Wow, now it's 2003; I guess it'll take me again about four weeks until I manage to write that day instead of "2002" whenever I sign something at work.

The Party-for-people-unwilling-to-party at mamoru's was fun; I went there with mareen who'd been staying with me since Sunday. Finally, I could spread the 'Firefly' virus even further! <eg> At mamoru's, we ate raclette, watched too much TV and played guessing games. At midnight, we only almost incinerated mamoru's apartment (in contrast to Jenny's father whose guests did manage to blow up his hi-fi system due to some fire-crackers exploding into the wrong direction).

I even have a certain New Year's resolution this time! I won't write it down here, though, because this way, I just might actually succeed in fulfilling it. ;-)

On a more somber note:

My parents had planned to celebrate with two couples they'd been friends with a long time. The first couple had to cancel a few days before because the husband ripped a tendon during tennis.

My parents just called me a few minutes ago to tell me that they'd had to celebrate the New Year all on their own. The second couple had begged off, too, just a few hours before they should have arrived, because... their daughter and her boyfriend had been involved in a traffic accident. Their car got hit on the passenger side; I don't think it was their fault. The boyfriend had evidently called her parents with her screaming in pain in the background, telling them they'd better come fast to the hospital because it didn't look like she would make it. She didn't.

My brother and I used to play with her and her sister when we were all little. She was one and a half years older than me. Her name was Kerstin. I used to loathe the fact that she was pretty, a natural blonde and had many friends. I still can't believe it, how in just a couple of hours a whole life can be... extinguished like that. I don't dare to imagine how her parents and boyfriend feel. I'd like to be at the funeral, but with the distance between here and there, I won't be able to make it.

What a wonderful 2003.