2008 was fairly good to me...

It was my first full year in California. I've gotten more into the rhythm of life here, although apparently I'm still very "East Coast". Part of that rhythm meant walking a lot, and in San Francisco that often does mean uphill both ways; consequently, I managed to lose 20 pounds in the process. Yay, hills!

I also managed to visit L.A. twice (thanks Kristin and Drew!) and finally see Hearst Castle, which I've wanted to do since a family trip out here way back in high school. I hope to see a lot more of the state in the coming year, especially Yosemite.

I also reconnected with NYC friends by road-tripping through Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The National Parks there are true wonders of nature and a hiker's paradise. I highly recommend them to anyone wanting to get back to nature.

I continue to pay down my crushing grad school debt, but, through budgeting, feel a lot better about it and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

After a major work crisis and a hashing out of issues with my boss, work has improved significantly and I'm hoping to manage a decent raise, even with this economy. We'll see.

Most importantly, my sister seems to have turned a corner and our relationship seems back on track. I guess she has finally forgiven me for moving out here. Another we'll see.

With the year ending, I find myself very thankful for the Buffistas, especially those here in the Bay Area who have made me feel so at home.

Hopes for 2009: a decent raise, a fabulous new apartment, and, most importantly, a date.

This year had one big dark event--the death of my niece. This put several months into a very sad place for ma and my whole family. There was also a lot of bad health--my FiL has severe lung problems, my Uncle is battling esophogeal cancer, and my mom has glaucoma and cataracts and is fighting to retain her sight. Failing health in older relatives was a constant worry and will remain so.

It also had many small but good events--my mother's 80th birthday party, getting another (and awfully adorable) dog, a Crowded House concert which was one of my favorite live events ever, making the decision to try to go back into teaching, and waking up next to my husband every morning.

And we also had one big great event--the election of Obama which I hope leads to a better 2009 for all of us.

My 2008 was eventful, both good and bad.

The bad:

• The biggest one was almost getting fired in July, and the subsequent closely-monitored "probation" I was put on, along with a cut in my hours and pay.

• I also had a lot of medical issues, mostly in the last half of the year. (Job stress leading to physical issues? Very possibly.) Prolonged wrist tendonitis; ongoing irritable bowel syndrome; panic attacks; vertigo and temporary hearing obstruction; a severe recurrence of back pain and trip to the ER for pain management; and a week later, a stomach bug so bad that I had to go back to the ER.

• The Boy had surgery for double hernias.

• My dad had a couple of hospital visits, which, although they've become regular occurrences, are still horribly stressful.

The good:

• It was my first full year of living with The Boy, and things continue to go very well. I don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing man in my life. He's my utter joy.

• After a few months of work probation, my performance was deemed acceptable to go back to full time and full pay.

• All the medical issues were either short-lived and resolved well, or are currently under very good control.

• I had the unexpected experience of being featured on the Web site of the clinic that performed my back surgery, followed by appearing on a billboard for them. While fame and glory have not followed, it was great fun.

• We had a lovely vacation at the beach, which was sorely needed.

• I've paid down a very large amount of credit card debt (not completely gone, but it's getting there) and paid my car off 8 months early.

• The relief I feel at Obama being elected is indescribable. For the first time in 8 years, I have some hope that we're not headed for utter ruin.

A few realizations:

• I tapered off Zoloft, which I had been taking for 4 years. It became clear in November that I needed to be on an antidepressant, so I started on Wellbutrin. It seems okay, but might need to be tinkered with.

• I'm still letting the memory of almost getting fired make me uneasy and unhappy at work. At this point, in this economy, I don't want to quit unless I have another job lined up. And at the age of 37, I don't know what I want to do when I grow up, so I have some soul-searching to do. And, for as long as I've decided to stay there, I need to stop obsessing about what happened and just move forward. (And cover my ass.) While my current job is no longer satisfying, the one thing I will say is that I'm very glad to be employed right now when so many people aren't.

• Despite ups and downs, I have a very, VERY good life. And I'm very grateful.

msbelle, you tease!

