Rabble Scrabble New Year

I'm scrambling around work this morning, trying to get all the stuff done so we can get out of here.

I think I've lamented before how one of the drawbacks of working for a daily newspaper is having to put out a newspaper every day — even holidays.

So here I am on New Years' Eve working furiously while my mom and husband are home preparing our house to host a few friends and neighbors as we ring in the new year.

But I do want to take just a quick moment to say Good Riddance and Suck It to 2008.

It wasn't a horrible year, but a hard one emotionally.

Friday marks the one-year anniversary of my dad's death.

It took me a long time to get my shit together after his he died. It's a process and I'm still working through that.

There's the uncertainty of my job as the paper I work for is for sale. Our publisher has left and now I sit outside an empty office and answer the phone generically "Publisher's office."

And, of course, there's the whole financial mess our country is in, not to mention the wars we are fighting that also reflect poorly on 2008.

But I would feel remiss if I didn't mention the good stuff, too.

My mom has been with us a lot this year and that has been beyond awesome.

I love having my mom in our house. She's an amazing woman and I wish I were more like her. And I'm so happy my daughter gets to know her and spend time with her and see how a truly wonderful mom lives and acts.

My band is doing really well and we have so much fun together, it should probably be illegal. We are crass and low-brow, but we rock hard and it's awesome. Kelley, Laurena and Scott are more than just band mates (although Scott is technically not IN the band, but I'll skim over that for now); they are great friends and I love them dearly.

I'm thankful that I have such a wonderful family. My husband is amazing simply because he puts up with me and I'm more than a little difficult. He does so in a loving and fun manner and that is a gift.

Margaret is, in my opinion, the funniest 8-year-old ever and one of the smartest, too. And she's difficult — just like her mother — so my mom finally gets her revenge for having to raise me, in that I am now raising a difficult daughter (I do remember her saying once, "I hope you have a daughter like you one day").

Sean is a really good and kind person and that is not often said of teenagers. I wish great things for him and hope that he and I can continue a happy relationship for as long as I live.

I have really great neighbors who are fun and helpful. And because you can't always pick your neighbors (except we did in the case of the Reeds), that's a crap shoot that we won.

So even though I'm not going to miss 2008, I have a lot to look back on and for which to be thankful.

I'm also thankful for everyone who reads this little blog of mine. I don't make any money or get any glory from it, but this blog means something to me as do those who read my daily poopings. Thank you.

So here's to wishing everyone a happy and safe new year and to hoping for great things in the year to come.