Alas, poor 2008--I knew it well.

It's that time again... the year in review. (for those of you with nothing better to do , see my first blogs of 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005).

In 2008:
* I rang in the new year (literally) in Japan, about 17 hours before you Californians did. When you consider those extra 17 hours, plus the fact that this was a leap year, and that we had an additional leap second added on for good measure due to the Earth's slowing rotation, this was, by far, the longest year of my life!
* I completed my first year at Centennial teaching 7th grade and became an 8th grade teacher.
* My 7th grade students kicked butt on the CSTs--in fact, the school year ended up being quite a triumph for me personally as I was able to turn around what seemed like certain disaster and make it into an experience that, truth be told, affected me deeply.
* I called CPS four times.
* I rode my bike around Lake Tahoe again, albeit more than 20 minutes slower.
* For the first time since 1995, I took the summer off.
* I won second place in a doubles tennis tournament with my team teacher, Paul (sidenote: the only other doubles tennis tournament that I've ever entered was back in high school with Josh Rubel and we won it!).
* Speaking of Josh, we organized a dunk ball tournament to honor Bryan's memory and raised about $1,000 for cancer research.
* I was Chris Brown AND Posh Spice AND a zombie in our school's end of the year delight for students--"Teacher Idol."
* I began the year-and-a-half long march towards getting my administrative credential by enrolling in the Charter School Leadership Academy at Loyola Marymount University. First semester is complete!
* Pam and I briefly commanded the Enterprise in Long Beach.
* Speaking of Pam, we've finished 2008 happier than ever.
* Most thought-provoking blog of 2008 that you probably didn't read: this one.