You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December, 2008.
I find it odd that people think January 1 will magically bring about a whole new world. “After the first of the year things will get better.” “Just wait until January 1.” Ha, if only. New Year’s day is kind of like a birthday. On your birthday, everyone asks if you feel older or different. Typically, no, it’s just another day. Albeit a day to eat cake and open presents!
I understand the allure of possibilities, but what about the possibilities of July 31 or February 5? Why can’t things change at the beginning of a week, or a month, or an hour? We wait until Christmas to spread the “cheer”, and until February 14 to tell others we love them. What is wrong with today? Whatever day you happen to be on should be the day for new possibilities. Hell, just the fact that I wake up in the morning and can get out of bed is reason to celebrate. It means I’m alive, I’m healthy, and I must have a reason to get out of bed. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
I’d like to stop looking forward all the time – waiting for that perfect day or time to do, or not do, something. Stop wishing time away so the next big thing can hurry up and get here. THIS day is a good day to smile at someone, to donate to a charity, to make healthier food choices, to not spend money on something useless, to eat cake and open presents. To DO something to make your life and world more fun, a better place to be. And tomorrow will be too.
Ok, maybe not too much cake.
December, like every other month in 2008, has passed faster than kids can open presents. Christmas has come and gone. Over 18 inches of snow is now melted away. Where did it go and what the heck happened?
E and I both celebrated birthdays this month. My youngest nephew celebrated his fourth birthday. My youngest brother’s birthday is today, and my gramma’s is tomorrow. Damn December birthdays!
I passed my Spanish class with an A.
E and I went to see Wicked (my birthday present). I loved it! Even E enjoyed it.
I wrapped up another round of tennis lessons and, armed with my new racket (racquet?), will begin playing tennis biweekly in 2009.
I made it through four rounds of Christmas get-togethers.
I had another dermatologist appointment – two spots to keep an eye on – bad.
I got a massage.
On my quest to do/be more natural, I bought organic milk. It’s good.
The Lions finished the season 0-16. Perhaps now that they’ve hit bottom, they can go up? Please?
2008, it was nice knowing you, but it’s time to move on. 2009 is upon us. A year beginning with uncertainty, hesitation, and caution. Job situations, the economy, and Michael Jackson (still) are all unstable. I’m pessimistic enough to think that things will get worse, but hopeful it will start to turn around sooner rather than later. Here’s to a truly happy new year.
I was tagged to list seven random things about myself by benny, so here you have it. Are you happy now?
1. I like oranges and orange juice; and I like grapes and wine, but not orange- or grape-flavored things – like candy or soda.
2. I used to weigh 40 pounds more than I do now. Guess what – there’s no secret to weight loss. Eat less calories than you burn + burn more calories than you eat = lose weight. I promise.
3. I used to bite my fingernails when I was a kid. One day I was engaging in said fingernail-biting and I thought, this is gross! And I never did it again. Yes, that is a true story.
4. I like listening to nostalgia music – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, etc. So do my grandparents. We listen to it when I go over there and play cribbage with them.
5. I love games like Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit where I can put my mental database of trivial facts to good use.
6. I don’t like roller coasters. I am too scared to enjoy the supposed thrill of risking my life for a 90-second ride where I could end up stuck upside down for hours or fall out of my seat at any moment.
7. I love to untangle/unknot things. Strings of Christmas lights, shoelaces, necklaces – you name it I will untangle it. This is extremely amazing for me as I have no patience. I think it’s more of a challenge and, being as competitive as I am, I can’t let a silly knot defeat me.
I’ve been feeling bah humbug-ish lately. I’m tired of the bad moods, bad economy and bad people. I’m tired of stories about people getting trampled to death because someone wanted a digital camera for $1. I’m tired of feeling guilty because so many people have it so much worse than I.
I had to force myself to go Christmas shopping last Sunday. I never have to force myself to go shopping. I felt pretty good once I got out, and only had a very minor breakdown at Lowes. I just want to be done. Everything feels like such a chore.
I wanted to put up the tree before we left town for Thanksgiving so it would be up when we got home, but E didn’t want to. I finally felt a little Christmas cheer and thought I might want to put it up last night, but E didn’t want to. So fine. If he wants a tree up, he can put it up. I’m done.
My birthday is this month. I HATE (hate!) having a birthday in December. My family has been asking me what I want for my birthday. I am fortunate enough to not really want (or need) anything. So I said, Hey, how about you buy some toys and just donate them to Toys for Tots for me. I think they thought I was crazy. They may have asked what I had been drinking/smoking. I didn’t think it was such a bad idea.
The only Christmas decoration we have up is a reindeer made out of wood (log/sticks/etc) that I bought at a gas station one night when we were on our way home from a friend’s house. Someone had made them and was selling them at the gas station. I named him Pablo.
