On Halloween night in Las Vegas, my mother and sister jokingly sat down at a street fair psychic and had their fortunes read. The psychic led off with, “2011 has been a bad year for your family.” It was one of the worst. There were multiple deaths in the family, some inevitable but one of them violent and completely unexpected. My father was forced into early retirement from his military job, leaving him and my mother without health insurance. I lost my job, leaving me in a similar position. I have struggled financially for six months. My brother’s poker dealer tournament gigs didn’t show up this year, because no one showed up in Vegas to play. My sister struggled to be in love in the military, with someone else in the military, and the two of them have now been stationed a world apart. I was left by man I was in love with. And while I know that it is a normal part of life, it doesn’t make it hurt less.
This morning I decided to start off my 2012 by going on a diet, trying to lose a few pounds. I figured I should hop on the scale and see where I was starting from. I was surprised to find I am 5 pounds smaller than the last time I checked. I am going to assume those mystery 5 pounds were the weight of 2011 dragging me down. Onward I go.
