Goodbye, 2008.

Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Goodbye, 2008. I will not miss you one bit. I think it's safe to say you were the worst year of my life, even with fifteen days left to suffer through. Perhaps I should have waited until January 1st to write this parting letter to you, for you can still impart your wrath upon me over these remaining couple of weeks. You and I got started on the wrong foot, 2008. It should have been clear to me right away that the three hundred and sixty five days we were preparing to spend together would not be pleasant, yet things were hazy. Maybe it was blind ambition on my part, fueled by dwindling youth and a generally positive outlook. After all, with the way your friend 2007 and I left things, my relationship with you couldn't possibly be worse, right?

Wrong.

One would think that being lied to and cheated on and confronting the guilty party about it on one's birthday would be among the worst possible things that one could fall victim to, right? Because that's what your friend 2007 did to me. That's how we left things last December. And then you came into my life like a breathe of fresh air, and brought with you someone new: a beautiful, intelligent, promising young woman with whom to spend my days. You and I were going to get along great it seemed.

Wrong again.

I fell victim at the hands of a whore. Again. I was lied to. Basically cheated on. Left out in the cold and oblivious to what was going on around me. If I didn't know better I'd swear that you and 2007 conspired against me the last couple of years. At least you forced your ill will upon me early on in the year. That way I still had eight plus months left to make the best of a year out of my life. But you weren't done, were you? Oh, no. You were just getting warmed up. Shortly thereafter you left me unemployed for six months, wondering just what in the hell I was going to do with myself and my life, and questioning everything and everyone around me. Thanks a lot, 2008. And to think, you saved your best for last.

You set me up with a pretty good new job near the end of the year, and promised me an extra degree or two, free of charge, at one of the country's most prestigious Universities. You and I were starting to get along. But just before our relationship could reach its peak on December 31st, and the memories of you wouldn't be all bad, you snuck back up and bit me in the ass. Thanks again, 2008. If only I could speak of your latest exploits here. I'm sure everyone would love to know what you did to me at 12:30 in the morning on Thursday, December 10th. It certainly was exciting theatre for me. You even went so far as to ensure that the start of my relationship with 2009 would no doubt get off on the wrong foot. You really out did yourself my friend. So just do me a favor, please. Stay silent and inactive during these last remaining weeks of your life, and I'll keep your name out of my mouth and off of my blog.

Screw you, 2008.

At least I got a novel out of you.