2004

Well she's officially in the books... and she went out with a bang didn't she? Well... I guess it was more like a flush. I figgered I'd take a minute or two to look back and see what all happened this year...

1) Another little boy on the way.
2) Julie passed Step 3.
3) JAC and I road 1000 miles in 24 hours.
4) Fixed up the bike.

It's funny... when I sit down and list out things that happened... I find there isn't a place for the big stuff. The most obvious thing to us is this gradual awareness of the change that we're about to go through. It wasn't until the last few months that Julie and I really started to realize that she's about done with this whole residency thing.

We've seriously started looking at the coming financial situation in terms of houses and expenditures. We're started seriously planning. We've seen our friends finish up and cash in. I mean... it's pretty heartening to see one of your peers go from living in a $10,000 trailer to owning a GTO, a Titan, and 3 high dollar motorcycles, along with moving into what I would've considered a mansion just 4 or 5 years ago.

Suddenly 16 years of work is about to pay off. Delayed returns... about to arrive. Even though it's still more than a year away... it seems like it is just around the corner.

2005 will probably go by quicker than any year of my life. There is so much we have to do, and so much going on.

I mean... just think about it... Imagine you know you're going to move in year... you know you'll be making 10 times what you make now... But you have no idea where you're going. Oh sure, we know a general area... For example... We refuse to live anywhere north of Nashville.... but other than that... It could be anywhere from northern Alabama, Northern Georgia... hell it could be Biloxi Mississippi! We just don't know.

I want to know... I really do... but then again... it's the not knowing that makes the whole thing so damned exciting.

So here's to 2005.; the preface to the rest of our lives.