Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Obligatory Year-End Reminiscences, 2008

Highlights of 2008

* Our four day canoe trip down the Au Sable in August. The best vacation Kristine and I have taken in years.

* Continued improvement and growing student enthusiasm in my class on "Writing the Watershed."

* My late August trip to fish the White Fly hatch on the Au Sable. The best trip of the year, despite some shaky mental health at the time.

* Best Meal: Out--Chicken Picata at Wiltse's brewpub in Oscoda. (I know--Oscoda!); In--the first batch of gazpacho made from our own tomatoes.

* Best Drink: Presidenté martini at Habana while out for my birthday.

* Best Book: Jim Harrison's The English Major.

Lowlights of 2008

* My trip to the hospital with chest pains last April. Turned out nothing was wrong, but still rattled me. Made me miss the trout opener too.

* No hunting.

* Writing projects started but not finished.

* My first trout trip of the season last May. One of those where I return wondering, "why do I even bother?"

* A class last spring that utterly imploded, due partly to poor planning, partly to erratic participation by a community group we worked with.

*Worst Meal: Out--Pancakes in a Tawas City diner; In--quinoa salad overwhelmed by garlic and vinegar. The amounts looked excessive to me, but I trusted the recipe.

*Worst Drink: Miller High Life during our canoe trip.

Honestly, it's hard to remember a lot of standout moments from 2008, which isn't such a bad thing. There were happy times, but few bad times that linger in memory. That's reason enough to be thankful.

Happy New Year.

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