A Wonderful Year

So today is the big day...alright, I am lying...it is Friday night, which means that tomorrow is really the big day, but there is a good chance I don't finish this until after midnight, which means I will have my days right after all. I guess this is appropriate since my first post was on a Friday night when Munchkin was sleeping and I was home alone...and tonight she is sleeping, Smoking Hot Roommate is away for a quick vacation with The Rocket Scientist and The Boy is at his parents house for the night.

That leaves me at home with my pajamas and some time to be thoughtful. Munchkin and I went over to meet The Boy at the hospital work and see everyone before the three of us took off to get dinner. Munchkin wanted sushi, which is fine by both of us! The poor thing is still hobbled a bit, so she didn't want to go out with her friends tonight...and that means that she and I had some girl time, and now I am blogging before I go curl up next to her in bed:-) Aren't we cute?

So...down to business. It has been one big fat year since I started blogging. In that time, I have written 322 posts and published 319 of them. I have doled out myriad nifty nicknames for all kinds of people (Munchkin, SHR, Big Sis, Papa Bear, Tinkerbelle, The Boy, The Rocket Scientist, The Brain Surgeon, BFFb and BFFg, Boss Foxy, The Body, The Mouth etc.)

I moved (two blocks, and I am moving back soon!). I got promoted and got a fat raise:-) I survived Munchkin's first boyfriend, first date, first kiss and first breakup (and the second, third and fourth or some of those things.) I went to a family wedding for a family that I am only technically not a part of. I thought I had cancer for a bit but didn't. I thought I may have lost The Boy for a bit but I didn't.

My father died, and I don't miss him. I feel bad for my aunts and uncles, who I adore, that they lost hold of their brother a long time ago. But he never had a place in my life, and he doesn't have a place in my heart now.

I did, however, gain a sister, which counts as the biggest event of the year, by far. Out of the blue, right before Christmas, I met my seven year old half-sister that I never knew about. I wish I saw her more. I am glad that I get to see her as much as I do, and I can't wait to see her again soon. I am glad that she and her Mom have found their new family, and honestly, I am glad that my Father is no longer around to fuck it up. They fit in great without him.

So, if I think back to the Friday night one year ago, what was I hoping to get out of this? And how am I different and how am I the same? I am not really sure what I wanted out of this, other than I thought it would be fun, and I thought it would be a good way to write my thoughts down. And that has been very true...this is a great running diary, and it really is fun. I went back and read a bunch of the early posts in preparation for writing this, and I found myself crying a lot. I can't really explain why, but it just made me kind of emotional.

The thing I didn't expect is all of the fun people I have "met" via this forum. Ally, e.b., Brandy, Ella, Aaron, Brookem, Nicole D., Claire, Billy, OC, Not Bubbly, Jordan, K.D., Still Just Me, Vix, Airam, Ys, Princess Extraordinaire, Kristin, Scotty, Trixie, The Copasetic Fish, Life Uncommon, Desiree, Kate, Megan... And some of the new ones like Jessie, ClearlyKels, Christi, Lowly Peasant Errand Girl and Maria.

And, let us all observe a moment of silence for the totally-disappeared GreenLineBoy, SoCalSweetie and some others. Some I know only through blogs, some have sent wonderful and thoughtful emails, and there are some who keep me entertained via IM at work:-)

I find myself legitimately caring about your happiness and wishing for things to go well for you. I feel involved in your lives, at least passively, and I love that you can observe mine and offer sometimes objective advice. Blogs are such a weird little window into the lives of others and a means to meet types of people I would never otherwise spend a lot of time with. When I look back, I think there are things I expected to write about already that I haven't and now maybe I won't. I wonder if this is because I feel less anonymous than I thought...I feel like I know some of you (of course, those that I do "know" know most of my secrets...:-D)

I think the easy thing to do is to highlight all the differences since this time last year...but in reality, I think I am very much the same. I am a year older, maybe a little wiser and a little more grown up, but I am still in the same place and feel like things are in a blissful state of...I dunno..."life". And that is good.

Really for the last two years not a whole lot has changed, and for that I feel pretty good...Munchkin's moving out here, for all of its obvious effects just, well, doesn't seem like that big a deal. She is just our much younger roommate...and I have to go to parent-teacher conferences...lol. She is happy, she is doing great in school and great socially and for that I am proud and grateful.

So, its been a year. An almost unanimously good year. I would happily take a whole bunch more years just like this one!

As for the coming year, there will be some bigger changes, but you will have to tune in to find out what!