Well, despite what it says atop this post, it's still technically New Year's Eve and I'm actually in Los Angeles. I intended to be in Denver for NYE, celebrating with friends there, but my plans seem at the whim of the gods (and not the fluffy cloud variety, more the lightning-throwing, fickle ones) and with the onset of nuclear winter conditions with no sign of the end to the cold front or thaw, I bid a hasty retreat - though I should thank Kit and Ariel for letting me stay with them for a couple of nights en route. I also discovered a game called Blokus there which is a mixture of Skirrid, Tetris and Othello and only slightly less addictive than chocolate. Get thee hence to a toyshop and purchaseth.
Last night I hung out with Kerry, Gillian Horvath, Len Wein (the creator of Wolverine) and others at Payden Kershner's first birthday. if ever there was a chubby-cheeked metaphor for the New gleefully crawling its way past the Old, then this was it. She's already walking, almost talking, clapping along in rythmn and laughing (or at least dribbling and smirking) at all my jokes and thinks I'm endearingly fun. Possibly the only female I know who does...Tonight there'll be a few glasses raised to the new year which I ahve dubbed '2008' just to go with the flow (and a full eight hours after those back in Blighty have done so) and tomorrow there's a Indiana Jones marathon at Steve Melching's. before I head out in about a week I hope to see a few more movies (already scoped out Charlie Wilson's War and Sweeney Todd) in the hope of off-setting some of the Cinema Days line-up in late January.
In the meantime, here - in no particular order are the lessons I'm taking into 2008...
1) Money is not the key to happiness. However it is a bloody good combination lock and better than the alternative.
2) Honesty is fine, honesty is good. But evaluate the way people use it. If it's done to be constructive, then it's valuable beyond words. If it's used merely to belittle and hurt, then it's as worthless as those who offer it.
3) Plan B's are good. But it's also imperative to have a Plan C, D and E. When one runs out of letters, numbers are fine too. Never ass-u-me anything other than there is the possibility that things *may* go wrong and it's good to be even better prepared than a cub-scout clanbake.
4) Dogs watch you throw things for them, fuss over them, make them happy and feed them... and therefore believe you must be a god. Cats watch you throw things for them, fuss over them, make them happy and feed them... and therefore believe that THEY must be gods.
5) The Net is merely a poor substitute for real life and getting out there into the real world. However as far as poor substitutes go, it's pretty damn good.
6) Always have a camera nearby. The world doesn't do retakes.
7) Writers are still HUGELY underappreciated and underpaid.
8) Don't be defined by the past, but acknowledge it and let it inform your present and your future for the better.
9) Family is more important than mere words, especially the unprounceable ones.
10) There is a difference between being intelligent and clever. There is a difference between being good and merely being lucky. The trick is to know which applies in any given situation and act/not act accordingly.
So I see Santa bought you a big net or should that be rod, to fish for compliments:
'Possibly the only female I know who does...'
Aw, poor old you. Are you waiting for someone to contradict you.....?
Anyway girls of that age are much less trouble and easily amused. The problems start when they discover the addictive power of shoes....
D
PS No 4 on your list made me smile, so true.
Fiddlee D, I'll contradict you, John. I'm female, and I find you thoughtful and entertaining enough to drop by here now and then. Not only that, but I remember your last New Year's column, and dropped by to see if your dating luck was running any better this year - it isn't, but you've still captured good thoughts and turned some nice phrases in the process. Happy New Year, and may Ms. Appreciative and Literate come your way soon.
Michele (Coolwater)
D
There isn't a net big enough, but all tiddlers gratefully accepted. In all honesty I've found it's always good to be told what you can do better as long as you're also told when you're doing something good.
And I only have four pairs of shoes. Pity me.
Michele
Thanks for the kind words. I believe that confusing myself every so often is the key to mental fitness. Hanging out with women makes me incredibly mentally fit!!! ;)
And 2007 was a mixed year with both cringe-making moments of frustration and delightful moments of fun and friendship.
2008? I think I'm ready...and ladies, feel free to stop by any time. This corner (more like a rhomboidal shape) of the Net is always open to intelligent, discerning tastes.
And bribes of chocolate.
Ok Michelle, reprimand taken on the chin. I am suitably contrite and chastised.
And John, you know I find you entertaining, not always intentionally, but always fun.
And if 'Ms. Appreciative and Literate' doesn't come along soon would you settle for Ms. Drunk and Addicted to chocolate?
D
(laughing) Don't know who you are, D, but I suspect it would take more than that to truely chasten you!
John, you do a great deal that's good. That's why we like you. And here's part of a solution to your mystery: as long as you fight fairly and make up properly, you can fight with your female friends, and afterwards they'll still be your friends.
(I tried for an hour to make that sound more like Poor Richard and less preachy, but it just won't flow. Apologies)
Let's see: Ms. Write should be literate, appreciative, drunk (but not too often?) and willing to be smeared with chocolate; oh, wait, that was addicted, no? Whatever, as long as there is chocolate involved. That is a tough order, but I'll keep my eyes open. We'll worry about how to ship her from the Midwestern US to England once we find her.
4:03 AM
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