HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's official... 2009 is here!

I don't know about you, but I feel like 2008 kind of just swept right by. It left just as quickly as it came. Not that I didn't have a great year or anything, but I think that's just the thing -- it was almost TOO great that the days passed by without me being able to breathe it all in.

In retrospect, 2008 was awesome. Despite certain things, it really was a time filled with great experiences and nice memories. I honestly cannot complain. It's been a year of change, most of all... the biggest change (obviously) being that Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. Kudos to America for voting into office the first bi-racial Commander In Chief!

With 2009 already here, there really isn't more we can do, but just take it all in. This year we have another chance to do something special in our lives. No matter what that "special" thing may be, the bottom line is that we just throw all caution to the wind and choose our own destinies. 2009 is ours, and it's up to us to make it an awesome year.

I hope that everyone spent their NYE with the right people, and - most of all - I hope everyone stayed safe. My friend, Carrie, is in town, and she was able to spend the holiday with me and my roomie (her cousin). We grabbed a quick NYE "dinner" at Ma'Kai in Santa Monica. The place was pretty packed, and there was an Asian chick on the turntables. She was seriously playing some HOT stuff; like nothing new, but totally hot late 90s hip hop, R&B and even dance hall reggae. The three of us felt like we were at an old skool (dare I say it) FIND party from back in the day (think BU's Fall Dialogue in '96, SUNY-Stony Brook's Spring Conference in 97', & GWU's Spring Conference in '98; shut-up, Leah). HA! It was HOT at Ma'Kai on NYE! We dined on sushi, and had a couple of drinks. But then we had to dip out for phase 2 of the evening. We ended up at Whiskey Blue at The W in Westwood; many thanks to Carrie's friend, Chester, for hookin' up the tickets! We had a great time meeting him and his friends, and ringing in the new year there.

Afterward, we stumbled out of the party, and onto the streets of Westwood... trying to hail a cab. We thought it would be a futile attempt (since the attempt to get a cab early on in the evening was unsuccessful; lame story), but some kind Armenian cabby came to the rescue, and we headed back home. Then I managed to drive our drunk asses to Norm's on Lincoln, where we indulged in breakfast food to help soak up the alcohol. I barely ate my food, and all I wanted to do was throw-up. All I wanted to do at that point was go home and pass out.

Ultimately, the celebration turned out to be really fun, and we definitely had a nice time. (Photos on the way...)
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Funny thing, though... So my friend, Carrie, made a comment about how much I've changed as a driver. Yes, I said "driver..." as in "car" driver. She's come to the conclusion that I have changed from a crazy-ass East Coast driver to some pansy-ass Los Angeles-area one. HA! I guess I can see where she's coming from.

Growing up back East, I was born with the menality that life is FAST. I was always the one who was "on the go..." My dad used to always call me out on it. He'd ask me, "Why are you always in such a hurry? You're always on the go?" I could never really tell what he meant by that since living the fast-paced life was what I've always known. I would get up super early to get to work (to beat the horrendous DC-area traffic into the city), then leave in the afternoon to rush home, get dressed/ready to go out for drinks or dinner or shopping, and then complete an almost never-ending list of things-to-do or people-to-see. That was my life ever since I left high school and went into college.

Moving out West has definitely changed that whole "landscape." Compared to L.A. standards, I am probably still the psycho East Coast driver who likes to drive 50 in a 35 MPH zone (big deal, I know). I am still the one who bitches and curses at people in the morning because they drive at a snail's pace (uh, L.A. area drivers are Sunday-morning drivers 24/7). I am still the one who seems to always have "something to do; people to see; or places to go." I guess I can't completely shake that.

I did notice, though, that when I was back in the DC area for the holidays, a lot of my driving-style has changed. The first few days back home it rained like crazy, and I honestly freaked out when I was driving on the freeway (errr, highway). I used to speed across the Wilson Bridge, and could make it to Tysons Corner from Maryland in about 15 minutes. This time, it took me about a half-hour to get there, and people were passing me on the freeway left and right. I used to piss myself off by never going fast enough to get where I had to be, but now I mosey along to wherever my destination is.

In a sense, I feel like a sell-out. But at the same time, I can't help it. It's just how it is with my meanness. While I strive to be the nicest person that I can be, I just can't find it in me to suppress any mean thoughts or actions. While I'm saddened that I've become "that guy" who drives around infected with sunshine all the time, I also kind of enjoy it. I can now take a little more time to "smell the flowers," and a little less time rushing as if my life depended on it.

In 2009, I hope to fully embrace the fact that I am on the not-so-slow road to recovery from being a frantic "city" guy. I am mellow (still mean, but mellow), and I think I like it.