A Look at the Year of the Rat

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 was the year of the Rat (well, technically it was an Earth Rat year, but we don't need to go into that). I found the following characterization of a Rat year...

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.

Hmm...I was unemployed and got divorced in 2008, so I'm not sure I would consider this accurate...I certainly did make a fresh start though...software engineer to massage therapist.

So let's just take a closer look at my Rat Year...here is a month by month listing of events, milestones, and various and sundry "stuff":

January

• New Year's Eve Party - armed only with a tux and a bottle of Dom, I went not knowing what to expect...ended up having an amazing time.
• Road Trip to Key West - took a month long road trip south, stopping off at Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Savannah, Ft Lauderdale, and, finally, Key West. This was an awesome trip and educational too...I learned a lot about Milk Duds

February

• Intuitive Reading Party - surf shop, commitments, buffets, and me giving readings upstairs...and so my adventures into intuition begin.

March

• Movie Nights at my Place - Bubba Ho-Tep, Harold and Kumar, Superbad & Team America...Fuck yeah!
• Potomac Point Winery - wine stained shirts, broken glasses, and now I own a barrel of wine.
• Began a relationship with an amazing woman - I lived, I laughed, I loved...learned so much and I think, just like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes.

April

• One Year of Meetup - celebrated the anniversary of my entry into the meetup world with all my friends. Had a great time and I even ended up dancing in public...that's right there's even video evidence.
• EDM Bonfire - not really a major event in the grand scheme of things but it is such a good memory and I just remember being happy! happy! happy!
• Charlottesville Wine Trip - the frog hops at midnight...'nuff said.

May

• Costa Rica Trip - ziplining in the rain forest, rappelling through waterfalls, white water rafting and volcanic mud baths.

June

• Blind Wine Tasting - hijinx and hilarity and lots of red wine...and the only time I have ever seen every one of my friends dump a glass of wine

July

• Breaux's Key West Wine Festival - Nebbiolo served HOT and cheap psychic readings

August

• Trip to the Northwest - impromptu vacation to Washington and Oregon that included a trip to Mt St Helens, a climb up Mt Rainier, and a personal message for me from the universe.

September

• Divorce Court - not exactly a happy thing but it is what was needed. I actually managed to represent myself in this divorce...total cost $60...Mr DeLong, you may proceed.
• Sailing Vacation - spent a week sailing around Chesapeake Bay with two of my best friends...incredible meals, party island, dinghy docks and headlamps ("Is my daughter in there?")

October

• Marine Corps Marathon - first time I have run a marathon with no training...can you say pain? Still, not my worst time ever.
• Obama in Leesburg - amazing to experience firsthand the emotions behind his campaign...my status as a Republican may be in danger

November

• Shamanic Healing Class - went to Canada for a week to take a class on shamanic healing. Performed 3 or 4 healings and actually had someone tell me they thought I had a talent for it.

December

• Massage School - started a 7 month program that will turn me into a nationally certified massage therapist...quite a change from writing software. The goal is for this to get me that much closer to opening a healing center.
• Another Road Trip - ended the year the way I started it...road tripping to Florida to spend Christmas at the beach...and I had the bestest road companion ever.

All in all, I guess it was a very eventful year. I certainly did take quite a few trips. You know, looking at this list, I realize that, while 2008 had quite a few bad times in store for me, I had some of the best times of my life. I have memories that will keep me warm, glowing, and smiling for the rest of my life. Can't really complain too much about that.

So this post has gone on and on and it has rambled all over the place so in a last ditch effort to pretend that it is coherent, I will circle back and end as I began...with the Chinese Zodiac. I was born in the year of the Rabbit...so here is what the zodiac has to say about me...what do you think? Does it sound like me?

People born under the sign of the rabbit are gentle, sensitive, modest, and merciful and have strong memory. They like to communicate with others in a humorous manner. They cannot bear dull life, so they are good at creating romantic or interesting spice. But they lack meditative abilities and often sink money into ideas that may cause failures in their career.