Year in Review, Short Version

[erikred]

No, there is no long version; I lived through that once already.

2004 was the year of the Monkey, and I did not make that up. It certainly monkeyed with our lives something fierce:

• In February, Yoko's Dad's car went off an embankment up in the mountains and landed in a stream some 30 feet below. He broke both his right tibia and fibula, and he very narrowly avoided severe spinal injury. He's been in the hospital since then due to a series of infections and surgeries, but we're hopeful that he'll be back home sometime soon.
  
• In June, I discovered that I had failed to pass the Foreign Service Written Exam for the first time in three attempts; I'd made it to the Orals both times before. It's possible that my essay on how the current administration had incorrectly prosecuted the invasion of Iraq may have had an effect on my score, despite their assurances that content is not counted.
  
• In June, the Director determined that she didn't need me as a full-time employee, so I was demoted to 40-hrs-per-week part time status, involving a reduction in salary and no benefits. The COBRA payments are murderous.
  
• In August, a narcoleptic driving with a suspended license killed my truck (but rather fortunately missed hurting me in the process); we ended up getting a very nice used '99 Honda Civic as a replacement, but it put a huge dent in our pocketbook.
  
• In November, well, hell, the eponymous Monkey solidified his career for the next four years.
  
• In November, I punched a wall and broke my hand (a classic so-called Boxer's Fracture); the wound has healed completely, and while my hand is still swollen (and will be for a few more weeks), it's a lot better than it might have been. Oh, and I've learned not to punch walls. I know, some of us are slow learners.
  
• In late December, as we drove home from San Diego, we got to experience helLA traffic; a two-hour delay through the rainy mountains above the 210; fog, sand, and typhoon-strength winds in the Central Valley; and more rain and huge winds all the way to Livermore. I have never been as happy to be out of the car as I was Monday night. On the plus side, we made it unscathed, and the Civic proved to be a remarkably comfortable ride despite the 12-hours on the road.

No year is all bad, however:

• In June, I got in a huge month of rock climbing and really reconnected with an old friend.
  
• In June, I got to see the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra for free in San Francisco; I have never skanked so hard in my life.
  
• In October, I had an interview with LeapFrog. While they were unable to hire me due to budget rearrangements, I had a great time with the process, and it felt good to be told that they really wanted me.
  
• In November, my parents came up for Thanksgiving, and we had a blast. As Yoko was working on a paper about food and heritage, and as my Mom loves to talk about genealogy, Yoko and my Mom got on like a house on fire. We Nielsen men were content to sit back and drink Akvavit.
  
• In early December, I was provisionally appointed to a position as a Program Director, which is less pay but at least includes benefits.
  
• In mid-December, Yoko finished her last class in her Paralegal Studies program, complete with membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the 2-year college academic honors society.
  
• Throughout the year, my good gaming buddies have kept me plenty distracted with tales of Macedonian Companions, Space Dogs, and a thoroughly harrowing Mall of Doom. Oh, and zombies, zombies, and more zombies.

I have high hopes for 2005, the year of the Rooster:

• I hope to be permanently employed in my position.
  
• I hope Yoko will find meaningful, engaging, and profitable work that will value her for her talents and work ethic.
  
• I hope to start rock climbing again, and I hope to be swimming 1km twice a week by April.
  
• I hope my father, my brothers, and I can get together to walk the Bay to Breakers in May.
  
• I hope that Yoko's Dad will be able to come home and will regain the ability to walk, even if it's only with a cane.
  
• I hope that all of you have a good year, that your dreams are furthered, that your loved ones remain healthy and hale, and that your spirits are lifted by your accomplishments and the potential of what is to come.

Goodbye, Monkey. Hello, Rooster.

Comments

hoping for all the best for you guys..

[ophymirage.livejournal.com]

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2005.htm

welcome to Green Chicken Wood year!

Re: hoping for all the best for you guys..

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Hee hee hee, as a Capricorn with no talent/ambition for accumulating money or power, I am pleased as punch to see that my Chinese horoscope is just as inaccurate. Oh, well.

Yoi otoshi o!

resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

When do you want to go climbing?

I have a pass for January with your name on it! And the fourth friday of the month is always free for a bud!

What say you lanky scaler of artificial walls?!

Re: resolution realizations

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are too kind. I need to get some better grip in this hand of mine first, though. Shall I call you? And how'd that disk work out?

Re: resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

Can you belay with your wall punching bionic robot hand? I hope so, because I. NEED. ERIK. SOON.

The Disk Rocked. I am totally getting jiggy w/osx.3

AND I ate your comic books over night. They are in my car being chauffered around until I can come by your place and drop them off on my way home from work.
Yay ELRIC.
Thank you for that. It was the perfect thing to keep me from S.A.D. depression yesterday as I lay in bed home 'sick' from work!
Yah.

Re: resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

Oh. Another resolution of mine was going to be to learn how to do HTML in LJ... and I think I just learned how because I used code brackets to say (Completely selfishly) right before "Can you belay with your...." and it didn't show up.

The truth is revealed!
Boegle

Wonder if this will work???

Re: resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

ARG!

Boegle

How about now?

Re: resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

I will live to code another day.

Sorry to obsess on YOUR journal!

Re: resolution realizations

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Ah, you want <lj user="boegle"> which should give you boegle, no?

Re: resolution realizations

[boegle.livejournal.com]

yes... that's it. I suspect I should spend some time "viewing source" or poking around the LJ site to check out how to insert code!

I'm lazy!

But yes - do call. I have been searching for a climbing partner and just haven't clicked with anyone as well as I'd like to. I think if I can belay Tyler I can belay you.