2011... It's Not the End of the World

I love new years. Not just New Year's Day or Eve, but just the start of a new year in general. Following Christmas up with a little champagne and a noise-maker and celebrate a new beginning... and a tax return check. There's something so exciting and pure about a new year, but so far, 2011, I'm not impressed. Not jaded. No way. Not yet, anyway. Just a little let down. Shouldn't 2011 be like the greatest year ever!? You know, since 2012 is the end of the world and all. 2011 should totally kick the crap out of 1999 and all that Y2K business. That was just supposed to be the end of all electronics... perhaps leading to long life in the dark ages, but 2012 is supposed to be the END OF THE FREAKIN' WORLD. So far, though, this year has been mediocre at best. With 2010 ending with events like a white Christmas, 2011 has a lot to live up to. A white Christmas. An actual "go to bed with no snow and wake up Christmas morning with over an inch of snow" WHITE CHRISTMAS. That's the only time that's happened in my lifetime! Take that 2011. Of course that happens when we're just falling in love with the snow, too. There's that childlike awe we get watching the first snowfall. Now that it's January and I'm starting to fantasize about sending my kids outside to play, the snow and cold weather are really starting to lose some of it's romance. In fact, every time I look at the Facebook posts of our local weather station and see an exclamation point after "Snow expected this evening, up to 1" to 2"" I get the sudden urge to stab hot pokers in their eyeballs. I mean really? An exclamation point? A period wouldn't suffice? Like we're supposed to get super excited about living in a city that shuts down at even the very hint of snow? We got 4 inches of snow and we were snowed in for 5 days. FIVE. And you have the nerve to get all giddy over MORE snow!? Hot pokers. That's all I'm gonna say.

So I have these 3 children all forced to live indoors with me with nowhere to go, nothing to do and it's wrestling season. So my officiating husband is gone basically every weekend or evening in January. I'm sure by now my kids are wanting to stick hot pokers in MY eyeballs. It's miserable. I'm forced to be Grumps McGee constantly yelling at them for trying to keep themselves entertained by doing things like trying to ride their scooters in the living room or trying to climb the stairs as a human pyramid with the baby on top. Apparently I never let them "have any fun." Pile on top of that our electric bill from all of those ridiculously cold days we've had for weeks (before you get on me for complaining about the cold in Tennessee, let me remind you that I live in TENNESSEE!) This is the HIGHEST electric bill we've ever had in this house. $180 higher than last month's bill... the one in 2010. So 2011 - you and me are not cool, yet. I still have high hopes though. Lest I forget it's only January, and only mid January at that! There's still a whole year left and I have a feeling 2011 is going to make up for this crappy January. So, I'm going to try and focus on some of the good things that have happened in 2011 so far.... right now.

On January 2nd I got to go to my first game at Mile High! That was awesome. It's so different seeing the Broncos play at home. It's pretty cool not having people give you dirty looks for wearing blue and orange. Also, it's January which means PLAYOFFS!! And even though the Broncos had the 2nd worst record in the league, the Patriots lost to the Jets in the playoffs and the Patriots losing is always worth celebrating! Shawna pooped in the potty for the first time the 2nd week in January and I'm really hoping that we'll have her totally potty trained before summer. I'm thinking if we can continue bribing her with various items pertaining to Scooby-Doo (with whom she has recently become unhealthily obsessed) then I think we'll be successful. Plus, my cousin and my best friend are both having babies in 2011 so that will be amazing! So, the optimist in me is thinking we can start this 2011 off right... if we could just get it to stop snowing... maybe let the weatherman put an exclamation point after "unseasonably warm this week" this time. That I could live with!

In all seriousness, I really am looking forward to all 2011 has to hold - snow or no snow. So, Happy New Year! And even if 2011 ends up sucking hard... it can't be worse than the end of the world, right?

I'm gonna look into this 2012 thing more... I'll bet there's some really great material there.