Today is the first day back at work after the New Year holiday weekend. All the photos and stories from everyone’s respective New Year Eves are circulating by mouth and via email. Although I’m glad to hear how much fun everyone had in welcoming 2006, I can’t help but feel a little teensy bit bitter that I was the lone person awake as midnight struck that night. The tradition/superstition is that whatever you do on New Year’s Day (or maybe Eve or maybe as the hour turns, I’m not sure) sets the precedent for the coming year. Apparently 2006 is going to be a lot of my being awake and alone and slightly irritated at that setup.

Oh well. At least I wasn’t physically alone, just the only one conscious. I can hang with that. I keep hearing something my dear friend Erin told me that her dad had told her: A hand has short fingers and long fingers. Everyone has some shortcomings, and if this is the worst shortcoming I have to deal with, I consider myself ridiculously spoiled by blessings. This hand still works very well, short fingers, long fingers and all.