Asshole Of The Year - 2008

Greetings and Salutations,

I suppose most people would normally recognize and evaluate their year's ending on New Year's Eve. I, on the other hand, have totally drawn my year mark right here at my feet. It has been a year today since our lives were shifted violently into some dark and depressing made for TV movie. Eh, that sounds too negative. It has not been a full-on awful year of death and grief; obviously the first of the year had difficult times to overcome and hurdles to... hurdle, but there were good times, growing times, growing pains, step by step, sister sister. Did I just get distracted by 1990's television?

I haven't made my point yet, to all of you who are feeling lost and extremely confused.


This year has contained some of the most difficult and defining moments I've experienced so far in my itty bitty life. I can't very well say that my life up until a year ago was always peaches and babies (that HAS to be a saying, right?); my family has had their own trials to overpass, as do many. My brother and I were talking recently about how there is a serious lack in our family's cohesiveness and that cliche structure that would even make Donna Reed flee to Vegas with her marijuana smoking gambler of a brother.

(We were never the Reeds or the Cleavers)

But I guess part of growing up, moving out, moving away, and finding an equally wonderful in-law family will both help and hurt that rift in homestyle family. I see them even less being two hours away, I don't know things half as fast about them as I used to, I cannot spy on my brother's phone calls with girls anymore, and it's particularly challenging to work Christmas and other holidays out with not one family, not two families, not three families, but four.

Congratulations, your Christmas present this year is a small portion of my body hacked off in a vain attempt to make you happy.

I'm lucky, though. I don't want to give off the impression that I'm not happy with where I am. I have a wonderful boyfriend who lets me draw on him, cut his hair, and test-wax his chest before my legs. I have perfect families who are wonderful and giving and gracious no matter when I get to celebrate the holidays with them.

But this year has tried so hard to get all of our goats.

Attn 2008: I STILL HAVE MY GOAT.

I'm glad Brandon has found the peace he was searching for all along. But it just seems so like him to leave us to pick up the pieces now that he's gone. Jerk.

---Dear Jesus Christ, I hope next year is a better year. I will give you 30% of my earnings if you just promise to make it not suck a lot.---

I hope Daniel's family knows how happy I am to be in his family.
I hope my family knows I know how happy they are that I didn't turn out to be a total fuck up.
I hope Obama can bring in the new year with fantastic ideas and much needed input.
I hope gas stays this cheap.
I hope Daniel, his mother, and his father continue to heal and grow as a family.
I hope there is enough love and care in the world that every human being can be warm, full, and happy every night.
I hope the people on my Christmas list will be satisfied with soap and pictures (of soap).

Sincerely,

Anne Finch Inspired

Tips of Folly

How sad and dear the bird doth sing,

As it travels 'cross the hard heart string

Tense muscle and calloused hand

Produce a tarnish to her land;

Flicker spot and broken stage,

His fame has yet been of age

O! what quaint unsightly treasure

His life of song to catch her

Piercing the ear of love so new,

Lady doth flip a coin in view

Street boy playing late at night,

Penny for you, do sleep tight