My dear wife Amy opens up her fortune cookie.

AMY: “I’m keeping this one. ‘You should be happy with your lot in life.’ It fits me.”

I open mine up.  I can’t help but grin.

AMY: “What’s it say?”

SCOTT: “‘It is time to try new things.‘”
…

Fortunes are bullshit but nevertheless, my year started out with that message.  Along with the little pangs of emptiness that used to be occupied by our recently deceased old cat … The LIGER!

I had a changing mole on my hip that was biopsy-negative.

Amy finally became legal – she took the U.S. citizenship test (she’s been in the U.S. since age three).

I met a man with the largest balls I’ve ever seen.  Deflated.

I continued my obsession with selling used games and action figures on eBay.  It ran its course until mid-year.  I bought a wrestling mat with the profits (for Brazilian jiu jitsu with me and the kids).  I suspect the rest went into Amy’s Hello Kitty obsession.

In February, I moved from my old site to this site.  With comments enabled (pending approval)!  It’s been really nice hearing from old online friends and hearing from new ones.

Met a crazy patient who ate crazy inedible things.

I was contacted by my dad’s side of the family.  The same family who had cut off contact with my brother and me when dad died twenty-four years ago.  We didn’t make the yearly reunion.

I watched a tiny woman almost get buried in the innards of a very very large recently dead person.

Amy hit my car.  Again.

I still adore Lee Jung Hyun.  She will still look good to me when she gets some grey.  (In fact, my image of Medea Sin is of an older, grey-streaked Lee Jung Hyun.)

I finally met my friend of eleven years of internet arguments, Danny.

I think of this expression, “kick you in the slit,” quite often still.  Just haven’t said it yet.

I am starting to feel my age.

I hinted to the kids that it was time for a new baby cat.

Rick introduced me to Ender’s Game.  Then I actually got Amy to read it – a feat that I would have only expected in a science fiction story of its own.

I complained about the literal toll my mom was taking on our savings.  At least I can now see that the money isn’t being siphoned into some pyramid scheme.

I reached geek critical mass for my son’s Star Wars-themed sixth birthday.

I went to my first comic convention and was introduced to the awesome Star Wars-themed charity group, the 501st Legion.  Despite their kind invites, I haven’t joined due to time constraints.  (I just made up the stormtrooper name TK-394 for that entry, only to have that actual 501st trooper email me.)

An old Scottish doc said my quarter-Scottish background qualifies me as a Scot, at least in his expert infectious diseases opinion.  When you’re a mixed breed, it’s nice to be wholly accepted somewhere.

This year, I introduced the kids to Justice League, Batman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Adam West’s campy 1960s Batman, Family Guy Star Wars, Shogun Warriors, Stratego, chess, jiu jitsu, boxing, and most recently Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot.  The Pokemon thing came from the neighbor kid.

Sadly, our Nintendo Wii broke.  But I told the kids a new cat would be more fun.

I never heard back from this Corean dad with bad cancer who seemed to know more about me than most.  Then again, I don’t answer my phone unless I know who’s calling.

Someone CODED.

Had fun with homemade comics.

Took the kids to their first amusement park.

I wondered if I killed someone.

I watched the drawn-out implosion of the most dysfunctional physician’s group I have ever had the torturous displeasure of working with these past four years.  The politics will kill you.

I quickly got hired by a better hospitalist service.  Less stress.  No call.  Less money.  More happy.

Got an iPhone.  Nice for email, Facebook, and youtube.  I seriously hate the games on it.  Almost enough to ditch the whole thing – then I remember it’s my PHONE.

Fell in love with Katy Perry’s voice (the “Kissed a Girl” song is not my favorite though).

Fought with the (dick) head of the E.R.

I got written into a comic book!!  Sadly, the book has been cancelled.  (But Matt’s onto bigger and better things.)

My hot wife got a hot new hair style.  She has bangs now too (which she used to detest).

Carved a Corean-style pumpkin for Halloween.

Fell into Fallout 3 (that’s my girl in black).

Brazilian jiu-jitsu – I still do (just not this month).  Studying Corean – not so much.  I guess I like wrestling people into submission more than talking to them.

I turned 38.

I bought a couple of 45’s (45 pound dumbbells, that is).

I met up with an old high school friend and college roommate (through Yearbook – I mean Facebook of course).  I tend to think that not maintaining friendships is a good way not to miss people when they’re gone.  I guess it doesn’t always work like that.

Survived another Christmas.

I got Amy into gaming with her new Nintendo DS Lite.  Mini-gaming but major coup.

I have been surprised and amused by my little boy’s developing sense of humor.  I’ve bonded more with my beautiful little girl (the occasional Petite Princess Day helps).  Sun Su is becoming a problem-solver.  Ooseung is the more physical one.

I’m still not comfortable with hugs, except for the more personal kind with my wife and children.  I more than make up for my hug quota with the kids.

The kids finally started pestering Amy about getting a new kitten.  Amy told me I better stop it or else.

NOW THE NEW

Whew, that took a while to sift through.  For once, I’m glad I don’t update often.

I’ll try to update more this year.  It’s been a lot of fun hearing from people, whether via comments or email.  I don’t really do New Month’s resolutions (we all know that’s what they really are), but I do have a perennial short list of goals.  I would like to draw and write more.  Get in better shape.  Be a better husband.  Be a constant light in my children’s lives and be there for them in ways my own father couldn’t.  Sometimes even this short list is difficult to tackle.

I have a trick for the difficult times.  I got through high school, a painful time when you are painfully shy, through the yearly observation that at least each year is better than the year before.  It really works, even now.  Sometimes you just have to pick the parts that are better.  That’s the trick.

Thank you all for giving me a reason to keep doing this journal.