I Hope You Had The Time Of Your Life

Sure, 2008 brought a recession, the continuation of 2 wars, and Hank Steinbrenner becoming the face and voice of the MFY's. It gave us mudslides and wildfires in California, that whackjob in Iran making more idiotic statements in 15 minutes than I've made in 15 years, and more Peyton Manning commercials than the average prisoner at Gitmo deserves to see in a lifetime.

We saw the AL East through the looking glass from Alice in Wonderland with the Rays winning the division and making the World Series. We saw lovable, child-like Manny turn into a quitter in Boston and then a world beater in LA. The Phillies, forever the bridesmaid save for one brief instant in 1980 win the World Series and the Yankees finish the year in 3rd place and the Cubs fail. Again.

Boston made it to one game from the dance with Mike Lowell doing his best impression of a rest home resident needing a hip transplant and Josh Beckett looking like Hideo Nomo most of the year. The Giants won the Super Bowl, Indiana Jones make a comeback, and an African American got elected to the highest office in the world.

All in all I'd say it was a pretty crazy 365 days.

On a personal level? 2008 rocked. I got to go to Fenway Park for the first time, flew on a plane without throwing up or putting the guy next to me in a Scorpion Death Lock, and made it to a Palooza. THEN, thanks to my great friend Rob, his generosity, and the fact Jane was in Hawaii at the time, I got to go BACK to Boston for Game 3 of the ALCS.

Best of all?

I got my name on the scoreboard at Fenway Freaking Park.

2008 ruled.

Here's to an even better 2009.

Happy New Year everyone.