2014 in review

Another year is coming to an end, so I suppose I should take a look back at this year, although I might not want to.  From a professional standpoint, I didn't do anywhere near as much writing as I would have like to this year.  I started several stories, and I even started a new novel, but I only finished two stories.  The simple fact is that I don't have enough time to write.  At the moment, our financial situation is a bit grim, which means I have to focus more on editing and game design because I see the money from those endeavors more quickly than I do from writing.
As an editor, I saw the release of Taurin Tales this year, and I also completed A Robot, a Cyborg, and a Martian Walk into a Space Bar, which will be released in just over two weeks. And from the game design perspective, I wrote a lot of supplements for the Ephemeris RPG. Most of these were written early in the year before I had to go back into the "real" work world.
On a personal level, 2014 was mostly a good year.  The kids continue to grow and I'm very proud of most of the things they're doing.  Marriage is still bliss.  I couldn't ask for a better partner to navigate the harshness of reality with.
The biggest downer of the year has been our deteriorating financial situation.  Alexis had surgery early in the year, and even though she was insured, the bills have been outrageous.  We're still paying a little bit each month, and hoping to keep them off of our backs until we get our tax return.  We quickly learned that just one of us working wasn't enough to pay our bills, so I had to go back into the "real" work world.  Rebecca is still hoping to get promoted at some point in the coming year, but until then, things will be a struggle.  Sadly, rent and other bills go up by a much larger percentage than the annual raise she saw...and that's how it always seems to be.  This, to me, seems to be the main reason why we're seeing a shrinking of the middle class.
2015 will hopefully be a good year, we have big plans...we just have to come up with the means to make all of those plans a reality...
Happy New Year, everyone. See you in 2015!