Okay, 2010. You blew in without much warning, made a hasty, rainy exit, and left your footprints stamped all over various aspects of my life.

I escaped mostly unscathed. Still have my beloved Neon. Still have all my hair. Still have all my teeth. Can still see, hear and walk okay. I could have done without that sprained neck suffered while eating Chinese food, the balky right knee that had me limping throughout the month of July, and the strained shoulder caused by an ill-advised throw to the mound from foul left field…in batting practice.

 

But mostly, I came away from 2010 no more worse for wear.
For the next few minutes, I AM here to talk about the past.

 

2010, you gave me several new friends, most notably Heather and Mitali and their sweet-fragranced hair. (I can still remember meeting Mits for the first time, incorrectly thinking she was a nerd cuz she didn’t move or talk much, and almost not speaking to her. Glad I did.)  You also turned Jennifer, whose actions implied she hated my guts early in our acquaintanceship, into an eventual friend. And it’s good because I was one more snub away from punching her in the back of the ass.

 

You strengthened pre-existing friendships, especially those of Ryan and Cav, and re-ignited dormant ones, most notably those of Rob and Ed. And you allowed Mike, Luke and I to come together again after six years! You gave Aldo, possibly the most deserving guy I know, a new house and bride (even if you almost got him killed in line at the Warriors’ game.) Unfortunately, you also weakened my once-impregnable friendship with Steve by giving him a hot girlfriend, but since HE’S not complaining, I guess I shouldn’t, either.

 

2010, you allowed me to attend four MLB games, one NFL game, and one NBA game. At five of those six events, the good guys won! You allowed the Raiders-49ers game and requisite rowdiness to target others instead of me, leaving me unharmed but with good stories to share. 2010 got my pro writing career off the ground as a Giants blogger, and it also supplied A-material when said Giants ended up WORLD F—KING CHAMPIONS. Oh, yeah.

 

2010, you were the first year in my post-pubescent life in which I never set foot inside a movie theater. (Didn’t have to, thanks to certain “connections”.) You damn near got me on a real roller coaster again, too, but in the end I decided right-side up on Earth is the place for me. You gave me (and millions of others) Human Target, which is not a retail store at which you buy humans. Rather, it is the most awesome program to hit TV in years. It’s almost like a modernized A-Team, and if you read my blogs you know how I feels about The A-Team.

 

2010, you took away a job I really liked and replaced it (EVENTUALLY) with one I liked even more. You also took away an uncle I really loved. There’s no replacing that, and it cost you serious Sony points. But at least my mom and all my other relatives live on, reasonably well—including my daughter. She stayed healthy and safe in 2010, with an ability to turn heads and warm hearts like I’ve never seen in any other non-telethon baby. You gave me so many memories with her, and so many loving moments, that I almost forget all the times I want to throw away her used diapers with her still in them.

 

2010 brought immeasurable generosity from my family and friends—thanks to them, we've barely had to buy ANY clothing or toys for Josie at all. So Diane, Fleazoe, Andrea, and all others who contributed to "The Josie Foundation"...a heartfelt word. 

 

2010 kept harm from my teen cousins Gaelan and Alani, a tall order given the city in which they live and attend school. You continued growing them into people I can be proud of—which they already are, of course.

 

2010, you stuck me on a plane to Washington, D.C. alone with six-month-old Josie and kept me there from May 12 to July 7. However, you compensated for it with an unforgettable, fun-filled stay, except when the Junio family dog made me fall down the stairs. You allowed me to visit sights such as the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial (which scared the living daylights out of me), JFK’s grave (which touched me deeply) Niagara Falls, and many more. Thanks to 2010, I now know it's unlawful to pump one's own gas in New Jersey.

 

2010 also drew the eight-year-plus relationship between my boo and I to a close. It was honestly time, and I felt re-invigorated in the months after without my “spousal” responsibilities weighing me down. But 2010 also had the nerve to allow one particular girl from our Meetup group to burrow her way into my mind and my heart—and not release her from either for three months. 

And in closing, 2010 gave me a jarring wake-up call after a pretty colossal dis from someone I thought was a friend. Soon, I made the conscious (but unofficial) decision to lose touch with a number of folks who DIDN’T seem all that interested in anything Skillz, and to spend more time with those who DID. So far, so great. :)

 

Farewell, 2010; it was real. Your highlights and lowlights will live on forever in our memories and on Wikipedia.
Say hello to 1998 for me!