The Year of the Dirty Rat

Every year I look up to see what the new Chinese zodiac animal will be. Not only do they use the 12 year cycle for the 12 animals, they also add in the five elements, which enlarges the cycle to 60 years. Japan uses the cycle as well, but they actually have the year change with the Roman calendar, while the Chinese new year will actually land sometime in late January to early Feb.

This year landed on the Rat. The element is earth/metal. Hubby is a rat. And the first thing he did when I told him it was his animal's year and what the element was, was say it was the year of the dirty rat. (He thinks he's funny! Not!) :P Oh the prophetic words that came out of silly hubby's mouth though. :P

I went looking to see what was being said about the coming year thinking since it was his animal he might be in for a treat for 2008. Also, since dragons are the most compatible to rats, I thought I might get some good stuff out of 2008 as well. My daughter is an ox, which also gets along very well with rats, but are pretty much in the outs with dragons (that so figures), so she could be in for some good as well.

I was so very wrong! Now for my daughter, yes, this will probably be one of her best years ever. But for hubby and I, the predictions were all portents of caution and possible doom. It seems the metal lies over the water, which is the rat's natural element, and this can cause all sorts of havoc. The gentleman whose predictions I was reading warned us both about possible problems with relation to cars and that finances would need to be watched! (The second was a no brainer for us as my daughter is getting married this year! Oy!)

Mind you, I normally only look at these things for fun and not at all seriously. But I might have to rethink that! 2008 has been giving me a beating in all sorts of ways! Two days into 2008 and I got my first ticket in about 10+ years - insufficient stopping at a stop sign - a block from my house even! I expected it to cost me about $75, what it cost my daughter in Plano for not stopping before a right on red, but it ended up being $180!!!!

Add to that an infection I got (which is bugging the crud out of me), and a week later when I leave work to go to the doctor's office, a young man in an SUV with a cow catcher fender, plows into me when he tries to go straight when I'm turning on a double turn lane. Totally crushed my back door and back panel. (Get to go have fun getting that fixed tomorrow.) I was okay though. And though I called the doctor's office to tell them I would be late (and got no sympathy other than I should call if I would be later than 10 minutes because they'd have to reschedule), I did make it on time, and got to wait another 15 minutes in the waiting room to boot. The car is drivable (thank goodness!) just looks awful.

Got to call hubby to tell him how I'd already made a prediction come true. Not that he hadn't as well, as he'd been home sick for three days, and guess what, the thing warned him he might have health issues this year.

I'm just hoping this will be all there is to it! Not liking what I've been served too much so far! Eek! So all you rats and dragons out there, watch out! 2008 might be out to get us! :P