Smile -- it's almost 2006...

So it’s the last day of 2005. And my tradition, on New Year’s Eve, is to write some kind of little blurb about the previous year. I started doing this when I was about fifteen years old – I had a little stack of paper in my desk drawer that was bundled up with purple ribbon, and every year on New Year’s Eve, I would write something on a few sheets of the paper, tie it up with ribbon, and place it back in the desk drawer. It would usually stay there until the following year, when I’d untie the ribbon, read what I’d written on the previous New Year’s Eve, and then write something new.

I’ve maintained this tradition throughout the years, sometimes writing my New Year’s Eve Blurb on napkins or greeting cards or whatever scrap of paper I can find lying around. If I miss a year – as I did last year, when I spent the New Year at a hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona and completely forgot to write anything – it just feels wrong. I remember one year where I didn’t get to my stack of New Year’s Eve paper until about 11:50, and I suddenly felt compelled to finish my blurb-writing before midnight. I had the ribbon tied back around the paper just as Dick Clark started his countdown. So it’s not only important that I write The Blurb, but also that it be written before midnight. Last year’s blurb was lost forever because of my forgetfulness – so this year I’m starting early.

So let’s see… 2005 – it was the best of times, it was the worst… nah, that’s probably not a good way to start. Well, 2005 did seem to be the “year of natural disasters.” The Asian tsunami clean-up started off the year, followed by a lineup of hurricanes that rivaled the Radio City Rockettes. The name “Katrina” will probably live in infamy. (Which is a shame, because one of Rick’s nieces is named Katrina. She was getting quite tired of all the hurricane jokes told at her expense toward the end of the summer.) All of this was followed by the earthquake in Pakistan and India. Nature was not kind to the world this year…

George W. Bush was inaugurated for a second term, ushering in (in the words of Faisal) “four more years of apocalypse.” And that might not be my own personal view, but I’ve always respected Faisal’s opinion, even when he’s completely wrong. (Just kidding, Fais – you’re NEVER wrong… hold on, I have to stop laughing… :)) And of course Iraq was big news this year, as I’m assuming it will be next year, as well.

Pope John Paul II died, and a new, scary, scary pope was elected. Seriously – I know I’m not the only one who thinks Pope Benedict (what is he? 15th? 16th? I’m sorry – XV? XVI?) is one scary-looking Catholic. And the Chicago White Sox won the World Series. I wish it would’ve been the Yankees, of course… but at least the Yankees managed to surprise everyone by finishing in first place in the AL East. And 2006 is going to be a great year for baseball – I’m already looking forward to opening day.

On a personal note, 2005 brought some changes. My parents, who’d been dividing their time between New Jersey and Austin, made their move to Texas permanent (although now my dad divides his time between Austin and Dallas – and then he multiplies the weekend, carries the one, and confuses everyone…). I flew to New Jersey in June to help pack up the house and clean out my brother’s old room (aka “the black hole from which nothing – not even socks or CDs – can escape”). That was a very sad weekend for me, as I realized I’d never have a “home” to stay at in New Jersey again. Hopefully I’ll still have a chance to go up and visit friends and go to a Yankee game now and then, but I’ll be staying in a hotel, of course. Which just seems strange, after so many years of hanging out at the blue house on Cliffside Way…

It was a good year for traveling – I started out the year with a trip to San Diego and Scottsdale, Arizona, and I’d love to go back to San Diego some time soon. Took a couple trips to New Jersey (which unfortunately will probably be much fewer and farther between now…), and Montana for Thanksgiving. And of course, we had our trip to the Mediterranean, which was great. I got my first stitches ever on that trip, and developed quite an unhealthy fear of umbrellas, but it was still great. :)

So that was 2005 in a nutshell. Happy and sad, euphoric and depressing, cheerful and somber – everything smashed together in 365 little days that pass by much too quickly, before we can even turn around and see what happened. And my resolution, as always, is to make sure I write the correct year on all my checks and anything else that needs a date. 2006, not 2005. It’s a stupid resolution, but much simpler to keep than most of those other resolutions people make. :) So to anyone reading this – happy 2006!






A toast to the New Year? Or maybe just Eric and me being weird...