As the oh-ohs (2000 – 2009) wind down, it seems fitting to consider how much our lives have changed over the past decade.

It’s mind-boggling that some of the technology we now take for granted didn’t even exist back in 2000. (I still remember my friend Derek showing me his shiny new iPod in early 2002 and telling me it would revolutionize how we listened to music. I was dubious; he was right.)

Of course, not all of the decade’s milestones were so benign. The oh-ohs also brought us 9/11, the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia, the 2004 Christmas-eve tsunami, and the Lehman Brothers collapse. We also saw Saddam Hussein hanged and Martha Stewart sent to prison.

And what about Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected governor? You couldn’t have made this stuff up. (And I’ve got to admit, I think Gov. S is actually doing a pretty fine job.)

Want to stroll further down Memory Lane? The folks at Newsweek have compiled an excellent 7-minute synopsis of the decade. I wish they’d also mentioned the 35W bridge collapse, but I supposed you can’t include everything.

Esteban and I have been extraordinarily fortunate to escape the oh-ohs relatively unscathed. But tonight, as we ring in a new decade, I’ll toast to the friends who have not been so lucky.

May 2010 bring happiness and good health.

Happy new year, and ¡feliz año nuevo!