Long December, My Ass....

I am sitting here in Kim’s kitchen drinking butter pecan coffee out of the picture mug Roni & Jude gave me. Kim and I have been doing our usual morning talking while she makes whatever amazing breakfast. This morning, I’m getting biscuits to go with marmalade. Yum.

The realization has just hit how very different 2012 is going to be as compared to how I started 2011. For the first time in years, I actually have hope rather than just wanting to get the year over with. The line from Long December by the Counting Crows comes to mind, “Maybe next year will be better than the last.” Not this time.

2011 began with a single Robby. Over the past 12 months, he’s had a lot of changes. Single Rob is a memory. He met an amazing girl on E-harmony. She decided to open her life to him so he met two outstanding kids. They quickly became whatever the 21^st century considers a nuclear family in the making.

This picture changed my life. I saw it on E-Harm and had to meet this woman.

2011 started out with Single Robby being End Stage Kidney Disease’s bitch. He got better though. A lot better. Robby switched his dialysis after fighting his insurance company and threatening legal action. Something changed in Robby and he realized that he didn’t have to rely on bottom dollar suits in an Atlanta office to deem what form of dialysis is best.  Home hemo was rough to learn but now he does it every day at his home and in a comfy chair his drill sergeant friend stole from the army. He feels great and believes that by this time next year, Kidney Disease will be his bitch.

2011 started off with Single Robby starting his next big thing, The Afternoon Tide. As the year ends, he realizes it’s not even close to what the project visualized in his head but that can be remedied. He is happy that, as of tomorrow, he will have been writing continuously for one straight year.  He’s always loved telling a story but now he really gets into writing a good story too.

2011 brings a lot of honorable mentions in the life and times of Robby. He took his first family vacation since 1982.  Pretending to be a pirate became a somewhat lucrative side job. He met Greg Allman over milk shakes in Richmond Hill. Robby finally got to use all his years of Star Wars knowledge for something useful (impressing a seven year old). He matched wits with a ten year old girl until they finally made a truce and began to respect then love each other. In a million years, Robby would have never thought he’d dress up like a Wookie for Halloween with said seven year old as Han Solo. They received honorable mention on Rebelscum.com’s costume contest. Robby finally met someone he could cook in the kitchen successfully and they did a kick ass Thanksgiving. Dave the Elf and Robby the Santa went Christmas shopping in their costumes at Target which led to much Christmas cheer. Robby had the best Christmas ever with his new and old family. For a bit, his mom was back. He stood his ground when a sad, little man got in his face and threatened him in front of his mother. That part is not going well but Robby is doing fine because his sister and fiancé’ are there for him.

A lot of things happened to Robby in 2011. Some of it sucked. The cool thing is there’s more good than bad. Not good, great.

2011 brought so much laughter in this guy’s life that Robby looks at 2012 and is excited to see what happens next. Rumor has it that there might even be a wedding……

Bring it on 2012. Robby feels invincible.