Get Ready For 2009

File Under: A Proper Farewell to 2008

A New Year. New Beginnings. I’m ready for a new year, are you?

As a whole, this has been a really great year. At the beginning of the year, I was looking forward to my 26th Go-Go’s concert, in Chicago. My good friend John attended with me and we went backstage and met the band. I enjoyed being able to share the experience with my friend and I know he appreciated it.

"The Collective" began planning what turned out to be a really fantastic adventure for all of us, in celebration of my best friend Dan’s 40th birthday. Luis had a vision of what he wanted to have happen and I think we accomplished our goal. It started with a fantastic backyard party and ended with fireworks in Florida. Oh wait...and a hurricane. :)

Street festivals were alive and well in Chicago, the most memorable was Andersonville’s Midsommerfest, practically in my back yard. As always, it was a big bunch of fun. Not to mention booze.

Dan and Luis bought their home together and already it has been the site of many great gatherings, from Dan’s birthday, to Halloween on the porch, to our Christmas gathering, just to name a few.

My family, while small, is close and we actually enjoy being around one another. My mom still gets around and always has an entertaining quip or two when she returns from her outings. She has her issues but she’s handling them. My sister is around when she can be but she’s got her hands full with my 19-year old nephew who, with the exception of having some ADHD issues, is a good kid.

I have the most incredible group of friends. I must sound like a broken record because I mention them a lot. Dan and Luis, Denise, Tina and Polo are like family to me. Vahona is someone with whom I’m joined at the brain – we share similar thoughts much of the time and laugh at things that others just would not understand. There are many others, those who aren’t mentioned don’t mean any less to me than those who are mentioned.

My online friends are worthy of a mention of their own. QTS is the message board I belong to and I feel as close to that group of friends as I do to the ones that I get to see on a regular basis. There are a couple overlaps. Both Vahona and my friend Anthony are on the board, too.

I am employed. I have a job that I like and that I do well. I am proud of the job I do. I complain on the days when employeees call about stupid things or I have to drive back and forth between buildings when the weather is bad, but overall, I’m happy. I have some really great coworkers and we have fun.

So I had a couple of events that were downers. The optimist in me looks at those as opportunites to grow and try new things. I’m a believer in Karma, we’ll leave it at that. :)

The door to 2008 is closing, we’re about to step into 2009. We’ve got a new President coming into office. I’m excited about that, and it gives me hope for the new year.

On that note, I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. Here’s to a year filled with good health, prosperity, generosity, laughter and hope. Cheers!

XO

Jim