Theo, I enjoyed hearing your updates from the exciting world of computer generated imagery. You seemed to be enjoying yourself so much.

I wish everybody's offloading from employment was equally delightful and educational.

2008 has been a year with good and bad.

I got -- a new job, a new apartment, a new SIL and a newphew.

I also got really into Second Life and met my sweetheart, SLNRLBF (Second Life Now Real Life Boyfriend). Who is awesome and I love, even though we live 1300 miles away.

Mom retired and is loving it.

But this year had a really bad thing, a really hard thing-- my wonderful sweet cousin, J, died in June of a heart attack. He was 34 and I still can't believe I have to say that.

So Christmas is a mix of excitement and sadness.

Reflecting on the year.

Since this time in 2007, I...

• saw nearly every play and musical up for a Tony award (plus many more).
• spent 6 weeks singing, dancing, and acting, happily outside my comfort zone.
• did community theater again.
• moved into a larger apartment with my sister.
• got, then lost, an Amazon Kindle. It was a torrid gadget love affair.
• started playing bridge again.
• stopped teaching algebra and started teaching geometry (a great improvement).
• didn't have nearly as much romance, hand-holding, or kissing as I would've liked.
• started tutoring again.
• fell in love with Netflix Instant Queue and the magic Roku device that makes it even better.
• made some new friends.
• fell out of touch with some old friends.
• turned 25.

So, mostly good things, but I feel strangely stalled. I'm ready to move on to the next real phase of my life. I don't know if that means a career change, a girlfriend, or something else, but I'm starting to get restless. Perhaps, hopefully, 2009 will show me where I'll be going in 2010 and beyond. Though I'm starting to think, more and more, that where I'm going is a nice suburban life with children to love. Maybe 2009 will begin me on that journey. (C'mon, year! Bring me a girl!)

Though I'm starting to think, more and more, that where I'm going is a nice suburban life with children to love

Is it bad that I read this as "Oh, Gris wants to teach in the suburbs?"

I am going to wait until after to Christmas to do a full reflection, but I would like to thank 2008 for my job. This year would have been a completely different level of difficult in the 2007 job.

I'd like to thank 2008 for Loki and the gift that has been T and her family finding me a huge good thing in her life. I don't think I knew how much I mattered to them until recently. I just thought I was being me and it didn't feel big. Now I know. It was big to them. That's sometimes more than enough.

There's hard stuff. But that's for later.

Well, I can't even think of reflecting on the year yet, but I came home from a night out with Buffistas to my Secret Santa package. Fun!! Most packages are still wrapped and under the tree, but, to judge from the one unwrapped thing, my SS is scarily on target.

I feel like I made no progress this year. I keep doing the same thing.

And outside of me: things sucked. Violence hit my workplace and people I work with. We're all still dealing with it.

So I guess that was the major change. Like my personal life is in a cocoon but at work there has been this seachange where on a bigger level we've all had to pull together. (Although we are recovered enough that lots of petty officey things are really bugging again.)

I published a book in 2008, did readings in Nashville and twice in LA, wrote a column for Powell's Books, met a lot of wonderful and extremely cool people, watched my daughter grow from a tiny baby into a charming little toddling explorer, watched my son's imagination explode into a constant stream of narrative and construction, lost a beloved old dog, adopted a less-beloved dog (but she's growing on me), saw some freakin' awesome movies and tv shows, read some great books, perfected my pork chop brining recipe, lost 25 lbs, put a lot of work into my next major writing project, published a few freelance works, killed a lot of time with some of my favorite people to kill time with, and managed to find time to sleep a little bit here and there, too.

Far as I'm concerned, 2008 kicked 2007's ass up and down the block.

2008 has been an interesting year. The biggest thing has been a mixed blessing. After 11 years at the same job, having a great deal of difficulty making ends meet, constantly working and always tired, I finally left. I moved half way across the country from CA to TX. The new job pays a wage that is comfortable for the region I am living. I have paid off the student loans (finally) and am within a few paychecks of being debt free. I find I have time off of work now, which is great! Except all my bestest, nearest, dearest friends live back in CA, and I miss them something fierce. So, I feel very fortunate that I finally feel financially comfortable, but not so fortunate as I am a bit lonely. Time will cure the second. I just gotta get out of my shell and meet folks.

That said, 2008 has been rough on those I care about, so it can kiss my ass. I look forward to the hope that is 2009. To making new friends, and having time to spend with them. And to the New Hope that will descend on Washington on the 20 Jan 2009.

Sláinte! L'Chayim! Cheers!