Happy New Year

Thursday, Jan. 01, 2004 - 12:00 a.m.

First, a toast. "Champagne to my true friends, and true pain to my sham friends."

And now, onto yet another ubiquitous awards list!

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My Best Of List for 2003

Best Video: "Hey Ya" By Outkast

Best New Toy: Astrojax Saturn.

Best Old Toy: A secondhand Titanium Powerbook.

Best Reason To Own A DVD player: The extras in "Finding Nemo" and the re-release of "A Christmas Story."

Best Online Universe: Diaryland. Well, duhhh.

Best Scenery: The Great Basin, just west of the Nevada / Utah border. Especially during sunrise.

Best New Elected Official: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Best CD (New): Damien Rice, "O"

Best CD (Classic) Kevin Braheny, "The Way Home", and Isao Tomita, "Kosmos" (tie)

Best Mug Shot: That old Ace in the Hole himself, Saddam Hussein. Although I wish I could see the one of Martha Stewart.

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Awards

The Forces Of Nature Award: Scott Hysmith, my ex-fiancee whose encounter with Hurricane Isobel cleared my head about a bunch of stuff that he and I still needed to get settled. So we did. This nearly caused its own separate hurricane, but that's a story for another time.

The You Are My Sunshine Award: Cher1 H3ys3, who started reading my diary and has now become a dear friend who brightens my day.

The Naked Truth Award: JJ, for being able to write so simply and honestly, and for letting me take pictures of the artwork on her skin.

The Still Crazy After All These Years Award: Todd Thalimer, my online friend of nearly a decade with whom I reconnected in April, and whom I finally met in person for the first time in December of 2003. Also would receive Most Anticipated Hug award if I were awarding that award.

Oh what the hell --

Most Anticipated Hug Award: Todd Thalimer.

The Greatest Gift Award: Jamie Lord, who trusts and forgives me for involving him in crazy schemes that backfire, most notably the Erasure Impostor Adventure. ILY. YCM.

The Keep Looking Up Award: To Br1@n Cl@yt0n, who takes the time to make me look at the sky, and know my place.

The He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother Award: To Jon Landerman, my younger brother. Unconditional love is something few people even try to bestow, but he's somebody who does.

The It Only Hurts When I Don't Laugh Award: To BoogityX2, whose very tilted view of this universe was one of the things that I relied on in the days following my grandmother's death.

The Cornerstone Award: To my husband John, who lets me experience life and then patches me up and sends me out again every time I come to him with an owwie. I don't know how you do it, hon, but I'm humbled. And I love you.

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Things I Learned This Year From My Friends

One person's integrity is another person's shitheadedness.

Be careful what you have delivered to the office because your boss will open it.

Bi-coastal over-the-telephone, synchronized DVD movie dates are awesome.

It's possible to collaborate on a song over the telephone.

Trust is always a risk worth taking.

Ostrich meat is pretty darn good.

It's not wrong to need people. It IS wrong -- and also pretty impossible -- NOT to need people.

Life is like a box of chocolates -- sometimes too much of it makes you want to puke your purple guts out.

If you are a friend of my enemy -- you're not really my friend. Do the math.

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Happy 2004, folks.

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