2011

The New Year. Today was the first new year in a long time which I have awoken to without my head throbbing and sweat dripping out of my pores. I saw the dawn and hadn't been awake all night. It was nice. Although, I am nursing a cold, the idea of waking up so many days with a clear head and a lack of headaches is enough to keep on going. My last entry was a love letter to alcohol. It is now 21 days later and I haven't had a drink. The holidays were tough, but not anywhere as tough as I thought they would be. It is strange to write this, but I have a lot more inner-strength than I thought I had.
So, it is with a mix of a middle finger and a long, wet kiss that I bid good-bye to last year and hello to this new one. 2011 just has to better than 2010 was. 2010 was a year which included an unexpected layoff, the death of my beloved dog and family member, Murph, as well as many other significant personal issues. Yet, we carry on and the years change and we move forward. While looking at the brightening sky outside of my window, I thought about all of the crazy shit one goes through in life. The ups and downs, ins and outs, and realized they all come to pass. The good passes and comes to some sort of an end and the bad passes in the same way.
2010 has also been a miraculous year for some of my dear friends. Some got married, some got engaged, some have added new family members to their lives, others bought homes. That is an awesome thing to see and why last year deserves that scrappy, warm, dog-like kiss.
So, good-bye, 2010 and welcome, 2011. Happy New Year to the few brave souls who happen to stumble along these ramblings. I wish you and yours a happy, healthy and fruitful new year!

New Year Haiku:

Lucky eleven
at casinos and tables,
hope for a year, too.