Yoi Otoshi Wo

Here we are. December 31st.

Just, you know, to clarify: OMFG. IT'S THE LAST DAY OF 2010. OMG OMG OMG. CELEBRATION.

I have already said so on my Twitter (and Facebook), so why not say it here as well? 2010 has been the best year of my life. I stumbled onto a career path, moved out of the comfort of the parent's home and into a vast new world that I've begun to carve a place for myself into, and... found myself. I guess, after all is said and done, after years of introspective blog posts and endless self-searching, I'm finally starting to see the real me. It doesn't scare me like I thought it would. I feel that maybe I'll turn out okay. More than okay - that I'll turn out great. I not only hope, I know that on December 31st, 2011, I'll sit at this computer (or possibly a shiny upgrade) and write, "Forget boring old 2010 - THIS YEAR was the best year of my damn life!" That thrills me like you have no idea how much.

Work's good, slower in our kitchens than usual because, at the end of the year, every potential customer is at home for New Years, rather than booking the banquet halls. This works well, since about two thirds of the Main Kitchens'staff are taking the first three days of New Years off. Those of us who are staying only need to deal with the prepwork for our restaurants - which are ridiculously busy, no days off for those poor souls - and then get to go home early. Bazinga!

At least four people came in with supersized hangovers today. They provided us sane, sober people with much amusement - especially one adorable guy who literally staggered into the kitchen this morning, dropped to his knees with the only parts of him showing above the counter being his mussed hair and one hand clutching his coffee like a lifeline, and eyed me lugubriously for about three minutes before mustering up the strength to say "...I'm hungover".

Chef T, God that he is, came up with the ultimate hangover cure: a glorious end-of-the-year traditional spread for lunch that he made especially for all of us in the Main Kitchen. He even had us lock all entrances so that cooks from other kitchens couldn't come in and be all jealous. (hee! we special!) Hot somen noodles loaded with veggies and shabu meat, shrimp tempura, exquisite duck that made me melt into a puddle on the first bite (to the excitement of my coworkers - those boys, honestly...), so good! Soooo good! Hangovers vanished. Moods certainly improved, my tender eardrums attest to that. It was like miracle tempura or something.


Exhibit A: Monkeys.

Anyway, anecdote over, back to the subject of this post. You know what I wished for, exactly a year ago, while I clapped my hands and rang the bell at the jinja? Three things. One, that I would find a career and a good job. Check. Two, that I would find GENUINE happiness in something besides family and food (which, hah, ironic). Check. Three... hasn't come true yet, so I won't say lest I jinx it - I won't be going to the jinja this year, we Rudows appear to have caught the plague and are all stuck indoors this New Years, so last year's wishes will have to carry me through into 2011. Not that I'm worried.

So that's the way 2010 will end for me. Wrapped in a sparkling package of satisfaction and fulfillment, and carefully preserved on my shelf of memories. Or, to cut the artsy-fartsy BS, carved into the stone of the Internet so that even if I start dabbling with heroin and lose my mind, I'll still be able to look back on this post and think, "Whoa. 2010 was that good? Righteous, man!"

Anyway! Dear, beloved, wonderful reader (to whom I am most likely related either by blood or forced marriage), you are the reason I continue to blog (although narcissism is also a big part). Thank you for your moral support, your cheers and faithful feedback, your words of advice and sometimes plain simple silliness. Yoi Otoshi Wo Omukae Kudasai. May this new year you are greeting be good.

(PS for those that got this far, because what would New Years be without a cliffhanger?: I'm going to Hiroshima for two days next month, on someone else's dime, for a secret meeting about another secret totally awesome thing happening next year, and I'm not going to say anything about it yet! Nyahahahaha!! I Am Amanda's Unbearable Smugness!!!!!!)