Another Year Done

So the year has come to an end. I don't feel any different. That's kind of an inside joke (meaning its only funny to me). When I was teenager and working at a pizza parlor (people actually ate at the restaurant in those days) I remember working a New Year's Eve with the owner's son. The previous year had been s - l - o - w, so we were understaffed. Of course we got hammered. Shortly after midnight I happened by the till, where Rich was running some calculations. He turned to me an announced, "We just set a store record by three hundred dollars. I don't feel any different, do you?" I laughed then. It still makes me smile to think of it.

That was three hundred and twenty-seven years ago. Or somewhere near abouts. So it seems sometimes.

Regarding New Year's Resolutions, I do not make them - except as a joke. I spend most of the year promising myself to improve at this or that, and promptly break those promises one after another. But some of the things I do get done.

This is the time to look back at a year and wonder just where in the hell it went and what in the hell did I get done? Well, let's see. I could go month-by-month, which how I want to, but I can't remember anything specific happening in several months.

I just wrote about an hour's worth of stuff and deleted it. It wasn't what I want to say. Not how I want to end this year. This is what I want to say:

My goal was to finish Swords of Fire: Book I and have an agent agree to represent me and my work. I thought I had achieved the first part in early June. I thought I was going to achieve the second until October, when the second agent I had contacted advised me to go to Evil Editor's (http://evileditor.blogspot.com) blog and learn why my book was not ready. I did. And from that moment on I believe my life has begun to improve again.

I am not able to list everyone, and I expect I am leaving out others I could/should list, but my wish is for these people to have special blessings, if for no other reason than because they are good people. In spite of that, they helped me. I listed some of them on The Great Sea: Oh, Wow. Here is a more inclusive, but still incomplete, list:

Evil Editor - http://evileditor.blogspot.com/
FairyHedgeHog - http://fairyhedgehog.blogspot.com/
Writtenwyrdd - http://writtenwyrdd.typepad.com/writtenwyrdd
Jennifer - http://thebrideworemagenta.blogspot.com/
AC - http://acvollers.blogspot.com/
Whirlochre - http://abysswinksback.blogspot.com/
Kiersten - http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/
BuffySquirrel - http://inthedarknesshiding.blogspot.com/
Robin S - http://www.blogger.com/profile/11471528485010071521
Dave F - http://fragments-fiction.blogspot.com/
McKoala - http://mckoaladays.blogspot.com/
Pacatrue - http://pacatrue.blogspot.com/
Beth - http://thestoneriver.blogspot.com/
Sarah - http://shortsf.blogspot.com/
Freddie - http://freddiescafe.blogspot.com/
Steve - http://onlifeandletters.blogspot.com/
Xenith - http://monissa.blogspot.com/
Talpiana - http://fluffycatbabylon.blogspot.com/
Chelsea - http://www.blogger.com/profile/16301150715189103602

For what it's worth, I want to say I love you people, despite our have not having actually met, nor ever likely to meet. If your name is not on this list and yet you have been part of this group, I am so sorry to have left you out.

I am like the Little Drummer Boy. I have no gift to give you - save that I care. And if ever I can, I will help you. Forever and always.

You all have a great and wonderful Happy New Year!