Well, the decade began for me living by myself at my parents house, attending my second college, and living in Atlanta, Georgia (one of the largest cities in the country); and ends living in a rental house, married to my beautiful wife with my beautiful daughter, teaching band in Karnes City, Tx. (what I'm sure is one of the smallest towns in the country). Quite a difference, and ont all for the worse! Here's a few other things we said hello and goodbye to in the first half of the first decade of the new millenium (this is a really lenghty post, and if you just want to peruse it I've outlined several different categories in
BOLD, enjoy!):
News:
2000:The decade started out with Y2k and the supposed end of the world. Do you remember the panic the media tried to incite. The oddest thing for me was that they seemed to know about the problem for almost two decades, and just at the end they decided to deal with it. Thankfully for us, no one even noticed.The first news story of 2000 that I recall fairly well was the IED ( a term that was unfamiliar at the time) that was blown up across from the New York Stock Exchange. It's interesting to me that as we look back over the past decade we can see all different kind of warning signs of worse events to come. From the files of "that didn't change very much" in April, Microsoft loses it's case and is declared a monopoly. Also, in April the Waco event of this decade occured when young Elian Gonzales was ripped from his home in Miami and taken back to his biological family in Cuba. Who doesn't remember that photograph of the man with the machine gun taking the young boy? In May we welcomed our 1 billionth person to the planet in India. A story that no one other than my Dad remembers, in August the HL Hunley, a Confederate submarine is raised out of the ocean. In October, the USS Cole is attacked by Al-Qaeda in Yemen. A true precursor of the violence to come. An interesting point from those that think that we will soon all be living in space: the end of October of 2ooo is the last time there is not someone living in space, there has been a constant human presence in space since. November is probably the most news-worthy month of the year as it started with Iraq not allowing in weapons inspectors, continued with the closest election ever for President of the US, Hillary Clinton is elected to the US Senate (the first First Lady to win public office, and also probably one of the first that had to move to the district she wanted to represent), Bill Clinton is the first sitting President to visit Vietnam. In December we first learn a word we will all come to dread: Chads. And finally for 2000, from the "you learn something new every day" file: a group called the Texas 7 broke out of a maximum security prison that is located according to Wikipedia, just to the north of Kenedy, Tx. It's actually in Karnes City!
2001: January of this year led off with one of those stories that shaped the decade when Wikipedia opened it's proverbial doors. Further in that same month, George W. was sworn in as the 43rd President of the US after much controversy that some will still argue over if given the opportunity. In March we were reminded of Chicken Little's warning: The sky fell a little bit when the Mir Russian space station fell from the sky. To conclude the greatest terrorist attack of the previous decade, Timothy McVeigh is put to death in June. In July the world's first self-contained artificial heart is implanted. It really is interesting to me how quiet the news world seems looking back on it for this year. It's as if we've either forgotten all the other news in light of the magnitude of what occured on that September morning, or everything else is blocked out of our minds. That September morning definitely changed our world forever. I remember the walls of photos, the flags that flew everywhere you looked, the fire and police workers all around the country collecting money, the big name benefit concerts and the church attendance soared. That last one didn't seem to last as long as the others, huh? The end of the year is categorized by events linked to that one: anthrax scare, plane crash in Queens, the signing of the Patriot Act, Shock and Awe, and one that can loosely be linked: the fall of Enron. Remember that the field the Astros played on was named after that company? Oops!
2002: The year of the palindrome. I don't know that that holds any significance, but people remember it. In January, the Euro is introduced, I believe it has surpassed the dollar in value, but I could be wrong. No Child Left Behind is signed in January much to the pains of educators everywhere. Thankfully it's up for renewal this next year and they have promised to take educator input and as we all know politicians are known for nothing else other than keeping their word, right? Daniel Pearl is kidnapped and killed within the first two months of the new year. March would bring the US invasion of Afghanistan. Followed soon by the trial of Andrea Yates who was convicted of drowning her own children and sentenced to life in prison. Also, news I don't remember, but is interesting due to location: there was a 125 car pile up on I-75 near Ringgold, Georgia. Yeah, I'm not sure where it is either. Probably somewhere where you wouldn't expect a pile up of that size. The Queen Mother dies and is buried in April. Jimmy Carter meets with Castro as the first President either in or out of office to meet with the dictator since 1959. Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 50th anniversary as Queen of England in June. An assassination attempt against the Afghan president occurs in September. In October, Congress approves a bill that allows the President to utilize the armed forces against Iraq. This provided years of campaign fodder for the people in office and the ones trying to get into office. Also in October, the Beltway Sniper spreads terror throughout Washington DC. Bombs are set off in two nightclubs in the Far East. The Homeland Security Act is signed into law possibly due to a Republican-led government. The end of the year is categorized by people searching for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. I think they're still looking, but they're probably being used against our forces in Afghanistan.
