Pssst, Plei, you scared the living crap out of us that night at Halloween.

One more nice thing about 2004: My husband dressed up in a pirate costume. At Pete and Jilli's. There are pictures. Jess took them.

I suck, in that I didn't even make it into the SLACKER Secret Santa exchange.

I am meara, and meara is me. Well, except for living in different places, and maybe a couple of other differences. We both thought Jessica Alba was hot in Honey, though. And we both thought the movie itself was pretty silly.

Also, I'm still a bit to poor to have really signed up for the Slacker exchange, which makes me sad because I'd love to gift one of you, but I'll get enjoyment by proxy, though.

Wow. This was a big year, full of many changes. If I'd done a tarot reading for myself last Dec. 31, I guess I would've turned over the Death card again and and again. Pretty much every condition that I started the year with is reversed now. I was extremely lucratively employed and now I'm unemployed. I had a strong start on my "bliss" job of graphic design, and now I can't do it. I was living comfortably in the States, and now I'm living a bit beyond my means in a country where I don't speak the language. I was a proud member of a DINK family, and now, despite years not wanting children, we decided we did and are halfway through the pregnancy.

But you know what? None of that is really bad. Because, at the start of the year, I was complacent, bored, and stagnating. I was looking towards a mid-life crisis at age 35, and was asking myself "Is this all there is?" And the things I had in my life that I valued beyond all else are still in my life - my husband, my cat, and my friends. So the good has stayed, and everything else has changed.

I don't know yet where the changes will end up (Will I ever be employed again? Or will I get back online and actually make my graphics business work? Will we be good parents? Will we not lose ourselves in the whole parenting thing and still be human? Will we have a cool kid?) but it will be fun to find out.

And I can't forget that at the start of the year, most Buffistas were all completely imaginary, but this year I met many Buffistas in person AIFG!

The one big thing that will mark 2004 as a negative for me is the election, and everything thereto appertaining: the results, obviously, but also the issues that became important and why; the election fraud; the lack of public interest in the election fraud; and the future bad times I foresee for the country I love. The year also held negatives of less world-spanning scope, but still painful; many friends lost pets and some lost spouses, and my heart hurts for them.

I hope that the Wheel of Fortune carries the Bush Administration down down down, and brings those I care about and those who've suffered too much some joy in 2005.

You know, this has been a really crazy year. I had a job that I more or less liked except I felt the dean was choking money away from our dept in such a way that I couldn't get work done. Colleagues at another institution asked me to apply for another job in January and I did. In March I interviewed and in April I was offered the job.

April and May were spent negotiating because it was important for my partner to get a good job and for 3 weeks in June we packed to get the house ready for sale. During that time his father died so that was a pretty emotional time. In addition, he was also finishing his dissertation so this really was a jam-packed stressful summer.

I closed on the old house in early August and closed on the new house the following day and I've still be running to catch up with myself since.

I'm happy to have moved and my partner is really thrilled about his new job and the new opportunities. I am pretty pleased here even though it has been a bit of an adjustment.

Elections: They sucked.

This month, I have had hundreds of dollars in unexpected home maintenance bullshit that I'm not thrilled about, but fuck it. This too shall pass.

I look forward to 2005. I hope it is a good one.

I began 2004 by injuring my back, and just as I recovered from that injured a rib. I was mostly back from all of that, and now have a cold that the doctor says could last another month.

But more importantly, I got to go to weddings, got a promotion, furnished the apartment, paid off the car, met fun new people, and did random crazy fun things.

And I'm a krav instructor. I hate goals, I hate saying "Oh, I want that, let me go get it." But I made some at the start of 2004, with that at the top. I've wanted to teach, officially, for years.

Hi. My name is ita. I have two jobs. I can't wait for 2005.

I am meara, and meara is me.

Also, I'm still a bit to poor to have really signed up for the Slacker exchange, which makes me sad because I'd love to gift one of you, but I'll get enjoyment by proxy, though.

I am Sean (and because he is meara, apparently I am meara, too). Really careless management of my budget (okay, complete lack of adherence to a budget) has finally made me get serious about my finances and huge debt, and so, as much as I'd like to participate, I have to be an adult.

No musings on 2004 yet. At least, not until I get some coffee in me.

So, all these people who are me, can they pay my bills? I mean, you can do it with my money, but...right now they're just decorating my kitchen island, and I can't seem to make myself go through them all...

I can't even shop for my Slacker Seekret Santa gift until the 15th.

This is a warning.

This is kind of been a bad year for me, in that, work has sucked big time - particularly since summer.

I hope that next year is better.

sumi is me, only cuter.

t not here

Tag not likely to close any time soon.

Not-here-KristinT just made me smile!!! Foamy people! Kitties! Puppies!

That is all.

Except for the election and all things in the political realm, 2004 rocked for me like the rockingest thing that ever rocked.

I have finally found my home. I am Tom's wife, and he is my husband, and we took that step together, laughing and crying the whole way through, hanging on to each other for dear life.

I never never never never never thought it was possible to be this happy. Thinking back on my unhappiness and self-hatred and drinking and family issues before Tom and I found each other... it seems half in shadows, not real, another life, another me.

I am also in a job I love, working for a boss I love, doing work I love, at an institution I love.

Happiness. Thanks, 2004.

The never ending saga of trying to deal with my family as this new happy person is still difficult, but as long as I fall asleep next to Tom every night and wake up next to him every morning, I know I can face anything.

2005? Wow, I have no idea what will happen. Hopefully I'll start school, and maybe we'll buy a house. It should be interesting. And I very much send all the happiness that 2004 has given to me to all those who have had such a tough time this year.

May your holidays be wonderful, and the new year bursting with joy and new (positive) possibilities.