Yes for me this was a crappy year. I can't remember one as bad as this. Maybe when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer when my daughter was just 6 months old. That was a bad year, but the difference with that year and 2008 is that at least we thought Mary would beat it or as what happened to us, learned to live with it. Anyway, instead of giving you some sappy predictions, here's why 2008 was a crappy year for me.
- January was probably the only decent month. Dad was still alive, the Giants go to the Super Bowl and eventually win, and Senator McCain pulls out astonishing wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida. Besides those wins, January turns out to be probably my busiest month with all of those elections to run through in such a short period of time.
- February through April was not fun especially looking back on what happens later in June. Sure the Giants win the Super Bowl and McCain locks up the nomination, but I worked around the clock heading into Super Tuesday on February 5th and I watched my Dad's health deteriorate quickly. I was in meetings with his doctors and watched him beg to be included into the bone marrow transplant program at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. I also witnessed him being mistreated by that crappy hospital and if I ever get sick, I NEVER want to go there. Dad had the transplant and survived, but probably because I was going all out during the political season I missed some signs on how critical he really was.
- May and then June were horrible. We at the McCain campaign missed several opportunities to change our digital strategy and build out local GOTV functions. Plus, my father gets out of the hospital, files for divorce and before he can get through that, he dies at the end of June.
- July and August usually such good times for my family spent living and working down the shore were all just a blur. I inherited legal issues, a company, an office building in Union, and then Dad's death. The campaign and the agency were quite good to me during this period, but to be blunt I was in no shape to help on anything. My mind didn't start to clear up until the second week in July, but the summer was ruined.
- September and October didn't even seem to register. It was politics 24/7 and I couldn't really enjoy anything else including football games and my son's soccer games. Seriously even planning for Halloween didn't occur. Plus the stock market blows up as does the housing industry; thus preventing me from selling my Dad's house down the shore for a decent payday.
- November - after three years of working for Senator McCain it was all over with the loss. I'm not bitter about it; losing to Mitt Romney during the Primary Season would have been far worse for me.
- December comes out way too fast because of the rest of the year. I also look at myself in the mirror and realize I'm too fat. Working around the clock eating crappy foods and then drinking and eating too much left me too fat. Not too fat to fish, but too fat to put on my speedos. The only good news is that we are at Disney for the end of the year, getting the chance to enjoy Walt's vision for Main Street USA. If a week at Disney can't put a smile on my face, nothing will.
2008 was just a rotten year for me. I really have high hopes for 2009....
PardonMyFrench,
Eric
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