Happy New Year, Tucson

My New Year’s wishes are the following in no particular order: that Bookman’s move closer to my place instead of farther when they leave their Campbell and Grant location, that I will have successful classes at Yoga Oasis, that I get to eat at The Dish at least once, but generally eating out will involve more picnics and less money, that gang related violence will end, that people will stop dying in the desert, that generally there won’t be so much inequality (from the foothills to the south side), that our wedding will be a blast AND we will be able to start saving to buy a house (fat chance), that I will shop more at Food City and less at Safeway, even though it is so nice and new, that I will make a difference in my students' lives, that I will not get so pissed off when strangers take my spot in the parking lot during football games, that I will enjoy and stick to the next semester of Latin Dance and remember all the moves from last semester that I can never remember at parties, that I will develop a better breast stroke, that I will hike many new trails, that I will pass my exams, that I will put on a photo expo at Espresso Art, that I will spend plenty of time sharing this lovely city with friends and family, that I will finally have a karaoke engagement party, that I will get drunk at Kon Tiki, that I will go on many Arizona road trips including one to Lake Havasu so I can finally see the London Bridge, that I will go to many good shows like Lila Downs in March, that I will get some good plants from the Tanque Verde Swap Meet, that my mail carrier will stop kicking down the dog gate even though I made her cookies last Christmas, that I will have much success at thrift stores and Buffalo Exchange will finally take some of my clothes, that I will not get any more cavities and floss more, and a host of other wishes that have even less to do with Tucson but more to do with my personal goals…