It was the Best of Times...

I've tried three times to write this post.
2006 is finally here.

Kids. 2005 was pretty hard for me. The hardest year of my life. Definitely the best year of my life.

Sometimes you bleed just to know you're alive.

But out of the ashes came so many good things. I am starting to feel comfortable looking back at the pain of last year with new, dare I say, healed eyes to see it, instead of a soul so hurt and disoriented that it wanted only to tap out of everything so it didn't get beaned again.
Good news is I figured out a TON about myself. Figured out a TON about images and perceptions. Ones that I had of me, ones that I wanted other people to have of me, and ones that were actually true.

God saw me from day one playing house with him. Playing the Christian game, trying to act the part and He hated it, but He didn't hate me. He chose some events to make my faith real, to make it the bottom line versus the bonus line. To test my loyalties and smash my idols.

I worshipped the sacred raisin cakes.

But I'm farther than where I started in 2005. I'm nowhere near perfect, but I'm better than I was. And I guess that is really all any of us ever get to say.

With that said.. I leave you with my Best Moments of 2005:

Best Advice: "Don't be like Jesus, be with Jesus. It's the only way you will change."
Best Movie: "Walk the Line" and "Pride and Prejudice".
Best Coach Z-ism: "Chocolate Chorp Porn Cakes" by Mark Williams.
Best First TV Commercial: Liz Forsythe for Ameren UE.
Best new Blog friend: Bercos via Elisa via Shearman.
Best Meal: San Francisco, Valentines Day, Sushi Village, me, hot sake, 8 male co-workers, and the Sashimi boat.
Best Day: Uh.. Daylight savings day.. as usual. It was a hook-blade day.
Best New Marriages: Stiles, Millers, Murphys, Koziateks, Bethels, McKinleys, Woodards, Wilmots, Fabbianos, DeChamps. Rices.
Best Question by a Brit: (Say it with the accent) "Why is Markus sticking his head in the DMV and yelling 'Hammer Down'?"
Best "Old" Marriages: Wylies, Merrills, Holleys, Keyes.
Best Proposal: Annie! and Willie! (and me...I planted the brick... you know at the aporx.)
Best new Relationship: Jane and Casey, Leigh and Dave
Most Frequent User of the word "Turd": Kendra
Fastest courtship: Dee Dee and Shaun (engaged!)
Slowest recovery: Me over my Mono. (not to be confused with Moon over my Hammy)
Sadest goodbye: Packing Deana's furniture up from the DMV, and The Foxes last DR.
Best Purchase: Somewhere between my house and the Two-person Hammock.
Funniest joke about oven knobs: Jim and Brad at Jim's dinner party with the "Balls Hot" setting.
Closest to peeing myself: Organic Gorilla Munch.
Mom closest to peeing herself: Laughing at my dad in Vegas.
Best quote by a spiritual mentor: "Whoa Lindsey, God needs Clay, not Claymation..." Debbie Holley to me when I was jabbering on and on about something too fast.
Best news: D getting her job, and Caroline getting pregnant.
Best DR talk: Scott Sauls 04/24
Best Smallest Group: The Murphys heck yeah.
Best Road Trip: Melinda and I getting lost in the sketchy area of San Francisco, then driving up to Saulsalito.
Largest number of Chocolate martinis in one sitting: Four. (They are like Pudding pops melted into a glass)
Best Return from a Foreign Country: Angela, back from India.
Best Return from a non-foreign country: Mia Lucia back from Indy.
Best Gift: Lucinda Williams concert for my Birthday, Deana bringing the cooler of bervages over when I moved, Tall Socks from Annie just because, and "The Neverending Story" on DVD from myself.
Best Statement from a person of Flava: "Girrrrrl, Now you a Nice size. Not too big, not too skinny, you a nice size"
Best Use Of Labels: This
Best Performance in an Amateur TV event by an immediate family member: Jury still out.
Best Use of Bacon: Someone wrapped a baby in it an left it on my doorstep.
Best fake "Best": That last one.
Best real "Best": This one, because it is the last one.

Off to make some new ones.

I love ya Tomorrow... you are only a day away.