Another Year gone - Another One here.

For the last several years, I have used the last day of the year to write about the year that passed and a little bit about the year to come.  On December 31st 2006 I spoke about the previous New Year Eve and about how I was optimistic about rejoing the military and doing something really big---like volunteering to go to Iraq.  Six years ago I was in Iraq as the ball dropped, and was looking forward to 2007 and continuing my military career.  On New Years Eve 2007 I reflected on the year that passed and wrote about how was feeling sentimental and missing my soldiers.  I didn't write any blogs in 2008 or 2009 on New Years Eve, but my one and only post in 2010 was on New Years Eve.  In that post I kind of updated everyone about what was going on in my life.  Last New Years I wrote about my pending deployment and little about what I was thinking about for 2012.  My standard resolution every year is to lose weight.  And I am happy to say that I have lost weight since last New Years.  The year has flown by as they all seem to do as you get older.  There have been a few tough times --- my family has been broken up.  I lost Elvis and T and Eddie and the sugar gliders.  So it's just me and Willow now.  It was a long but not too tough deployment.  And in additional to getting physically fitter I reached my goal of getting promoted which was the highlight of the year. I missed my veterans but I have returned to my job at the Albany Housing Coalition and look forward to an exciting year ahead.  I have met so many new friends from this recent deployment and I look forward to connecting with them again in the coming months.  In addition to my new military friends, I have reconnected with old friends and have become closer with friends from work who have worked hard on my behalf taking care of issues at my house while I was in Kuwait.  In the past I worried a lot about the future, but as this new year dawns, I am pretty calm and confident that this coming year will bring great things.  I am currently writing this in California, at the home of my two best friends Eric and Wanda.  I have had the chance to do many fun things with them over the years and tonight we are celebrating that friendship and the end of a long, difficult but productive year.  I really feel blessed to have so many good friends and such a great job.  2012 is gone and 2013 begins.  I hope to be around next year to write again on New Years Eve.  But in the meantime, I have these resolutions:

1.  World Peace
2.  Lose more weight
3.  Be kinder in 2013 than I was in 2012.

Happy New Years kids!