saving it for later

Well, 2008 has certainly been an interesting year. Instead of the traditional High/Low, I’ve decided to simply post my calendar….my old school pen and paper calendar that I got at Kmart on sale. In this day of Google Calendar, iPhones, and blackberries I STILL use a regular old calendar…just like there is no true replacement for mac and cheese, there is still no digital replacement for that feeling of satisfaction when you manually cross off a task that’s been on your agenda.

So if we take a look at the calendar:

January: Slow, because I was on vacation for half of it, and didn’t get the calendar tll towards the end. Hence, it is empty.

February: Started off spectacularly, with a great birthday party at HUGS. Drinks were had, love connections were made, and I danced like a fool. It was fantastic.

March: Was slower, getting into the groove of things. I spent most of March working on my portfolio and went on a fantastic ski trip to Stowe in Vermont!

April: Obviously much busier. Portfolio was in final stages, started meeting with people to figure what to do with myself.

May: I’m not sure why I split May in half?

June: BUSY. Finished up at Futurebrand, looking for next gig.

July: Went corporate. Beached with my friends in Connecticut and in the Hamptons.

August: As friends returned from summer trips and others starting school, social life in the city picked up a bit.

September: While empty, was probably the most exciting month of the entire year. By this time, I figured out corporate was not for me, I went to London

October: Also empty. But I dressed up like an Oompa Loompa for Halloween and it was fun! I’m noticing a trend here…empty calendar = good month?

November: Amazing! Also a bit empty….but I was too busy living life instead of planning for it.

December: Not so bad, but stayed in NYC for the holidays for first time ever (not making THAT mistake again, I assure you). I’ve finished the year off on better terms but…the year is not over yet, and the best is yet to come.

I know it sounds terrible but I really do miss hurricane season. I love the panic, the rush to get your home secure. The shopping frenzy to stock up on nonperishable items. Listening to the news on the TV while you still have elctricity, the ringing of the phone from friends and relatives ‘Are you ready? Do you need anything?”. Waiting in line to get gas before it all shuts down. Taking the last shower with running water, bringing a flashflight with me before going to sleep on the makeshift bed I made in the living room…so I could see the storm come. I love the sound of the rain when it falls, and keeps falling, and seems to never stop until the next day.  The way the sky is dark and cloudy, it’s the end of the world, it seems like!

If it’s a nighttime hurricane you wonder whether you’ll get the next day off.  Americans living in the North call these “Snow Days”. We call them “Hurricane Days”.  You secretly want the day off, even though you do hope no one has been hurt, and no houses have been lost. Usually, we’d get the day off, and I’d spend it by playing board games with the family or playing outside with my friends to see the trees that have fallen down (we’d make up stories like,  we’re in the jungle! etc, etc). The nighttime was the absolute best though. Without any electricity, the sky was perfectly clear and the roads were empty, less a few people that absolutely had to leave home for work or an emergency. It was so peaceful - the way a hard workout feels good after a few days, or how taking a sour tasting medicine helps you heal.

Sure, when I was in it, I complained after the 3rd week without running water. The whole bucket-shower thing gets old quick, and even with a generator and water preserve you’re constantly aware of the fact that you have to limit your use of these ‘modern day’ amenities. And hello, Puerto Rico is HOT.  Life without A/C or even a fan every once in a while sucks.

I realize that hurricanes kill, hurt, and damage many families and communities. I was very fortunate to be safe everytime, sometimes just minor window damage. And, I don’t wish devastation on anyone.  It’s just that natural disasters make you realize how small you are, and how beautiful and powerful nature can be.  These storms might just be nature’s way of reminding us who’s the man, so to say, and sometimes we need that reality check.

Well this Wikipedia article pretty much explains it all.