January 1, 2009 -- thank God...

...and I mean that. My mother died, Robbin Lund's husband committed suicide and left Robbin and her two boys in a huge financial plus ?(who knows) stew she may or may not be able to surmount, and I found out yesterday that the young woman who'd been doing my eyebrows, helped me with makeup a bit, and was just an all-round nice person died in a car accident Christmas Eve (with her mother and father, her mother now recovering from painful, difficult bone breaks plus everything else, and -- oh yeah -- we remain under constant stress at work because of budget cuts and everything else stupid.

Add the downer that is Bush-Cheney-Rice-all-the-rest-of-the-crooks, Schwarzenegger-why-did-we-elect-THAT?-governator, the superintendent-special-interest-protect-the-rich-buds-idiot of my district, and the continuing me-me-me of a couple of staff members (minor stuff, but still there).

Couldn't 2008 have ended ANY faster?

okay. the good stuff. Mega dental improvements -- $31K+, thanks to the inheritance -- mega-great difference in my smile and (knock, knock) no sinus infections since the dentist sent me out the door all improved. That's a biggie.

The kittens are safe and healthy and happy. That's a biggie right there. Probably the biggest.

Our home is just that -- a HOME -- and we're peaceful and calmer than ever because of it. I'm grateful.

Read some great books this year -- in the middle of the John Sanford "Lucas Davenport" prey series and I think I'm in love with John Sanford...g...wonderful spare, clean, layered writing with some off the wall humor and incredible character development.

I'm sleeping well. That's a biggie. I'm off-and-on eating better and managing to (mostly) drink more sugar-free fluid (lots of Tejava tea, but that's unsweetened and just gosh-darn-good). The exercise? Not so much -- but some.

I'm solvent. Biggie right there. Spending too much on 'stuff,' but that's a work-in-progress for this year and I WILL gain control of this and replace it with positives.

The kittens are healthy and happy. That means more than just about anything, I guess -- our family's okay.

Does that make me totally a dork? Probably, but they're what I've got -- what I've CHOSEN right now -- and that's okay. We're okay. Good, actually.

So, hey, 2009? At ya, new year -- and praying for the best. We've got Obama, bless him -- may he live up to 1% of the hype and may we see the positives that come from his ideas and intent.

At ya again, new year -- WRITE, will ya? It's about time -- and I'm ready for it.

The job? Don't know -- There's the insurance well if I leave it -- mega problem that will probably keep me there no matter what -- but I sure would like to leave this depressive stress behind me and move forward. Can I do it?

Probably not, unless I score a mega-win on the lottery. Ha.

Deliberate moves? Yeah -- some -- 10 minutes on treadmill plus at least 1 trip to the office every day -- there's one. One apple, 1-2 bananas, and 1-2 oranges or something else fruit every day -- THAT one is easy. More veggies? Working on it, but could work harder and more deliberately on nutritional choices.

Decluttering books and 'stuff'? Already working on it -- just keep going.

More socializing? Yeah, I wish -- but again, I'm going to TRY. I CAN do this.

Happiness quotient? I'm about a 6-7 right now, which is better than it's been in years past. I can ratchet that one up if I work on it.

so DO IT already.

Just DO.

Thank you, Lord. Please help me to keep us safe, healthy, happy and secure. Please help our nation. Please help public education, our school, and the children I teach. PLEASE help Robbin Lund and the boys, and the family of Jamie Hanes.

Please help me DO.

I CAN and I WILL -- with your help.

Thank you. I'm well and truly blessed, in spite of it all, and I'm grateful.