2009 began with me and my girlfriend sitting on a couch drinking beer. As it comes to an end I no longer have that girlfriend, or the couch, but I still love that beer. I've said, rather often, that 2009 was the worst year of my life. I'm not backing off that statement whatsoever, but I am trying to put a positive spin on the year now that it's coming to a close. This year did have the worst Super Bowl ever, but that's a minor grievance. George Carlin and Bea Arthur both died which had a pretty big impact. I consider Geroge Carlin the best comedian of all time, and growing up I watched 'The Golden Girls' every single day with my grandma. Bea Arthur had a certain strength and comedic tone that is really, really once in a lifetime and I hope she's remembered for it. I turned 28 in 2009, which is nothing more than another year closer to 30. In addition to this a bunch of my friends got married or engaged, which isn't a bad thing, it just adds to the overall feeling of getting old. This was the year I went from always being hot to always being cold, a classic sign of decrepitude. I also realized I forgot how to be single. I though it would be nothing but crazy parties and making out with strangers and the kind of freedom that only bachelorhood can afford you. Of course, this wasn't my life before having my first serious girlfriend, so why would it be after? It was actually a life of going to bed early, reading sad books, listening to sad music, and eating cheeseburgers. That last one brings us to the truly worst part of 2009: My cholecystectomy and pancreatitis. During Labor Day weekend I had a terrible pain in my right side and was taken to the emergency room. Long story short, my gallbladder had to be removed, but due to the inflammation the stones had aggravated my pancreas giving me a memorable case of pancreatitis. I was in the hospital for a week and I couldn't eat for 5 days. Due to the drugs I was given I had vivid, horrific dreams and could only sleep about an hour at a time. Once I was back home I still couldn't sleep and I missed seeing Little Joy in Hoboken since I was in such bad shape.
But, okay, so I've got my gallbladder out, I'll never go through that pain again! Hooray! Oops! Kidney stone! Yup, November rolls around and I have a pain in my left side that is 100 times as bad as the gallbladder and it's back the the ER. I had never had a kidney stone, apparently it was formed from the 2 weeks of immobility that I just spoke of...as well as my love of almonds, so says my Urologist.
This hellish time has effected my health in the following ways: I no longer eat anything given through a drive-up window, I no longer drink Coca-cola, no more peanuts, caffeine (at least not as much), extra salt on stuff, and I try to exercise more...so that is a huge 2K9 bummer, as these were my former fave things. Oh yeah, and since I left the hospital I don't like eggs anymore, don't know where that came from.
But, yeah, trying to be positive. I got into some of the best music ever this year (but that's for a different post), I reconnected with old friends, and I shouldn't really be bummed about being healthier.
So 2009 (to borrow a line from a movie I watched quite a bit this year) make like a tree, and get outta here.
