2008 is Here!

Wow... where do I even start?
First of all, I'll start off by apologizing to everyone who has been checking back to my blog only to find Julia Carson's face staring at them each time (may God rest her soul). I took some much needed time away and now I'm back. I feel recharged and rejuvenated and I realize how much I actually miss coming to work. I like the routine, the hustle, the drama and the unexpected surprises that come with a full days work.
Can you believe that it's 2008 already? it seems like only last year we were ringing in the new millennium and stocking up on our Y2K rations and here it is 8 years later already! I like the New Year. I like that it somehow feels like a fresh start. A chance to start over or at the very least improve on what you started in the year before.
This year, the Mean Girls are starting a "Biggest Looser" program and I'm excited about it. nothing motivates me more than a good ol' competition and with $50 on the line to the winner, I can't wait to get started!
I also am going to try (again) to quit smoking. I have been a smoker since the age of 22 and have tried to quit numerous times. Will this finally be the year? I hope so! Check back here regularly for a progress report on that.

So what do we take from 2007?
Well, It was a Fun year without a doubt. check out Romeo's blog for a re-cap of just some of the fun we had. Plus after searching for for a good couple of years, Fitness Nerd, Maestro and I finally found that magical 4th person that had long eluded us. I don't remember when it happened or where it happened but Romeo one day appeared and the rest is history.
It was also exciting to watch the transformation of close friends this past year. We watched as Xena blossomed and found her way into the sisterhood of Sappho and even joined Dykes on Bikes for the Indy Pride Parade as if to say, I am Woman, Hear me Roar! (litteraly)
We were witness to the continuing transformation of Mom. Once a quiet and meek soul that would rather bite her lip till it bled than say anything that might offend someone, she somewhere along the way found her voice and is now the first person to call something for what it is. She has no problem getting in someones face when needed and she is often times the voice of reason in the sea of stupidity that we sometimes find ourselves in.
And the Mean Girls themselves changed somewhat this year. Once fixated to the dark corners of social gathering, we stuck our heads out into the light this year and (painfully) met some new people and made a few new friends.

So with 2007 behind us it's time to look forward. 2008 promises to be a fun and exciting year.
I was watching Sylvia Brown on the Montell show the other day and she herself said that even numbered years are always better, and that the number 8 is the infinity number (???)
anywho, There's all the usual annual events to look forward to, Pride, Birthdays, Chicago, Halloween, plus the addition of the Summer Olympics and a Presidential Election.
Those big events are the best. but it's important to know that those events would mean nothing without the little moments found within them. Having your face painted side by side to the smell of Sloppy Joes, Eating Pie Hole Pizza on a stoop in Chicago at 2:00 in the morning or Trying to take one's picture on stage as your being flipped off. Don't ignore those little moments. They are what makes the ticket worth paying for, and the ride that much more fun!

May all of your Hopes and Resolutions come true this year!
Happy New Year Everybody!