The Year in Review - 2008

Given that Joseph and I have a tradition of having a nice dinner on New Years Eve AND that we have a party to attend tomorrow evening / night / morning I have decided to review the year on this, the second to last night of the year. So, I'm verbose, shoot me...

One year ago tomorrow evening marks the anniversary of the ring exchange between me and Joseph. No, I don't wear jewelry. But, this sign of my commitment, I wear.

January 6th. I watch the Giants - Bucs game at Crispy's. He's a Bucs fan.

January 13th. I watch the Giants - Cowboys game at Sport with JonMark. JonMark's a Cowboys fan.

January 20th. I watch the Giants - Packers game at Madison Pub with Tony. Tony's a Packers fan.

Bet you think you know what's coming next...

I take my first trip to a state in the Pacific Northwest other than Washington. Portland, in fact. The dogs came too. Their first time out of state. They weren't impressed. Why were we all in Portland? Orientation for determining how we can go about adopting a child with Open Adoption and Family Services.

We got back in one piece just in time for...

February 3rd. I watch the Giants - Patriots game at R Place with a whole slew of Brady-jersey-wearing-bandwagoneers. There I sat silently at the game's commencement, telling myself to stay calm. It worked for about a half. But by the time Tyree made that catch, I was screaming and pounding my fist on a table so hard I later thought I had broken it. Rare emotional display from yours truly.

Work was work. I started on refining ADDS. Which then became PDDS. But, really, you don't want to know anything about them. Really. Oh, and we started bringing ADS on. Different from ADDS. Totally, in fact. ADS is a client. ADDS is a status. No, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Yes, I'm moving on. But before I do, ADS pulled the rug out from under us at the last minute. Lots of fun.

Joseph and I argue and make up about something.

No sooner had football ended than softball began. I vowed only to coach and not to play. The Buzz. With Tara, Ashley, Dawn, and Matt managing. Jonny, Katrina, Twiggy, and Fernando the ex-Atomic. Mike the newcomer. Chao of volleyball fame. Brett and Ike. Peggy with her love of the game. Julie with her remarkable story. Chih and his superb skill. They wanted to have fun and be competitive. And reach the .500 mark after posting just two wins in their prior two years of existence.

At the same time, I was mentoring. Chris, Chris, Chris. Struggling with his familial connections with gangs. Crips to be exact. What group of Crips, I can't say. Struggling with school. Struggling with being the eldest sibling in his family. Every Tuesday night, we met. A trip to a hockey game. A trip to the coffee house to do some homework. A trip to Chang's Mongolian Grill for some food.

Goodbye Greg, one of the company's most tenured.

Writing a page a day. The story about Alex and Abdullah. A story I had begun five years prior. I just can't seem to find the point.

Joseph playing on a new softball team, the Thrusters. A sister team of the Rockets, who happened to have had too many highly rated players the prior year. Joseph tried his hand at third. Not bad, not bad...

Mid-April, the softball season begins. Two losses for the Buzz. Out of two games. I remain hopeful. But the first pangs of desire for playing strike. In my 4/15 journal entry, 'the thrusters do not particularly need me, but it's good for me to be associated.'

So, I succumb. To be an 'emergency' player at first. But that didn't last long. I soon began to play first and second as needed. By the end, I started. I won't be making the same mistake next year.

Work is what it is. Something needs to change.

We hire someone to completely redo the master bathroom. Well worth the money. We hadn't used the toilet in there for 9 months. My idea of repairing the leaky pipe? Electrical tape and plumber's putty. And finally shutting it off altogether...

Joseph and I argue and make up about something else.

The Buzz win their first two games on 4/20 equaling their win total the prior two years. Very excited!

$600 apiece from Mr. Bush. Not the brightest of quick fixes.

Already tired of the campaign. Oy. And Palin hadn't even been heard of yet.

The Thrusters do pretty well of their own accord.

The Buzz keep winning.

Sylvia gives her notice. My mentor the past three years. Time to step out on my own.

The Buzz keep winning.

