2006 - A Personal Look Back

As the dusted and faded curtains of 2006 draw to a close, I thought I'd take the time to look back over 2006 and see what stuck out for me this year.

The Best of 2006
The first one is easy; coming off the array of pills after two years! That ranks right up there at the top for 2006, by far. Not only because the pills brought about their own side effects, but it also marked a clear line between being ill and not being ill.

Reuniting with a long-lost contact. A really good friend and I lost contact when he became ill. Before that, we worked together on projects, and made a great team, with me providing design, and he providing code. We were reunited earlier this year. He is one of the few people who can make me laugh like a little girl at times. I value people who can make me laugh above all others.

Getting the dog! It was quite a period I had to go without one; around five years. So to finally get Blondi, a GSD, was an absolute gift. My partner often states that I'm a completely different person in the company of dogs. I agree. They make far more sense to me than people. I've vowed never to be without a dog again.

Would you believe, finding Dogsey? Before Dogsey, I'd pretty much lost faith in dog forums. They were all war-zones as far as I could see, with every single person knowing that they were right and all others were wrong. Dogsey makes for a very welcome and refreshing change in that area. It's also nice to "chat" with and read from like-minded people.

It often strikes me as odd that even on the web, we build groups of people that we gravitate towards, even though all we see of them is the words they post. Intriguing. I could name a few people who I really really like for different reasons, but that would be unfair. Then when Azz introduced blogs and I realised that I could feed my hypergraphia with sheer abandonment, I was in seventh heaven!

Meeting Rob Alleyne was a real pleasure. Aside from the fact that he's provided us with some real solid advice about Blondi, and still continues to do so, he really is just one of the nicest and most decent and funny guys you could ever hope to meet. I like people who are sure of, and consistent in their views. To that end, they rarely come more true than Rob.

Another year without a single argument between my partner and I. When I tell people that she and I have argued only once in seven years, I get looks of disbelief. I'm incredibly lucky. Our house is always filled with child-like humour and I believe it's that which keeps any arguments or disagreements at bay. Laughter really is the best medicine if you ask me. I think the only subject that we strongly disagree on is the monarchy. I'm a stout monarchist and she's a stout republican! We've learned to avoid the subject.

The Worst of 2006
The hot summer! I detest heat with an unbridled passion! I can't work in it, I can't think in it, and it just ruins my year for as long as it's present. Almost every year I curse it. I rarely get or feel cold, but heat, it drives me mad!

This was certainly the year that my age caught up with me and introduced itself on several occasions. I seem to have had more aches and pains and colds and sore throats this year than I've had in my life. However, with me being me, I can't just sit and whine about it. I have to be able to do something about it. (Control freak) So, next year I am determined to beat it into regression a little through better diet and weight training; both of which I've already started. Come on, I'm still only thirty-seven!

Not resolving things with family. It's a long and tedious story as to why we don't speak, but it's down to me to make the first move. I'm just not sure in my mind that I'm ready to forgive them yet. Though I appreciate that any day not doing so is a day wasted. It's just a very big mountain to climb.

Goals for Next Year
- Get fit!
- Learn even more new words. I love words!
- Open up my life a little more. Through two years of illness, I let it close around me. Time to widen the horizons again.

Lovely post Maz. All the best to you, your OH and the beautiful Blondi for a peaceful New Year xox

Great blog again. I hope 2007 brings you everything you want.
Axxxxxxx

Good Blog.
re family thing - I've been there. Making up was awkward but in fact much easier than I had imagined. If I think too much about what was said & done I still can't forgive, so most of the time just try to forget. No doubt some will say that this is just hiding it, but it works for me and has meant that I have been able to enjoy being part of my family again - I am definitely happier for that.
Whatever you decide, I hope 2007 is a happy year for you.

Great Blog Maz.... All the best for 2007

Maz really enjoyed reading this one. Thanks for sharing your year.

Best wishes for 2007.

Great blog and all the best for 2007

SO glad you beat those pills Maz!!! Hope you achieve all you want to in 2007.

Brilliant blog - wishing you all the best for 2007