-= Random Ramblings... =-

Monday, January 03, 2005

Goodbye 2004, Hello 2005

2004 is finally behind us, and what a busy year it was. Lots and lots of things happened this year that I happened to be in the periphery of. They've been talked about in better detail and from a better perspective than any I could ever muster, so if you're interested, you can read Mirella or A's posts on the subject. As for my small part in those larger events, I hope I at least provided some help, or some comfort when others needed it so much. Here's hoping that the coming year will be just as exciting, but in a good way ;)

As for my part, the last few months have been pretty trying. In August I lost my job that I'd held for 6 years. While I knew that my time there was ending, the shock of it actually happening was pretty hard to take. Thankfully they were nice enough to give me a sizeable severance check, which along with the money I had in savings allowed me to (just barely) urvive until I found a new job in November. Things are still pretty tough though. I buried myself deeper in debt just getting here, and the new job isn't paying as much as I'd hoped, so I'm just barely getting by at this point. Things are in the works for that to change, and hopefully change will come soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

An unfortunate side effect of having lost my job is that I haven't been able to keep up with my karate. Since my job is up on the other side of LA, and I don't get out of work until 6:30pm, there's no way for me to make it to my group classes during the week. I've been going to the Saturday classes, but studying one day a week isn't enough to keep in shape, or to improve in skill at all. There is a dojo just down the street from where I work, and I attended one class there, but work's been busy and with the holidays and everything that's all I ever made it to. All this means that Will, my partner in fu for the past 3 years, is going to be testing for his brown belt before me. I'm happy for him and I know he'll do just fine, but I just can't help but feel a little bit disappointed that I won't be there testing with him. This will be the first time that we don't test together, and even if I do get back into the swing of things soon, he'll have his black belt before me. I don't mind at all, it's not that I have any kind of ego that's being hurt by this fact, but it's just strange to think about the fact that he's going to be higher rank than me for a while. We've been the same rank for so long that it's going to take some getting used to.

This is also the first year that I wasn't able to be with my family for the holidays. Since they moved out to Florida a few years ago they either came out here, or we went out there. This year neither coast was in financial shape to do any traveling, so we had to settle for phone calls. Thankfully my older sister, Carolina, still lives out here and I did get together with her and her boyfriend Matt for dinner one night. I manage not to think about it very often, but when I do, I realize that I miss my parents a lot more than I thought I would. Not enough to make me want to move out to that humid wasteland, but I do miss them a lot :) It seems like 2005 is going to be a better year financially for all of us, so here's hoping that this year we'll be able to spend at least a little bit of time together as a family again.

It seems to me that 2005 has started on a good note so far. Let's keep that momentum going and make the most out of the coming year!

3 Comments:

  • What madness, your going to get your brown belt soon, and you;ll beat me, remember that your the best red belt out there!

    By Blogger DarthAkima, at 4:24 PM  

  • What madness, your going to get your brown belt soon, and you;ll beat me, remember that your the best red belt out there!

    By Blogger DarthAkima, at 4:24 PM  

  • What madness, your going to get your brown belt soon, and you;ll beat me, remember that your the best red belt out there!

    By Blogger DarthAkima, at 4:24 PM  

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