The latter half of 2004 seems to have been setting me up for some big changes in 2005.

Does this read to anyone else like a prediction for the second half of a show season? I just hope Tim isn't writing your scripts, Anne.

I spent most of 2004 treading water. I live in a great town with some awesome friends, but I didn't really move forward in the journey of my life at all. I started the year at one crap job, and moved to another, less crappy, job halfway through the year, but even the new job doesn't really hold much of a future for me, I think. My goal for 2005 is to save up enough money to head back out into the world and try something new: travelling somewhere new, or even moving to another country for a while; maybe going to grad school to study library science; maybe joining the Peace Corps or another international organization; maybe even just moving to a city where I could actually try to find a job in publishing. Also, a boyfriend would be nice. Ta ever so.

Does this read to anyone else like a prediction for the second half of a show season? I just hope Tim isn't writing your scripts, Anne.

Eep! I hope not, either!

My wishes for the next year are a job (duh), and some idea of where I want to be going over the next ten years. I feel like my life has been on hold for several years and that it's time to get moving again. Now I just have to figure out how to keep from beating myself up over "wasted" time.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep from beating myself up over "wasted" time.

Anne, I spent almost an entire decade wasted in a Denny's back in Michigan. I used to beat myself up for the supposed wasted time until I realized I'd be just as old regardless of how I spent the time, and there are no guarantees I'd be any better off. Time is what it is, yo.

I have almost all of my seekrit santa gift done, except I'm waiting for something to be mailed to me.

I also need to send Xmas cards.

I also need to send Xmas cards.

Yes. This. Also, I have fruitcakes to get in the mail. (Good fruitcakes, not doorstops)

Secret Santee: I may be a little late. My shopping and shipping time got foreshortened considerably. Sorry about that.

Ah, 2004. You were a pretty good year to me, but not a kind one to my friends. I could have done without the politics, the drama, and the life-threatening and cheekbone-fracturing accident. However, the positive outweighed the negative, as proven by this chronological list:

stepped back onstage for the first time
moved in (again) with Z
got good reviews for my second acting venture of the year
got married to Z
reconnected with beloved aunt & uncle
got great reviews for my one directing gig
went to Seattle for Hallowe'en, and hung out with truly cool people
managed to get the cats to emulate some semblance of co-existing peacefully
survived a fall that by all rights should have killed me
still managed to have friends over for Thanksgiving, 2 days after surgery

Not too shabby, I think.

I'm so happy. I finally have all the piece/parts for my seekrit santa prezzie...just have to put together the package and get it to the post office. Hopefully it will be in the mail tomorrow. Yay!!!

Wrapping my sekrit gifts tonight, hope to put them in the mail tomorrow.

BTW, I can be a gift exchange go-between. Need to let your giftee know that RL has kicked you while you're down and their gift will be late? Want to tell your santa there's been a change in your address or holiday schedule? Anything like that? Send me an email & I'll pass it on confidentially.

Well, my secret santa gift has been sent.

In terms of absolute value, I think 2004 was a bad year for me. I had to sell a home I loved, move to a place I hate, and try to rebuild a relationship with my husband after living apart for 15 months. That was hard. Oh, and he's now in Iraq fighting a war neither of us supports (although we do see possibilities for good) and I worry for his safety on a daily basis. Despite the fact that friends and family love me, I frequently feel very lonely.

OTOH, I now hate it here much less than when I moved. It's too rural for my tastes, but it is very pretty here and people are very nice. And, of course, the baby outweighs all the bad. I know having kids doesn't fix your life, but I'm still very excited.

So, 2004 is ending on a positive note. Things are improving and it looks like the trend will continue.

I sent my Secret Santa gift earlier this week.

I'm not saying a thing about my 2004 yet, though. There's still about three weeks to go, and there are whispers in the wind that I want to see play out first. If they go well, I will be partying like no tomorrow on NYE.