Everyone parties on New Year's Eve. . . .

December 31, 2010



HAPPY LAST DAY OF 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we are, at the end of the year.

Again.

The older I get, the faster it seems time goes by.

Either that, or I'm getting slower.




So on this last day of 2010, I will be working on my crime and film project, perhaps seeing a movie with Mer if she remembers our conversation last evening, volunteering at the Community Kitchen and then watching something on television with Stephen.

Perhaps A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey.

We weren't always this much fun.

Really.

There were years, in my youth, when I was a lot less wild and crazy.

For example, the New Year's where I was supposed to babysit across the road, and my mother went in my place so my brother and I could host a small soiree.

My brother, who had his licence at this time, was the designated driver.

So he drove everyone to our house, and then back to theirs.

Consequently, he engaged in his New Year's festivities after the fact.

By sticking a straw in a pint of rum, and sucking it down faster than a water down a drain.

Imagine how he felt the next day.





Other years, especially after I turned legal age we're also less than exciting.

Bar hopping.

Perhaps excessive consumption of alcohol.

And then trying to wake up the next morning in order to go to work and serve the citizens of Oromocto their post-New Year's fare of chips, pop and cigarettes.

Memories of getting home at four in the morning to have to get up and be to work for eight am abounded as I woke my son at 10.10 am to work for 10.30 am.

Me: Keith! Keith! KEITH!

Keith: What?

Me: It's 10.10.

Keith: JUST LET ME GET DRESSED I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then he said something so funny, while I was driving him to work, that I almost drove off the road.

I don't think I'll be going out tonight. I'm sleepy. I may just stay home and go to bed.

THIS from the boy who has not spent ONE entire evening at home since the holidays started.

Not even Christmas Eve or Christmas Day evening.

And he is trying to tell me that he's going to miss New Year's Eve with his friends to sit at home and watch movies while eating low fat, low sodium snacks, if any snacks at all with his mother, step-father and sister who has to work until 10.30.

Um.

Who wants to take bets on this?

I could use some spare cash.






The most memorable New Year's, however, was the one where I decided it was time for me to move on.

And leave my first husband.

I made the decision in literally as 1992 ended and 1993 began.

And as with all good things, I had to wait.

It took me until May to actually leave Hamilton.

And while I was happy in some ways to leave, I was sad in others.

But it was the best decision, I think.

And it would seem that making major life decisions on New Year's Eve became a bit of a thing for me.





Another New Year's Eve, while supping with Stephen at The Dipolmat, we decided that perhaps we should get married.

No down-on-one-knee-three-piece-chamber-ensemble-playing-in-the-background-while-Stephen-professes-his-undying-love-and-affection-for-me-for-eternity-while-flashing-a-diamond-ring-that-made-the-Hope-Diamond-look-like-a-dime-store-knick-knack.

Instead it was more of a I-think-we-should-get-married-what-do-you-think?-okay-while-we-sat-across-from-one-another-in-a-booth-eating-egg-rolls-and-chicken-balls-and-ribs-and-whatever-else-was-on-the-buffet-that-evening.

Because we are such a wild and madcap couple.

And again, it took us 18 months to actually get married.

Everytime we thought we'd managed to arrange everything, something happened.

Until the summer where Stephen's sister and brother-in-law and my daughter were going to be on the same coast at the same time.

And thus we did get married in 2007.





This New Years, as far as I know, I'm not making any life altering decisions.


But, you never know.

Stranger things have happened.

Like Keith staying home on New Years.





So, 2010.

What happened?

Plenty.

The biggie of course: Mer moving home from Ontario.

That one we're still reeling from.

And I suspect it will follow us into 2011.

An event which provided the impetus for this blog.

Of course, another event, I did get tenure.

This was important. Job security. A working life doing what I love.

Most of the time.

Our trip to Montreal-Toronto-Mississauga-Hamilton-Brantford and then back again in May.

I love visiting family.

Mer was still living in Mississauga at the time.

Little did we know that a mere eight weeks later she'd move back home.

Stephen's father turned 80, prompting a lovely trip to Montreal, sans children but not cell phones.

I think that was the weekend I really learned how to text.

Volunteering every Friday at the Community Kitchen http://www.frederictoncommunitykitchen.ca/.

THAT has been rewarding.

And provided the opportunity to make new friends.

I started Simply for Life, http://www.simplyforlife.com/canada.html and have thus far lost 25 pounds.

The book that may eventually be published was submitted, again, for publication.

With the intense hope that there will be no further revisions and it will actually be published.






Some events straddled the fence between good and bad.

My sister-in-law was diagnosed with an incredibly rare disease.

Bad.

But at least she was diagnosed and now there is some sense of what needs to be done to treat her.

Good.

Frankie was hit by a car.

Bad.

But this prompted connecting with Annette from Barkbusters (http://www.barkbusters.ca/)

Good.

And Frankie has made much progress.

Except that he does seem to have some short term memory issues.

He's fine when you're here.

But if he happens to go out in the car with Stephen, upon coming back he may not remember who you are or that he was fine with you being here in the first place.

We learned that last night.

Who said you can't learn new things right to the end of the year?

There was the horrific-holiday-at-Hilda's-House.

We're still working through the post traumatic trauma of that event.

Definitely bad.

But, we did spend some time away from Fredericton.

I got a sun tan.

That was good.

Right?





However, as it is the end of the year, I am most pleased that those I love are still with me.

Mum and Dad.

My brother and his wife.

Stephen's parents.

His sister and brother-in-law.

My friends.

That means, as far as I'm concerned, that the year was a total success.

And I hope for you my faithful reader, that 2011 brings you nothing but health and happiness.

And continued reading, of course, of my blog.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Title Lyric: New Year's Eve by The Eagles