The Last Post of 2008

How'd that happen?

Where did it go?

Normally this is where I would say that 2008 was just horrendous and 2009 has to be better. What an idiot I am. It is what I make of it. No year goes by that doesn't have its horrors. No year goes by that doesn't have its shining moments. They are all like that - the good and the bad, the memorable and the unmentionable. And if I go around moping about the year I'm in and saying that it can't get worse and the next year has to be all smiles and no tears, well, I'll never find the happiness that I'm always telling others I feel.

In general I am happy (today was a huge exception to the rule - it was good from 0330, when I woke up to around 0830 but really turned to shit after that), and somehow I let the unhappy moments rule my life and then when December comes along, dragging all the "holidays" and ultimately the big change of the year (which is strictly a manmade thing and doesn't even tie in with astronomy), I get all maudlin and whinge endlessly that this year was a horror and the next has to be an improvement.

When did I become this person?

So let's review my year. I know this is what everyone wants to read about - my boring life! (Keep in mind that you are here of your own volition, so don't pin being bored on me, please.)

January - January had some good points, but mostly it was overshadowed by work and a few major issues there. It is no easy task to be a new person and to hear that the current one isn't all that and a bag of chips. Plus it seemed like everyone was mad at me for something (except for the [edited for content to make the eyes at work happy! 15 February 2009]. I would have said three years ago that this would be an unlikely pair to be my champions, but then again... sometimes that is life giving lessons wrapped in ridiculous packaging...). I needed to repair all sorts of things... and the [also edited] was mad at me all the time.

My 40th birthday was completely unacknowledged at work, which made me feel even worse. But then Luis came through and gave me the big party that I wanted: a DJ, a dance floor, dancing, gifts, the best food and my friends. It was great. Admittedly it was disappointing that out of 40 invited people, only 14 made it - but those are the 14 that count!

February - More disasters at work but otherwise it was a mostly unremarkable month... or I just blocked it out. Even better, maybe it is just my truly faulty and awful memory. Which it is.

March - OK, this stands out and again, unfortunately, not for the positives. Maybe it is the human condition to only recall the negative in hideous detail and not the good things. Not the cheeriest thought, I grant you. The month was another seeming disaster, but then I got my [edited]; and the disaster came home to roost. I needed to turn everything around and improve a hundred things (but I did get some faint praise... I'm really, really good at firing people. Uh, thank you...? Is that ever a compliment?) All I know is that too many things were wrong. But there is always some silver bit of lining. I was told that every confidence was there that I could do this. And so I embarked on making all the improvements that needed to be made.

I mended fences, did everything I needed to fix all the past mistakes, asked for do-overs with those not so happy with me and busted a gut or four to recreate the better person that was buried in there somewhere, shooting for a follow up meeting in June to see if I was heading in the right direction.

April - A few home improvements and the re-vamping of my office and organisation system did wonders for my completely battered ego and also helped me to do better. (I don't know if it really did, but I always feel better when I have reorganised.) And the days were getting longer, always a good thing. Ray was scheduling his first hip replacement and Luis told me that we were going to Houston, Texas. All good things.

May - Ray went in to his surgery on --

You know what? WAAAAAY too complicated. And boring.

This year will be good. Just as they all are, in their own special way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(By the way... my follow up meeting in June went very well!)