And so ends 2008.

Today is December 31, 2008. On this last day, I wanted to share with you some of the highs and not-so-highs of the year. I guess the logical place to start would be at home.

The economy tanked. In NYC, where business is driven by financial services and tourism, the city tanked. Bears Stearns and Lehman Brothers went under. Merrill Lynch was sold and most of the 35,000 employees will be impacted somehow. Wachovia was forced to sell itself, first to Citibank and thankfully by the grace of God, we were snatched from its clutches by Wells Fargo. Linens & Things, Kay-B Toys and countless others closed or lost their jobs. In addition to what ails Wall Street and 5Th Avenue, you have Madison Ave hurting as well. Friends tell me many layoffs and restructurings are happening in the advertising business. And one of the stalwarts recession-proof industries is being slammed as well--health care. So the pain has been lingering and growing and shared all around.

It did not help that we had a leadership vacuum in this country with a non-president who spent a third of this tenure either traveling or on vacation. It did not help that greed by Wall Street (fat bonuses for approving deals that should not have been approved to begin with) and OPEC ($150 a barrel was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back) got so greedy that now they are learning what is meant when we say payback is a BITCH! One good thing that came out of this is that I am no longer into driving as much. the spike in gas prices forever changed my commuting habits! Mass transit baby!--All the way!!

Schemers like Maydoff not only stole $50 billion from the rich, banks and corporations but also caused major not-for-profit foundations and agencies to collapse because their investments were totally wiped out. Greedy oil companies like PETRO that locked in customers with contracts in the end of the summer have lost many long term customers (like me) because they would not take a short term hit in terms of the contract for long term gains and customer loyalty (more on that in the next blog). Real estate properties have lost so much value that some people owe a mortgage that is more than the value of the home. Not so regretfully, it is a buyer's market.

If you had an IRA or 401k/403b account, you have probably suffered a 15-35% drop in the account. My advice is unless you are retiring in the next five years, stay the course. Some people did not follow my advice and suffered major losses. Same applied to the stock market. You had to have a strong stomach for these types of gyrations and cannot panic when things do not go your way. So much for economics...

Personally it was mixed bag... I still have some wonderful friendships that continue t make it year after year (cousin Raul, bff Roger, the great Marylee, my boy Leo, always Cheryl, Armando, through thick and thin Deborah, Reese, Vic, Tsui-man, TK & Todd), made new ones that I value and cherish (William, Annette, Frankie, Lillian and most especially Rodney and Mateo) and reconnected with old (Meredith, Red, Demetric, Lisa, Michael, Kohl-man and Tino). These are people that I try to regularly connect with and in some manner or another have an impact in my life. I am grateful for them being a part of my day and value them greatly. We may not all speak everyday but they are in my heart and thoughts constantly. On the flip side there are some that were lost and some just not worth it pursuing. While I will not mention them, IF they choose to read this, they know who they are (think CUT OFF... LOL) Life is about enjoying it and in 2009 I commit to starting fresh and not let garbage from the past taint my future.

We had some bad things happen. William was a victim of a home invasion and his roommate was assaulted (he posted a blog on it if you wish to read it: ). It was the first time i personally knew someone affected by this form of crime and it was disheartening to see the effect on someone as nice as William. We had losses in our family and the world lost great talents like Heath Ledger, Issac Hayes and Harvey Korman. Meredith lost her job when the foundation that hired her lost ALL its assets in the Madoff ponzi scam. She is smart and beautiful and motivated so I know she will land on her feet. Roger has weathered some serious challenges at home and at work and it seems like he is finally getting beyond it. Many of my friends have lost their jobs and are now desperately seeking employment elsewhere. I wanted to go whitewater rafting in PA, biking in Bear Mountain and down Riverside Drive and on the Haunted Halloween Hayride... none of them happened. Financially many are troubled. I would describe mine as stable. In love, it was not a good year. Stepped up to the plate twice and both times it did not work out... it is said the third time is a charm. Lets hope.

Some good things did happen. Citibank did not buy us, Wells Fargo did so that's OK for now. I still have my home and my place in PR, so that's good. Made new friends and I reacquainted with old. Still got my car and I have a chance at finally buying a place in 2009 so that would be great. Health-wise, 2008 did great--lost 15 lbs and and hoping 2009 will be my banner year aiming for another 10 lbs. Visited a lot of nice eateries in NY and I am committing to writing more about them in 2009. I went to Puerto Rico for most of my travels in 2008. I had the pleasure of having friends visit me and it was great to share some of the pleasures of Casa Rivera with them. I was lucky to have friends like Roger and Leo by my side (as I was there by them too) Leo got married to Michelle in October and it was a beautiful wedding by the seashore in Puerto Rico. Roger finally got that long and well deserved promotion--kudos to him. I intend to travel sometime in February to Puerto Rico and maybe I will get swept way too. hehehe. I think given the state of the economy I will hold off any major changes until things stabilize in 2010.

The Freedom Tower was begun and apartments in NYC are finally beginning to come down. I love it. Accountability is key everywhere and I think we will be seeing more and more of it. I became an instructor in Financial Literacy and I have enjoyed teaching the classes. In 2009, I hope to reach out to more. Vanessa had a bouncing baby girl and the last I heard was that both mother and daughter were doing fine. Mateo has fixed his place up nicely and is in the last stages of the renovation of his place. It is beautiful (pics will follow when completed). The last item to be done in Casa Rivera will be handled also in 2009 and I will be finally done.

And so ends 2008--good riddance to a horrible year that caused so much pain and angst to so many people. Good bye to the year that caused many to loose their homes, whole families become homeless, increased unemployment, hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world. So long to a year that brought out the worst in people because of jealousy, insecurity, greed, maliciousness and avarice. Farewell to a year that destroyed our pride and self esteem and undid centuries of tradition, work and hope for the future.

So lets hope that 2009 will allow us in the long road ahead to recovery. May the new year bring you all lots of happiness, health and success to you and your families. And I hope that we will continue to grow and share in all the wonderful experiences waiting for us in the future! May those who erred in the past learn the correct way in life and instead of hurting or attacking, may they recognize their missteps, ask for a new start and move ahead in life. Happy new year's to all!