melissa didn't call me that much in this month.  I really missed her & I was wondering what was going on.  I was hanging out with and having lots of fun with Mike though.  He and his friends were like the only people I was hanging out with at this point.  Although I missed talking to Melissa every day, I enjoyed hanging with Mike and other people too.  Oh and toward the end of this month, I went to Friendly's with Rob and Sue and we had a long chat.  We realized that we'd be miserable without each other, so we became friends again.  And we remained friends this time.

 

July 3rd was fun.  Red Bank fireworks!  After being in RB for awhile I met up with Mike and some people from work.  (This would be pretty much the last time Mike and I would hang out).  4th of july was the Meadowlands fair, and I went to that with Rob and Sue.  Went on vacation to Lake George this month.  While we were there, I got my tattoo!  And my sister got her belly button pierced.  We sat with each other at the place went to.  I had decided the day we got there & after I saw the design in the store that I wanted this tattoo.  But of course, I kept "thinking about it" a million times like I always do but I knew I wanted it.  My parents disagreed.  Vacation was fun.  I kept thinking about Melissa, who I had not yet heard from.  I think the exact night we got home, I called her and she answered!  I forget why she didn't call for awhile but I didn't care cause we were talking again!  We never even get mad at each other so who knows what was goin on.  She said that she had been trying to call and asked if we were on vacation.  So....we made plans for my bday, which was coming up!  For that, we went to WindAnSea in Atlantic Highlands.  Me, Melissa, Rob, Sue, Erica, and my cousin Danielle and her b/f went.  Mike was invited but he couldn't go cause of work.  Before the bar we ate at Mad Hatter, thus introducing everyone to the awesome food there!  (And many future visits!)  Once we got to the bar my cousin didn't stay very long, I forget why.  But I had fun anyway.  Then, the next day (I had no idea the night before but...) I got my new car!!!!  All through May and June I'd been trying to sell it, with no luck.  I was getting highly antsy so Pop-pop, my Dad and I decided to just go to the Chevy dealer in Middletown to see what we could do.  I wanted my new car for sooooo long.  I ended up getting it the day after my birthday!  I test drove another cavalier that I was actually going to get, it was the same car but an '04 and it was metallic blue.  Then Dan, the really cool Chevy dealer, showed me a silver '05 (still with tissue wrapping on it!!  Never test-driven!) and he said that it was only on the lot for a few days, maybe less.  It had 3 MILES on it when I test drove it!!  And XM satelite radio!!  So that was the car we got.  Sue's and Sarah's graduation party was that night so I drove the car over and showed everyone.  It was so exciting.  What else happened in July?  Oh and the 18th, the day after I got my car, was the last time I saw Melissa (again).  I showed her th car and it was the day before her and her now x-boyfriend were going to the bahamas.  And July 30th was the Linkin Park concert I'd had a ticket to since March.

 

Here is when the months began to get more and more boring.  August 11th I think was the last time I talked to Melissa.  She was having all kinds of problems with the guy she was dating and work and crap...we made plans for me to help her move out of his house and to hang out and all kinds of stuff but I never heard from her after this.  She was supposed to call me with her new cell she was supposed to get in like 2 days.  On my birthday, written in the card she gave me, was a message that said something like, even if we are out of touch for awhile, you're still my best friend.  Maybe she was thinking of the future?  I didn't think we'd not talk again, so I thought she was referring to June, when we didn't talk.  Maybe she meant now.  I still wonder....The time that I called her right after vacation and she answered made me happy.  What's strange though, is that while my family and I were on vacation, I think I had some kind of dream that I heard from her again.  And sure enough, I did the day we got back.  But I haven't had any dreams about her yet, or with her in it.  Maybe it is some kind of destined thing, something I have to dream about for it to happen.  If I have a dream that has anything to do with Melissa, I'll hear from her.  Things like this make me know that she really is and always will be my best friend.  Like we can go this whole time not hearing from each other and we're still fine.  I just know it.  I miss her soooo much, she is my favorite person ever.  It's been 5 months since we talked.  That's the longest we've ever gone.  The worst part about it is, I have no way of contacting her except through emails...I don't know where she lives, I don't know where she works, and I don't have her phone number.  But she doesn't answer the emails I send her.  I hope she isn't mad at me or anything...I don't know how she could be though.  We've had nothing but fun together over the years.  I'm trying to find ways to get in contact with her.  I could go to her mom's house, but I'm scared of her mom.  I would need someone to go with me.  So not only am I missing Mike at this point, I'm mising Melissa too.

 

Actually there was one other time I hung out with Mike and his friends since 4th of July.  A bunch of us went to a diner and then Seabright beach afterwards.  It was like Septmber 1st or something...(I'm really good with remembering the exact dates of some days).  I had alot of fun.  My friend AnnMarie, who I just recently started hanging out with again, came along and stuff.  That was really the last time I hung out with Mike.  At the beginning of this month, class started up again.  Algebra, business writing, and typography.  AM and I signed up for it together.  We had fun in the class, all we did was be weirded out with all the strange people in the class and about Mona and talk and eat junk food before class started, right AM?  And sometimes go to Coldstone but mostly Starbux.  Other than all of this, September was boring as hell.

 

Hanging out with AM alot, hanging out with Rob and Sue alot, and my (our) friend Erica.  Work was the usual, so were my 3 classes.  Boring....Halloween sucked cause I had to close (I closed last Halloween too).  Actually, we went to alot of hayrides in Pennslyvania during the month.  All of which were really good and scary.  My friend Kristine was supposed to get married this month, and I was supposed to be in her wedding.  It had been in the plans for months and months and months.  Back in February Mike had agreed to go with me.  And he kept his word.  Only-- Kristine ended up not getting married!  And I still have no idea why.  So I told Mike this on the phone.  I was happy that he wasn't going to go back on his word.  And I thought that was a good friendship quality.  But we just don't talk anymore.  Too much weirdness would ensue I guess.  At this point I still wished we were dating, and I had been looking forward to hanging out with him the whole weekend of the wedding.  I guess that was a sign, the wedding being cancelled.  Shit happens for a reason....

 

Yet another boring month.  Hanging out with AM, Sue, Rob, and Erica mostly.  I had also become friends with Trenna, a girl from my writing class.  Around the middle of this month, AM and I dropped the typography.  Not because we hated it, we liked having class together on Monday nights, but it was getting to be a hassle, the class load was too much on both of us. Plus the assignments were retarded and Mona was a wacko.  November was boringggggggg...

 

Ha.  One month ago.  It was so damn boring, it is a real brain strain trying to remember what even went on.  Hanging out with the same ppl.  Working crazy mad ass ovetime at work.  Studying my ass off for algebra.  Getting ready for Christmas.  The semester ended.  Christmas was cool.  New years eve I had to close....and I haven't heard from Melissa still.....now it's January, a year ago from the start of 2004.  I still can't believe it is over.  Now that I think about it, I really did enjoy '04 for the most part, except for the 2 things that made me sad, Melissa and Mike.  But I really have hope that Melissa and I will reconnect eventually.