It’s as good a time as any to take stock. Thought the 1990s was a crazy decade for me. Guess I’m prone to crazy decades.
2000 – Discovered the wonderful world of computational sciences. Met D. Learned that the American electoral process isn’t all that it’s cut out to be. Found academia can be as wretched a hive of scum and villainy as industry; the only difference is the amount of money being fought over.
2001 – Met George Cramer, one of the two best teachers I’ve had the good fortune to learn from. Rediscovered 1990s-era PTSD on September 11th, 2001. Learned a lot about America in the wake of that day, while America learned about the rest of the world.
2002 – Found C programming. Lost sleep. Moved to New Orleans.
2003 – Met Krewe du Vieux, Fahy’s, Wisconsin alumni, and all of my former co-workers, many of whom are good friends to this day. Found some folks can’t tell the difference between Iraq and Iran, much less between Arabs. Visited Jamaica, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, England, and Spain.
2004 – “Met” Sepia Mutiny and the brown blogosphere after amping up the blog and practically doubled my contacts list; some are now part of my virtual extended family. Lost George Cramer. Visited the Netherlands again and Ireland.
2005 – Lost New Orleans on August 29th, 2005 and much confidence in American infrastructure and government. Lost very close relatives to cancer in short order. Found who our real friends are and that the kindness of strangers beats the faux sincerity of known parties any day. Also discovered insomnia.
2006 – Found New Orleans again. Met a giant gumbo pot of New Orleans bloggers and geeks online and then in person on moving back in time for Mardi Gras. Found love doesn’t know boundaries, distance, and time, and that helping gut homes is hard on the back and heart. Lost my paternal grandmother, the inspiration for VatulNet.
2007 – Got married. Marched on City Hall to protest ridiculous rise in crime rate. Found Treasurer of Krewe du Vieux is my dream job, even if it doesn’t pay. Lost my aunt to cancer. Traveled once again to the Netherlands. Found the real meaning of “automotive shock absorption” on emerging unscathed from a rather scary car wreck.
2008 – Stood at Lambeau Field as the Packers won the Snow Bowl. Lost Ashley Morris. Found more wonderful New Orleanians and an intense dislike of city government and NOPD leadership. Helped elect Barack Hussein Obama II president of the USA. Met a number of Indian bloggers after the terrorist attacks on Mumbai. Traveled back to Jamaica.
2009 – Moved up north to be closer to my family. Lost my beloved maternal grandmother shortly thereafter and still cry about it. Found some members of my extended family are actually pretty cool. Found the interiors of many, many airports. Met Thomas Hoffmann in Germany. Rediscovered the lost art of shoveling and driving in midwestern winters.
My hope for the 10s is meeting more good people, travel to great new places, and your good health and safety. Salut!
