2003: MY YEAR IN REVIEW
And now, here are a few of the highlights (and a lowlight or two) from my past year. 'Cause I know you care.

First, and most obvious, 2003 was the year I launched The Rob Log, bringing joy to... er... four or five people. I also received my first two royalty checks, and learned some harsh new realities about the publishing world. Friends of mine saw their books published, and I made some new friends through the wonderful world of web logs and the close brotherhood of Kensington Publishing writers. Not to mention the readers who became friends. Yes, I'm talking to you in Montral and El Paso and San Antonio and Ottawa and Belgium and Los Angeles and Malaysia and Tucson. (You in Key West sort of scared me.)

Oh, yeah, and I also finished my manuscript for Trust Fund Boys. Yay, me.

It was the year in which I slipped away from a seedy bar for a tryst in a hotel room with a stranger from out of town, and ended up falling in love. So, yes, sleazy anonymous sex proved its purpose in life once again. When, oh when, will you good people listen to me?

It was the year in which I suffered through incredible (and self-induced) poverty, paying foir the excesses (literally!) of my past. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the fact that after a few years of mostly rent-free coasting, 2003 was the year in which I started shelling out $2,000 a month for an apartment. But the cavalry always seemed to show up in the nick of time, so I won't whine about that now.

Professionally, this was the year in which Gridlock Sam called me 'quirky' in the Daily News... I showed up in a party photo in Gotham Magazine (or so I'm told; I never actually saw the picture)... I had quotes and profiles in more community newspapers than I could count...

Personally, this was the year in which my brother made me a first-time uncle... I learned to smoke outside... Michael and Karen unleashed 16 new iterations of Gashole... I turned 45... that other Michael and I launched Townhouse Tuesdays...

All in all, it's been a good year. And 2004 promises to be better. Stick around for the ride!