MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD...

Simply put, I think there is not much in this world that beats spending time visiting with friends you have known for a long time. Yes, I enjoy meeting new folks, but I especially love friendships that are tried and true.

AFTER ALL, TOMORROW IS... ANOTHER DAY

I usually try to be upbeat on this blog, but let's face it... I feel grumpy right now. Actually, I have pretty much all day. I feel sorry for the people who have conversed with me today. Truly sorry.

But the good news lies in the words uttered by Katie Scarlett O'Hara at the end of Gone With the Wind: "After all, tomorrow is... another day." (Followed by theme music, which I hope came flooding into your head).

So here's to a better tomorrow! I promise to smile and be more cheerful!

FRESH

Oh, how I love New Year's Day, and all the self-reflection related thereto... Life is so busy that sometimes it's not easy to take the time to contemplate the bigger picture and correct your life's course... but it is so important! 2008 was, indeed, an eventful year.

I traveled...

Two trips to The Happiest Place on Earth, two trips to Beantown, one trip to Kiwi Land, one trip to the Adirondacks, one trip to the City of Brotherly Love, one trip to St. George... and I feel like I'm even forgetting one more trip I took. Maybe it will come to me...

I read...

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrow of Josephine B. (and the rest of the trilogy) by Sandra Gulland, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, 1/2 of Stiff by Mary Roach (which I will finish soon, I'm sure), Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker. I'm sure I read more books than that, but those were the most noteworthy.

I ate...

Lots of popcorn, hot chocolate, 730 pieces of toast, and thousands of Peanut M&M's.

I welcomed...

Another nephew into the world, the opportunity to go to various plays and concerts, darker hair, rekindled friendships, the summer, the opportunity to meet one of my idols, tulip blooms, growth in my position at work, the opportunity to work in a brand new office building that smells divine, the chance to spend time with my family and friends, the end of an extremely negative relationship, the potential to love someone better, the time I was able to spend at the temple, Friday afternoons, new earrings from Tiffany & Co. that I've wanted for ages, my sister's recently discovered sense of humor and the corresponding laughter, and on and on and on.

Yes, 2008 was a good year, but I'm pretty darn sure 2009 is going to be even better. Bring on the good times!!

P.S. I apologize about the formatting issues in this blog; I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what is causing the problems...

SMILE

Yesterday was Christmas, so we went to visit all of our nieces and nephews at their homes. When we arrived at my brother's place, my niece declared to us all, "I'm too happy!!!" What a great problem to have, eh? I agree that yesterday was a lovely day. It was a great time to reflect on the plethora of blessings we have, our relationships with family & friends, and of course the birth of our Savior. Hopefully we can all find cause to be "too happy" in our lives!

ZZZ...

Dear Fellow Whom I Went Out With a Handful of Times Last Year,

You seem like a kind soul, but I really don't know you very well from the few times we went out.... which means that you are not entitled to send me text messages in the wee hours of the morning when I am trying to sleep. My lack of response night after night might be a good indicator that I would prefer to get some shut-eye. Thanks!

All the Best,
R

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

I have been beyond lazy today. Lazy to the tenth power..... But it was a highly stressful week at the office, and it has been very nice to unwind/relax today. There were moments when I felt like I wasn't going to make it through this last blasted week, but I finally did... and the relief I felt when I arrived home last night is indescribable. This morning I took the liberty of sleeping in, and when I awoke, there was a beautiful blanket of white snow on the ground. I normally hate the snow, but for some reason today I love it.... maybe because I am not obligated to go anywhere, and so I can just watch it from the window.

I decided to wrap Christmas presents in my pajamas while watching "It's a Wonderful Life." The older I get, the more I love and appreciate that movie. I think it's good to be reminded that human beings are so intertwined, and the way we treat others definitely has an impact on who they (and we) become. "No man is a failure who has friends." Yes, it certainly is a wonderful life.

GOLD STANDARD

On Friday night I enjoyed the most delicious hot chocolate of my life. Picture a cup full of amazing dark melted chocolate and cream. Now imagine it gliding sweetly across your taste buds and falling gently down your throat. Are you blissfully happy? Multiply that experience by a million, and you might have an idea of what I felt. If you want to know the secret destination, just ask...

Yes, on Friday I experienced a gold standard. I can never go back to the ordinary.

P.S. The chocolate-covered cinnamon bears are also a dream.