2012: The Lost Year

 2012 is not over, yet, but I can't help feeling that it's a lost year. I didn't make any progress on any of my goals and, in fact, I moved backwards on a few.

This isn't entirely true, of course. As a family, Angie, Nila and I have made some progress. Most of it, however, is Angie and Nila's progress.

Angie got her license back, and her business is moving in the right direction. She's full of great ideas that are being recognized as great by the right people. Things are looking up.

Nila, of course, is excelling at Kindergarten (because she's a genius) and she's learning French like it's her job.

As a family, we moved into a new house in a new neighborhood. This felt like a  move forward in April, but has turned out to be more of a lateral move now that we've had time to reflect. The space is larger, but the neighborhood is worse and we're still renting.

We got a new car in February. That IS a move forward. We pay less for gas and have more room. Another plus for the house is that it has a garage and I can walk to work, so no more scraping car windows!

Professionally, I feel like I'm in the same place I was last year at this time. Financially,  I feel like I'm in the same place I was last year at this time. Spiritually,  I feel like I'm in the same place I was last year at this time.
In regards to health, I have actually moved BACKWARDS; gaining weight rather than losing it and exercising less. Probably those two things are related...

I like to think that perhaps seeds were planted this year that will bear fruit in 2013.

I had a great experience in Iraq and I have got my job down to a science, but both things make me feel bored... the former because of relative excitement and the latter because I've systematized a lot of the work, so no problem-solving big problems anymore.

5 Stages of Grief: Economy Edition

If we agree that the economy collapse began in 2008, it's taken music a long time to catch up. This is because we've been working through the stages of grief: denial, anger, bartering, depression and acceptance. I think we've arrived at acceptance as a culture and I give you two examples for that. The first is Starships by Nikki Minaj. This some contains the lines:

Jump in my hooptie hooptie hoop I own that And I ain’t paying my rent this month I owe that

This may not seem like much, but compared to 2009's top song "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas, it looks a lot more like my life.

Tonight's the night, let's live it up I got my money, let's spend it up

And then there's the real reason I wrote this post. This song extolling the glories of the thrift store:

 

Fort and Bravestone

Anfal Memorial

The following are pictures from the Anfal Memorial taken during my visit on July 5, 2012. The memorial also includes a museum which is not yet complete and a large cemetery in which are/are being buried bodies recovered from mass graves.
 

Those Songs

I mentioned in the best of 2011 that Adele's Someone Like You was a certain type of song. It's one of those heart-string-pulling sons that you (or at least I) listen to on repeat. Here are a few more. Feel free to add your own in the comments.

 1. Foolish Games - Jewel

 Best Lyric: You were always brilliant in the morningsmoking your cigarettes and talking over coffeeyour philosohies on art, baroque moved you, you loved Mozart and you'd speak of your loved ones as I clumsily strummed my guitar

  2. Someone Like You - Adele
 Best Lyric:

  3. The Promise - Tracey Chapman

 Best Lyric: If you think of me If you miss me once in a while then I'll returm to you I'll return and fill that space in your heart

  4. Falling in Love - Lisa Loeb

 Best Lyric: 5. Barenaked Ladies