Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 in Review

2013 has been an interesting year for me.  I don't know what it was about this year, but I lost a lot of friends.  I also gained new ones and re-discovered a few old ones.

I lost several friends to illness; like my dear friend, Jaime, who passed away of liver problems.  She went to the US with her family from Vietnam in 1975 as a baby.  She was one of my crazy friends; most of her friends were Vietnamese gangsters and that made for some "interesting" situations.  I felt (feel) guilty because I didn't call her and hadn't seen her in many years.

Other friends, like The Romanian, I lost to "friendship complications" (and I'll leave it at that).  She was a long-term BFF  of 16 years, so it was very traumatic for me.

Then, there was the love loss of Mr. Clean/Dirty.  I had a really hard time recovering from him and I've had to stop waiting for the apology that will never come.  (He's told his family how bad he feels, but he's never said it to me directly.)

Business was a mixed batch this year too.  Although we won a little business, we lost a lot.  I felt a lot of responsibility towards quite a few of our employees on a contract we had held for many years. I obsessed over minute details of the re-bid proposal, which we were destined to lose to a cheaper bidder.  When we did and people lost their jobs, it hit me hard and I don't think I realized how much stress I'd been under until I got here to the States and took several steps back.  People have been gracious and kind about it even through their hardships, "Don't worry.  Everything is in God's hands..."  I tried my best, honestly.

On the positive side, I have learned who true friends are who were in the background for years and I never worked on being closer with.  Now that I have, I regret not knowing sooner how fiercely loyal they are and how they were there all the time for me.  All I had to do was to reach out - and there they were.

I've gained a family this year.  While things didn't work out with Clean, I gained his family.  I'm considered one of them and his dad has taken me under his wing.  He is my surrogate dad and I'm so happy about it that it is difficult to describe in words.  They've become a support system that I didn't know how badly I was missing.

I've also gained a new family member, Mike.  Mike is a German Shepard puppy that one of my friends bought to breed.  Dude was keeping 1-month-old Mike in a cage, outside, with no blanket or warmth when I volunteered to take him home and train him.  That was over a month ago.  Mikey has settled in permanent now.  Desert Dawg isn't too happy with him, but it might do her good to have a little competition in the house as she has been getting cranky and mean lately.  Several of my friends have remarked that Mike may have come along at the right time since DD is now pushing her 17th year and may not have longer to go.  I don't want to think about that.  I've always wanted a German Shepard and I was planning to get one when the time was right.  This little guy just kind of fell into my lap.  He's smart and he'll make a great companion in my old age.

I would like to say thank you to all you readers (there are like 2 now!) who have taken the time to write nice things to me this past year.  Little kindnesses go a long way and you may not know the value of a few small words, but they have meant a tremendous amount to me.  I do not take the kindness of strangers lightly; you never know when God is sending you angels - which is exactly how I feel about all of you.  Kind words are invaluable and there is real power in gratitude, so thank you all so much for your continued virtual friendships; sometimes throughout the years.

And on that note:  If there is anything I can do to help you (or information I can provide that might help you here on the blog) for 2014, please let me know.  I will do my best to try to assist.

May you all have a happy, healthy, prosperous, and love-filled 2014.  God bless you all and keep you safe.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loved, loved loved your post. You are a big part of our lives and you don't even know it. I tell my husband every few days what you write about and I use your actual first name and we discuss you and Kuwait and how things must be different for a single American woman living here forever and a married American woman living here forever. You know so much more than me and my Kuwaiti husband since you live so differently than we do. We feel we know different things too since we have arabic on lockdown and hubby has past experiences to draw from. I worry everyday that you will tell us bad news about your beloved Desert dog. I know the heartbreaking loss of a pet. If you don't post for a while I wonder and worry.

Oh yeah, complain about excite online so I can get out my gripes!
After that I am trying to figure out how to say

Have a GREAT 2014!

Keep posting,
Gail

Anonymous said...

I meant Xcite.com!!!
Gail

Anonymous said...

I love your blog. I stumbled upon you some three months ago while I was all fluey in bed and I have to say, reading the antics of your life made me feel so much better..time just flew by. So, I just wanted you to know that. Happy 2014, it's bound to be better than 2013.

michelle

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year to you too x

Anonymous said...

DG if you have a German Shepherd dog please spell the breed correctly!
Happy New Year!

Louise

Debra LeCompte said...

I am moving in June to Kuwait, and I am so excited to do so. My husband works for the State Department after retiring from 30 years of service in the US Army. He works with contracts for the
American Embassy in Iraq, and he will be working centrally there in Kuwait as contracts from Afghanistan begin transitioning to the DoS from the DoD, as they have in Iraq. I would like information about how to best experience Kuwait and especially her people. Any advice concerning how I can best show hospitality and good manners toward the people of Kuwait would be very much appreciated. I am so glad I have found your blog. I write one myself as well.

Desert Girl said...

Louise - seriously?? This is the first time you have commented and you are starting off the new year with a critical remark about SPELLING. WTF. Did you read the rest of the post? Greeeeeat. I really don't give much of a shyt (spelled incorrectly) about spelling or being edited. HAVE A GREAT YEAR BLESS YOUR HEART.

Anonymous said...

Louise
Please correct your post as follows:insert a comma after dog and use a capital D as in "German Shepherd Dog" -this is the correct title for the breed you are attempting to refer to.

Your sentence should read: If you have a German Shepherd Dog,please spell the breed's name in accordance with accepted norms....

Btw...you should practice spelling the word "appreciation"

We love DG....she is the best thing since sliced bread

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year to you!! Missed reading your posts and I have to say reading your posts have really helped me after coming to Kuwait! Don't stop, will miss your funny quirky sense of humor! :)

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year...love the blog and how much you share of yourself..it is refreshing in a normally closed society.

Expat and the City said...

Happy New Year DG! Me love you and your blog looooooooooong time. Here's to a fantastic 2014! <3

Unknown said...

Dear DG, I am loving your blog and check whether there are new posts almost every day since I have moved to Kuwait two months ago from Europe. I wish you all the best in 2014!!!

Desert Girl said...

Thank you, ya well-wishers. :) Love you longtime.

I don't think my German Shepherd cares how I spelled it. I asked him, he shrugged and went back to eating my shoe.

Miss H. said...

Happy New Year to you tooooo DG!!!
May all your wishes come true.
Please keep on feeding your blog!
Your stories are amazing :))))))
You rock! God Bless you always...
Ms. H

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