A quick year in review… 2009…

Instead of my yearly apology for not writing here for so long, I guess I’ll get right into it…

I started the year, like far to many of us did, Sin trabajar…Mid September of the previous year, I was laid off (once again) from my position at a local Title Company due to circumstances still unclear to me (though they said it was budgetary cutbacks, I feel in my heart of hearts that it may have been something else… I dunno..)… Nonetheless, the job search tirelessly continued until June, when I was offered and accepted a position with a major bank at their regional headquarters… That was a major load off my mind, though I find that with an extended period of unemployment, it takes almost an equal amount of time working to make up for it!… Sucky, yes, but one of these months we’ll be back to where we were…

Our household was also a little strange this year… Sadly, we lost two of our beloved kitty cats; one, Scarecrow, due to old age/complications from a hyperactive thyroid, and another, Missy, to a tragic clothes dryer accident…(I’m still dealing with that one, mostly because it was I who was doing laundry that day)… Though even one, let alone two lost pets is one of the more difficult things any pet owner goes through, it’s part of the gig, man.. and the pain felt when they leave us doesn’t even come close to the joy that they give us in the brief time that they share with us on earth… But enough about that stuff…

Otherwise, the year found us more-or-less happy and healthy. I am still with the aforementioned big bank (and liking it pretty well), Jen’s still with the credit union… I guess at the very least, it’s great to end out the year better than you began it… all in all, I guess that’s just about as good as one can hope… let’s just hope that the trend continues!
OH… Jen and I have started going to the gym on a regular basis!... She’s even got herself a personal trainer!... The best part? Our membership to the gym is free!!.. that’s right… Our health insurance recently changed, and one of the perks is a free membership to the gym of our choice!... So, despite me not cycling nearly as much as I would have liked to last summer, maybe I can hit the season stronger than ever… and perhaps have a riding partner, too!... that’s the hope, anyway…

My garden was also very strong. In particular, I had an over-abundance of spaghetti squash, which we ate quite a bit of over the summer, and I even had enough to can several batches for the winter…. Also tried corn for the first time (with great success!).. That, plus my regular assortment of cucumbers, tomatoes , peppers, herbs, flowers, etc. made for an AMAZING harvest in September! … I cant believe that in just about 6 weeks or so, I can start all over again… heh, heh… visions of greenhouses and seedlings are already dancing in my head!!!..

I’ll ‘prolly write more later… hang tight…
-m