One year ago today, I was laying in bed dehydrated and hallucinating from a nasty flu bug that forced us to cancel a huge New Year’s Day party we had already done all the cooking and prepping for. It was a lousy way to start a year.

I turned 30 in February and went a little off the deep end over it, concerned that I was not quite living up to expectations - mine or anyone else’s. I’m still working on changing that.

A couple of months later we bought a house in Concord, which I still view as a good move, but it put us in a bit of a financial tailspin. Money has been extraordinarily tight ever since.

Then Dani lost her job.

A little more than a week later, my mother died suddenly and unexpectedly.

After the way last year started, I went around telling everyone that it could only get better from there. I have never been more wrong in my life.

2005 can suck it. I’m making 2006 my bitch.

I performed a wedding ceremony last night which turned out to be a very positive and joyous way to end 2005 and welcome in 2006. Dani and I drove back from the wedding (in Los Gatos - oy!) shortly after the ceremony. On the way home, we stopped at BevMo, picked up some liquor, hors d’ourves, cheese, etc. and came home and had ourselves a nice little two-person party. With three appetizer plates and various fun experimental drinks for just two people, we welcomed the New Year cuddling on the couch watching a rather sexy movie. No big parties, no drunk drivers, no crazy tales to tell, just two people in love looking forward to another year together and making it better for both of us.

So 2006 is the building year. We’re strengthening our marriage, Dani will get a new job and start working toward a long-term career. I’ll take the money we have received following my mother’s passing and make sure she did not live or die in vain. By this time next year, I intend on being on top, looking back at everything that has happened and being proud that we not only made it work, we made it better. This year, I will exceed expectations.