the anticute

My hip hop dance teacher said last night, “Oh my GOD! This year is almost over. 2008 was such a shitty year.”  So I thought back about 2008. What happened, what I did, and how my life was. And I’ve come to agree — 2008 was pretty much a ho-hum year (personally).

So I am sitting down this morning with my PB sandwich and a full cup of coffee to think about and chronicle what happened this past year.

In the news, the first thing that comes to mind is the historic election that will bring the first multiracial president to the White House. We had the summer Olympics this year with an outstanding opening and closing ceremony and Michael Phelps’ outstanding gold medals.

This year, the economy went crazy. There were an insane amount of foreclosures on the market. And you were lucky if you could even sell a home because most people owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth. Hell, you were lucky if you didn’t get laid off this year.

Gas prices went way up ($4/gallon in July). Then they went way down (currently as low as $1.40/gallon). All in all, there were pros and cons, bust mostly cons because our economy is collapsing. Every day, gas prices go lower and lower. For once, I wish prices would go up because I work for a major oil company now and budget is tied to the price of oil. This year was all about money, it seems. Bailouts were given left and right. Economic stimulus checks were mailed out to everyone in the country. But none of it was enough, and we are still in an economic recession.

My personal life has been a roller coaster too. Earlier this year (June) I left a job with a a webhosting company to work with (basically) a web consulting company. It’s kind of difficult to explain my current job situation. I work for a company that allows me to work for a major oil company as a contractor. But I also get to work on some other side projects (for said consulting company), some of which are fun flash sites. So I basically get paid to review websites. Not a bad gig at all.

As far as relationships go, I am still in the same one that I started this year with. Though I won’t lie and say that hasn’t had its ups and downs as well. Mostly ups now. I’m trying to learn to let go of some things. Right now, I’m kind of weary about the amount of school I have left to complete. It boils down to about a years’ worth of classes but it will probably take me 3-4 semester complete since I am only going part time. So close, yet so far because I am going at a snail’s pace. Kind of frustrating, but I’ll get there eventually.

It’s so weird that I haven’t even started thinking about New Year’s yet. To me, it hasn’t really felt like Christmas. I think this is one of the side effects of living in a work-at-home-bubble. One major pro is that I now have time to go on my daily three mile walks which should get me back into shape in no time! (Or so I hope).

I hope that 2009 is a more promising and stable year than 2008 was. I hope Obama is able to bring the changes that he wants and that America is so desperate for. And although I’m careful to be realistic about these goals, I sincerely hope for the better. Lastly, I am looking for a way to ring in the new year properly.

After so many years of celebrating conservatively, I would love to have something memorable, but I think that I should have planned this a few months ago because 2009 is coming in less than two weeks. And God knows you can’t get cheap travel with two weeks’ notice. Maybe I’ll celebrate around town. Who knows!

Update (12/19/08) — I completely forgot that a major Hurricane hit our area. It was pretty unreal although most of West Houston (where I live) wasn’t hit that badly there was some bad damage downtown (where I work, sometimes). Windows were blown out. Galveston and the coast got the worst of it. I don’t think Galveston has fully recovered yet.