Back in November, a friend of mine told me an old Yiddish joke, wherein a very unhappy farmer goes to see his rabbi to complain about his crowded home. “It’s very simple,” the rabbi tells him. “Take one of your goats and bring it inside with you.” The next week, the farmer comes back and complains of his overcrowded home yet again. “It’s very simple,” the rabbi tells him. “Take the goat and put it out in the pasture.” Two days later, the farmer returns. “Rabbi! You’re a genius! We’ve never had so much room!”
At the time my friend told me the joke, he had just recovered from a weekend cold and was thrilled at his return to health. Less than a week later, I contracted a goat of my own - some combination of allergies (caused, I have since learned, by my now-former apartment) and illness.
Now, roughly two months later, I find it hard to believe it’s nearly the end of January already. Somewhere between a perpetual battle with the original goat and his numerous siblings, a major move in-process, and (life is tough) a trip to Mexico, I seem to have lost all sense of time. Or perhaps it’s the new phase of life I’ve entered - freelancing is a great way to lose your grip on reality, as time is now measured by intermittent interviews and random deadlines. Throw in a few international phone calls and the clock on the wall literally becomes irrelevant.
In any event, I am thrilled to have made it to 2008, albeit with Billy in tow. May the coming year bring you love, laughter, and only the littlest of farm animals.