Happy New Year!

Well, I'm back from my extended absence. I'm sure you're all breathing easier now. All two of you (hi dad!)

Ah, 2007. Boy, that makes me feel old. I'm turning 30 this year. Bleagh.

I gave it a few moment's careful consideration on New Year's Eve and have decided that 2006 was a Good Year. As my years go, that's not saying a whole lot. But a good year for me entails:

• Still cancer-free (woohoo!)
• No periods of unemployment
• No deaths or serious illness among my loved ones
• No catastrophic natural disasters
• And my beautiful husband is still crazy about me

Not bad, really. In the negative column, I spent 6 months apart from my husband, and had a number of somewhat traumatic experiences involving helicopters, mortar shells, overheard assassinations, and charred remains . But those are things in the past, and I try not to dwell on them too much.

I think I have said this every year for 3 years now, but I'm really hoping for a nice, uneventful new year.

My New Year's plans sort of fell apart this year. We had a chalet on the lake booked, and were sharing it with 3 colleagues. One ended up having to work, another got malaria, and then our car had trouble. So we ended up driving to a nearby dam, having a cookout, and then going to a local bar for drinks and to ring in the new year. But it was great, because I stuck to a lesson I learned a little too late - New Year's is best spent with friends and family.

I considered making a public resolution, thinking perhaps that if I stuck it out here on the blogosphere I might be more likely to stick to it. But really, I would just be advertising my inevitable failure, so I think I'll just have to take a pass.

Instead, I'll wish you all a prosperous, successful new year, and hope that I'll be able to have one as well.