The Many Themes of 2014

It’s the time of year again where we take a look back and wonder where it all went wrong.

Some people take this time to send out newsletters to let everyone know how perfect their lives are and  I would love to do that but I don’t live in a world of make-believe or fantasy.  I live in a world of booze, hard truth and a bit of levity.

2014 started out with a fabulous dinner with some fabulous ladies and I was home in time to kiss my dog at midnight.  This became my theme of the year.  Suddenly, in 2014, I couldn't wait to get home.

The beginning of the year saw a character actor give me his phone number in a Vine comment and some strange, flirty texting followed briefly.  Sometimes, I’m too impulsive for my own good.  My 80k tweets speak to this fact.

Another theme for the year was similar to last year; friends.

I spent lots of time with friends at places like Reserve 101, Warren’s Inn and Molly’s Pub.  Also, it seems alcohol is a theme here, too but who likes to drink alone?  Especially when I’m pretending to be Pat Benatar & Gladys Knight (complete with my own Pip, Alyson) at a spontaneous night of karaoke at Molly’s Pub. 

This followed another successful FanFest at MMP where I asked the GM of the Astros what he had been up to during the off-season and he shrugged and said “Not much.  Just hanging out.”

Baseball!  There is another theme for 2014! Baseball and friends?  Who could ask for more?  I spent the summer traveling to Minute Maid Park to watch the Astros continue to improve so I can say “I was there!” when they finally get to the World Series!  Who doesn't love a day at Minute Maid Park?  Fist-bumping ball club presidents, hugging your favorite usher, screaming for your favorite beer vendor, eating GIANT salads or Korean waffle fries, smuggling vodka in your cleavage, dodging those people who want to give you a "free" Astros towel, weaseling your way upstairs to the Club Level merely to get the “good” potato salad, signing up to be a designated driver for a free soda, taking #selfieswithroy, meeting people you only knew from Twitter, oh! And watching a baseball game!

In 2014, I finally decided to join the modern world and I got internet at home.  Some people say cable TV is next but hold on there, cowboy…don’t get crazy.  I might be a luddite at home but at work I’m an IT wiz!  This year I solved a huge problem that not only helped me at work but in libraries all over the state of Texas and I got zero credit for it because I couldn't figure out how to tell people without sounding like an obnoxious blow-hard.  Maybe I’ll become one in 2015!  Fingers crossed!

Speaking of obnoxious blow-hards…I learned a valuable lesson about friendship and loyalty this year.  I learned that friendship, loyalty and common decency mean nothing to some people.  I am naive enough to be surprised that grown women behave like they’re still in junior high but I’m mostly happy that I’m not accustomed to terrible people doing terrible things.

Books became my refuge this year, even more so than before.  I joined a book club that included exactly ONE other person and we argued over what to read as if we were a group of drunken women and not a grown man and woman.

Reading is a lonely and solitary exercise that is sometimes made better with a partner.  It was cool finding a reading buddy this year.

I bought far too many books in 2014.  I am afraid that one day I will go missing and my body will be found under a pile of toppled books in my house.  I guess there are worse ways to go!

2014 certainly wasn't perfect.  I came dangerously close to losing a good friend but we held on with both hands for as long as we could until we made things right again.

November was a terrible month that saw the death of my 15 yr old cat, Hemingway, car trouble, the flu, and a bad rollover car wreck in Nicole’s brand new Escape.  But we were lucky it was a brand new car with good airbags and a sturdy frame because we were pulled from the sunroof with only bumps and bruises.

I could think about all the things that have bothered me since getting into a car accident…like I’m a little nervous when I drive at night or I now think that anything bad can happen, anytime, anywhere, before you even know it.

But I choose to think about all the people who stopped and came to our aid the second the accident happened.  I just remember the sound of multiple impacts, metal tearing and car horns.  Then total silence.  I lay there, on my side, wondering what was going to happen now but before the fear could set in, I heard voices; voices of people coming to help.  And help they did.  I don’t remember their faces and I didn't get names but I think I thanked them.  I hope I thanked them. 

I’m afraid this time next year, I will be writing about the loss of my 15 yr old dog Piper.  However, each time I think she’s near death, I start feeding her cheeseburgers from McDonald’s and she perks right up.

I’m not sure how much longer I can keep her alive on fast food but hell; I've survived on it for 42 years!

In conclusion, 2014 has had many themes and for this I am grateful.  Life should be a variety of fun, crazy shit.  Life should be full of surprises because sometimes it's fun not knowing what’s coming around the bend.

Note to 2015: please don’t take me too seriously.  I’d like a lot of peace to balance out those surprises!