Today was pretty good day. Which is good because on the whole its been a so-so year. However even a so-so year here, still beats any of the so-called “good” years I spent living the “typical”, mind numbing, soul smothering existence I had with my ex and my ambition………..
Tonight the S.O. and I shared a dinner that had both US and Japanese traditional food. I made a pork roast and black eyed peas ( for money and luck), she made Soba noodles ( for long life). She also cleaned the apartment, which is a Japanese tradition to welcome the new year……I left her to it, I went and played golf. We made plans to visit the shrine tomorrow and make new years intentions. In Japan, many people go on New Years eve and welcome the New Year at the shrine; as the 108 bells are sounded. (I have no idea of the significance of the number..).
I have some prognostications for the new year, but decided that first I should take stock of the year about to end. So here, in no particular order is a rundown on the 2005 that was for yours truly.
Stats:
-The USAF was only able to complete 68% of the missions that were contracted with them on time. DHL made 96% of theirs. There is a lesson somewhere there.
-Played 81 rounds of golf ( that I logged, that does not count a few blow up rounds that I thought were not good for my handicap…….).
-Logged 97,567 frequent flyer miles ( one one airline…also 30,000+ plus on “brand X”….that’s a good thing!)
– Visited Singapore 4 times.
– Visited Hong Kong 4 times
-Went to Bangkok for the first time in 3 years….Definitely need to go back.
-Went to my parents house twice.
-Went to Taipei once.
-Posted 283 posts since I started this blog
-Have had 21,000 or so visitors to my blog…
-Saved a lot more money than I used to, not as much as I could or should have….
– Had a lot of frustration and also had a lot of fun!
-Did not go to my favorite pub in Tokyo near enough.
-Paid 30% of my post-tax income in Alimony. Also gave away 39% of a hard earned retirement to a worthless whore who does not deserve anything but a Louisville Slugger to the forehead. Thanks Pat Schroeder, thanks a lot. You can join the line waiting for the bus……..
This year was a very topsy turvy one for me. Started off on a high note as I thought I had real sweetheart deal lined up to get the job I had been scheming to get, for over a year. A month later it was shot down in flames by institutional stupidity on the part of the company I would have gone to, leaving me to flail around and locked into my current existence for a good deal longer. It did lead me though, to start this blog.
Watched a lot of things happen with the world, the US government and the US military that just made me pause. Some examples:
a) Realignment fever was every where. Did not matter if they actually contributed to mission accomplishment, but it helped keep flag officers employed. Shook my head again as I realized that this year, the US Navy was almost 90,000 people smaller than it was in 1991, but still had exactly the same number of flag officers as it had prior to Desert Storm.
b) Watched the war in Iraq drag on for another year. Troop levels stayed the same, violence continued, and the President was on TV over and over again trying to convince me that somehow all this sacrifice was benefiting the security of the United States and not just a bunch of useless Arabs. For 12 months I still remained unconvinced.
c) Watched with amazement the series of natural disasters that befell the world. Played a small role in the Tsunami relief effort. Watched the USAF get lots of credit, even though they could not get there right away and could not do half the things the Navy did…………..
d)Kept my head above water in Japanese, but did not make near as much progress in proficiency as I would have liked to.
e) Decided that Bill O Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh all need to kiss the front end of a bus moving 50 miles per hour.
f) Took the S.O. on two trips and got not near enough “reward” for my efforts…….
g) Thanked God in heaven for the 7th year in a row that I was able to break free from the clutches of those who thought their medical license and/ or professional position gave them a right to meddle in my private life. You know who you are……You can join Bill O’Reilly in kissing the front end of the moving bus. “I’m still here you greasy bastards!!!!”.
h) Watched a lot of really good people pass on from this world……
k) Wrote John Murtha a letter of support. Wrote Rick Santorum a letter telling him to go suck eggs and I hoped he would listen to John Murtha…….
l) Read a lot of articles that made me think, some that just made me angry and some that were just plain stupid. ( Michelle Macangalang, in case there is any doubt, you fall into the last category.
m) Was really envious of the life that Spike is living in Hong Kong. By my count, he has nailed more women in the last year than I have in the last 10………
n) Watched with amusement as Hong Kong opened Disneyland. And continued to close the door on democratic reform………Good Job , Sir Bow Tie!
o) Watched another year go by with Kim Jong Il not doing the decent thing and dying………
p) Watched with amazement as the US government caved into the Japanese government, on an issue the Japanese government did not ask them for any concessions on. Namely, agreeing to move Carrier Air Wing 5 to Iwakuni from Atsugi. Had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I found out that loser of an idea came from the Navy’s mis management, and not the Japanese. Good job guys! You took something that was not broken and decided to really screw it up………
q) Watched the stock market go both up and down…..and always at the wrong time for me…….
r) Generally found myself agreeing with her:
s) Decided I was never going to really understand or agree with most of what he says:
Unfortunately, the other side offers me nothing either………..
t) Worked hard to squeeze “efficiencies” into our transportation scheduling. Of course all the money we saved did not come back to us or the organizations we support. It just went to pay the bill for the war……..
u)Took time each week to remember those who gave all……….regardless of politics, stop and pray for their familes…who had a worse year than most of us……..
v) read some good books:
w) wondered mightily what the coming year had in store……….
x)y)and z). Remembered the hardest working people in the US. The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and lots of other places, doing a thankless job, doing it well, and asking nothing in return but to be respected by their countrymen…….most of whom are not being required to do anything to support their efforts. Hoping and praying that the new year brings a huge change to that kind of attitude. And homecomings for lots of these great human beings.
That’s a good place to stop. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
