I don't get men. I seriously am convinced that they are a completely different breed and that there's no way we'll ever understand them. I never wrote about my New Year's Eve so here's a brief synopsis. My friend Lisa and her boyfriend Dan came with me to meet a small group of friends at Prohibition on the Upper West Side. Dan brought a few friends with him, including Zach, who I'd met a few weeks prior and who is rather good looking.

Zach's mother had passed away less than a week prior and we all wanted to make sure he had a good time. We hung out the entire night and he was extremely charming. Our group dwindled and he and I stayed until the bar closed. He made me feel beautiful and complimented me the entire night. He insisted that we see each other again, and confessed that he could see himself falling for me. Obviously I was skeptical and had no expectations, especially knowing what he is currently going through. And we had also just met. But he was Dan's best friend so regardless, I assumed he was a good guy.

When we parted ways — the following morning — I was a bit surprised that he didn't ask for my number. It's always a bit awkward the morning after, so I figured he'd ask Dan for my number since he'd suggested plans during the week. He didn't call and he didn't ask Dan for my number.

So I see Zach at Dan's a while later, and I say hello but don't stay around to chat. I knew he was going through a lot and I didn't want to make him uncomfortable. A little bit later I saw him put on his coat to leave. I suggested that he stay for a little to hang out and he said he had to be up early the next morning and that we'd see each other again. I couldn't help myself and said "Considering you didn't ask for my number, I highly doubt that we'll be seeing each other".

As 2008 began, a lot of us made resolutions that we truly hope to keep. Aside from the typical, "I will lose 10 pounds," my resolutions have more to do with my emotional well-being.

I will not put so much pressure on myself.

I will not live by a schedule — I will be less anal retentive.

I will be more aware of the things I say and how they can be interpreted.

I will stop telling people how fat I am and how much weight I gained.

I will continue to think positively and I will continue to be open-minded.

I will be true to myself.

I will take a deep breath when I start to feel anxious and learn to appreciate being single.

I will add more culture to my life and spend less time shopping.

I will learn to stay in on a weekend to unwind and catch up on "me" time rather than partying till all hours of the night.

I will learn to call it a night before 4 a.m. on a weekend.

I will not send drunk text messages to guys.

I will start to save money again.

I will use my divorce as a template for all the things I know I can't live without in a relationship.

I will remember that people are who they are and for the most part will not change.

I will not stress out if someone does not call when they say they will.

I will stop comparing people to Steve and instead focus on what I am looking for.

I will stay positive.

I won't sweat the small stuff.

As 2007 comes to an end, I am grateful for a new year. I'm happy to rid myself of my daily planner that had all of my plans with Steve written throughout it. I'm looking forward to starting 2008 fresh, with a positive outlook that it will be a wonderful year.

Last year made me realize how strong I am, showed me how to keep things in perspective and enabled me to be more open-minded. It made me realize that although I am divorced, I'm fortunate for so many other things in my life. Although my life will never be the same, I believe and understand that the future can hold so much more.

I've formed new friendships, met some wonderful people, and learned how to date again. It has made my bond with my parents even stronger than I ever thought possible and it's allowed me to help friends who are going through the beginning stages of what I've been through. It has made me look back on the things I've done and the things that I was willing to accept. I know what I want for my future. It's all much clearer now.

This is the year that my friends and I turn 30. Although I know there are certain things I won't accomplish that I thought I would by the time I turned 30, I know there's plenty of time. I know all my goals will get accomplished. I will get re-married. I will buy a home in the suburbs. I will have children. I will do all the things that I always planned to do. It just will take a bit longer.

Goodbye 2007. I am ready for a new beginning.

Sometimes I feel that my single friends overlook the fact that I'm having a difficult time being single and dating again. They say that at least I've experienced love and found someone to settle down with. They look at my divorce and think that just because it was amicable and happened so fast, that it wasn't such a big deal.

