An excerpt from a San Francisco Chronicle article pretty much sums it up for us over here. The article is headlined A look back at one of the worst years ever and starts like this:

“If there is good news for East Bay residents in 2009, it’s that the year is almost over. And if you are one of those poor souls who lost a home, a job – or both and then some – take comfort, friend, for you are a survivor of one of the worst years on record.”

Full article here if you’re interested.

I don’t need to read the whole thing. I am painfully aware of how difficult a year it’s been. More on the further twists and turns of 2009 for us over here in survivor-land later. For now, I’m going to make myself some hot chocolate spiked with brandy and think about how 2010 is just around the corner, and man, what a better year that will be.