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Heh, I’ve been approximately 40 for a couple of years now; this new year I’m actually 40 and I think the trick has worked - plenty of time to get used to the idea.  I’m going to continue being approximately 40 until I’m ready to be approximately 45, and keep going like that.  It feels pretty neat.

I’ve also decided my Halloween costume for the next few years.  I’m going to be a bride of some sort.  Bride of Frankenstein, zombie bride (which I guess is kind of the same thing), vampire bride, werewolf bride, race car driving bride, octopus bride - whatever variants on the theme I can think of.

It seems sometimes that every year we kick the old year in the ass for goodbye in disgust or anger, and look to the new year with anxiously hopeful eyes.  Well, screw that.  2008 really wasn’t all that bad.  I mean lots of stuff happened.  I lost my house, my nuclear family spun off, finances tanked, we had a nasty presidential race - lots of things bad but also lots of things good.  I did finish up my degree.  I did learn some things about living in the moment and having fun.  People in my life are getting healthier and learning more too.  I’m learning to ask myself, "Why not now?  Really, why not?"  And the reasons for not are getting fewer and fewer.  The lemonade from life’s lemons has been getting sweeter and sweeter, the fertilizer from life’s crap more and more potent.  The more I savor, the more I enjoy.  Sure, I get damned tired, but it between, I think it’s working out.

I don’t know if this is making sense, but I feel grateful and alive.  That has to be a good thing.

1. Where did you begin 2008? I don’t really remember.  I might have slept through that one.  Does anybody recall?  Refresh my memory please.
2. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I finished college!
3. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t make any resolutions, and I’m not making any this year, although I am making decisions and setting goals.  Similar, but not quite the same.
4. Were you in school (anytime this year)? Yes!!!
5. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not immediate family, no.
6. Any new additions to your family? Nope.
7. Did anyone close to you die? No.
8. Did you know anybody who got married? Yes! amorsalado  and dwer  got married.
9. What countries did you visit? Just the USA.
10. How did you earn your money? 7th year of working in web hosting.  Whee.
11. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage.
12. Did you have any encounters with the police? My tags expired while I wasn’t looking, and then I couldn’t find my insurance card.  And my kid got picked up for setting a tire on fire.
13. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?    $
14. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?  October.  Month of uphevals and rude awakenings.
15. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Did I mention I finished college?
16. What was your biggest failure? I lost my house.
17. Did you suffer illness or injury? My knees got a lot worse.  But I got physical therapy, so I get some good days too.
18. Where did you go on holidays/vacation? Mostly Michigan.
19. What was the best thing you bought? Spin dryer!  Love that thing.
20. Whose behavior merited celebration? Believe it or not, the ex, my kids’ father.  Sometimes he’s actually a joy to collaborate with.
21. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Some of the followers of the McCain campaign.
22. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Remember that college thing?
23. Did you move anywhere? To the other end of the same street.
24. Where do you live now? Lake Worth.  I call the house "Casa Familia".
25. What song will always remind you of 2008? I’m drawing a blank.
26. Compared to this time last year, are you:
    • Happier or sadder? Happier.
    • Thinner or fatter? Thinner.
    • Richer or poorer? Poorer.
27. What do you wish you’d done more of? Traveling with my family.
28. What do you wish you’d done less of? Begging.
29. How will you be spending Christmas? Next year I want to do Christmas in Mississippi.
30. What do you want for Christmas? An improved relationship with my family of origin.
31. Where are you spending New Year’s? and with who? wlofie  and I are doing something.  I have no idea what yet.
32. Did you fall in love in 2008? I stayed in love.  Does that count?
33. How many one-night stands? None.
34. What was your favorite TV program? Probably House.
35. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.
36. What was the best book you read? Drawing a blank again.
37. What was your greatest musical discovery? Dr. Horrible.
38. What did you want and get? The spin dryer!
39. What was your favorite film of this year? The R.M.  It’s not from this year, but I saw it this year, and I hurt myself laughing.
40. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Superbowl party at Little Munich.  I turned approximately 40.
41. What would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A friend++.  Far too little baggage-free fun this year.
42. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Corporate modesty.  Ew.
43. What kept you sane? My program.
44. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? As ever, Kevin Smith.
45. What concerts/shows did you go to?
46. Did you see any live sporting events? No.  Need to see some hockey soon.
47. What political issue stirred you the most? Prop 8 + Amendment 2.  Love rules.
48. What has been your favorite moment? Can’t single one out.
49. What was your best month? No idea.
50. Who was the best new person you met? Jan, my fellow student and intern minister at my church.
51. Who has been your best drinking buddy? corsair2  is always my best drinking buddy, but I don’t think we got to drink together this year.
52. Who did you miss? So many people!  My whole family and most of my old friends.  I miss my house, surprisingly.
53. Favorite night out? It was a day and a night - water taxi with DaveFLL and wlofie .
54. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:  "An open door is an invitation." Opportunities are messages.
55. What’s something you learned about yourself? I really can do almost anything.
56. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: I got nothing, sorry.

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I’m depressed. Yes, it’s Super Bowl Sunday but I plan on going around 7 PM-ish and hanging out for a good long while, so drop by after the game is over, or wander over during the early part, or whatever. “A person making around the minimum wage has to work three full-time jobs to afford the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment, he said.” So, I went to the GYN today … and 40 weeks from March 2 comes out to Sunday, December 7, 2008. Little bit terrified. 23:45 There. Maybe I finally have enough material to kick Maslow’s theory’s ass. reebar - Masterofkeys would like to know if you would please find him a railroad spike in NJ and/or PA. # 21:15 Finally leaving work now, as soon as I can get changed. 20:37 @lycangrrl good grief okay here you go tinyurl.com/osfeo 13:16 Lunch meeting -> the itis. I’m going to be scarce in social networking this week. Kitteh has new home!

Yeah. That wasn’t very enlightening.

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At any rate, forgetting the new laptop, I bought a Dynex webcam on sale at Best Buy for next to nothing, and the damn thing is working fantastically! Works great with Mercury Messenger, and even better with iChat. OMG iChat! I can’t tell you how horrible it’s been trying to get the Logitech to work with that.

Anyway, it’s just like the rest of the Mac experience - just plug it in and It Just Damn Works. I feel an orgasm coming on.

The younger kid and I just got done clowning around a lot with the video. I need to find a way to record video for like podcasting and other hijinx. Such as animated LJ icons. Hee!

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