They don't understand what it's like to have someone walk out on you after you've invested over six years with them. They don't have to deal with the endless pictures of the guy who broke their heart that appear when they least expect it. They don't understand the lump in your throat every time you say "Mazel Tov" to a newly engaged couple. And they certainly don't understand having relatives call to congratulate you on being a new aunt, following it up with, "I know this was your plan with Steve... are you holding up ok?"

I sometimes think that when I turn to them for advice or to vent about my dating struggles, they don't have as much compassion since they've been single for much longer than I have. What they forget is that I've never dated before and that learning how to date at 29 is hard -- especially in a city like New York where the word "competition" is an understatement.

There are so many single, successful, attractive, independent women in the city. It's a man's dream come true. Seriously, look around. Fat, unattractive men are with stunning women. Short men are with Amazon women. Nerdy guys are with super models. I'm not being shallow, I'm merely observing what I see as I walk down the streets of Manhattan.

It's hard not to think that maybe these women are with them for money, or that they married for status -- so they could be a doctor's wife or a lawyer's wife. I didn't marry for money or for looks, although I take full credit for Steve's metamorphosis into a very good looking guy. I married for love and that was all that mattered.

I attended the funeral of a very dear friend's grandfather recently. He was 85 years old and he and his wife had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Their love affair lasted longer than most people ever get to experience in their lifetime. They were each other's soul mate and the one great love of each other's lives. He was a wonderful man.

I can't help but wonder what will be said about me when my time comes. Will I have found the one great love of my life? I truly loved Steve and wonder if I will ever love someone as much as I loved him. Will someone consider me the great love of his life? Will I be remembered as a good person? Will I have children and grandchildren who could look back on my life and say that I was a role model for them? Will I be remembered as showing my family how to love unconditionally and being able to teach them that they can do anything that they set their minds to? Will I be able to pass on the values that my parents and grandparents instilled in me?

In 60 years, I will be close to 90 years old if I am still alive. Although realistically that is a lifetime from now, I have often envisioned how I would be eulogized. Would they say, "She lived an unfulfilled life and never had children of her own," or "She was lucky in life but not in love," or "She leaves behind her four cats and two dogs who she adored as if they were her children."

Apparently, the new trend with men these days is something I like to refer to as "The Houdini Act." It usually occurs about a month into dating. One day they wine you and dine you, and the next day they disappear. No note, no explanation, no nothing. They just don't return calls and don't call you.

I knew from the beginning that Shawn was not of the mindset that marriage and children were his calling. But he said he could be proven wrong, said that he felt a connection with me and still continued to see me. The last time we saw each other was good. We relaxed, ordered in sushi and had a bottle of wine. He left three days later for Costa Rica and as far as I can tell, he decided to move there permanently. I called him to see how his trip was and he never called me back. He also must have forgotten that we had dinner plans this evening.

I would think at this stage in our lives, people would be adults and grow up. My friend Melissa experienced a similar Houdini Act recently. She met Barry at a friend's birthday and they spent a month together filled with funny e-mail exchanges, dates, and great conversation. At the one month time period, he said they needed to slow things down a bit. As far as Melissa knows, Barry may have moved to Japan since it has now been a month since their "talk" and she has yet to hear from him. Or maybe Shawn and Barry have found each other and no longer need Melissa and me.

So maybe all the good ones are taken and all we're left with are the ones who have issues, or the ones that some girl tossed aside...and now they're retaliating!

Shawn was away for the weekend and called me when he got back to see if we were still on for dinner last night. After spending the entire night in the hospital and not sleeping, I was exhausted.

I wanted to see him but explained that I was extremely tired and wanted to see if I could interest him in nap time. He thought it sounded like a great idea. He came over, gave me a big hug and kiss and told me I looked beat. We literally slept for two hours. It was very much needed and it was nice to lay there in his arms.

