What I liked

Hey! 2005 had a lot of good stuff! And some bad suckass stuff too! I didn't like flooded Banda Aceh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and New Orleans. I loved season 2 of Deadwood. I loved the manchego we bought from Murray's Cheese Shop. I didn't like many of the (draconian) practices of our government. I did like getting my morning run up to four miles this year.

The best things that happened to me were:

-My domestic paht-nah-ship this past September 18 at the W Hotel (referenced all over the web, look it up) to the loverly Janice Erlbaum, and the subsequent honeymoon to Elbow Beach, Bermuda (above - in paradise, no one can hear you scream).

-A January trip to Little Dix Bay beach on Virgin Gorda (below) in the British Virgin Islands and the phenomenal snorkeling ('cuda, squid, turtles, etc.) to be had... not to mention all the rum and teacakes one can fill one's fat ass up with.

-A week away in June at Cherry Grove, Fire Island, a new annual tradition that fills us with sunlight, piña coladas, and grilled skirt steaks. And plenty of cock on display in the beach (not so much on the boobies).

–My first trip to Walt Disney World, deconstructed from every angle possible on these pages.

-Getting engaged on my birthday this June, and having dinner with my in-laws at Jean-Georges later that night.

-Shopping for the wedding suit with my father in-law Larry Erlbaum, a man who has given me more of himself in the four short years I've known him than my actual bastard father gave me in the 16 years he was (more or less) around.

-Related: Tasting wedding cake at Sylvia Weinstock, scouting out the wedding venue, working on table decor, drafting up guest lists, designing the invite and program ourselves... so on and so forth.

-Catch-all: Continuing to live the life of therapeutically-managed happiness and honesty. Not slipping back into weight-gain, not losing grip of openess with the wifemestic partner through the tough places.

-"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of the Sith"... I waited 22 fooking years since Jedi for this one to come out.

My drawback list is, ironically, the same as it was last year... sure, world hunger, strife, flooding, transit strikes, and racism are suck, but those are mostly external suckings. What really ails me is the continued strain arising from my brother's ongoing TBI/coma recovery - for all the massive quantities of splendiferousnessosityapalooza that makes me happy (see above, read it thrice), there is always a tincture of sadness and anger at what happened on October 3, 2004.

See y'all Next Year alongside Dick Clark's whithered, stroke-shamed, Cryptkeeper-like countenance... strap in, homies, and bring your dirt rakes.