2008 - the year that was.
Dec. 31st, 2008 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kyburgCompared to 2007, 2008 was a frigging miracle. I'm actually looking forward to revisting the last post of the year - because I'm sure I'm going to be very pleased.
In case you need the reference.
Let's take it one thing at a time, neh?
- I have to leave Mom on the "might leave the building" list for 2008. It does feel less precarious right now than this time last year, though. May just be battle-hardened, though. Hard to tell.
I have to toss this one on the list every year - but I'm pleased to report that not only is she still with us, she's in more stable, happier condition now than when the year began.
It's not perfect - she's got a TON of dietary restrictions, looking at dialysis someday (and someday could be next year, but not today) and she's 83. But more and more I'm finding I'm one of the few people in my age group with a surviving parent...I'll take it. She's also cognitively better, brighter and happier. I'm good.
- I expect changes in the adoption process. We will either be able to see our placement from China, or will be leaving that program for one that will end in a placement. It still may not be next year, though.
HOOBOY. In spades. We didn't have to leave the program, and we received a placement. Xander will be coming home before Q1 is over with...but Sierra will likely not come home until 2010 at the earliest. But we will have our family started - hooray!
- We're going to do whatever we must with the house. Remodel or tear down and start over.
Not a chance. The lending meltdown kind of sealed the deal on this one - even though the urgency is growing. We MUST make repairs to the patio covers, we MUST take down the back house, and we MUST add the bedroom and bathroom before Sierra comes home. Stay tuned. I don't have a clue how this is going to turn out.
- I want to see my friends in their natural habitats. Is this the year a filk convention might make sense?
Nope. I think I made it upstate twice this year, both of them for anime conventions. Ended up working them/auditing them when we did. And I don't think this is going to change much - if Xander doesn't hate airplanes after what we're going to have to do to get him home, I'll be grateful - but travel is really going to be a wait-and-see affair.
- I want to get those 50 books read.
Did better - but actually getting my hands on the 50 books was a challenge in itself. That recap is coming as well.
- I want to make something by knitting that can be put in good service. A sweater, a baby afghan. Something.
I ended up completing my learning project (a ribbed hat), have a good start on the matching scarf...and I completed TWO hats for Hat Attack before bailing due to battle fatigue. Not too shabby for newbie.
- I want to go back to Hawaii.
Nope. Thanks for playing. The universe laughs at you.
- I want more spoons and less forks.
Got them. Got them, a new job and everything good that could have gone with it after the summer from HELL.
Let me recap 2007 for 2008:
- I'd like a title change at work.
Nope. It's good to want. Builds character.
- I want to add at least one more work-related skill.
I think the most useful thing I could add is some trust and confidence that everything is fine, and boredom is a normal result of doing a good job.
And I need something more than surfing the internet to keep me occupied.
Oh dear God. Could the writing have been on the wall in any bigger letters?
The moment they realized I was actually going to be a Mommy - final straw. Trust and confidence, my butt. There was none, and there hadn't been any for YEARS.
I still miss them. Nearly nine years will do that to you - but stable? Can we say gone in sixty seconds or less?
So what can I expect from 2008?
- Xander comes home, and we get him settled into routines of home, daycare and growing up. We don't end up losing our little minds in the process.
- We manage a trip of some kind afterward.
- Mom may very well leave the building - gotta be prepared.
- I continue on with new gig, learning more and staying happy. Adding more skills.
- We find a way to work on the house.
- I put a garden in.
- More work on building financial security. We'll need to, and start getting ready for Sierra.
- Go back to that work that brought Jim and I together - and try to get it put together, update it and perhaps even finish it. (After this year's![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
yuletide, I've got the hutspa to say it's worth the effort.)
- Knit something awesome.
- 50 more books.
2008? Thanks - you were everything I could have hoped for. Leave some awesome behind for 2009 - looks like we may need it.
In case you need the reference.
Let's take it one thing at a time, neh?
- I have to leave Mom on the "might leave the building" list for 2008. It does feel less precarious right now than this time last year, though. May just be battle-hardened, though. Hard to tell.
I have to toss this one on the list every year - but I'm pleased to report that not only is she still with us, she's in more stable, happier condition now than when the year began.
It's not perfect - she's got a TON of dietary restrictions, looking at dialysis someday (and someday could be next year, but not today) and she's 83. But more and more I'm finding I'm one of the few people in my age group with a surviving parent...I'll take it. She's also cognitively better, brighter and happier. I'm good.
- I expect changes in the adoption process. We will either be able to see our placement from China, or will be leaving that program for one that will end in a placement. It still may not be next year, though.
HOOBOY. In spades. We didn't have to leave the program, and we received a placement. Xander will be coming home before Q1 is over with...but Sierra will likely not come home until 2010 at the earliest. But we will have our family started - hooray!
- We're going to do whatever we must with the house. Remodel or tear down and start over.
Not a chance. The lending meltdown kind of sealed the deal on this one - even though the urgency is growing. We MUST make repairs to the patio covers, we MUST take down the back house, and we MUST add the bedroom and bathroom before Sierra comes home. Stay tuned. I don't have a clue how this is going to turn out.
- I want to see my friends in their natural habitats. Is this the year a filk convention might make sense?
Nope. I think I made it upstate twice this year, both of them for anime conventions. Ended up working them/auditing them when we did. And I don't think this is going to change much - if Xander doesn't hate airplanes after what we're going to have to do to get him home, I'll be grateful - but travel is really going to be a wait-and-see affair.
- I want to get those 50 books read.
Did better - but actually getting my hands on the 50 books was a challenge in itself. That recap is coming as well.
- I want to make something by knitting that can be put in good service. A sweater, a baby afghan. Something.
I ended up completing my learning project (a ribbed hat), have a good start on the matching scarf...and I completed TWO hats for Hat Attack before bailing due to battle fatigue. Not too shabby for newbie.
- I want to go back to Hawaii.
Nope. Thanks for playing. The universe laughs at you.
- I want more spoons and less forks.
Got them. Got them, a new job and everything good that could have gone with it after the summer from HELL.
Let me recap 2007 for 2008:
- I'd like a title change at work.
Nope. It's good to want. Builds character.
- I want to add at least one more work-related skill.
I think the most useful thing I could add is some trust and confidence that everything is fine, and boredom is a normal result of doing a good job.
And I need something more than surfing the internet to keep me occupied.
Oh dear God. Could the writing have been on the wall in any bigger letters?
The moment they realized I was actually going to be a Mommy - final straw. Trust and confidence, my butt. There was none, and there hadn't been any for YEARS.
I still miss them. Nearly nine years will do that to you - but stable? Can we say gone in sixty seconds or less?
So what can I expect from 2008?
- Xander comes home, and we get him settled into routines of home, daycare and growing up. We don't end up losing our little minds in the process.
- We manage a trip of some kind afterward.
- Mom may very well leave the building - gotta be prepared.
- I continue on with new gig, learning more and staying happy. Adding more skills.
- We find a way to work on the house.
- I put a garden in.
- More work on building financial security. We'll need to, and start getting ready for Sierra.
- Go back to that work that brought Jim and I together - and try to get it put together, update it and perhaps even finish it. (After this year's
yuletide, I've got the hutspa to say it's worth the effort.)- Knit something awesome.
- 50 more books.
2008? Thanks - you were everything I could have hoped for. Leave some awesome behind for 2009 - looks like we may need it.
