Ah, New Year's Eve, finally. Another year almost in the books. Some good, some bad, all good for the character. Sorry, this may get a bit sappy.

First the bad:
A year away from work is waaaay too damn long. Granted, it has given me a chance to go crazy with sections of this site, and in fact have the time and energy to do everything on here, and polish up my skills in SQL, PHP, bring my HTML up to current, pick up CSS, etc., etc. There's just the lack of the sense of a project well executed for something bigger than I which is lacking. Another year single. Now, while I am lucky to have most of my immediate family still around, and some of the best friends I could hope for, there's still that lack of connection with that special someone. Doesn't help that I'm not much to go out and have a night on the town. No opportunity to meet anyone kinda makes it tough to find someone.

Now the good:
My road trip around the US. A trip I sorely needed to take, both for seeing my friends and family scattered all over the country, my driving skills, my mental health, and my character. Making this trip was so unlike something I would have done six months before it. It's amazing how a month seems like such a long time to spend on the road, but once you're on it, it seems like such a short time, and you need more to see and do everything you want to.

Since the return from that trip, I've started learning more about myself than I thought there was. I thought I knew myself pretty well after all the time I had to think on the bus and at home after finishing homework back in high school, but I apparantly missed several large spots. Those are now being filled in, and things look pretty good for having them reasonably well understood in the coming year. Not entirely sure what I'll find, but it needs to be done. Understanding my friends better. In the past couple months, it's somehow come about that I've managed to get even closer to some friends I thought I was as close as those friendships would go. I guess I was wrong. You know who you are, and I count myself so lucky to have friends like you. Thank you for more than you could ever know, especially to the one who is probably least likely to read this. I can't come up with the right words.

Now as to the coming year. The fun of a 10 year high school reunion on the horizon. Class of '93, woooo! More job hunting, and success at it, damnit! Maybe a Hawaii trip later in the year, that would be nice. Hopefully some nice company to curl up with on the cold nights to watch TV with.

To all reading this, have a Happy (and SAFE damnit!) New Year's, and best wishes for 2003.