2017. Hmmm.

So, 2016 was a major year of yuck and no thank you VERY much for me and pretty much everyone I know. Lots of unnecessary bullshit and jumping through hoops only to find another set of hoops that were even more difficult to negotiate.

It started out pretty well and then ended with the election (ugh) and just an endless barrage of bad news. Lots of deaths–people, dogs, other pets ... I was getting news from far and wide of someone dying or gravely ill and only a few days or months to live.

Dark. Literally and figuratively. It was a mighty fine day when the solstice FINALLY came and we started gaining sunlight. Oh. My. GOODNESS with this darkness.

I don't know why it affected me so much this year other than I moved and now the sunrise and sunset are in a different place. I'm not on Lake Hood any more. I now live on the Hillside as they call it here–it's one of the nicest places to live in Anchorage. We overlook mountains, Fire Island, Turnagain Arm Fjord and even the downtown and Cook Inlet. It's amazing. On a clear day I can see Denali from the porch. Right now I'm looking at much of the Alaska Range, Mount Redoubt and Mount Susitna. The sun is glorious and it's an incredible day.

The thing is, we're surrounded by trees (which is good) on one side, but it prevents the sun from shining into the house until much later in the day. I like me the sun. A lot. So, this has been a big adjustment dealing with dark.

So, the other thing is that in my work at the newspaper things were in a giant state of flux. New management meant BIG changes. My editor left, art director left, our front desk person left, two of our sales people left. The guy who was our publisher was replaced and they brought new people in.

It was just a matter of time before I knew they'd not be able to afford my services since the new people kept cutting the editorial budget. Annnnnnd they did. I was a contract labor person—not an employee, so I knew they'd have no qualms about getting rid of my services as a copy editor.

I will still write for them, as the news editor and I happen to be friends–but it's not the same. Our little family there was basically gutted and it was hard to watch.

(And the paper came out yesterday without my copy editing? So many mistakes and errors it was sort of painful for me to look at it!)

The good news is that I have been hired by a wonderful company and start in a little more than a week. They are a non-profit sustainable energy company and I'm excited to be part of their mission.

Ch-ch-ch-CHAnges.

It's the only thing we can count on, right?

I read something recently that talked about how we can all make these grand plans and execute them to the best of our ability and then, POOF. Sorry. We're going to throw a monkey wrench in ALL of those works and you're not gonna get to your goal on this path NO MATTER how HARD you try or had planned.

Nope.

So, that's sorta been my life for the last three years. I make a good plan. Execute it and then there's just a giant barrier with "Road Closed" signs in every direction.

So I backtrack and then try to find a solid place to put my feet. Once I have a small foothold, I try try again.

I guess the strength is in the trying, but I'm getting mighty tired, kids. Mighty tired.

Let's make a pact. Let's make 2017 a good year. It doesn't have to be great or even really good. Just good is all I'm asking for. Solid. Good. Year.

And let's all just be nice to each other. 2016 was so divisive. Let's come together and be nice.

2017: Nice and Good. Sort of vanilla but it sounds pretty darn wonderful about now.