2006 in review

Usually I’m not one for year-end reflections and New Year’s resolutions, but I’ve felt a bit introspective lately and I find myself wanting to measure and tally my achievements and accomplishments as well as put forth some goals for the next 12 months.

So: The year in review.

2006 has been a year of changes on a personal level, more of them than I can remember in a long time.

On the material side of things, we replaced a number of old worn out items with new ones: our bed (12 years), my computer (4-1/2 years), a refrigerator (13 years), the vacuum cleaner (12 years). And we acquired a couple of things we’ve been wanting for a while: a treadmill and a new car. So it’s been a rather expensive year as well.

We also joined the local Freecycling group, and we’ve given away a lot of extra stuff that we don’t need or don’t use anymore. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

I don’t think I mentioned it before, but we also have ordered (and will receive in mid-January) two new office chairs to replace both of our old broken workstation chairs. This was a serious splurge but the way I see it, if we’re going to be sitting in these chairs for 12 hours a day or more (Doc) and have back problems (me), it’s totally worth it to have a good chair. So hello, Herman Miller! 🙂

This year has brought an onslaught of health issues for me. It kind of feels sometimes like I’m just falling apart and I don’t know how to stop it. My migraine headaches have returned after years of dormancy; I tore my rotator cuff; I fell a couple of times (stairs and sidewalk), thankfully not seriously injuring myself but enough to make me question my balance and stability; I threw out my back half a dozen times; I tore my left hamstring; I fractured my left shin bone; I got bad poison ivy; I got bad stomach flu; and I’ve been having some possibly serious issues with my girl-parts-down-south.

However, there are a number of things that I achieved this year that I am proud of:

• I tried to learn to ski
• I learned to scuba dive
• I played flute in a performance art piece
• My team won 2nd place for our short film
• I grew some vegetables to fruition in a container garden
• I designed a book that was published and nationally distributed
• I acquired a major freelance client
• I trained for a marathon

Out of all that, I think that the marathon training is what I’m most proud of. Even though circumstances prevented me from achieving the ultimate goal of running the race, I committed to the training and tried very very hard to do something that seems contrary to my nature.

One of the hardest things that I had to deal with this year was losing our Angster Prankster kitty. I still think about him all the time.

Some things I learned this year:

• I am the things that I can’t let go of.
• If I don’t start faking social norms, I am going to end up as one of those cranky old people that nobody likes.
• I don’t want to be one of those people that’s always being super cautious about everything: Oh no, I’d better not participate in life because What If.
• Forgiveness is accepting that you can’t change the past.
• I can feel myself getting older now. The first gray hairs, more prominent wrinkles, lessened appetite, lessened energy levels, and proneness to injury.

Personal Resolutions For 2007

• To not have as expensive a year as 2006 was, even with the addition of a car payment.
• Enjoy myself immensely in Belize, RELAX and RECHARGE.
• Read eight books.
• Write one good poem.
• Begin work on my 2nd cookbook.
• Participate in the 2007 24-hour Video Race.
• Lose fifteen pounds.
• Return to doing yoga regularly.
• Train for and complete the White Rock Half Marathon in December 2007.
• Complete four new paintings.
• Respond to e-mail in a more timely fashion.
• De-clutter the house even more.
• Get my reproductive health situation figured out and fixed.
• Sell the Saturn.
• Participate in my own Project 365: Take one photo a day for a year. This means that I’ll need to get a new camera.
• Take more time to appreciate the journey to all my goals, and the journeys that don’t end in goal completion.

I’m sure there will be more. I’ll add them as I think of them.