2008, etc. etc.

So, not that it's the worst year I can recollect, but I'm glad that 2008 is over. Let's review. Some things made me sad. My grandpa died. My sight took it's own private vacation from whence it has yet to return. I had a personal disappointment last spring that was more difficult to recover from than I cared to admit. I didn't go on any vacations.

But a lot of things made me happy. I started blogging, and hence have wasted countless, ridiculous but completely fun hours writing and reading other people's musings. I finished my first year of med school. I TAed in the anatomy lab. I got an offer to write a texbook chapter. I reconnected with some old friends and made some new ones. I got to see my friend through a pregnancy and even got to meet her lovely daughter! I finally figured out how to make decent meatballs. We got the Mugs, though at first, standing outside in my jammies at two in the morning while he peed made me wonder for a while if that was truly a good thing. I've decided it is. So much more happened this year that has decidedly made me smile. Overall, I can't complain too much.

2009 is off to a good start. Since it started, I've planned a vacation, visited the breweries in Fort Collins, and met up with a friend from high school I haven't seen for 9 years. It has been pretty cool. The trip up to Fort Collins was my Christmas present from J. A bunch of us drove up there together and started out with lunch at Panino's. It's a tiny little family joint that is right across a parking lot from my old office at CSU. I love thir food, it's great. Then we headed over to New Belgium. Here I met up with a friend from high school. Crazy to see her since it's been so long. It was nice to catch up and hear what other people from our class are up to. Not to mention, I'm a huge New Belgium beer fan so that was great too. After New Belgium we headed over to Odell. Odell is much smaller, but I think I might like it even better than New Belgium. After Odell we made our last stop at the Fort Collins brewery where they actually had a beer they called the Baconator. Yes, it tasted like liquid bacon. Disconcerting and disgusting. Blech. After we left the Fort behind we came back down to A-town and had a couple of friends over. We all fell asleep watching a movie. We must be getting older because a few years ago we wouldn't have been asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

I am so excited about the vacation we're taking. I needed something to look forward to after boards. I've always been one to bribe myself into doing what I need to get done. I have about 13 and a half weeks to boards (yikes!) and I need to be on top of it. We talked and talked about what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. But after spending one afternoon last week looking at photos from our last trip to San Francisco, there was only one place I wanted to go. I adore San Francisco. If I could pick up and move to anywhere in the country, and be miraculously able to afford it, it would be San Francisco. I love the chill in the air all the time that makes it feel like fall constantly. I love looking at the ocean and the bay. I love that you can walk two blocks and be in a completely different feeling neighborhood, complete with its own weather. I love sour dough bread, I love clam chowder, I love wine. I love wine. I love wine. I love the hills, I love how green it always is, I love palm trees. I love wine. I love wine country. If I could do any thing in the world it would be to make wine. Unfortunately, that's not really in the cards, so I have to settle for visiting. But I will register religiously for the HGTV dream house in Sonoma. Don't I wish. But it should serve to motivate me for the big exam and get me rested for 3rd year. I can hardly wait.