As Cindy and the kids call it a night, I thought I'd close out 2008 recalling some of the memorable events of the past year here at Chateau McDougal:

• It certainly was a rough year at work. My mother retires, my brother gets his hours cut, my Dad is laid off for the first time in his life. Where once we had six family members at the same job, now we have two.
• We made a lot of improvements on the house. The living room, dining room, and back bathroom are remodeled.
• Liam's emergency surgeries, Cindy's unexpected hospital stays, and my neck gave us brief scares.
• We managed to take our first vacation without the kids.
• Both of the kids picked up new foods to eat.
• Doctor Benson fixed my torn rotator cuff without any invasive surgery.
• We nimbly dodged Ike & Gustav.
• I read a lot of books.
• I watched a lot of movies.
  
• And Tales From The Eye was able to hit #1 for a Google query. (If only briefly.)

Not such a bad year, all things considered.