December 30, the day of reckoning for the year.  Yes, a day early but it has become a tradition of sorts.  It's when I make the decision whether or not we have had a good year.

Now, normally by the end of thinking it over, I've decided it has been a good year.  I don't see that happening.  Let's go step by step through 2003 in the life of Suzy.

January:  We got home from Indiana, within a few days my Daddy was hospitalized with a severe infection.  Several major surgeries later, they were able to save his life, but we came very close to losing him. The rest of the month was spent chasing back and forth to the hospital and/or helping to take care of him.

He was in a hospital bed with an incision that ran across his entire pelvis, up his back and down one leg.  The incision was left open and packed to allow drainage and healing.

February: Daddy was rushed back to the hospital with an extremely low blood pressure.  He was bleeding to death from his stomach and had to have 11 units of blood before it slowed down and they were able to stabilize him.  He returned home to recover from his surgeries and from the blood loss.  

March: Daddy's still recovering, he also finds out my little brother will be a Dad in the summer.  Our car is dead and needs a new transmission.  We've already replaced the transmission in this car before.

In the world, we go to war in Iraq, which I do not agree with, at all.  I have multiple disagreements with family members over politics, which causes a lot of problems for sometime.

April: I turn 28, we buy a used minivan.  Daddy is still home recovering.  I make an ass of myself at our bar while celebrating my birthday.  

May: Daddy goes back to work, slowly but surely.  I sink into a bad depression.  The weather isn't helping as we have 2 days in the entire month where it doesn't rain.

June: We go camping, which is a good thing, our van, that we bought in April dies.  Tony spends much of the rest of the summer at his parents house so he can get back and forth to school.  Festival weekend, our normal party weekend, is okay, but different than in year's past.

Another highpoint in June is seeing the Dixie Chicks.  I love them, their music means a whole hell of a lot to me and I don't care what anyone else thinks about them.  

The last day of June I have an endometrial biopsy, which not only hurts very badly, but is to find out whether or not I have uterine cancer.

July: Same old, same old, Tony's gone most of the month, but we do celebrate the seventh anniversary of our first date.  I'm still in the throes of depression and trying to hide it from everyone.  Other family issues arise as we all get on one anothers nerves.

We go to see Tracey and Danny and have a blast, extending our trip an extra day.

I find out I don't have cancer, but do have hyperplasia and am scheduled to have another biopsy in the fall.

August: Hot as hell outside, we eventually buy another used van.  I end up with costachondritis and go through hell trying to find a doctor who will actually help me with the pain I'm in.  I ended up suffering through it.

The one bright spot in the month is the birth of my nephew, Tre, on the 14th.

September:  Hurricane Isabel destroys the town of Colonial Beach, tears our roof up, knocks trees down, and we lose water, power and phones for several days.  I sprain both my wrists, the day after the hurricane, when I fall.  My right wrist was severe, my left one not as bad. 

Tony's parents' truck takes its final gasping run.

October: Daddy is rehospitalized with a relapse of the first infection that started in January.  No surgeries, but a huge scare for all of us.

We celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary.  

November: My sister, Katie, gets full physical custody of Kyrsie, other than that, it's a blah month.

December:  Has been a fairly good month, other than all of us being sick this week.  Daddy is home again due to leg problems, but is recovering now.  
 

Throughout the year I've written very little as the depression stayed a long time.  Tony and I spent a lot of time apart, but our marriage is strong.  My family is pulling back together, now.  I've reconnected with my friends again.

Really, 2003 has been a shitty year overall.  Even using my normal points system of good things being worth much more points, the year has been dismal.  I've never looked more forward to seeing the calendar flip to a new year.  

I have hope for 2004. That the year will be better, my Daddy will be healthy, my family will be whole and happy, that our luck will be much improved.

I hope you all have a wonderful new year.
 Suzy Smith