I'm not quite ready to sum everything up yet, but on the whole every year since my kids were born and since my mother died has been better than the one before. We still have big health issues threatening the future (esp for my MiL) but I try to live in the best parts of the present.

so it seems I may have met someone that I might find attractive and who might seem nice.

???????

There's not much more to say. Our paths cross almost weekly. We have a few things in common. We've talked a bit. It's hard for me to read people, but he seems willing to always stop a bit and chat, so you know, we'll see. I am trying to be more open in 2009.

My year has been more of the same. Same job, same apartment, same lack of relationship. I guess stability is good at this stage in my life (I feel ambivalent about having turned 35 last week), but I would love to make some changes in 2009, any of which would take more effort than I put in in 2008.

We'll see.

But, no major crises in my life or my family's, so I'm going to count the year as a win.

My 2008 is ending well. I flew to Denver this morning, and Suzi picked me up at the airport, and then we hung out at her house for a while before we came over to Nicole's to surprise her. She screamed. It was funny

2008 was the first year, in all my 48, when absolutely nothing of consequence happened. I don't really know how to feel about that. It seems as though I pretty much slept through it.

Of course there were lows:

• I experienced a medical depression that nearly led me to a cosmic exit. But a gracious friend steered me through it.
• I continued to slide farther into a breathtaking debt. But I was able to scrabble along, due in large part to the same friend hiring me for a lot of side jobs, bless her.

• I gained a bunch of weight. Probably due to the same physical issues that led to the depression. I don't have the resources to get it checked out and don't know when I will be able to. But, I'm not in pain and except for a bit of swelling in my left foot and weird big toenail in that foot, you'd never know anything was wrong.

• I have made no progress figuring out why doing excellent work does not equal making a decent living. I've thought all there is to think about it and done everything I know to do. There seems to be no practical, marketing, or spiritual solution to this riddle. I'd give up if I though giving up would help. On the other hand, the work I've done has been enormously fulfilling and I know I've changed people's lives for the better. They say so, and I believe them.

• I went without even a relationship nibble...except for the attractive married guy down whose road I will not go. But that doesn't really bother me.

• Bartleby is limping out of 2008 with an injured paw that I'm taking a massive 'wait and see' on considering the same thing happened in September and it cost me 2 bills to find out that nothing was wrong. But except for the limpity limping, he has been the greatest joy (next to my work) in my life. I sincerely cannot believe that, 7.5 years into my time with him, I love him incrementally more every single day. He is, quite frankly, it.

• I started the doggy lama pet coaching business and have done worshops every month but it continues to sputter along. But, I know I've done some good, had some fun, paid all Bartleby's upkeep expenses through my deal with the pet store AND gave my busy-bodyness at the dog park legitimacy that makes everybody happy.

• I spent my 10th year in this apartment with infestations, the ceiling falling in and everything getting shabbier and shabbier. Plus, my rent was raised to exactly 100% more than I paid when I moved in. 10% might be average per year, but this kick up was huge. BUT, my landlord, while still a monumental non-thinker did not poison me as he has done in previous years and actually fixed my toilet in 6 weeks...which is a record...especially considering he works downstairs from me 8 hours a day, 6 days per week.

  All in all, nothing terrible. But nothing great either.

  I declare 2008 a placeholder year and decree that 2009 will be a year of writing a lot, possibly giving up private practice and doing something about my health. The rest, I leave to the fates.

  This community, around which I have been hanging for, what? However many years it has been since the DC f2f...condinues to be a great gift of wisdom, humor, challenge and just plain smartitude, for which I give great thanks.

She screamed. It was funny

I did, and it was LOUD! Suzi and K-Bug came to the door and then K-Bug said they left stuff in the car so she wandered off while I helped Suz carry stuff upstairs. Suz and I were in the kitchen when K-Bug came back inside, so I turn around AND THERE'S PERKINS!!

Man oh man, I had no clue that Suzi and K-Bug could be so sneaky. Well played, y'all, especially Perkins.

Good end to the year. I can haz Perkins!