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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Just think, that Mayan prophecy of the end of the world is less than 5 years away now! Whoo-hoo!

On a somewhat more interesting note...

• 2008 is a leap year


• It is the International year of Planet Earth, the Potato and Sanitation


• The iPhone will be released in Canada (hopefully without that annoying "it's still 2007" error)


• Bill Gates will step down from daily duties at Microsoft after 3 decades (I predict this will have absolutely no effect on the frequency with which my father blames Bill for every problem related to technology, commerce and the world in general)


• Summer Olympic Games (XXIX Olympiad) will take place in China


• The US will elect its 44th president (PLEASE VOTE!)


• Due to the previous item,GEORGE W. BUSH WILL NO LONGER BE OUR 'PRESIDENT'!!!! That fact alone makes it a year to look forward to!

Lots of other things will happen too, I'm sure. More starlets will publicly make train wrecks of their lives. Hopefully the writer's strike will come to an end quickly. And it should go without saying that I want war to end and our soldiers to come home.

== AS FOR ME PERSONALLY ==

I'm going to spend 2 or 3 months with my brother and his family near Washington DC! This will mean that plans must be made for east coast fan gatherings and events. Tickets to Randy's play(s) must be acquired. And someone will hopefully volunteer to give me the grand (but affordable) tour of New York City, as I have never been there.

I haven't decided exactly when to go yet, but I'm thinking the earliest I'd arrive would be at the end of March. It really depends a lot on what events will be happening and when. Do I want to see Randy in Antony & Cleopatra in April? Or hope that he'll get a good role in Stockbridge in July (or August)?

Any ideas or advice for me? I'm spending 2 months - possibly 3 - out there for the express purpose of doing some sightseeing, meeting some awesome people and going to some fantastic events. This isn't like that 2 week trip I made with my parents back in May '06 where we had almost every minute of the trip planned out. I will sometimes have a car available to use for short distance trips, but for something longer I'll probably take the train or maybe rent a car if necessary.

The only bad part of all this is that I can't take my birds with me. I could take them, as far as my brother is concerned. He doesn't mind having them at the house with me. But how would I get them there? Has anyone ever heard of taking 2 little parakeets on a cross country plane ride? Right now, the plan is for my other brother and his family here in California to take care of them. My sister-in-law was rather excited with the idea - giving her kids a chance to see what it's like to take care of pets without a long term commitment. Good trial run for them. But I'm going to miss my birdie babies.