Oh, yeah.  I’m still here.  I suppose I could explain where I’ve been, but I think I’ll save all that for another post.  In the meantime, a quick New Year’s post for you:

10 Things I Learned in 2009

• Baby boys are the bomb.  Especially ones that are chill, love their mommies and smile at anything with a soul.  Or even without a soul, actually.  Soul optional

• Just when you think you can write “bomb” on your blog without worrying about the repercussions, someone goes and tries to blow up an airplane and ruins it for everyone.  (Hi, Homeland Security Intern who now has to read my blog for the rest of the school year, it’s so nice to meet you… be sure to leave a clever comment!)

• People’s opinion of me is pretty much already formed.  What I do or say has little effect in the long term.  An opinion of me is more of a reflection of the opinion holder and less of a reflection of who I am.

• For every one person in this world that is hateful and unkind, there are twenty who are loving and decent.  And they’ll text you to remind you of that when you’re feeling down when prompted by a vivacious curly haired head mistress of the Internet.

• Tiger Woods.  Really?  REALLY?

• The fulfillment of familial obligation is not a virtue in and of itself.  Be right and you will do right, not just by your family but by everyone you meet.

• I cannot waste my time trying to earn the respect of some people if it costs the respect I have already earned from others.  Some people will like me, some won’t.  The people who don’t like me are none of my business.  They may have their reasons for not liking me, but I no longer care what they are.  This is who I am.  Love me or leave me, people.

• I have friends.  Really good ones.

What about you?  What did you learn this year?

P.S. It came and it went, but December 28th was my two year anniversary for this blog.  Two years!  I just want to say to all of the bloggers/readers that I have met because of this blog:  Thank you.  Thank you for being there when I was happy, sad, alone, funny, serious, angry, whatever.  You are not my Internet friends.  You are my friends.  Real ones.  In every way.  Happy belated birthday, Native Born, and thank God that Al Gore decided to invent the Internet.