2003: In February, the space shuttle Columbia reminded us all of how dangerous space travel really is, and for those of us old enough to remember, it recalled memories of the Challenger. The SARS outbreak occurs at the end of the month. It's interesting to think about all the different illnesses and outbreaks that have occurred this decade without taking over the world. Invasion of Iraq occurs in March, and I think you can argue about it all you want as to whether it was the right decision or not, but I think we're live in a marginally safer world without a ruler like Saddam Hussein in power. Before the a month had taken place his palace was under American control. Had we realized the fight we were in for, we probably would have been more cautious. Especially since the speech given next month by the President which was probably the largest public relations mistake in recent history when he spoke with the banner behind him declaring "Mission Accomplished." May spawned more tornadoes in one week than any other on record in the US with the final total at 393 over 19 different states. The summer kicks off with the capture of Eric Rudolph, the mastermind of the Olympic Park bombings of 1996 and many other bombings. He was caught in the North Carolina mountains, where he had been hiding for over a decade. That was by far the biggest story of the summer however, as Martha Stewart is indicted for obstruction and using specific information to increase stock profits. It also came out that Martha wasn't the nicest chef in the kitchen. In other court news, the highest court in the land upheld affirmative action in colleges also in June. In July, a scandal broke involving a CIA-operative who had her cover blown by a Washington Post reporter, but really when compared to the last President's scandals, this one was very tame, athough it did put a woman's life in terrible risk. The summer continued with the skyrocketing of oil prices causing us the first signs of our economy maybe being in trouble, and it being a daily reminder for those of us who bought gas about three times a week! In October, one of the stories you would only expect from California (or possibly Minnesota): The Terminator became the Governator! Still a little strange, as was this story: Rush Limbaugh was an analyst on ESPN for like 3 weeks, before he opened his mouth too much for the guys there and was asked to leave. Shortly thereafter, he admitted he was addicted to painkillers. In November a total solar eclipse is seen in Antarctica....by one person; he wrote it down on Wikipedia so we would know about it. The year concluded with several stories including Saddam Hussein being captured, mad cow disease breaks out in the Northwest, a Christmas Eve bombing attempt is thwarted in Madrid, and a massive earthquake occurred in Iran killing over 40,000 people.
2004: This year began with the scream heard round the world by one very enthusiastic Howard Dean. I'm not sure he's crazy, but I am sure he screams like a girl and has provided right-wing radio hosts with a sound bite that has lasted almost a decade! The next month brought a life-changer for peoples all around the world when Facebook was founded originally as a college networking page. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King matches the most Oscar wins for a single film with 11 wins, although I think that some of the wins are for the film trilogy as a whole. The vigilence of the Spanish people towards terrorism led to 4 trains being bombed in Madrid killing 190. Just as serious was the prison abuse in Abu Ghraib. A different kind of sad occured in May when the last episode of Friends aired, on the plus side it was one of the best final episodes I've ever seen. In May, the dedication of the National World War II Memorial occured. In my opinion it was an outrage that it took so long for one of the bravest generations of people to have a monument to their vast accomplishments in the face of such hatred. In June, we laid to rest a national treasure and a man of great integrity, President Ronald Reagan. The 9/11 commission finally releases its report in one of the largest books I have ever seen on a book shelf, and people actually buy it. On July 4th of that year, the groundbreaking for the Freedom Tower took place, however it has yet to be complete. George Bush wins his second term in office in November. Once again, the year ends in tragedy when a tsunami hit the small island of Sumatra killing officially nearly 187,000 people, but there are still over 40,000 people unaccounted for.
