That was a big year.

Another New Years Eve. NoGoodNick did a better rundown of the evening than I could possibly do, especially since I left my camera at KT's place. (KT! Gimme my camera.)

OK, 2007 was a train wreck, so last year at this time I was blogging about how 2008 had better be excellent, and life had better not throw me any more crap for a minute. My blogs were answered. 2008 really didn't throw me much crap at all. I did scary things. I powered through my last 5 months sitting at a desk, powered through a 425 mile move, and wrote a book, opened a shop, and flipped my life around in just about every way you could imagine. I took big huge risks in my personal life and my professional life. People I love and respect told me I was taking too many risks and walking the wrong path. They were trying to help, but I think the big lesson for this year is Sometimes I Am Right. This year, everything changed, everything changed awesomely. The only constant, as usual, is the people, the same old goofy drunk wonderful people. (The ones who worried for me turned right around, held their noses, and helped me anyway. Really, wonderful people.)

So that's kind of fun. I am incredibly grateful for a year in which my heart didn't get broken, I didn't lose a loved one, I kept everything I loved and then added more. Cynical me is reading over this, and saying, "get ready for disaster." Well, OK. I'll get ready. That's life. For the moment, I'm full of gratitude for getting to be exactly where I want to be, no matter how much work or risk is involved.

I was thinking this morning about how I just clicked SNAP! into my new life. How going to work every day in DC was like tryin' to squeeze into size 5 jeans (!), and here I am now, just snap! right into my work, my friends, my family, my home, my serving job. Snap. Just like that.

What do I want for 2009, though? I'd feel like an asshole asking for anything. The absolute best I could hope for is more of this, more of the same. I want to make things, and I want to keep everything I love.