The Happiest of New Years

I asked Osi last night if he was happy or sad to see 2008 go. He said that the year had - in all - been pretty unremarkable. No huge gains, nothing horrible. Tru, dat. Since the past few months have been bumming me out with the job search, I am leaning more toward the "sayonara" end of things, but over all, it has been a pretty decent year. Let's review:

We met and fell in with some of the most fabulous people I think we will ever have in our lives. When you hear the phrase "life-long friends" I pray to the deity of your choice that it means these people. In fact, we spent one of the most fabulous New Year's Eves with some of them just last night.

We started at the Chambers', where we touched on all the forbidden topics, I think - religion, politics, and pictures of Pam's bachelorette party. Pam and Ken are fantastic and Pam and I are headed to New Orleans in three short weeks to attend a Sisterhood conference together. It is all part of my evil plan to get her to be co-president with me in 2 years. I think she's on to me. But she humors me, and - truthfully - that is part of the reason I love her. Isn't it always a little safer to humor the lunatic?

We moved from the Chambers' party, which we hated to leave, the the event we have been looking forward to since Thanksgiving: A Very Baskind New Year. I don't think New Year's celebrations get any better in my mind. It involved flannel pants, sparkling wine, cheese, chocolate and so much laughing that my face hurts this morning. We met fantastic new people and I don't think the room was without an outburst of laughter for more than 2 minutes at a time - literally. THAT is good stuff, people. Once you find that, you've got to dig in and make a home there (Or, as Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there.").

Also in 2008, I did get the Volunteer of the Year Award from Sisterhood and I made the decision to convert, so, you know, big Jewish year for me. Woop! And Osi has become a slave to, erm, I mean involved with Brotherhood. Seriously, though, I am so thankful he has found a group of guys to hang out with and talk football (even if their "staff meetings" are at Hooters - for the wings!). It's good to see him out with the boys. And they are all pretty good guys.

And in an effort to get something accomplished in the parenting arena this year (since the potty training has stalled and we were bink-free for 2 months before we discovered an abandoned binky and Grammy's...) we moved Jack to a toddler bed on Sunday. We have now had three out four uneventful nights of toddler-bed sleep. Yay!

Finally, we're looking forward to hosting the Cashmere Mafia and their spawn and staff (otherwise known as husbands) for a New Year's Day get-together today. Chili and beer and lots o' football. We plan on sending all the kids to the playroom with its glut of toys and telling them to have at it.

So, overall, as my dad would say, 2008 didn't suck. There is so much to look forward to in 2009 - a new job, conversion, no more diapers...it's going to be a fantastic year at Chez Zimmer. I hope yours is, too.