Mentoring comes to an end. An odd end. Convinced I'd return. But I don't. I know I had an effect. But it's nothing particularly tangible.

By season's end, the Buzz are 13-6 having lost only to those teams with better records. A great team...

The Thrusters finish 10-7 but had to play all the B teams in the meantime. Not so much fun...

Spring turns to summer.

Last year for Yankee Stadium. I had an idea while attending a July 21st game between the Mariners and the Red Sox with Todd. In which the Mariners were pummeled. I didn't act on it... yet.

The softball tournament to be seeded in the World Series. The Thrusters and Buzz both tried for it. And both fell short. But still, the best season with which I had ever been involved. Except maybe for Service Master when I was a pitcher. We wore the ugliest yellow you'd ever want to see. I was 10. God, that was a long time ago.

Good puppies, Cleo and Buddy.

Good kitties too...

Friendships made. Sam and Mark. Rusty. Rusty. (Yes, there are two of them.) Gerry. Denny. Greg. Randy. &d. JB. Todd. Kurt. Keren. I love my Buzz.

Renewal of old friendships.

Brief argument between me and Joseph. We make up, of course.

A tattoo, gasp.

That idea keeps gnawing at my brain.

Whilst the economy tanks like it hasn't in 80 years.

Work is work. It feels like a Marx brothers film.

I call Richard, my brother, and make it happen. I spend the first day watching Michael Phelps win his 1300th gold medal with my brother and sister-in-law. The next day, I walk from the garage and smile at the speechless old man.

We go to Yankee Stadium for the last time.

And then I repeat the performance for my grandparents as well as for my Uncle Mark, Aunt Ruth, and Julia.

Too short, but glad I made the trip.

Sarah Palin? Really?

World Series in Seattle. I saw none of the games. I participated in just one activity. Oh well, the trip home was better...

Joseph and I argue and make up regarding some third mundane matter.

I start a blog.

Work does a triple somersaulted lutz. Or something. Goodbye Erik. Hello Mark. A Marx brothers film turns into a Three Stooges short.

The Pink Buzz walks 60 miles whilst Maggie and I stalk them incessantly. Quite the experience. Very proud of Joseph, Katrina, Twiggy, Fernando, Tara, Ashley, Julie, and Julie's friend, whose name escapes me at the moment. Woop woop, woo!

TD's Official NFL Picks. And Fantasy Football of course. Two teams, fourth and sixth. Eh.

A World Series between Tampa and Philly. Blah.

'Are you glad I brought you to this concert?' Joseph inquired. 'I am, I said.' A wonderful birthday replete with German beer and food. You should try Szmania's.

Followed by some sailing on the boat belonging to Sam and Mark. A little caviar. A taste of driving. And cocktails. Nothing better.

Rest in peace, Uncle Jimmy.

I battled the garbage disposal and won. I battled the lights and lost.

Joseph and I battled a bit. But we made up. And it was all good.

There was a trip to Fla in between. A business trip punctuated by a visit with my mother. Not exactly what I had in mind, but good to see her. And to meet her husband, Dave. Thanks again for the pen.

And for the second time in my life a Democrat was elected president. And for the second time in my life, I was within an hour's drive of Orlando when a Democrat was elected. Strange.

A couple weddings. A hockey game at the Key. A Pink Floydish concert at the Paramount. And the Color Purple too.

Thanksgiving with Joseph's cousin and our friends Matt and Drew. Ate too much. But that's expected.

My sister-in-law is pregnant, happily.

Work, work, work. Strateejery. Six Sigma.

Snow... Oh my Lord, the snow. Like I haven't seen since I've been here.

And Christmas with the trees and the village and a canceled party and presents not here on time. It had an odd feel to it, in retrospect.

But still, it was perfect in itself as Joseph and my father partook in a meaningful conversation.

Now, here I sit. Joseph and I are more secure in our relationship that we were one year ago, though we need to get going on that adoption. My relationship with the old man is on the mend. I have attainable goals. I have good friends. I have loving family. I have a roof over my head. I have a job. And I have my health. What more can I ask?

This...
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

And Go Giants!