Saying Goodbye to 2008!

Welcome to my lame attempt at one of those yearly wrap-ups. I’m not sure if this is a unique experience, but when faced with the prospect of writing about what I did over the last year and what I was grateful for, I draw a blank, expect on the biggies that happened. There was fun in the dark at the Seattle International Film Festival, my first Orca pod sighting in the San Juan’s (whose name still confuses me as I think of the Caribbean), and beauty among cacti in Arizona. Some things, like the Orcas and the Dolomites at sunset, were moments of majesty. Other moments, like the old man in San Francisco’s Chinatown blowing snot booger globs out his nose, burned horrid images on my retinas that no alcohol binge could remove from memory. I hope you, like me, however, have more grateful, beautiful, and joyous moments in your 2008 than mucus moments.

So, instead of boring you with scary stats on how many operas, plays, and musicals I attended, (which could also scare me ‘cause all that money could add up to a trip to Barcelona) I will hit the Top Ten Reasons 2008 rocked my world:

10 .  Admitted that I can’t make it through Wagner’s Ring series without caffeine; and that Russians should never stage his work without warning the audience of sets designs that will induce suicidal thoughts … and you will have to look at those sets for four nights straight!

9.  Reaffirmed my resolve that food at sports stadiums will always suck.

8 .  Learned that having older friends makes me look younger; thanks. 

7.  Learned that my younger friends bring me knew experiences; thanks, too.

6 . Realized that sometimes it is the destination, not the journey, that matters.

5.  Recognized that who’s greeting you at your destination can matter more than the destination itself.

4.  Loved playing with other’s people’s children - I got all the fun of a convertible sports car with no real ownership responsibilities.

3.  Walking neighborhoods or nature with a friend was the best way to spend a free day as long as I wore the right shoes.

2.  Realized there are fates worse than unemployment … like moving to W’s new hometown or having a former Alaska beauty queen second-in-command.

1.  Felt truly blessed (as any secular humanist can be) to have fabulous friends ... and time to spend with them.

Let’s hope 2009 holds just as many memorable moments. I hope to spend more time with friends and reconnecting with those I’ve neglected due to time or distance. And if anyone knows of someone looking to hire a eco-pitbull looking to save our planet, and us, from our wasteful, polluting ways, send ‘em my way. Really, my bark is worse than my bite … and I look good in lipstick.