I had a great weekend. I spent probably too much time out on the town, but it was worth it. I took my first stab at Texas Hold'em Friday evening. We had a good crew here from work, with our buddy Mookie walking away as the big winner. I lost $20, but had a good time doing so. I'm not a big gambler, but I did enjoy hanging out with friends and actin' a fool. We ended the night down at Tin Roof, one of my favorite places here in Nashville. The same band is there basically every weekend, so you KNOW what songs they are going to play. We were all singing our lungs out and enjoying the music.
Saturday, after another big win this time over TCU, I ended up at a holiday party. My roommate Scott has introduced me to some great people here in town. They were kind enough to invite me to their party, and I certainly couldn't turn down free drinks and good food. A festive crowd indeed. I met some new folks, all of which were very cool, got some good tips from a photographer on what digital camera to purchase and even ran into an elementary school friend of mine. A small world indeed.
Sunday was our staff holiday party, and I stayed for a good couple of hours. Again, hard to pass up free food and drink. The company was enjoyable as well, as athletics and student-life mingled. I suppose I didn't mingle as much as I should've, considering I remained close to both the bar and the food. Oh well. I know my priorities.
I do head home tomorrow, something I'm very much looking forward to. I'll probably go out with some of the Winston natives tomorrow night, but I am most excited about spending time with my family. As I said last year around this time, I love Christmas. The longer I live away from home, the more it means to me to be there during these holidays. With my dad close to his retirement, I hope we can all spend more time together over the next year. I need to convince them a Nashville trip wouldn't be too far away.
The past two years, I've done a recap of my year. As I sat and thought about what I was going to type for 2004, I realized comparing it to the past two years, it has been fairly boring. The past two years, I've moved to new jobs. This is the first time since 2001 I haven't moved to a different city within a year. I've certainly had a great year, but it is also nice to know I haven't had the small headache of moving somewhere brand new again. Things could always change, so you never know.
As the end of another year comes upon us all, 2004 has been the first steady year for Jay Lowe in some time. After finding his way through his new surroundings, Lowe was able to make a mark on Vanderbilt Athletics. While constantly learning, small adjustments and improvements have been made. With the outside speculation of how Lowe would deal with the sometimes changing world of Vanderbilt Athletics, he was able to continue on with the support of others. However, during the summer months Lowe lost some of his support, as many of the elder statesmen of the office sought jobs elsewhere, or removed themselves from the current environment. It certainly was a blow to the learning curve of Lowe, but work has allowed him many victories, several defeats and even a new way of thinking. After a small spell in November, Lowe realized work is important, however life is too. As he continues to march towards his job dreams, he learned a valuable lesson in taking care of ones self and knowing when to enjoy life outside of the office.
Lowe's love life has always been confusing, and that certainly did not change in 2004. While always a flirt, he found himself in a long distance relationship in the later part of the year. Always fearful of distance in his relationships, Lowe and the lady in question stumbled through the past few months. Not knowing what will become of the relationship, Lowe will walk into 2005 ready to deal with whatever Cupid throws his way.
A steady year for the most part, Lowe has learned even more about himself during 2004. He loves his free time. He can be selfish. He can be a jerk. He can be loving and caring, without even trying. He fondness for his family and friends continues to grow, as they have all touched his life. He still loves his silly band, ARGUS, and loves making the music with them.
There were no major life changes in 2004, which Lowe understandably welcomes. It was a year where from beginning to end, Lowe created for himself and enjoyed it all. From successes to failures, 2004 was a constant.
Thank you all for reading. It really is special for me to share these parts of my life with you. I don't write here to piss people off or stir controversy. I write, because it helps me with my life. It allows me to say, this is who I am and what I think. I could write, and really no one has to read, but you do, and I greatly appreciate it.
Happy Holidays to all! Be sure to check back with me after the new year for the third annual jaylowe.com awards.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night ...