Best of 2008

I'm typically not a fan of year-end lists or countdown shows but I started to analyze why and couldn't really think of a reason. In fact, the more I started to think about it, I thought it might be a good way to close out the year with a positive feeling and prepare for 2009 without doing resolutions. To that end, here is my personal list of the Best of 2008 really in no particular order but numbered for ease of reading:

1. Ending the year in better health than the beginning.
2. Being married to my soul mate and a wonderful man. Although it stinks that because our work schedules are now very different, it just means the time we get to spend together has to be better in return.
3. Being continuously employed at a company that despite everything allowed us to buy a house at the beginning of the year. (And the despite everything is the subject of another blog someday when I'm feeling complainey.)
4. Finding socks that energized my whole body. Silly to put socks on a Best Of list you say? Go buy some Under Armor socks with the stretchy part around the middle and then get back to me. As I get older, my feet become more important!
5. Discovering podcasts. My favorites include: Common Sense with Dan Carlin, FootStompin.com Scottish Music Podcast, Music For Midnight, PODRUNNER, Spacemusic hosted by *TC* (and not just because one of my pieces was featured on episode 3.9), Stop Podcasting Yourself, Tapestry of The Times, Techtronic Sound, Ultima Thule Ambient Music, and The Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. These are all free from iTunes and you don't need an iPod to listen to them on your computer.
6. Starting a blog. I actually thought of this blog title a number of years ago but never felt like what I had to say was important enough to get it down but I've realized I don't write for other people. If it's not important enough to say to myself, we're in real trouble.
7. Finally being diagnosed with something that makes sense for all the symptoms I've had for over a decade and getting medicine that seems to be really helping it. If you are a woman who has had continual problems with weight, menstrual difficulties, abdominal pain, depression, and more (there are a ton of symptoms), I highly recommend you read up on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and ask your doctor to run the blood and other tests to find out if you do.
8. Breaking my addiction to ice cream by understanding why I craved it so badly. I'll tell that story soon but what a great epiphany. I'm now able to have ice cream in the house, eat normal portions of it, and in fact if I have more than about 3/4 a cup it's too much.

I'm sure I'll think of more later but there is always time to reflect on the good that happens to us, not just at the end of the year.