2003 -- The Year in Review The Times, they be a'changin'
Created: 31 December 2003

The last two years I've used the year end wrap-up to pick the one singular event that defined those years for me: the September 11 attacks, and the Anaheim Angels' World Series victory. Those two events are kind of a low and high watermark, respectively.

This year, I honestly don't know where to begin. 2003 was so full of change and turmoil that I can't really categorize this year. Was it good? Was it bad?

Change. Yeah. The list of changes is a yard long: I moved from Phoenix back to Orange County, both of my parents died, and I split up with my wife. Turmoil: everything from having to spend the first half of the year dealing with the slow decay of my father's health, to in the second half realizing that I myself might not live much longer.

And, there's been a lot of internal struggle and change, too. I'm not the same person I was a year or two ago. I'm a little more self-confident, a little wiser (I hope), and a lot more motivated to make more changes. I'm starting to lay down roots (finally), deciding that this house in Orange really should be (as it really always has) my home.. so I might as well start acting like it.

But, was 2003 good or bad?

Before this year, I don't know if I would have bought a Macintosh on a bet. Yet, here I sit in bed pecking at a PowerBook G4, staring across my bedroom to a recently purchased used Power Macintosh G3.. and saving my pennies to replace my Windows workstation with a dual-processor G5. Slowly, even the Linux machine is finding itself taking a back seat to the Macs.

Yeah, feedle is a Mac user. Wow, things sure did change in 2003. But was that good, or bad?

2003 was a year of travel for me. I've been to Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake City; and I've lived in Redding, Orange, and Phoenix. Not to mention the frequent (typical) trips to Bakersfield, San Diego, the Bay Area, and Las Vegas. I still miss San Francisco, and I still think that the Coolie Chows at Bill Lee's in Bakersfield are the bomb. Las Vegas still gives me a rash. Denver might be a great place to live.. someday. But not now. Seattle? Too rainy.

I enjoyed every mile, every minute of my travels. Partially because I had the comfort (at least, in the latter part of the year) of knowing there was a warm bed waiting for me at home.

I think, in large, 2003 just was. And I think I need to start living every day as it is.. accepting it, letting it play out, and just enjoy it for what it is: a daily chance to meet new people, to see new places, and experience interesting things. I'm going to buy the RV I've wanted, I'm going to finally do the things around the house I've been wanting to do (like make my Victorian tea garden), and maybe if I have some time and money left over take my uncle somewhere special.. maybe Wisconsin, which he really seems to miss.

The past certainly seems a lot darker than the future, viewed that way. See you there.

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