This that and the other

As Christmas draws near and the year comes to a close, it's always fun to take a look back and a glance forward.
Here are some highlights from my 2008:

1) Attending the Papal Mass at National's Stadium in Washington, D.C. Only one way to describe it: Holy Awesome!

2) Hanging out with the President: I'm a reporter at a suburban newspaper just outside D.C., about 20 miles or so from the nation's capital, so its always a cool thing to get to report on the President. Got to do that a couple of times this year -- on Sept. 11 for the memorial service at the Pentagon and at the final T-Ball on the South Lawn fame of President Bush's administration.

3) Still on the reporting front: Seeing families reunited after their loved ones returned from serving oversees was joyful. Tearful were the departure ceremonies that I reported on.

4) Hanging out with family and friends at the beach, dinners out, conversation, reading good books -- the little things that we forget that make life meaningful.