Um, was that unduly harsh? I meant it as funny-stuffy. Like, you know, Wesley on Buffy, before he was cool on Angel. Sorry.

I think "Buffistae" is cute, and wouldn't condemn anyone for using it, but the plural will always be BuffistaS in my heart.

Oh dear...I'm starting to worry about whether or not the Secret Santa gift I posted to the States has got lost in the mail. I was a bit nervous, because I didn't send it by recorded delivery or whatever. Hmm. Still, I think I sent it around the 20th, so I'm not going to start freaking out yet, because that's only, what a fortnight or so.

But, possibly, I may need to send a second Secret Santa gift. We'll see. Wish me Postal Service -ma!

While I can't claim worst year ever, it was the best.

Bad:

My cat got sick , his illness took over my life in way i didn't understand, then we had to put him down. We still ache.

DH got into the oddest job situation ever , where he knew it was going to end, but he was still there for awhile . Messes with your head. He now has a new job, his severance from his old job is becoming a decent nest egg for us. Yet DH has still not recovered from the brain mess up.

Many friends spent too much time this year looking for a job

Good

we put in the dinning room and kitchen floors -- nothing like physical labor that improves the nest to help with the mental attitude.

Family -- all good. Matt's parents have given us some scares, but they seem to rally.

Most everyone that needed a job, had found something. Not everyone, but I have hope.

What I want most for the next year : A lessening of this economic fear. It causes paralysis on an individual basis,to businesses, to countries, and to the world. I spent the last 6 months of 2008 fearing. I can't do it anymore.

Here's a take on 2008

[link]

I've been trying to come up with what to say about 2008. So far I got nothing.

I've been trying to come up with what to say about 2008. So far I got nothing.

Well, you did clean out your closets. So you got that going for you.

I've been trying to come up with what to say about 2008. So far I got nothing.

You could try bitter irony.

Maybe start with the horrible pain and work your way back to the death, maintaining a leitmotif of unrelieved stress and random financial hardship.

A lot of people had shitty 2008s, but you and Drew managed to tag team a real doozy. I'm glad you had each other and I hope the next year is really pretty freakin' boring, with lots of sustained pleasures for you both.

Megan, you are so very right. I need to bring you back to help me finish the job.

Hec, thank you. It really was such an awful year, and I think I've been so focused on trying not to feel sorry for myself and trying to remember that we are still very lucky in so many ways that I haven't really let myself just say, "Yep, that pretty much sucked donkey balls." Sometimes it's nice to admit that it was really just shitty.

But being the optimist that I am, I am determined to make 2009 a great year. Nine is my favorite number, so I'm expecting good things.

I'm still formulating what to say about 2008. I steadfastly refuse to write it off as a bad year. Yes, there was plenty of heartache and bad, but when I really step back and look at the year I can also find some amazingly good stuff. I am planning on putting it all together soon enough, I just need to sit down an start to sort through it.