A Weird End of Year

It's post-Christmas and I finally find time to write. Pitiful. I hope 2008 is a better year for regular habits. Christmas was good-- the kids liked everything they got, even though they didn't get everything they wanted. Nothing too dysfunctional happened at the Christmas Day brunch. Even dinner with my in-laws went well: I don't think I offended anybody for a change. Nice.
Abby got sick-- actually she got sick Saturday before Christmas, even asking to go home rather than continue shopping. She ran a fever but finally stopped on Tuesday. I took her to the doctor yesterday because she was now coughing, and they just said to give her the inhaler twice a day. An easy fix, for a change. Doesn't happen too often.
I've been hanging out mostly inside this week; no particular reason, just felt like it. Wednesday I met another minister who used to be here, then was in Eastern Kansas and now North Dakota conference. He told the story of how he was yanked around when he was trying to get his credentials back (had an affair, married the woman- surrendered the credentials) so he could move to N.D. Sounds like the games played are universal. I still say it makes no sense, when there's such a shortage of ministers. Why treat them like junk?
Which tempts me to rant again-- why does anybody care whether I am full time, when there aren't enough full time spots right now, and some people really need them? Seems like I'm an easy placement-- I don't have criteria, don't follow the career/salary track, but just want to be used as needed.
I've been slacking off a bit in my running lately. No real reason, but I am resolving to get at it intensely. I want to be running 25-30 miles per week by the end of January. Hopefully I can do this-- then it won't matter that my diet support people are gone. Can't believe that Pure Weight Loss is closing, and clients are not being transferred to LA Weight Loss. No explanations, either. I've got to figure out whether I can find my receipt and get the refund. Now what?
This is getting weirder and weirder.
All the news is covering is the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, who was killed we-don't-really-know-how, and kind of sitting in holding pattern, I think because they anticipate a move related to the new crisis in Pakistan soon. The Middle East is so screwed up it's unlikely to ever be peaceful. And the Presidential wannabes are getting annoying already. It's going to be a long eleven months til the election. Nobody seems to be too admirable lately.