It’s December 18... and yes, I'm bidding my farewell to 2008. For although there's still two weeks left in the year, this will almost certainly be my last chance to post here.
It was a good year. An active year. A year full of the new and unexpected. Consider:
- I settled into my job;
- I moved houses;
- I made several trips of varying lengths, both domestically and back to the US;
- I inexplicably found an appreciation for cricket;
- I pulled off what may be my proudest accomplishment ever with the Fumblers-B Newy Decathlon;
- I moved houses again;
- I found out that I'm going to lose my job and commenced what has so far been a fruitless search for a new one;
- I screwed up my ankle;
- I grew a moustache;
- And I put on Thanksgiving... in December.
Yes, it was a good year, albeit with varying degrees of tumult. And I'm proud of all I that accomplished. But there's more!! For there's a reason why I won’t be able to post on here for the next few weeks, and it's definitely not because I'm gonna be sitting on my ass.
As you may know, Justin has been here since last weekend. And so far, it's been good. As we might say, VAR good. Plenty of adventures, including Justin’s initiation into the strange, hostile world of Australian bouncers.* But while we've been going out each night this week, I've been working during the day. This is unfortunate. However, after tomorrow, that all changes. For my office will close its doors for two weeks, and I will be free!! What will I/we be up to?
*I'm in no mood to get into this at the moment. Maybe another day. Maybe not.
December 20 to 24 - Justin and I go to Byron Bay, about nine hours north of Sydney. There will be beaches. There will be festiveness. There will be hoolbool.
December 24 to 25 - Justin heads back off to the US, and I spend Christmas at MacMasters Beach with my friend/roommate Yogi and his family. You may recall that I also spent Australia Day Weekend at MacMasters.
December 26 - Yogi and I drive down to Wagga Wagga, home town of Shorty, one of our other roommates. Wagga Wagga also holds the distinction of being the largest inland city in Australia. You know, just in case they ask that in your next trivia night.
December 27 - We -- and I have zero idea who "we" will be -- all head down to Melbourne. I have no idea where I’ll be sleeping this night.
December 28 - A group of us will spend a looooonnnnnng day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test Match between Australia and South Africa. This will be a wild day. A REAL wild day. I have no idea where I'll be sleeping this night, either.
December 29 to January 1 - A large group of us will drive part of the Great Ocean Road (just done with the parents a few weeks earlier) to spend three loooooooonger days at The Falls Music & Arts Festival. We'll be camping out, watching a crap load of live music, taking horrible care of ourselves, getting no sleep, and on the last night, bringing in 2009.* Sounds fantastic, right?**
*It will HAVE to be better than how I brought in 2008, right?
**The funny part is, if you know me AT ALL, you'd know this is not my type of thing. Camping out at a three-day music festival?? Yeah, well, I don't know. But I'm psyched.
January 1 to ?? - We -- again, no clue who "we" will be -- head back to Sydney. I have zero idea how this will be accomplished, how long it will take or how many stops (if any) we'll make along the way. But sometime between the 1st and the 4th, I'll make my way back to Sydney.
Should be a fantastic few weeks, with plenty of nonstop action. So I'll take this opportunity to bid adieu to 2008, and I will see you in 2009! Have a great holiday season, everyone.
