Looking back, going forward

My calendar is telling me that it is almost fall and almost one year since we started working in Broken Bow. Fall is probably the best season in Nebraska and today is especially beautiful. Clear sunny skies but with that brisk tinge to the air that allows for wearing comfortable sweaters. It also means I get to watch football on a Sunday afternoon and the weather is so nice that even though I'm watching the Raiders I'm still smiling. One year, as any adult will tell you, is an incredibly long time that passes in the blink of an eye. Generally, we save these "reflections upon the past year" diatribes for December, but I thought one year of living and working in Broken Bow was a good time to assess progress and write down what I've learned.

1. You've got to make your own fun.
2. We've endured a year of presidential campaigns and we're still nowhere close to figuring out what to do.
3. It takes a long time for untrained laborers to build a simple patio.
4. The Smartest Man You Know didn't have a lot to say in 2008.
5. @katgautreaux has staggering Twitter output.
6. People from Jamaica are fast. No, I mean really fast.
7. Everyone says they want the election to be about the policy, but once again it's not.
8. The new patio looks awesome.

There's probably some other lessons like don't pick your carrots too early, Seattle is pretty in the summer, and Ruby is smarter than a dog, and easier to train.