Tom is great and I am lucky enough to get to spend time with him more often than most.

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My 2004 started with a lot of promise, or at least the hope for a lot of promise. It did not live up to expectations which is disappointing, but not the end of the world.

I am hoping for a calm 2005. There will be certain unavoidable life changes, but I do not plan to move and the adoption stuff will be on hold for a while.

I hope you all have healthy and peaceful new years.

What Beverly said, Tom.

t joins the Tom-love

It's always marvelous to see Tom, even though I never seem to find the time to talk to him much, Buffista gatherings being what they are (boisterous and chattery, among others).

2004 didn't suck. Wasn't great, but it didn't suck. I went to Hawaii again for the PFH, but this time I got to do a little traveling around the islands -- saw the North Shore, and the volcanoes on the Big Island, and ate greaet sushi with a friend who happened to be there at the same time.

Saw the Zmayhems get hitched and had a great weekend with Buffistas, snarked through Troy with Meara and Nutty. Got a raise, bought a new watch, saw my brother get married at the best wedding EVAR (sorry, Hec and JZ), spent a lovely week in Jackson Hole.

Finished the PFH. Got a new furnace and new chimney and new car (and now have no money, oy). Turned 40. The earth did not collapse.

Lost an old family friend, gained a new sister-in-law. Planning a long trip to New Zealand with some dear friends.

Yeah, there are things which could have been better. My mother's health is not good and not improving. The election results were disappointing. I'm out of shape, not writing what I'd planned to this year, watching too much tv, not getting out enough.

But all in all, I can't really complain; my family is mostly well, and mostly healthy, I'm still employed. I have a dog and a house and too many books waiting to be read. And I have the invisible people in my computer, who are marvelous, generous, witty souls.

From 2005 I want more energy, more discipline, and to finish some of the projects I've been working on for far too long (both work-related and other). For the world -- well, that's a long list. I'll spare you all.

saw my brother get married at the best wedding EVAR (sorry, Hec and JZ),

Can't imagine how this is possible since there was no drunk Nutty at your brother's wedding. The entertainment value of a pixillated Nutty Vee cannot be overstated.

So, 2004. Began with my husband miserable at work. Continued with a three-month-long job hunt in which the interviews began in January and an offer wasn't made until late March. (Same job.) In February, my husband and son both got lingering coughs; my son's was later diagnosed as asthma. In March I got a lingering cough, which was later diagnosed as pneumonia; I was hospitalized three days.

Also in March, my father was diagnosed with a recurrence of colon cancer; for at least a month, it looked as if this time it was going to be fatal. He underwent chemotherapy. The tumor turned out to be a primary duodenal cancer instead of a metastasized colon cancer. My father then underwent the Whipple surgery, one of the longest surgeries still performed, in which they open you up, shuffle your internal organs around, and redeal.

It takes a long time to recover from pneumonia; in September I was still needing afternoon naps most weekends. During the summer and fall, I also had a serious migraine flare-up, with 15+ episodes in a month.

Much to everybody's surprise, my father made a spectacular recovery from the cancer treatment and came to visit us this fall. As far as we could tell, he wasn't curtailing his usual activities (including eating) one bit, although he did tire easily.

Then there was the whole election thing. Our son had bad school problems, which led to many parent-teacher visits. So many that my son called home last month and prefaced the call with "Don't worry, I'm not in trouble."

In 2005, I pray for peace, both local and global. Here's hoping we all experience it.

Man, your eyelid didn't even make it onto your list of lowlights, Betsy.

If it's okay, I'm going to have to focus what -ma I've got handy on your eyelid getting better because twice-weekly pain sessions sounds stressful.

The entertainment value of a pixillated Nutty Vee cannot be overstated.

Waitaminnit. Okay, I mean, beyond the obvious and documented, what did I do?

The entertainment value of a pixillated Nutty Vee cannot be overstated

That's true, but then you didn't have the Grand Teton as a backdrop to the ceremony, or a 90-lb Irish Wolfhound mix as a member of the wedding party. *g*

Different weddings, both marvelous.

2004 was a pretty good year with a few bumps.

In January I had an annual review at my job. I did fairly well though I thought I had done better. This translated into a raise at the beginning of March, and a bonus because our region of the US did very good in sales.

In March I went to a podiatrist to check my feet. I had a really bad bunion on my left foot that caused pain all the time. It was determined that it would be beneficial to have surgery and then use orthotics after that. So, on April 15, I had surgery to correct my foot. Due to the severity, though, I had to endure a non-weight bearing cast for six weeks. It covered my entire foot all the way up to my knee. I’ve never had a cast or used crutches before this, so it was quite an experience.

My life was very difficult for those six weeks.

The obstacles I had to endure:
1) Climbing 3 flights of stairs every time I went home because I live on the 3rd story of an apartment building, and another flight of stairs because my apartment is two floors. The bathroom and bedroom are upstairs.
2) I could only do a little grocery shopping at a time because carrying bags up the stairs was a bitch. I had to do all of this on my own, too, because I live alone and the neighbors are never around to help.
3) Bathing was tricky – I mostly took baths because I could prop my leg up on the edge of the tub. Showers were even more difficult because I would have to wrap and duct tape a garbage bag to my leg and then half stand on one leg and half lean again the shower wall.

Some of the plusses of being handicapped:
1) Handicapped parking sticker!
2) My dad came out for the first weekend to help me get around and get used to the inconveniences I would have to deal with. He even went grocery shopping for me and paid for it.
3) Tylenol with codeine, ‘nuf said.
4) My triceps got very defined.

I got the cast off at the end of May and I’ve been able to walk without pain. Yeah!

In July I went on a family vacation (paid for by my dad) to Bonaire for a scuba diving trip. I was there for a week. While there, on July 18th , my brother, Alex, proposed to his girlfriend, Audra. They are getting married next summer on June 18 (also my birthday). I’m one of two bridesmaids (not counting the matron of honor and the bride). At the beginning of November I drove over to Wisconsin to visit Alex and Audra and try on dresses.

Thanksgiving I spent with my aunt and uncle in Imlay City, Michigan. I had to wait until Thanksgiving morning to drive out because of the snow storm we had the day before.

For Christmas I am flying to my parents house in New London, WI (near Appleton). I’ll be out there for 5 days which I am looking forward to.

2005 has not really been planned except for my brother’s wedding and the distant hope that I’ll be able to make it to New Orleans for the F2F. I’m crossing my fingers for a great year.

My seekrit santa package has been mailed - YAY.

AND I got a phone call from my mom telling me a box was just delivered. It appears it is my own seekrit santa package - can't wait to get home!!! I may not be able to post about it until tomorrow though, but I'm all atwitter now.