2005: The year kicked off with the launch of a small internet site where you could share your videos with your friends. The name of the site? YouTube. Still one of the only places you can go to where you can see The Star Wars Holiday Special. For a story that hit a little too close to home was the Brian Nichols case where he was going in to be tried for rape, turned swiftly into a murder of three people including the judge who was hearing his case as well as his escape from the courthouse. He eventually ended up at the home of a young lady dealing with her own demons, but seemingly brought Nichols to the Lord through reading to him from the Bible and from Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life." I still remember watching the news on that day and everyone in the state seemingly looking for the man. For some reason I was in the metro area that day visiting my parents and seeing the signs telling what type of vehicle he was driving; quite bizzare. Ten days later, the worst school shooting since Columbine occured in Minnesota. At the conclusion of March, the biggest story was centered around Terri Schiavo and how a person should be allowed to die. At the end of May it was finally revealed who Deepthroat was, due to him wanting to let his identity be known before he passed away. In July, we return to space for the first time since the Columbia disaster. They probably could have asked for better weather when Hurricane Katrina came through and was a disaster in every sense of the word: from the actual natural disaster, to the way it was handled by various government factions, to the sites that were lost or severly damaged in historically rich New Orleans. This was shortly to be followed by Hurricane Rita where all the people who had fled New Orleans then had to flee Houston. The effects were felt in a more practical way in Georgia where I almost had to pay over $5 a gallon for gas when pipelines were destroyed. Later in the year, news again focuses on the CIA leak from a few years prior and trying to determine who was leaking information. Also at the time, newly wed Prince Charles and Camilla visit the US.
In Sports:
2000: Trouble for all Braves fans when Time Warner, AOL, and Turner all merge and ruin any chance of any one caring about actual baseball operations being in charge. PS-This was also the last time the Braves appeared in the World Series. The Super Bowl went to the very end of the game with a tremendous stretch by a Titans player who almost broke the plain, but just missed and the Rams won the game.
2001: The first World Series played in November due to 9/11. Derek Jeter becomes Mr. November
2002: The Patriots win over the heavily favored Rams and begin their dynasty.
2004: Michael Phelps almost makes history with 6 Gold Medals, but falls short of the record by winning two bronze medals. The Montreal Expos are purchased by Major League Baseball. The biggest sports story of this year by far was the incredible winning of the World Series by the Boston Red Sox. Not only did they win, but they beat the Yankees in 7 games to do it, also down 3-0 in the series. Hollywood couldn't write it any better, don't believe me, see "Fever Pitch"!
2005: Lance Armstrong wins his 7th straight Tour de France and retires from racing. There's more from him later, too.
In Technology:
These aren't in any particular order, but here's my list of technological advances that have been made in the past decade:
Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, iPods, mp3 cell phones, iPhones, smartphones, texting, HDTV, plasma screens, LCD monitors, Wi-Fi, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, 3-D Movies, CGI, Motion Capture, and Pixar really perfects their craft.
In Music:
David Crosby helps Melissa Etheridge have a baby. Santana ties Michael Jackson with 8 Grammy Awards in one night. Metallica fights Napster. Bubblegum Pop music is in full swing with boy bands galore (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys), two feuding girls who were the best of friends on the new Mickey Mouse Club (Britney and Christina), and one group who I actually enjoyed their follow-up hit (Hanson). dcTalk takes an Intermission. Eminem releases his Marshall Mathers album and again falls into controversy, but the album is solid. Albums that had an effect in 2000: Radiohead, Outkast, and again U2.
In 2002, American Idol debuts and changes the face of music for at least the decade, and probably beyond. It would be an interesting study to find out how many people released albums who had at least made it to Hollywood week, and I'll always wonder if I would be good enough to make it. Also in 02, we had a shift begin with Avril Lavigne releasing her first album. The pendulum begins to swing towards rock once again.
In 2003, it was discovered that Pete Townsend and Michael Jackson both have troubles with enjoying the company of little boys too much. I wonder why it is that we forget about Pete, but don't forget about Michael? I guess it might matter if your black or white. I also discovered that playing a little Norah Jones makes it easier to set a mood, if you catch my drift.
In 2004, Luciano Pavarotti performs for the final time in an opera. Later in the year, Dave Matthews had a "crappy" time on the road. Ashlee Simpson gives a Saturday Night Live performance where she pays tribute to Milli Vanilli. Green Day makes a tremendous comeback with their album American Idiot.
2005 was the year of the huge benefit concert: The tsunami benefit concert was the largest outdoor concert since Live Aid, Audioslave performed the first free outdoor concert in Cuba ever by an American band, and of course Live 8 is the biggest concert of the year. We were also fortunate that year to have Jars of Clay release another album. Also throughout this decade, worship music took huge leaps forward with bands and worship leaders such as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Hillsong United, Matt Papa, Casting Crowns, Third Day, MercyMe, Newsboys, 33Miles, and groundbreakers Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman, and Amy Grant.
