Out with the Old? I Sure Hope So.

I just read a news story online regarding the New Year--and the one that's just passed. But its tone was unlike anything I've seen before, all gloom and doom. It said that you know it's been a bad year if Parisians are cutting back on champagne, oysters, and foie gras to ring in the new year, and having a fish dinner instead. It interviewed people all over the world, and they were all despairing, saying what a terrible year it's been. Quoting the article: "The year 2008 can best be described as a year of crime, terrorist activities, bloodshed and accidents."
Whoa. The most optimistic thing mentioned was that people were looking forward to 2009 because it really couldn't be any worse than 2008.
Or could it?
In my personal case, I would call 2008 a mixed bag.

Here are the good things that happened to me:

• Got accepted to law school
• Went to Europe
• Had a happy summer
• Found a really nice house to live in
• Met new people
• Learned how to drive in the snow
• The Blazers are finally a good team again

And here are the bad:

• Inability to control my temper scares off some of the people I like the most
• Gained over 20 pounds
• Am probably a crazy person
• Lost a bunch of money in the stock market

And finally, here's what I'm hoping for in 2009:

• Not act crazy or lose my temper any more
• Lose 20 pounds
• Save up money and not use my credit cards much now that I've paid them all off
• Get good grades from my first semester of law school
• Make more friends
• Have someone appropriate fall in love with me

You can read the full article here: World Bids a Relieved Adieu to a Rocky Year