Life Is Such A Sweet Insanity.

Well the 48 hour bug that plagued me starting in the wee hours of Saturday morning was kind enough to make a hasty departure in the wee hours of Monday morning. I have been feeling much better today. Now I’m left to wonder where the heck the weekend went. It doesn’t seem possible that I am going back to work tomorrow morning. I guess three days go by quickly when you’re in a NyQuil induced haze.

I have heard on the street that some folks purposely consume too much NyQuil in order to hallucinate. I find this incomprehensible, because NyQuil just makes me mean. Back when I would consume more alcohol than I should, I wasn’t a mean drunk, but there’s something in the over the counter cold and allergy medications that makes me just mean. I’m snappy and cranky and not in a sitcomy, sarcastic sort of way. I should just stay away from the stuff. I probably will.

Earl and I celebrated New Year’s Eve by watching two movies courtesy of iTunes: “Friends With Benefits” and “My Idiot Brother”. They were both enjoyable movies for what they were, though I have to admit that I enjoyed the former more. “My Idiot Brother” was kind of like “Little Miss Sunshine” in spirit, but it didn’t quite come to the same level of twisted comedy like ‘Sunshine’ did. This afternoon we went and saw the latest installment of “Sherlock Holmes.”  How I enjoy the twists and turns of a good plot and this particular movie did a fairly good job of keeping me engaged as far as the plot goes. Truth be known, I think the cinematography is what really kept me engaged. I loved the slow motion effects that were employed generously throughout the movie. The female lead, Noomi Rapace, looked a little bit like Jennifer Saunders (from AbFab) in her gypsy gear but looking at photos online I guess she doesn’t really resemble Jenn in real life. Well, maybe a little bit.

Earl and I caught up on “Hot In Cleveland” courtesy of the DVR over the weekend as well. I have a new straight man crush, and that title for 2012 goes to Sean O’Bryan, who played Melanie’s boyfriend Andy in the 12/28 episode, “One Thing Or A Mother”. I guess it was because they were calling him a ‘Pooh Bear’ throughout the episode, but he was rather woofy in his soccer uniform. I wonder if there are photos of him somewhere online where he has a beard, because he could easily be an honorary bear if that is the case.

Not the best picture of Sean O’Bryan.

I find it humorous that OS X Lion tries to autocorrect “woofy” to “woody”.

So tomorrow I am back to work and ready to go crazy with The Big Project. I’ll be writing code to my little heart’s content for the next several weeks. I do not find this to be unpleasant.

Despite the 48 hour bug that visited for the proper amount of time, I feel that 2012 is off to a good start. As I said on Twitter and Facebook, “Rock it like it’s the last year of the Mayan calendar!”

Nothing says “Happy New Year” and gives one the feeling of starting 2012 off with a fresh start more than bout of insomnia. I’m wide awake at 3:16 a.m., having gone to bed at 1:00 a.m.  My nose is running a marathon. If I take NyQuil again I’ll be mean tomorrow and I don’t want to be mean.

My head is racing with thoughts of Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin, the two television personalities that we rang the New Year in. Honestly, we did take a brief glimpse at Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark and bless his aged heart, but it’s just too depressing for us to watch Dick Clark try to do his part of the telecast and quite frankly, the Kathy/Andy train is much more entertaining to watch. Anderson Cooper is so cute with his alternating blushing and giggling. Good times.

Screw it, I’m going to take the damn NyQuil and blog until I fall asleep.

I don’t really watch a lot of Anderson Cooper outside of the New Year’s celebration. I might watch something he says here and there but I don’t watch a lot of CNN. I do more reading and listening to political talk shows on the radio than actually watching journalists on television. Perhaps in 2012 I should become more acquainted with Mr. Cooper. I hear good things about him and his tittering with Kathy Griffin is an amusing side of him, perhaps his news gathering skills are equally interesting.

I didn’t really start feeling congested or have this runny nose until I went to bed two hours ago. Now that we have heat in our bedroom for the first time in two years, I’m wondering if it’s actually a little too warm in there and my body is saying WTF? in retaliation for the environmental changes. I’m finding myself wishing that we could sleep in the dry air of the U.S. southwest, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

I’m excited about the New Year and all the possibilities and hope that come along with resetting the counter to 1/1. I hope I can get enough sleep to start it off on the right foot.

Happy New Year to all!!!

The daily update on the internal website at work occasionally has some nuggets of wisdom that make me feel just a little bit better. Today is one of those days. I plan on keeping these sentiments in the forefront as we move into 2012.

12/30/2011
Once a year, we post this essay written by Ann Landers for Jan. 1, 1997. Don’t groan – take a glance at it and you may see some good thoughts for 2012. Happy New Year!

Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the time for. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge and replace it with some pleasant memories. Share a funny story with someone whose spirits are dragging. A good laugh can be very good medicine.

Vow not to make a promise you don’t think you can keep. Pay a debt. Give a soft answer. Free yourself of envy and malice. Encourage some youth to do his or her best. Share your experience and offer support. Young people need role models.

Make a genuine effort to stay in closer touch with family and friends. Stop magnifying small problems and shooting from the lip. Words that you have to eat can be hard to digest.

Find the time to be kind and thoughtful. All of us have the same allotment: 24 hours a day. Give a compliment. It might give someone a badly needed lift.

Think things through. Forgive an injustice. Listen more. Be kind. Apologize when you realize you are wrong. An apology never diminishes a person. It elevates him. Don’t blow your own horn. If you’ve done something praiseworthy, someone will notice eventually.

Try to understand a point of view that differs from yours. Little is all one way or another. Examine demands you make on others.

Lighten up. When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, “Will it matter a week from today?” Laugh the loudest when the joke is on you. The sure way to have a friend is to be one. We are all connected by your humanity, and we need each other. Avoid malcontents and pessimists. They drag you down and contribute nothing.

Don’t discourage a beginner from trying something risky. Nothing ventured means nothing gained. Be optimistic. The can-do spirit is the fuel that makes things go.

Go to war against animosity and complacency. Express your gratitude. Give credit when it’s due – and even when it isn’t. It will make you look good. Read something uplifting. Deep-six the trash. You wouldn’t eat garbage, why put it in your head? Don’t abandon your old-fashioned principles. They never go out of style. When courage is needed, ask yourself, “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Take better care of yourself. Remember, you’re all you’ve got. Pass up that second helping. You really don’t need it. Vow to eat more sensibly. You’ll feel better and look better, too. Don’t put up with secondhand smoke. Nobody has the right to pollute your air or give you cancer. If someone says, “This is a free country,” remind him or her that the country may be free but no person is free if he has a habit he can’t control.

Return those books you borrowed. Reschedule that missed dental appointment. Clean out your closet. Take those photos out of the drawer and put them in an album. If you see litter on the sidewalk, pick it up. Give yourself a reality check. Phoniness is transparent and tiresome. Take pleasure in the beauty and the wonders of nature.

Walk tall and smile more. You’ll look 10 years younger. Don’t be afraid to say “I love you.” Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world. If you have love in your life, it can be the best year ever.