Another Year Over

So this year is done. I was really excited about next year starting because for about 10 minutes, I thought 2009 was going to be the year of the Pig according to the Chinese flimflam calendar but I had not listened intently to that particular news story last night. It's not the year of the Pig, it's the year of the Ox. Twelve piglets were born somewhere in a chinese zoo and that means good luck for the next year, hence my confusion over the year of the pig. The chinese consider me to be a pig since I was born in 1971, or maybe it's because I don't capitalize "chinese". I just looked up this page on my pig characteristics and it states that there is no left or right with me, apparently only straight ahead. Now my inability to tell my left from my right makes perfect sense. I'm a believer.



I finally remembered to download one of my favorite pieces of music yesterday. It's by ABBA, that's right ABBA, and it is the last track on their album Arrival. That was the first album I ever owned. Tom took it with him to Memphis because he had a turn table and I didn't. Now that he's gone, his wife will never give it back to me. Funny how sometimes you don't miss something until there's no chance of ever getting it back. Since it was written before videos were even remotely cool, here's a YouTube version of it but the visuals suck so just close your eyes and listen.



I also ran across this article yesterday in the New York Times which made me all mushy and sentimental, so I developed a list of things I'll try in the new year:



1. Finishing that goddamn bodice

2. Re-learning how to play an old instrument

3. Making new props to both confuse and amaze

4. Sending out those articles and essays I've been meaning to do for the last two years but have been too scared

5. Building my own deck



Here are some things I'm not going to try:



1. Shotgunning a can of Schiltz

2. Learning chinese

3. Cleaning out my own sewer line

4. Skydiving

5. Ecstacy



Have a happy New Year's everyone!