The New Year is fast approaching, and it seems a likely time to sit down and look back at what has shaped my life this past year.<\/p>\n
The Bad<\/strong> The Good<\/strong> At this point, the good numerically outnumbers the bad, so I feel I can safely say it was a good year. This next year will be off to a rocky start for me, but should even out into something better by summer time. Now for the tricky part:<\/p>\n Resolutions<\/strong> This past year has reminded me how to live well on a slim budget. In the coming year, I resolve to remember this and make better use of my surplus income by developing a savings plan of some sort to defend against the possible repeat of last year.<\/p>\n I resolve to be less selfish.<\/p>\n I resolve to learn something new whenever possible.<\/p>\n (Ok, that last one is kind of a cop-out…give a guy a break, eh?)<\/p>\n End last post of 2004.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nLost my job.
\nMajor breakup.
\nWar.
\nMy brother got wounded in said war.
\nMy fellow Americans not only re-elected an idiot, the idiocy went further to add discriminatory language to my State’s Constitution.
\nI was forced to go on public assistance to feed my kids.<\/p>\n
\nBuilt a decent relationship with a great woman.
\nMy brother was only wounded, not killed.
\nMy kids are healthy and happy and not doing stupid things.
\nI got by financially, despite everything, with nothing worse than a couple late fees.
\nI got an “11th hour” job.
\nI still live in a nice house, in a neighborhood where I don’t feel the need to bring weapons with me when I walk the street.
\nI know for a fact that my son has learned to handle himself in tense situations and come home in one piece.
\nMy ex didn’t move herself and my daughter 6 hours away.<\/p>\n
\nIn the coming year, I resolve to get at least the CompTIA A+ and Microshaft MCP certifications, the lack of which severely hampered my job-search for the past 9 months.<\/p>\n