The last day of the year

Since this is the last day of the year, it's the last post of the year. I may have taken a hiatus from my blog, but life has been filled with things to talk about. Time is what's been lacking. I am currently writing this from the Holy Land. Unfortunately, there's a war going on now. The war like all wars is stupid. People that don't have value for their own life shouldn't make decisions for others. 2008 was a year of loss for so many of us. It took so many loved ones away from us, people that cherished life and had a desire to live, while others are strapping on bombs and blowing themselves up.

On the way to the Holy Land we spent a day in the city of Love. I am in LOVE with Paris. It's just so ummm . . . Paris. We took an overview trip around the city and have a picture next to most famous landmarks, but 10 hours doesn't give the city justice.

Either way, I am preoccupied now, I'll to write some more in a bit, but Happy New Year. May 2009 be a year of gain and not loss. May you and yours be healthy and may this world see clear and peaceful skies.

Shalom.

Happy Hannukah!

I wish I had something smart to say.

Something smart...
Something smart...
Something smart...

Nope, nada, not today :)

Ideas welcome.

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I hate this year, united airlines and pretty much everything else at the moment...

I'm # 4 on a standby list for a 7:35 flight...otherwise, I'm scheduled for a 9pm flight (with a $150 change fee)...the 3 flights before mine were delayed...4 flights this morning were cancelled and I didn't get on a flight that was supposed to fly out at 5:30 but flew out at 6:50 because I have checked in a bag...because "I can't voluntarily separate from my bag"...if they lose it, that's okay!

And now the 7:35 flight which I am NOT guaranteed a seat on is delayed half hour. Now the screen says I'm #9. Great!

Traveling has become so cumbersome, the lines out of control, the staff cut and the ones that are left are incompetent. They charge you $15 to check in a bag, $39 for an exit row seat and deliver zero service. The pilot just got himself a hot dog and standing by the gate talking on the phone. Now that sure makes me feel safe. Yet my bottle of coke was mistaken for a granade. My bag had to be searched and coke tossed out.

So voluntarily separating from a suitcase I can deal with. Involuntarily separating people from those they love is unfair, unjust and just plain wrong. My condolences are with those that have lost someone today. This year has been emotionally difficult. It separated a lot of people from those they love. It took my grandmother. Yet, for better or worse, I'm not sure, this life does go on. When the end of the year nears, people can't wait for it to be over, to start fresh. Yet, the same sh*t happens year in and year out just to different people. The last two years have been hell, but maybe the bull will be bullish. Nobody can bring our loved ones back, but maybe
He can take our prayers to them.

To everyone that lost something in 2008 - keys, sanity, apartment, love, hope, a job, health, a mother, a grandfather, a grandmother. My thoughts and prayers are with you. May 2009 be a year of gain and not loss and may I get on this flight, please!

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Sent from my mobile device

Costa Rican Pix

Some Humor

as we are preparing for the holiday season, Santa's Gmail:
















another great one from http://xkcd.com/

Precious Life

We all know it. We've heard it a thousand times. We've even said it. Yet, seldom do we realize it. Each passing year, month, day, hour, minute, second, our lives are passing us by. We must prepare for the worst, hope for the best; live each day to the fullest without any regrets.

How realistic is that? How naïve? Where do we draw the line? How do we say goodbye?

Pust zemlya ey budet puhom. My heart and deepest condolences are with you.

--
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Turkey Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other musings

So the long weekend came and went (rather quickly, if only the weeks flew by like that). I had big plans for getting things done (like my laundry, for example) and of course, no such thing happened. I had two turkey dinners with family, played Buzz (the modern version of Trivial Pursuit), ordered in sushi with friends (twice), saw a movie, got done with the first draft of CR pix and just bummed out at home -overall a successful weekend. I did no shopping as I think you have to be close to suicidal to shop on Black Friday, but I did manage to snag not one, but two pairs of Choos at Saks today for a ridiculously low price. Of course, I'm uber excited and uber tired as busy season doesn't seem to end and I'm forced to watch SATC reruns into the wee hours of the night as no new episodes of Lipstick Jungle (please don't cancel it) and Starter Wife did not air on Friday (not only do the shows run on the same day, but they have the same days off!!) I think that was the longest run-on sentence imaginable. Oh well. I speak what's on my mind. Well, no. I have a bit of tact and respect for people I associate with and I'm long past airing my dirty laundry to anyone with a sense of smell. The mundane things I can blog about, the personal, well that stays personal.

As for my laundry, hopefully I can get it done today because considering that I have another flight to catch this weekend, a few birthdays to celebrate and a plethora of work and pre-training, as usual I'm short on time. The propeller in my behind may not work nearly as fast as it used to and now I may actually enjoy spending a day laying on the beach doing nothing or even a day bumming out at home, I still love the hustle and bustle. That's why I love NYC. There's always life in the city, there's always commotion, there's always something going on and no matter how many bolts there are on your door, how tightly you close your blinds or how hard you try to push the world out, there's still life peaking through. Even though, you want to run from everyone and everything, there's always someone knocking at your door. It's only your choice to answer it, however.

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