2008: The Year of ...

Pause life, rewind one year, press play, and you'll hear this conversation that took place between me and my friend, Bunna Veth.

Him: 2008 needs to be a year of quality. The best year yet.
Me:(Toasting) Agreed. To 2008, the year of quality.

The year has passed and it's time to account for the quality of the year. Was 2008 a good enough year to be named a year of quality? Or will 2008 be remembered as something far worse?

Lets take a look.

SPORTS
An improved golf game was one of the few goods thing to occur during a year in which my brother Eric and my roomate Nathan both swore off sports due to poor performance by their favorite teams. Kobe Bryant's 96 free throws led the Lakers over the Jazz in the playoffs, with the highlight of the series being Phil Jacksons' complaints that the Jazz mascot was trying to gas the Laker players with motorcyle exhaust before tip off. BYU football fans had to double check just to make sure the Cougar defense was on the field during ugly losses to Arizona, TCU, and Utah. Underage gymnasts prevailed in China, while Mr. Phelps set new swimming standards.
Level of quality: Mediocre

POLITICS
When faced to choose between a P.O.W and a rockstar, the American nation sided with the rocker. Of course, the other options weren't that hot either: Bill Clinton 2.0, a guy with a last name of Huckabee, and some religious economist. Where's Ross Perot when you really need him? Journalist Dave Barry suggested that if McCain had known about the existence of the internet before September, the race would have been a bit closer. Regardless, Obama prevailed. Homosexuality did not.
Level of quality: Acceptable

ECONOMY

Level of quality: Abysmal

WORK
Sandwhiched between two semesters of enjoyable work at Hillcrest Elementary was a four month stint working at Westridge Golf Course. Though our co-workers were scum and the early wake up was atrocious, Nathan and I did manage to become state certified in checkerboard lawnmowing and sandtrap weeding.
Level of quality: Above par

SCHOLASTICS
Classes grew more and more boring, if possible. Meanwhile, tax law set the new precedent for most hated subject.A comical scholarship application nets a few free dollars for next semester's books.
Level of quality: Reasonable

GIRLS
It was a good year for dating, especially if your name happens to be Climps. The cat managed to bring home a new cat-friend almost weekly during the summer, and that despite having been mauled by a dog in May. Apparently girls find scars attractive.
Level of quality: Admirable


The jury (me) took a long time to decide this one, but after all is said and done, I must declare that although 2008 had some quality-filled moments, it will not go down in history as the year of quality. Instead, it will remembered as the year of...

Expenses.

That's right, if there is one thing to remember about 2008, it's how much money I spent. Money for food. Money for cat food. Money on girls. Money on gas. The list goes on. Never were prices higher for such staples as bread, pizza, and slurpees.

Jerry Seinfeld once claimed that cheapness is not a sense. Though cheapness may not be a sense, it was definitely a crucial survival skill for lasting until 2009. And now that we've almost made it to 2009, I have but one thing left to say:

To 2009. The year of quality.