Observe and report

Dear 2013:

Welcome! I am happy to see you. Your predecessor, 2012, was a tough character in some respects.

Although I am pleased you are here, I’m a little worried about your plans for me. The first day I spent with you was not one I’d like to repeat. The day started out great in the North Georgia mountains hanging out with good friends, but ended in a roadside ditch (well, nearly).

Let’s recap:

• Humming noise manifests in the back of Eddie’s truck, and it is not one of the kids
• Commence prayers to the vehicle gods (“Please let us make it home and we’ll take it to get it fixed immediately.”)
• Prayers unanswered, and we receive vehicle god smack-down in the form of a clunking noise, a huge thud, and then black smoke billowing from the back end
• Stuck 20 miles north of the thriving metropolis of Macon, Georgia
• Call to Firestone roadside assistance that took two hours to finally fetch a tow truck (Idiot service woman on phone: “What is your zip code there?” Eddie: “Where? Here on the side of the road?”)
• Car repair and car rental places closed for holiday
• Tow truck arrives but refuses to transport children
• Call to Middle Georgia Taxi to get transportation to a hotel in Macon
• Taxi arrives in the form of Lester in a 100-year-old grandpa car
• One week’s worth of luggage, snacks, a cooler, etc. loaded and taken to hotel
• Dinner at Cracker Barrel (yay!)
• Call from Firestone this morning revealing that the entire back end has to be replaced at a cost of more than $2,000 (yay.)

So 2013, I really hope that this is not indicative of our next 364 days together. I’d like joy, peace, health, and more money in my savings account than I ended with last year. If you could make that happen, then I’ll forgive your behavior on Day 1.

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to spending a great year together!

Love,
Beth