Propogating a meme from Mundens comment and I'll provide you with a letter of the alphabet. You then list a few things you love that begin with that letter.

Comment and tell me the year you were born, and I'll give you a year of your life to describe.

Mundens gave me the letter D and 1986

1986 was fourth form. It began with the epic Glandular fever that laid me out all summer long. I had the only two migranes I have ever had in my life as well. Not an auspicious start to the year. Another inauspcious initiation was my best friend Matt totally poaching my girlfriend Katherine Fairfax (the nickname that she ended up getting was pretty awful and based of her last name).

The glandular fever was to affect me for the most of the rest of the year. The loss of the girlfriend wore off pretty quickly. I was quickly excluded from the social group that surrounded Matt and Katherine, but they broke up shortly thereafter and we went back to being best of friends.

I remember many an long summer evening him and I going over to McAlister park with his dog Jess (a black lab huntaway cross with the brains of a hamster, and the energy too) and my mums dog (I'd never say it was mine, it *so* wasn't) popularly known as the Fat Elemental, a totally neurotic (because we, and by we I mean everyone, teased her mercilessly) cairn terrier. We'd play Cricket with Matt and I batting and bowling and the dogs, mostly Jess, fielding. Or Hacky Sack, in which case the dogs just watched.

My lasting memories of school (Wellington College) are resoundingly negative. My great maths teacher from thrid form, Mrs Luxford, was changed for Mrs Chang. Mrs Luxford had recognised that Matt and I were fiercely competative and both good at Math. So she basically pit us against each other. It worked fantastically. We both finished the year three chapters into next years workbook. And there I stayed for fourth and fifth form (okay, I did do enough to barely pass school C math). I lay most of that at Mrs Chang's feet. I'll accept that I had to own my own learning, but I was 14 and royally stupid. Looking back I only worked hard for teachers who I respected or had a crush on. She fit into neither category.

I exchanged the excellent Mr Durant for the extremely (and appropriately) shrill Mrs Bird in science. I did better in science because I liked it more but I spent many a lesson grinding up chalk and pretending to snort it (refer the above comment about being royally stupid).

In latin I got Mrs Scotland instead of Mr Tattersall and promptly failed miserably.

In fact I was a bit of an academic black hole in 4th form.

Outside of school much was going on. Matt and I sampled the school roleplaying club. My impression was that Matt took one look at the geeks and fled back into the domains of the cool. I started playing Traveller and Star Frontiers with the geeks. I didn't really care who saw me hanging with them. I wasn't particularly cool, although perhaps my complete disregard for all notions of cool made me the coolest of all (tounge firmly in cheek here). Through this I met Cormac, and through Cormac I met Sean Dooley, who went to Wellington High.

Sean gave me my first joint. Another inauspicious start that only really came to fruition in 5th and 6th form.

On fridays Matt and I cruised the blue light disco's looking to "hook up". The only defense I have for my abominable behaviour at this point in life was that I was 14, male, horny and hurt. Basically we used to try and find a girl and go "as far as we could" on the night. Then we'd get their phone numbers and never call again. It was considered being a total loser to give out your phone number.

What a wanker. At least I grew out of it. Thankfully.

In doing this I met Christine Hayes. We dated for all of 4 months (definately my longest at this point). We met at the Newlands Blue Light. We experimented with dope together (provided by the aforementioned Sean) and eventally slept together. This fumbling experience at a party I had at my place while mum was away for the weekend didn't go especially well and was the immediate cause for our break up. Realistically, given my past record I don't think it would have lasted much longer.

Her brother also introduced me to Elite, the computer game. It was awesome. I jonesed for a computer of my own ever since.

I got back into the circuit. I also started drinking more, and smoking more dope.

The rest of the year deteriorated from there. I began seeking an elusive experience that would "complete" me. Under it all I was so deeply and totally broken by my parents divorce that I was driven to try to find healing anywhere I could. The three main ports of call were girls, drink and dope in that order.

Looking back over this, it makes it seem like it was a pretty bad time. And, in fact, it was. There were many good things that came out of it, but all in all I didn't do well in school, I didn't like school, I was getting addicted to sex, alcohol and drugs and was skidding down a very slippery slope.

Things I love beginning with D

Zoe Danger Mansell - she is my wonderful princess and to say I love her is simply not to say enough. I fear for her meeting boys like I was.

Deus - as in God. God is awesome. It's our precioussss

Deontological Ethics is an apt description of part of my worldview.

Discussion and debate - I love talking with people, not just chat, although that is awesome, but the kind of refinement of ideas that comes from healthy debate and discussion.

Dad - I love being a dad. I love my dad. Also, I am passionate about Dads in general. I think Dadhood is one of the most awesome things a person can take on. I think Dads in general need more support in our society and more confidence in themselves. I could probably wax lyrical about Dads, but I'll spare you the pain.

The Divine Conspiracy. It's an awesome book about an awesome God. Very cool.

DD Smash in particular and Dave Dobbyn in general.

That's all I can think of at this stage...