Hey 2017, throw me a bone, would ya?

2016 can kiss my ass. What a crappy year.

It's possible it's going out on a couple of high notes, but over all, it was kind of the worst.

STRESS, STRESS, STRESS.

Not everything was horrible. I actually got healthier and leaner, I got my medication woes figured out, I've had a good marathon training cycle, I got to race in California, my daughter is getting better (although I'm not sure heading into teenagerhood is a real improvement), I have a pool, and I'm not unhappy about the election results (deal with it, I'm Republican).

But UGH, so much crap happened that I was not at all anticipating and it really floored me. Thank God I've had a pretty decent human being by my side to do this life thing with, because if I was muddling through without a partner it could've been exponentially worse.

But 2017...you're going to have more good than bad, right? RIGHT?!?!

You freaking better.

I'm doing everything within my power to bring good things into my life. I'm a firm believer that if you don't try to take charge when things go south, you're making things a lot harder on yourself than necessary. So many things are still under your control, so you hold onto those things and make them as positive as you possibly can.

That's why you see me busting my tail at marathon training and taking care of my physical self. I am in complete control of that, it's something I can focus on daily, and frankly, it's why I get out of bed some days (if you have mental health issues, you understand this). It's imperative that I have one thing that is totally mine, that is not dependent upon anyone else. It's empowering and puts my mind in the right place. Kind of important for someone with my issues. Not to say it's easy, because it's the last thing I want to do some days. But then I circle back to that whole "taking charge" thing and I get back on target. Besides, it makes me feel really good about myself, and that's priceless to me.

My kids are entering the second half of 6th and 9th grades. It's still a bit of a struggle to get them to understand how important education is, and they fumble here and there. But with maturity it's getting better and I have high hopes that things will continue to go smoother on this front. Now, if only we could do something about those mean middle school girls.

I know I have many things to look forward to in 2017. I'm going to continue to add things to the list, and spend time with good people, and love on my kids, and do my best. Some days will suck, some days I'll feel like an absolute failure, and some days I'm just going to need to feel sorry for myself. But some days will most certainly shine.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Not going to miss you at all, 2016!