Ten Things I've Learned This Past Year (2008).

1. There is nothing better in the world than getting a hug from a little kid who loves you. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the kid in question (my niece Hannah) is the most wonderful, brilliant, beautiful child in the whole world and everything she does demonstrates her genius-level intelligence. 2. Exit 208 off the 10 Freeway has the cheapest gas between Phoenix and Tucson. I don't know why this happens but the "Pride" station and the "Flying J" seem to compete with each other at that exit. It is noteworthy that both are real-life truck stops and that the "Flying J" apparently has some type of queue for the shower because they are always making announcements about certain showers being available. 3. It is a mistake to think that Dillinger Days might be better this time if you drink some Bloody Marys during the show. If I hadn't gone with Terri Kessler and had a few drinks, I wouldn't have been able to laugh off the inappropriate breast-grab I got when we took a picture with one of the actors. [Dillinger Days is an event where the citizens of Tucson re-enact the capture of John Dillinger in their town...I'm serious.] 4. I'm pretty tough. I can do a lot more pushups and sittups than I ever thought I could. I can also do way more stuff than most pro baseball players. I know....that's not saying much. [Did you see how fat the Phillies were that year they won the series? Yeesh. The only exception that I know to this observation is Kyle Rogers. Granted, he's the only pro baseball player I know well enough to be able to call my friend and he is in awesome shape and could kick my butt from here to Sunday. Fortunately he hasn't done that yet....Oh yeah...he could also knock my head off with a pitch. Thanks for allowing me to live Kyle.] 5. Renting an apartment in Phoenix is much more expensive than commuting between Tucson to Phoenix. I also missed my Tucson house too much. 6. A lot of old people go to Coldplay concerts. Me not included, of course....because I'm really young still. 7. My family is pretty cool. I marvel at how my parents put up with me and my eclectic thinking as I grew up. I don't know if I would have been as tolerant. I know there was a lot of head shaking at that time. I mean....what possessed me to decide to go to West Point? It hasn't stopped as I've gotten older either. I'm still doing bizarre things like quitting my job and moving out to the desert. These poor people have put up with a lot and I love them for it. 8. Never feed a cat that comes to visit your house unless you plan to commit to feeding that cat for the rest of your life. Also, the cat's little orange face will peer into your bedroom window in the morning if you forget to fill its food bowl. 9. My windshield is a rock magnet. I've been hit by at least 5 rocks and have cracks all over the thing. I'm going with the theory that its the car and not me. Fortunately I took USAA's offer for a no-deductible windshield replacement insurance option. 10. I have a good life. This is a repeat from last year's lessons but its true again. I'm fortunate to have good friends who put up with my weirdness, accept all of my lengthy e-mails and rants and who smile and nod at what I consider funny. I'm definitely blessed. Thank you.