2009 Has Arrived. . .

. . . and what an interesting year this is going to be.

Besides all the turmoil that's going on within the economic and the political worlds, several things are in the cards for me this year, at least as of now:

1. Eric will become a father around the end of February, first of March. He and his bride Sarah are having a little boy, Jakob William, who will also be, for the time being, anyway, the fifth-generation only son on this branch of the Long Family Tree.

2. Colleen will become a mom to baby number five sometime near my birthday at the beginning of April. They still haven't decided on a name yet. . . but are mulling over several possibilities.

3. For about two month's time, Colleen will be exactly half my age. Only time in our lives that this will ever happen. Have to wait until 2015 before Eric reaches the same point, which will last for almost three months.

4. My business is hanging in there, but may have to make some serious considerations about the service levels I'm providing and corresponding pricing structures in order to stay profitable in this weird economic climate.

And so the New Year begins!