When we woke up, he asked if I was motivated enough to go out for dinner. We both were so comfortable that we decided to order in sushi and open a bottle of wine. It was a really relaxing evening — I am definitely enjoying spending time with him. He's warm, he's funny and he treats me well. I do, however, need to be wary since I know how he feels about getting married and having children.

He gives every indication that he likes me. Before he left, we made plans to have dinner the following week. He was leaving for a bachelor party and we were both booked for the beginning of the week. Although I'm dating other people — which we have not discussed — I have spent more time with him than anyone else since Steve. I'm kind of liking him.

I'm in love. I don't know how it happened but it did.

OK, he's on the short side and a bit small but he's the most amazing thing in the whole wide world. I became an aunt today and I'm totally head over heels. He's the most beautiful baby boy I have ever seen and I swear it's not just because he's my nephew.

It's weird. I truly loved my niece and nephew, who were Steve's sister's children, and spent a great deal of time with them. But this is different. I think there is a different feeling when it's your own sibling's children.

The look on my brother's face as he held his son melted my heart. He is a changed man. As I look at my nephew, I am filled with happiness and love.

I'm looking forward to teaching him new things and spending as much time with him as I can. My life has just changed and it's for something wonderful. I'm so happy my family has something to be happy about, and someone else to focus on and worry about.

My nephew's birth has made the end of 2007 an amazing time for the Rosenthal family. I can't stop smiling.

My friend Sara set me up with her co-worker's friend, Tom. She's never met him before but has been told that he's a great guy — good family, went to a good school, and he's a doctor. However, she saw a picture of him and said he wasn't really my type.

He was given a picture of me and said he'd be interested in being set up. I thought that seeing a picture in advance could lead to pre-judgment and decided that I didn't want to know what he looked like.

We spoke on the phone and had a great conversation and decided to meet for dinner. I'm glad I didn't see a picture. He completely was not my type — light hair, goatee, a bit on the bigger side. We did, however, have a really good time.

After dinner, we decided to grab a few drinks at a bar close by. He was very funny and was extremely nice. He hailed me a cab and offered to drop me off, even though we were around the corner from his apartment and I lived a good 15 minutes away. I thanked him for the offer but told him it wasn't necessary. Instead, he told the cab driver where to take me and handed him money to make sure I got home okay.

About 20 minutes later, he sent me a text to make sure I was home safely.

And here I thought chivalry was almost dead. I was quite impressed.

I recently read an article in "Page Six" magazine that described the amount of pills New Yorkers take on a daily basis. The list goes on and on and incorporates Ambien, Klonopin, Paxil, Percocet, Ritalin, Valium, Vicodin and Valium — just to name a few. It seems that everyone has a reason why they "need" their drug of choice and somehow convince their doctors to write a prescription.

I wonder if a study has been done to determine how many of these people are in the midst of a divorce and are new "pill poppers". I can admit that my pill-popping has increased. I rarely took a Tylenol or an Advil unless I was in excruciating pain.

Now, although I would definitely would not consider myself to be a pill-popper, I've been know to pop an Ambien to help me sleep. I'm on a prescription of Doxycycline for my skin due to stress, I've been taking more Advil than for my headaches, vitamins to balance out my immune system, Zantac for my heartburn. I've been offered Zanax and Valium by half a dozen friends, and still have them wrapped in little tissues in my drawer just in case I decide I "need" them.

It's easy to find a doctor to write a prescription and it's even easier to have a friend who convinced their doctor to give them pills that they decide to share with their friends. It seems like we're all self-medicating to try to push the pain away from different parts of our bodies or our minds.

How many men do you know that have taken Viagra just because? How many people pop a Xanax before they board a plane? Half of my friends are on Prozac and I certainly don't think there is anything really wrong with them. Even illegal drugs are used to self-medicate — marijuana to ease the tension of a rough day, cocaine to help you stay awake. Everyone is becoming hypochondriacs. Nobody has to really face their issues — all they have to do is pop a pill.