I got a friendly grope from a gay man.

me too. and an offer to lick my nipple.

Not doing a 2007 wrapup yet, as I'm still in DC, and not back to Seattle and home and settled and caught up on Teh Intarwebs for a bit. And I think it'll be a bit of a doozy. See previous ref to "Home: Seattle", for starters.

BUT, had to report that my Secret Santa was surprisingly revealed during the DC Sunday Buffista brunch to be Sparky! I got a cute t-shirt from "Unshelved" (the library comic) and some games, and some chocolate. Yay!

The year ended on a sad note for me but all in all, I'll have to say that 2007 was pretty kind to us.

The last quarter has been crazy with DH taking a new job and moving to Wisconsin so quickly but we've been lucky. We found a nice house, were able to buy it before we sold our old house and got settled in.

I have few complaints--we've all been in excellent health and things are going so well, I feel sort of guilty.

All in all 2007 has been a good year for us, but a bit more low level stress for us. I am at a new library , where I get to be more than a body at the desk. Oddly I thought working 2 or three days a week would be easier than 5 part time days , but I was wrong. Time management on the job is much harder - but possibly because I have something to do. On the whole I am much happier , but things like insomnia ( of which I only have on a mild level ) has been a bit worse. Matt went crazy at the beginning of the year, leaving his old company , unhappy at new company and going back to his old company in a new position. Most of the awful parts are out of his new job, but it has been a major learning experience where he is still doing some climbing up the learning curve. But both of us our happy about the changes both of us have made - the changes feel right

Healthwise, we seem to be doing ok. We both still get frustrated when I get a cold - but so far my lungs are good. But no major illness and only minor problems or flair ups for both of us.

Our biggest wish for next year is just a little less of the constant low level stress. Stress sends us both into our heads and away from each other.

We are excited about our plans for the house next year and our trip to Seattle reminded us that vacations are fun - and we should do more of that

I have few complaints--we've all been in excellent health and things are going so well, I feel sort of guilty.

Be happy, Cash. I don't want to invalidate your feelings or anything, but please at least try to let go of the guilt and enjoy. If it helps, you'll be doing a public service by letting us enjoy the good in your life by proxy!

Oh 2007...how annoying were thee. So many up and downs I still don't know which way I'm standing. I could be in Duluth for all I know.

You're not, I already checked!

2008 started out with a lovely gift in its hands.

I was supposed to start jury duty today. While I'm all for doing my civic, now is not a good time. So, last night I filled out the jury selection form on the web and indicated the hardship of being self-employed...that if I am not available for my clients, I do not get paid.

I have to stress that this rationale has NEVER worked before.

I called, as required, this morning to find that I had been excused! Didn't even have to wander out into the 30 degree weather to get the good news.

YAY! 2008, mwah. I have a feeling I'm going to like you just fine.

Be happy, Cash. I don't want to invalidate your feelings or anything, but please at least try to let go of the guilt and enjoy. If it helps, you'll be doing a public service by letting us enjoy the good in your life by proxy!

It's a good point. I'm doing my best to let go of guilt issues.

You know, I just wanted to say that I love the G&GR tradition. It beats the hell out of New Year's sales or resolutions.

Elizabethchloe, welcome! Are you from the UK yourself?

I hope to be a better teacher this year, and stay on top of my fricking grading and lesson plans. I also want to take a yoga class to get my back from being a giant ouch tenseness, and go on the pill to keep the communists from turning me into a giant, slavering Ball of Rage and Pain. Oh, and I'd like a Romance. Or at least some action. And for my folks to continue healthy.

Whilst the communists do not turn me into a giant slavering ball of rage and pain, they do seem to be hanging out with me permanently these days, so I'm going to go with a 'wrod' on pretty much all of the above. Also, I want to get better at differentiating my lessons.

Soooo, the year in review. Hmm. This has been a pretty good year, all told. I attended a Muslim wedding in Singapore. I went to India for the first time, and saw the Taj Mahal. A wild peacock flew across my path on the way there, which I took as confirmation that my cunning plan to get a peacock feather tattoo on my back was indeed The Way Forward; thus this was also the year in which I got my first tattoo (6 hours, with a 5 minute break in the middle). Which I still love very much indeed. I also love my job - the kids are great, my boss and co-workers are also great, I feel that in some respects I've definitely improved as a teacher (although of course there are many things I want to get better at, and I'm sure this will always be the case). I'm enjoying the hell out of Thailand. I've got back into acting, and I'm so glad I did - that's just great fun, and something I should have done a while ago. I've been a slob and regained pretty much all the weight that I lost a couple of years ago, which is disheartening - and of course, since size 8 is pretty much the average dress size for lasses in Thailand (this is no exaggeration; size 6 is far more normal a sight than size 14) I am pretty much accustomed to feeling Circus Freak Fat all the time. (Returning to the UK for the festive season has been lovely from that point of view! So cheering! I feel so much better about my appearance whilst looking around at my fellow Brits, for in the UK size 8 is very far from being the average build.)

Hmm. So - pretty good year, all in all. I miss the deep friendships I made in Egypt, but I'm enjoying my life in Bangkok. Can't complain, especially when I know so many people have had shitty things happen to them.

Nevertheless, for next year I'm hoping to get healthier and lose weight; to knuckle back down with the writing; to do more acting; to be a better teacher; to make more of an effort to have a love life (I did go on a couple of dates this year, so bloody well done me [as I am assuredly my own worst enemy when it comes to sabotaging my own love life] but we're barely talking first base); to visit more of Thailand; to get my ass over to Vietnam and to Cambodia, at the very least. Perhaps to visit Japan too. To walk to work more often. To take a Thai cookery course. And yet I also really do want to save money, and think about my future, for I am a financial disaster area, so perhaps these last ambitions are folly...

I may get two more tattoos (a pi on my right wrist, an ohm on my left), but I'm not entirely sure whether I really want them. (And I think that thinking these things over for a good while before committing to the ink is sensible.)

So, yeah - all in all, it's been good. I'm happy with where I'm at in my life, and I definitely count my blessings. But it would be nice not to be alone, and it would be nice to be healthier and fitter, and it would be nice to be making more provision for my old age.