In The Final Moments Of 2008

2008 is coming to a close. Laura is on her way home from work, a tad early because it's been snowing pretty hard all morning. Mike & Andrea are somewhere between here & Philly, hopefully. When they all arrive we will begin our New Years celebration which will consist of fried foods, alcohol & fireworks in the snow. Could be a disaster.

But in the meantime...

Some Finer Moments Of 2008

• Finding our first home. It was a long, strenuous search, but the second we walked thru the front door we knew this was the place for us. When you know, you know.


• Buying our first home. It was a long, strenuous closing, tying loose ends, having mini panic attacks, dealing with inadequate agents & seemingly hesistant sellers, but in the end the papers were signed and the keys were handed over. Seriously, if not one of the happiest, definitely one of most relieving days of my life.


• Everything that goes along with owning your first home. Cooking in our own kitchen. Burning wood in your own fireplace. Even cleaning your own toilet. Thrilling!


• Giants winning the Super Bowl in the biggest upset in sports history.


• Hot honey chamomile tea with a splash of cream and sugar


• Accidentally and all of the sudden having four new kittens. We haven't totally gotten over losing Abner in the yard, but Alps, Obaldi, Høgni & L'Schtuppe have become amazing additions to the clan. Now if they'd just stop sleeping on our faces.


• Tom Robbins Skinny Legs and All. This is the 3rd time I've started this book from its beginning, I kept getting halfway thru and then got busy or lost it to Laura, but this time I am nearly finished, and this book is blowing me away. Could be a life altering moment when I get to the last page, when that seventh veil drops. Oooh so good.


• Trip to Ohio. Going to Lake Eerie, I've never wanted to just stay in the water like that before. I could've swam to Canada. And then working the farm was a rousing experience. And you can't help but be motivated by celebrating someone's 60th year of marriage.


• Getting out to a Mets game before they tore Shea down, and even tho they lost pretty miserably, it was still pretty frigin sweet.


• The Dark Knight. Are you kidding me? I've seen this thing like 8 times already. Even bought the DVD and I don't buy DVDs (anymore). I can't wait to see what happens next.


• Lost. We are still deciding whether we will watch week to week for season 5 or wait til it comes out on DVD next Christmas. We don't like waiting.


• Teaching Guardsmen in London. Nicest group of kids I've taught in a long while, keeps us dreaming about the big move. We'll see how 2009 goes.

Thing I'm Looking Forward To In 2009

• Tom Robbins new novel B Is For Beer.


• new music from Animal Collective, Ben Kweller, Sholi, Neko Case, Morrissey, Antony & the Johnsons, M. Ward, Psychic Ills, Loney Dear, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists & PJ Harvey, woo!


• investing $$$ in our house in the form of a new expanded kitchen, relocated bathroom, a spacious food pantry and a luxurious mudroom


• getting out to a concert


• an Emerald Marquis reunion


• heading back to the UK to teach again, possibly with a travel companion