In Films:
2000-Gladiator and Cast Away, Star Wars Episode I
2001-Harry Potter I, LOTR I, Monsters, Inc., Shrek
2002-See the above ones, as well as Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II
2003-LOTR III, Finding Nemo, and Pirates of the Caribbean
2004-The year of sequels in that all but three of the top ten films for that year were sequels (The Incredibles, The Passion of the Christ, and Shark Tale)
2005-Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars Episode III, King Kong, Madagascar, Hitch, and Batman Begins.
Deaths:
2000: Charles Schultz, Tito Puente, Carl Sigman, Steve Allen, Victor Borge, Julius Epstein
2001: Dale Earnhardt, Stanley Kramer, William Hewlitt, William Hanna, Joey Ramone, Perry Como, Anthony Quinn, John Lee Hooker, Jack Lemmon, Chet Atkins, Aaliyah, George Harrison
2002: Dave Thomas, Waylong Jennings, Howard K Smith, Dudley Moore, Chuck Jones, Milton Berle, Billy Wilder, Layne Staley, Robert Urich, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez, Sam Snead, Dee Dee Ramone, Ted Williams, Alan Lomax, Lionel Hampton, Stephen Ambrose, Jam Master Jay, Joe Strummer
2003: Maurice Gibb, Nell Carter, Ron Ziegler, Mr. (Fred) Rogers, Hank Ballard, Robert Atkins, Earl King, Noel Redding, Robert Stack, June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, David Brinkley, Gregory Peck, Strom Thurmond, Katharine Hepburn, Buddy Hackett, Barry White, Buddy Ebsen, John Schlesinger, Bob Hope, Sam Phillips, Gregory Hines, Charles Bronson, John Ritter, Robert Palmer, Jonathan Brandis, Warren Spahn
2004: Reggie White, John Barrymore, Christopher Reeve, Rodney Dangerfield, Fay Wray, Rick James, Marlon Brando, Ray Charles, Ronald Reagan, Tony Randall, Estee Lauder, Pat Tillman, Jack Paar, Captain Kangaroo, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Ellis Marsalis, Janet Leigh, Ken Caminiti, Johnny Oates, Artie Shaw
2005: Johnny Carson, Sandra Dee, Johnnie Cochran, Anne Bancroft, Luther Vandross, Peter Jennings, Alfred Reed, Don Adams, Rosa Parks, Richard Pryor.
In My Life:
Finally, the reason you stayed around for this post for this long: Here's what happened in the first part of the decade in my life:
2000-Moved back to Athens, met Kayla in October, she wrote in her diary that she would marry me in December
2001: Realized on Sept. 11 that I would marry Kayla, attended her brother's wedding in Dec. and asked her parents if I could have their blessing the next day
2002: Proposed to Kayla on Jan. 12, married on Aug. 3, 2002 spent the best week of my life to date in Newport Oregon of all places. Graduate from Truett-McConnell with Associates.
2003: Began going to Compass, as well as Emmanuel College, begin in a SG in October
2004: Compass leadership staff leaves
2005: Compass begins to rebuild and we get more involved, Kayla gets pregnant in July. Trip with my family to Washington DC. I complete my degree program in December.
And if I missed anything, just check out this link. 
So up next was the ultrasound. I go into this room where yet another guy tells me to drop my pants (an all-time high for men telling me to take my pants off), and he informs me that my ultrasound will be "audited" by a female tech who is learning how to take the ultrasound. They proceed to begin the procedure like I'm not in the room, but fortunately for you my ears still worked and I found out that they have to use really warm KY jelly so that the "boys" don't shrivel up and they can take good pictures, they also use 
UIL Concert Contest and Sight-Reading competition. We prepared for this for three weeks after the Convention, including having a clinician come in and work with the kids one day followed by a pre-UIL competition the same week, and culminating in a concert for the public on Sunday and the actual event on Wednesday. It was a little tricky because we had standardized testing on Tuesday before the event, so I didn't have a chance to have a rehearsal with my kids the day before we actually went. Fortunately I work with some great teachers who sacrificed having their kids for a majority of the day so we could have an extra rehearsal. We went and played before some really tough judges earning our group a III-III-III rating in the concert portion and a II-II-III rating in the sight-reading room. I say the judges were tough because I feel my group deserved a II rating, but they only handed out a Superior (I) rating to one band yesterday among the forty or so bands they heard. High school went today and earned a II-III-III in concert and an impressive feat in the sight-reading room earning a I-II-III rating. Which means that one judge thought you did a superior job while another felt it was just an average job. 
