Let's Get This Year Started...

I can honestly say I wasn't sorry to see last year end. 2012 was not very kind to me... it was a year marked by loss: I lost my grandma, then my father, I lost the bulk of my job security and Mr. Remarkable Monkey lost his job altogether, and we lost a dear friend just before Thanksgiving. We've also had to deal with Hobey's diagnosis of Cushing's (along with the expensive testing and ongoing treatment), and watch him struggle with arthritis issues as he gets older. All in all, as I sat here on New Year's Eve, I mostly just felt like bidding 2012 goodbye and good riddance.

But it wasn't all bad.... Mr. RM and I are both reasonably healthy, and I even managed to lose 15 pounds in the past year (ten more and I'll really be a skinny bitch). And although my employment status is a bit shaky, I DO still have my job for now, and Mr. RM started his new job last month so we both have paychecks coming in at the moment. Our mortgage is really close to being paid off, so I'm hoping our employment situation will remain stable for at least another few months until we get that knocked out. But if not, we'll be fine. We'll figure it out.

We also enjoyed some fun with friends and family last year. We saw some good movies and one rockin' Broadway show. We had some great meals and tried a couple new restaurants. We got to paddle down the river in a dragon boat, a truly cool experience. I got to visit with some family I haven't seen in years, which was fun despite of purpose of the trip being to spread my grandparents' ashes. And I was able to find that lost puppy a good home last month. We got an update from her new mommy last week... she named the pup Zoey, and she's adjusting to her new home well and getting lots of love.

In the grand scheme of things 2012 could have been much worse, and it was for a lot of folks. I mean, I wasn't shot at while at the movies, and none of my friends' kids were shot at while at school. My nephew is in Afghanistan and may or may not have been shot at, but so far remains safe and uninjured. Our home wasn't flattened by a superstorm, or by fire or flood. None of our friends and loved ones were mangled or worse in a car/train/plane crash. We haven't gone hungry and have all the necessities, most creature comforts and even a few small luxuries. So I'm trying to focus on the positive as we move into the new year. Lucky 13? Maybe. I'm just hoping it will be a better year for all of us.

Happy New Year, y'all.