Happy New Year!!

well, the holidays are over. it was a nice christmas back in TX. it is so hard to imagine that last year my nephew was having a bone marrow transplant at christmas time. now he is happy, healthy and doing all the things little boys do (including annoy his aunt :).

and then onto new years in tahoe. 4 americans, 3 germans, 2 austrians, 2 swedes and lots of techno music. actually, it was pretty nice. but it's hard for me to call new years a "holiday". it is a reflective time. i think about the year behind me and wonder about the year(s) ahead of me. it doesn't really seem like the best time to get piss-drunk. i joked with my family that i preferred christmas for that :). then there is all the pressure to find the perfect way to ring in the new year. well i'm thru with all that and here is my plan from here on out: wine with some good friends.

so, what will the year bring? what i know: a trip to senegal, africa in the spring, more work than i'd like before and after that (assuming i have a job, which one can never assume), and then 100% vesting in the fall :). hhmmm - then what? that round-the-world trip i moved out here to save for (and have long since had the means to take)? one never really knows what the year will bring, but some people do more than others, barring the occasional disaster. but i really don't know and haven't known for years!

i'm not great at resolutions, so i won't "resolve" to do this, but i need to embrace that "unknown" and make the most of it! it's a new year! and in the immortal words of the counting crows "maybe this year will be better than the last". ok, their words may not be immortal and maybe last year wasn't so bad, but it's nice to think this one will be better. i'l post a pic above that makes me hopeful.