When I get my World Almanac for Christmas, I often sit around with my in-laws trying to guess the top 10 events of the year (which is actually November of the prior year to October of the current year).
Seems that while US politics (Tea Party, crazy Republican Presidential candidates) might make the roster, I sense the list will be dominated by three areas:
CIVIL UNREST: Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street
ECONOMIC PING PONG: roller-coaster stock markets; near defaults in the Eurozone
NATURAL DISASTERS: February snowstorm; Japanese tsunami; tornadoes in Joplin (MO), Tuscaloosa (AL) and elsewhere; drought in Texas and Oklahoma; Hurricane Irene and tropical storm Lee
I feel lucky that most of these missed me. The February snowstorm I missed because I went to visit my mother in Charlotte, NC after she had a stroke (and before she died – sigh). Hurricane Irene DID force my wife and daughter to fly from Charlotte to Albany, rather than take the train. And my 401-K gained money in the first two quarters of this year, which was more than obliterated by the third quarter freefall; something about losing over $10,000 in three months is just marginally disconcerting. My wife wants me to put more money into retirement, but my agita is too great.
What kind of year was 2011 for you?
***
50 Funnies Tweets of 2011. I actually retweeted one of these.
I just blogged my yearly lengthy blatherings about the year just ending, so I won’t repeat it here…but happy new year to you and your family!
Having my continued employment on the line throughout much of the year was… disconcerting (and not over with yet…)
We suffered major set backs in the retirement portfolio last year as well. I hope this year ends on a better note.