Looking back

December 31, 1999 - The big Y2K scare and I was at home, sick, in bed. I was working at Edgetater at the time and began a payroll. I had a cold. By 1 pm, I was in such horrible condition that I could barely lift my head off of my desk. It was year end and I had no coverage to help me finish the payroll, as well as run the reports and the W-2 tapes. I ran upstairs to see my doctor for something. I wanted pills but what I got instead was orders to go home and get in bed. My counterpart at our other location came over to do my payroll. I was in bed for the next two days. I managed to go in to work for a couple hours on 12/31 (I lived 2 blocks from work so the commute wasn't an issue) but that was just to take care of a couple clerical tasks. I had already been excused from being in the building that evening for the Y2K team. Besides, if they needed me I was just down the street. For the rest of the day I watched all of the turn of the century events occurring around the world. And as it turned out, the world did not implode, nobody lost power, VCRs continued to work and I was asleep by 12:15.

What a difference a decade makes.

Things that happened in the past 1o years:

I left a place of employment where I had worked for 18 years.
I came out to my friends and family (later to find out that many had figured it out...)
I earned the privilege of working on a website project for The Go-Go's, thus opening doors which allowed me to meet and befriend members of the band.
I was named "Employee of the Year."
I met a group of people who have become my core and my pilars of strength, my best friends.
I've traveled to some great places.
I've felt love and I've felt loss.
I've grown as a person.
I started this blog.

This year alone has been a busy one. There has been counless dinners with friends, birthday celebrations, martini Thursdays at Marty's with Steve, parties at Dan and Luis' house, street festivals, coffeee talk at Starbucks, a trip to Los Angeles, a trip to Madison, a trek or two to Indiana with Vahona, and a rebuilt hip for my mom, among other things.

It's been an interesting year. For every "bad" thing that happened, something good happened. Yet, I'm happy to say goodbye to 2009.

Tonight, the plan is to have dinner with Dan and Luis, then join them at a party, then we will join Denise, Tina and Polo and the six of us will ring in the new year together. A great way to begin a new decade.

I wish each of you a very Happy New Year. Here's to a new year and a new decade filled with love, happiness, laughter and prosperity.

Cheers!

2009, in Pictures

Just some random shots from 2009, along with a few comments.

Jell-O shots, made by Tina - June 2009.


With my dear friend Steve, at Andersonville fest - June 2009.


Millennium Park - August 2009

4th of July celebration in Dan and Luis's back yard. A man, his dog, and his smokey fireworks.

Steve says "Now THIS is a wine glass!" - July 2009

Sonny, saying goodbye to our boss Steve - August 2009.

Tulips at Old Orchard - Spring 2009.

New TV - January 2009.

Polo, master of the Segway - Luis' birthday celebration - October 2009.

Denise, Luis, Dan and Tina - learning to Segway - October 2009.

Reunited with friends from high school - Lovey, Jim, Kris and Trish - April 2009.

"Really, it's just a sparkler!" And then, we all jumped back...way back. My birthday - May 2, 2009.

California - April 2009

Khan's going away party - May 2009

Vahona, John, Anthony, Jane and me - November 2009

The Witches of Hood Street - Halloween 2009.

Go-Go's concert - House of Blues, Hollywood, CA - April 2009.

Mark, DeDe, Kim and me - at the House of Blues, April 2009

All 10's from the judges !

Funky Monkey welcomes us to Marty's - February 2009

Mom - Christmas 2009 - 2 months post-surgery and now walking with a cane.

Steve and George - pre-Christmas gathering at my home - December 13, 2009.

The Tree - December 2009.

Equality March - Chicago - October 2009

Dan and Luis' end of summer party - September 2009.

A winning day at Arlington Park race course - outing with Sonny - September 2009

Andrea, enjoying 16 Candles at Andersonville Fest - June 2009.

The inflatable jumpy thing at Andersonville fest - June 2009. Yes, a child is emerging from it.

So there you have it. My year, in pictures.

The To-Do List, Revisited

On December 31, 2008, I wrote this blog entry.

Live. Live a healthy life. Live for tomorrow. Live your life be free. Live on the edge. Live green. Live each day like it’s the first day of your life. Love yourself. Love your family. Love your pets. Love someone who needs to be loved. Love your Country. Make love. Make someone’s day. Make yourself happy. Make breakfast. Make a difference. Make a change. Give hugs. Give hope. Give a damn. Give yourself a pat on the back. Give back. Take a vacation. Take a chance. Take two, they’re small. Take pictures. Take care. Take the scenic route. Take five. Take your time. Take a friend to lunch. Take time to smell the roses. Take a bubble bath. Relax. Enjoy. Dream. Breathe. Hope. Jump for joy. Celebrate. Be yourself. Be there for someone. Be happy. Be the best person you can be. Laugh. Cry. Shout. Sleep. Reach out. Reach for the stars. Don’t just sit there. Don’t worry. Don’t lose hope. Don’t skip dessert. Don’t overdo it. Don’t forget. Don’t go to bed angry. Wave at small kids riding in the car next to you. Hold the door for an elder. Hug a rock star. Thank someone who has made an influence on your life. Smile.

I think I did pretty well in doing most of the things on this list. How did you do? Is there something you didn't do that you wish you did?

Happy!

I came home from work today to find Shirley parked in the living room. Shirley is my mom's walker. Yes, she named it. The one that I borrowed from work for her was Laverne. She decided that they need names. Anyway, back to Shirley in the living room. Mom was not with Shirley. I went in to see what was going on and she had her cane next to her. She's no longer reliant on the walker! She can get around with the aide of a cane. She's slow, but it's progress!! And it's quieter, too!

Strange Dream

I had a really weird dream this morning. It involved me going out to dinner with Dan, Tina, and I think Steve. We were in a crowded restaurant waiting for two other people to join us, one of the two people was to be Matthew (the guy I dated last year). I was really mad and very confused as to why we were having dinner with him, yet I felt at ease knowing that three of my friends were with me. I recall looking around a lot and seeing other people walk by, they were all faces of people I see on a regular basis - people I talk to at the gym, coworkers, friends from the bar. I was getting really impatient with the situation, I decided I wanted to leave but Tina and Dan would not let me. I woke up before the other two guests arrived. When I looked at the clock, it said 6:15 (which meant it was 6:00 but my clock is 15 minutes fast). Turns out I forgot to set my alarm and I woke up at the time I normally get out of bed. I was actually glad to be awake.