The year of hell will soon be over

I'm having a party Dec. 6. That day, my year of hell will officially be over, and I'm going to celebrate. If anything else bad is going to happen, it needs to do it between now and Saturday, because I'm putting an official ban on bad things after that.

It all started with my granny's death on Dec. 5, 2007. I honestly thought her dying was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Even though it was terrible and it still hurts, losing Jenna was worse. I knew Granny had lived her life and was ready to go. Jenna never even had a chance. She was doomed from the start, which wasn't fair to her or to those who loved her.

Then, just two months after we lost her, I was unfairly fired from my job. Of course, after the hell my asshole ex-publisher has put me through for two years, this wasn't exactly the worst news. I just wish it had happened in a different way. Then, another person my asshole ex-publisher treated unfairly, my mentor, the man who hired me at the newspaper, who was like a surrogate grandfather to me, passed away. He was buried on Saturday, a cold, drizzly day. I wasn't working at the newspaper that day, of course, but Bob would have been proud to know they finished the paper in time for Betty, Rita, Larry and Justin to attend his funeral.

So, I'm officially done with bad news. After Saturday, I don't want to hear anything bad. I only want to hear about the good. I've banned bad things from happening in my life. I've had enough bad to last a lifetime in the last year, and I'm not going to allow anything else bad to happen.

Saturday, I'm going to have a party. I'm going to go out with my friends. I might even have a drink or two (depending on where I am in my cycle). I'm going to eat decadently, probably even some rich chocolate dessert.

I've decided to re-invent myself after this year of hell. I went Wednesday and had my hair cut really short (think Mia Farrow and Rosemary's Baby) and dyed a brownish red. I've lost 36 pounds, so none of my clothes fit very well anymore. I'm going to buy new clothes, younger, closer fitting clothes. I think I might even do that Saturday, too, and I'll take my friends with me. I'm no longer a mom and a Lifestyles editor. I'm a young, hip, fresh and cool mom who is an award-winning journalist and freelancer, who is staying at home to take care of her family.

On Saturday, I'll post a Woo-Hoo, It's Over Party thread. Please join me in a virtual celebration of the end of the year of hell.