I've always had a problem with odd-numbers...1-3-5-7-9-etc. etc. and that extends to odd-numbered years. Oh sure, I was born in an odd-numbered year and 3/4 of my children and 3/4 of my grandchildren were too. That in itself should tell me that really good things happen associated with odd-numbers.

But I've been told that my lucky number is 4 and I kind of cancelled the odd-numbered year of my birth out by being born on 2/14.

The fact remains, though, that those odd-numbered school years were killers (first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh grades)...I can tell you more yucky stories about each of those grades than the calm and soothing second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades combined.

So I enter this new year 2007 with some trepidation. It feels just slightly off-balance so far. It's a rainy day here in DC and the plans I'd made for the day are slightly askew, alerting me to the fact that my desire for even-ness and balance in all things is merely just a dream and not reality and that I just need to deal with it.

On the other hand, I'm an eternal optimist and with the arrival of January 1st of each year, I remain genuinely grateful for this new day in this new year.