Red Room Where the Writers Are

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In years past, I've done "Year In Review" entries on my blog.  For a stroll down memory lane, feel free to visit 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004.  I'd thought about doing something similar for this year, but it seems unnecessary to be quite so elaborate about it.  One thing I will say about 2008 is that, for the first time, the year ended much, much better than it started. 

Some standout moments (good, bad, and indifferent) from 2008:

After MUCH work on my part for the Barack Obama campaign through both the primary and the presidential election, I was rewarded by the American people, and he was elected the 44th President of the US; a random guy heard me sing at karaoke and wanted me to record some of his original material - which sucked; I was ditched at a party by a guy who contacted ME after us "hitting it off" six months prior earning a big, fat whatever; my final performance before my acting hiatus in Adam's "The Ghost Dancers" for Stone Soup was my finest, and was an amazing experience all-around (minus the company/writer drama); I experimented with wordless communication for a weekend, and it was so interesting...I actually regretted having to go back to talking at the end of it; I attended my first New York Comic Con and reported on it for Pink Raygun - fun times!; I called Brian Michael Bendis a misogynist douchebag in an article on PRG, and he commented on the article; I had a Barbie-doll subletter who gypped us out of rent and confirmed for me that there really are people who are that selfish and shallow; I worked as a freelance publicist for Dancing Classrooms for several months - it was a wonderful place to work, and it awakened in me a love of ballroom dancing!; had a bit of a debacle over utilities bills, but it was resolved; watched Dad get progressively worse as far as his memory; went to more Mets games this year than I have in my life as it was the last season at Shea; met BRIAN K. VAUGHAN!; attended Nat and Jean's wedding, as well as my cousin Michele's wedding (the one our whole family was waiting for!); met some great new friends and helped one of them do publicity for a noisepop music festival.

It must be said that from September on, my life improved greatly and clicked in ways it never had before.  I left my unsatisfying temp job and went back to work at my old PR job, which is decidedly more satisfying and offers health insurance.  I devoted myself to writing fully, and while I was rejected from several publications, I did lots of writing for Pink Raygun; I got personal rejection letters from Make/Shift and the Joss Whedon-inspired Nothing But Red anthology, showing that they actually read and enjoyed my stories but couldn't accept them for reasons other than quality; and I may have the opportunity soon to write a non-fiction book....for actual money.  I hosted a "Chosen Family Day" celebration, where I honored my closest friends for being the amazing people they are and for contributing so much to who I am.  It reminded me that I really am the luckiest person ever to have the people I have in my life.  Things have also improved for me in the dating department.  I've had more men be interested in me since September than I have in my whole life.  They have been to varying degrees and levels of importance, of course, but I think of them all positively.  I've felt better about myself at the end of this year than I ever have before - been more confident and more comfortable in my own skin - and suddenly men have come out of the woodwork.  I don't know what the future holds with any of them, but it doesn't really matter.  No matter what happens, I know I'm pretty damned amazing.  And that's the greatest thing that 2008 has given me.   

Happy 2009 everyone!