Hella Stella

My vacation is officially over.

I did amazingly little over the past two weeks, but that's fine because I got to sleep in and nap whenever the mood struck. That's really all I wanted. Some cuddling with my boys, some snoozing, and good food.

Now I am back to the grind and trying to manage the hundreds of e-mails I happily ignored at the office. I am so tired today; I guess I should have tried to get myself back on a normal sleeping schedule before coming back to work.

So, it's 2009! I was toying with the idea of a 2008 recap, but honestly? 2008 will always be the year of Morty. I spent the first part of the year dreaming about him and tracking down the perfect bulldog pup, and I spend the second half of the year mopping up pee and getting humped on the leg. It's been great and I still can't believe this little dude is mine.

2008 also brought me a new apartment in a great neighbourhood, something which I am very thankful for.

2008 was also my best year for music: my songs were played on national radio, I did some high-profile gigs, and I made some great musical connections.

I have no idea what 2009 holds, but I can make a few guesses. Note: these are not resolutions, per se. I've never been good at resolutions, and besides, obsessive list makers make resolutions every second day. There's no need to make extra work for myself.

My BH has another year of school after this one finishes, so until that milestone hits, we'll be focusing on getting him through and keeping our expenses down. It almost sounds silly to say, considering how tough Christmas was on the credit card this year, but anyways... It's the goal that matters. I'm not giving up on it.

I'm also not planning to record this year, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to do more writing in preparation for a busier time. I'm not even expecting to book that many gigs in 2009, something I decided a few months ago, since I tend to overdo it and then burn out. Enough of that. I'll be a little choosy and pick gigs I'm really excited about.

I'd like to do a better job at organizing and de-cluttering my home. Moving into a one bedroom apartment from a four bedroom home can be tough - it never feels like I've cut back enough. Onwards and upwards! One day, a clutter-free home will be mine.

(Here's where I admit that buying a used dryer might help me with this goal. 80% of my household clutter is made up of drying racks)

Finally, I'm going to continue my slightly-psychotic house savings plan. I'm halfway to my base goal, which makes me very proud, although it's ironic that I'm not planning on actually buying a house for a while. I'm just planning ahead, is all.

Since several of y'all are checking out your horoscopes, I figured I'd give mine a try. It's pretty cheerful, actually.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 21
Because success planet Jupiter enters the career area of your chart in January and forms a series of alliances with artistic Neptune, your creative talents will be much in demand this year. A new direction beckons, one that will mean working with different people on different kinds of projects, and you will discover skills you never knew you possessed. Something that happens around the time of July's eclipses will remind you that there is more to life than worry and work. Your role on life's stage will alter in the coming months, and employers and other important people will have a growing influence on your fortunes. The kind of influence depends as much on you as on them.

Hmmm, maybe I should book more gigs in 2009 after all....

Here's to 2009 and all the cool stuff that's coming down the pipes!