2008 was definitely a good year, in a lot of ways......dang.....it did seem to pass pretty quickly!

All in all, I'd have to say a lot of good things happened in 2008.  While not living in the largest population center in the world, at least it's growing.  People still ask why I decided to move back north again after having tasted the fruits of places such as Denver and LA.  Truth be told, it's pretty brutal out there, and if you're trying to support a family on one income, you have to go where you can make it work.  I'd also have to say that if it wasn't for the internet, I'd be going stark raving bonkers!  There is almost nowhere locally where I can go shopping for what I really like, although I have cultivated some good friends at the local Payless shops and the beauty supply place on the west end of town, as they have every shade of OPI polish I could want!

This year wasn't too shocking for anyone really - Jetta didn't get a chance to come out and say BOO to anyone, and she's still sitting back knitting in rehab at the Betty Ford clinic (those who know my friends will get the reference).  I have moderated my tastes a little bit, and as a result, I've found ways of mixing my wardrobe into my everyday wear, which has garnered many compliments from colleagues and managers, as it does tend to force me to really think about what I'm going to wear on any certain day, although my wardrobe isn't expansive enough to put too much effort into this decision-making process. So for my new toned-down look, I've named it "Christyna", which is the more mature queen - although not many people really know this.  It does take me a bit longer to get ready for the day now, since I usually do my hair, nails, jewelry, and clothing before going to work.  I guess it's true about what they say when you have to have enough time to get your face on!

I'm loving jewelry more these days, since I now have multiple holes in each ear, and HOOPS....oh don't get me around your hoops....you'll never get them back! I've come to realize that you really can't wear huge post earrings, as they do nasty things to your lobes, so depending on how strong your ears are, you really have to put some thought behind what earrings you get, and don't just let the nice designs sway your judgement.  Usually for me it's 2 hoops and a stud, or sometimes just 3 simple hoops....nothing too out there, although I do have some nice dangly ones that would go great with the hoops.  Oh the fun never ends!

Oh, and thank you shoe designers for finally making moderate styles in larger sizes!  Payless and Avenue are my favorite places to scope out new footwear at, since Avenue makes Cloudwalkers, which are THE most comfy heels you can get, thanks to their design, and Payless has free shipping to their stores, which saves a bit, and sometimes I can get to a store that actually carries my size in stock!  So now thanks to these two entitles (and of course eBay), I have found enough to where I can relegate my boring sneakers to when I need to lift something heavy, or if I'm going to be doing a LOT of walking that day (I learned this last year too).

This was also a year I sort of questioned my sexuality, as I've been feeling more female this year than usual, but then again, that might just be the euphoria from all the clothes I've been gathering.  I have put on some weight these past few years, which I really need to start shedding.  One side effect that might be not such a bad thing is that I've started to grow a chest (somewhere between an A cup and a B cup).  I know...it's probably just the chest flab, but hey....I can imagine, can't I?  I still remember the time I got to try on a pair of silicone falsies inside of a bra, and how wonderful it felt once they were on - maybe some other time I might get enough fundage to get some........maybe.  I find it funny that when I was first intro'd to the gay community back in '86, I was sure I was 100% a straight boy, but there have been times in my past where I kinda wondered.  Nah...too much going on right now to really worry about it too much!

While it hasn't been the biggest year for me creative-wise, I have thought about it quite a bit.  I've written a few very short stories, which I tend to ramble on quite a bit while writing, but they seem to turn out OK - I suppose I should collect them all and try to publish the lot - that might get a few rejection letters (yeah...thinking positive, aren't I?  Who knows...it might work!).  I've read some issues of Realms of Fantasy, which is OK, but I miss magazines such as OMNI that were pure hardcore science-fiction love - even their website doesn't exist anymore!  That was a drag.

All in all, I can't say anything really BAD about 2008.  Oh sure there were the usual ups and downs, but I did get to see Denver in the calendar year, which was kinda fun, as it was a solo foray back down to the mile-high city, but as with any vacation, they always go too fast, and I know I spent way too much money down there.  I ended up further in debt than I really wanted to, and then my paychecks got a bit smaller, and all that went to hell too, so I'm back down to my crappy credit score, and will probably be renting for the rest of my life - but at least I'm still happy!

Onward to 2009!

SQ