Better late than never
New years eve 2007 I was sick as I have ever been at an apartment party in Harlem NY. I had lived in Manhattan for just about 4 months and though I missed home often at that point I didn't think I would ever leave.
Since midnight on January 1st 2008 I have visited DC, Virginia, Boston, Tennessee, Connecticut, Cold Springs New York, Oyster Bay Queens, Oklahoma, New Jersey and Brooklyn. I have been on planes and boats, in trains and cabs, I have walked a million city blocks and stared at baby deer in farm pastures. I have missed a funeral and a wedding, countless birthdays and a few holidays with my family. I have been asked to be the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding and helped another friend figure out ring sizes so that he could propose. I've gained great friends and lost a few, I found myself and finally became comfortable being alone. I have dated and loved, hated and been stood up.
I have crossed the Hudson and the East river, I have gazed at the Potomac from Washington's front porch, floated on the Guadalupe, watched men fly fish on the Caney Fork and Kayaked down the Brazos. I walked the freedom trail, the Denton County Greenbelt and hiked part of the Cumberland, I have seen the Smokey Mountains and The Hermitage. I drove through the piney wood in Texas, the red dirt nothing of Oklahoma and stopped to watch the sunset in the Hill Country.
I have been well paid to do nearly nothing and underpaid to work my ass off. I have been homeless, jobless and carless. I have stood in line at a public health clinic and given my leftovers to the bum down the street. I saw Niles from Frasier and Miranda from Sex in The City on the upper west side. I went to bars in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Boston, Denton, Dallas, Lewisville and Austin. I witnessed an historic Primaries and an even more historic Presidential Election. I voted in New England and in the Southwest. I have been given a car and let sleep on a couch, I have found and lost a job and went back to an old one.
I turned a quarter of a century old and gained 15 pounds. I saw my favorite Uncle for the last time and met Courtney's baby for the first time in the same weekend. I attempted to rekindle and old flame and put it right back out. I dated a Yankees fan, a designer from Jersey, a pharmacist from India and a dude from Carrolton. I've dreamt about men I will never have and blown off men who couldn't possibly love me more. I've borrowed money, made money, lost money and had money stolen from me. I've consolidated my debt and paid off four credit cards. I attempted to write a novel in one month and failed miserably. I've seen my niece play soccer and my nephews practice Karate. I saw my sister take in a boy she hardly new and then watched that boy break her heart. I have driven a heroin addict to rehab and then delivered him a Christmas present four months later. I got busted jumping of a bridge with two ex felons and talked vampire books with an historian.
I went to a birthday party for a cat and a rooftop party for no reason at all. I found good barbecue in NYC and the best Greek food in Denton TX. My laptop died and I bought a desk top PC for the first time in 7 years. I got my dog back and nearly lost my sister's. I saw a real Olympic medal and nearly the entire Mavericks team at a party in Dallas. I went to a professional Hockey game, basketball game, football game and two pro baseball games. I have seen ten Presidential burial sites. I have eaten in over a hundred diners mostly on sundays and had the most amazing hot dog in the east village. I saw Mika, The Avett Brothers, She & Him, Ida, Sonic Youth, Gregory and the Hawk and Cat Power in concert. I went to see Saturday Night Live, live. I watched elephants march down 34th street and a pillow fight on Union Squar.
I moved back to Texas.
I rang in 2009 with good friends I couldn't possibly imagine my life with out in the heart of Dallas and I can't remember a better New Year than this one. Tonight I leave for Breckenridge CO to go snowboarding for the first time in my life with some of the best friends I have ever had. And at the end of this month I officially enter the second half of my twenties.
So here is to 2009, may I do and see even half as much as the year past!
Since midnight on January 1st 2008 I have visited DC, Virginia, Boston, Tennessee, Connecticut, Cold Springs New York, Oyster Bay Queens, Oklahoma, New Jersey and Brooklyn. I have been on planes and boats, in trains and cabs, I have walked a million city blocks and stared at baby deer in farm pastures. I have missed a funeral and a wedding, countless birthdays and a few holidays with my family. I have been asked to be the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding and helped another friend figure out ring sizes so that he could propose. I've gained great friends and lost a few, I found myself and finally became comfortable being alone. I have dated and loved, hated and been stood up.
I have crossed the Hudson and the East river, I have gazed at the Potomac from Washington's front porch, floated on the Guadalupe, watched men fly fish on the Caney Fork and Kayaked down the Brazos. I walked the freedom trail, the Denton County Greenbelt and hiked part of the Cumberland, I have seen the Smokey Mountains and The Hermitage. I drove through the piney wood in Texas, the red dirt nothing of Oklahoma and stopped to watch the sunset in the Hill Country.
I have been well paid to do nearly nothing and underpaid to work my ass off. I have been homeless, jobless and carless. I have stood in line at a public health clinic and given my leftovers to the bum down the street. I saw Niles from Frasier and Miranda from Sex in The City on the upper west side. I went to bars in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Boston, Denton, Dallas, Lewisville and Austin. I witnessed an historic Primaries and an even more historic Presidential Election. I voted in New England and in the Southwest. I have been given a car and let sleep on a couch, I have found and lost a job and went back to an old one.
I turned a quarter of a century old and gained 15 pounds. I saw my favorite Uncle for the last time and met Courtney's baby for the first time in the same weekend. I attempted to rekindle and old flame and put it right back out. I dated a Yankees fan, a designer from Jersey, a pharmacist from India and a dude from Carrolton. I've dreamt about men I will never have and blown off men who couldn't possibly love me more. I've borrowed money, made money, lost money and had money stolen from me. I've consolidated my debt and paid off four credit cards. I attempted to write a novel in one month and failed miserably. I've seen my niece play soccer and my nephews practice Karate. I saw my sister take in a boy she hardly new and then watched that boy break her heart. I have driven a heroin addict to rehab and then delivered him a Christmas present four months later. I got busted jumping of a bridge with two ex felons and talked vampire books with an historian.
I went to a birthday party for a cat and a rooftop party for no reason at all. I found good barbecue in NYC and the best Greek food in Denton TX. My laptop died and I bought a desk top PC for the first time in 7 years. I got my dog back and nearly lost my sister's. I saw a real Olympic medal and nearly the entire Mavericks team at a party in Dallas. I went to a professional Hockey game, basketball game, football game and two pro baseball games. I have seen ten Presidential burial sites. I have eaten in over a hundred diners mostly on sundays and had the most amazing hot dog in the east village. I saw Mika, The Avett Brothers, She & Him, Ida, Sonic Youth, Gregory and the Hawk and Cat Power in concert. I went to see Saturday Night Live, live. I watched elephants march down 34th street and a pillow fight on Union Squar.
I moved back to Texas.
I rang in 2009 with good friends I couldn't possibly imagine my life with out in the heart of Dallas and I can't remember a better New Year than this one. Tonight I leave for Breckenridge CO to go snowboarding for the first time in my life with some of the best friends I have ever had. And at the end of this month I officially enter the second half of my twenties.
So here is to 2009, may I do and see even half as much as the year past!