The 2007 List

As stolen from the Lutherpunk

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Ran my first marathon, my first half-marathon and made a baby. Busy year.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Nice thing about blogs - you've got an archive. I went back and checked last year's resolutions.
1. Keeping the four cardinal virtues (Wisdom, Justice, Discipline, Courage) - Not a really measurable goal. But I think I did okay.
2. Creation, Not Consumption - Definitely didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped. But we are doing better.
3. Less time wasted on television - we've done well. I've read a lot of books this year, especially the latter part of the year. We have cable again, but we turn it off more often than we did before.
4. Submit an essay for publication - I'm a chicken.
5. Begin work on my first book - I'm a daydreaming chicken.
6. No more buying books - well, the budget sheet says we've bought fewer books, so chalk that up as a partial success.
7. Pay down credit card debt - yeah, not so much.
8. Run the Fargo Marathon - CHECK!

I hope to keep the one resolution I did make for this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
One couple from our church (treasurer and member of the church council) had a son, but that's as close as it got in 2006.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother, Ruth Johnson, died on 3 January 2006.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada!

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Better financial management for the household - we need to finish paying off some of our debt.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
3 January - my grandmother died.
15(ish) January - I first started to think I was suffering from depression.
24 March - Beloved suffered a miscarriage while I was in Winnipeg at a youth convention.
20 May - Fargo Marathon!
25 May(ish) - Beloved wakes me at 4:30am to tell me she's pregnant again.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not to beat a dead horse, but the marathon was pretty huge.

9. What was your biggest failure?
DivorceCare was finally put on hiatus at our church. I've been trying to get it going for two years with lots of struggle. Just not working for us as a church right now, basically because no one shows. Too bad, because DC helped me a lot when I was separated and I know it could help others as well.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not particularly - maybe one or two colds is all I can remember. Oh, and a shin bruise that developed into a HUGE lump before it started to heal.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Wow - definitely Red, my new Ovation guitar, with my iPod coming a close second.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My Beloved wife, who has been an absolute trooper throughout the pregnancy. She has handled things better for nine months than I could handle them for nine minutes. YOU ROCK, BABY!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I'm going to plead the 5th here. Oh, wait, Pat Robertson has had a banner year. So, yeah - Pat Robertson. YOU SUCK, PAT!

14. Where did most of your money go?
I don't have the foggiest idea. Do you?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Becoming a father. Definitely becoming a father.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
"Vertigo," U2

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, pretty much the same and, well, pretty much the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more?
Running and other types of exercise.

19. What do you wish you'd done less?
Worry over things I can't control and aren't my responsibility

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
In 2007 I imagine we'll be planted under the tree for Little Miss' first Christmas.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Every time I woke up in the morning.

22. How many one-night stands?
Um, none.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
"Lost"

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope - and I'd like to think I've moved a few people in the opposite direction. Except for Pat Robertson. YOU SUCK, PAT!

25. What was the best book you read?
Wow, tough choice. Anansi Boys was great, as was Gilead, The Solace of Leaving Early, and Eragon. Can't decide and I probably left a couple out as well.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Wild Clover Band, which is really sad considering one of my closest college buddies plays bodhran in the WCB. They are, as my music links tell you, the best damned Irish band in Kearney, Nebraska!

27. What did you want and get?
A completed marathon, an Ovation guitar and an iPod.

28. What did you want and not get?
Debt free!

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Again, tough choice. I think I liked A Prairie Home Companion best of all the films I saw this year, with Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire and XMen III up there as well.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 32. I drove to Moorhead to prep for the Synod Assembly, drove home for dinner with Beloved and a movie, then drove back for a weekend of thrilling church discussions and parliamentary procedures. And I thought I'd forget how to party in my thirties...

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A Cornhusker victory in the 2006 Big XII Championship and the following bowl game. Bitter end to the season. And because that's all that I can think to suggest, I suppose that means it was a pretty good year.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
I managed to remember to clothe myself before leaving the house. Isn't that enough?

33. What kept you sane?
Music. Always music. It's how I pray.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Keith Ellison - he's handled some pretty ignorant critics with style, wit and dignity.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Pretty much anything and anyone having to do with the Current Occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

36. Who did you miss?
My grandmother.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Since I can't remember her name, I think I'll pass on this one. (How horribly embarrassing!)

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
In a solid, honest, trusting marriage, shared grief can draw husband and wife closer to each other.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Highlight of my life, dreamer in my dreams,
Everything is not only as it seems.
Just beneath the rippling surface of the stream
There's something even greater weaving us together.

In 2007...

1. Will you be looking for a new job?
I don't think so.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Nope.

3. New house?
See #1 above.

4. What will you do different in 07?
I will definitely sleep less and change more diapers.

5. New Years resolution?
4567.

6. What will you not be doing in 07?
Sleeping as much, golfing as much, pretty much anything having to do with free time is going to be reduced so that we can focus on the sainted baby in our midst. But I'm still going to golf!

7. Any trips planned?
Washington D.C. and Boston around Memorial Day for a wedding and visits with friends. Lincoln, NE for my birthday, my brother's master's degree and the Lincoln Marathon.

8. Wedding plans?
For me, no. As a professional wedding guy, yes.

9. Major thing on your calendar?
Well, it's kind of a moving thing, but sometime in the next few weeks I'm going to become a daddy.

10. What can't you wait for?
See above.

11. What would you like to see happen differently?
I'd like to see more parents bring their kids to Sunday School and stay for worship and fellowship. I'd like our church council to show stronger leadership. I'd like to see more of our members stretching themselves in new ways this year.

12. What about yourself will you be changing?
Other than sleep, diaper digits and wrapping myself around a tiny little finger? Not much.

13. What happened in 06 that you didn't think would ever happen?
I made a conscious decision to save for something and had the patience to wait until I had the money before buying the item in question.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
Nicer than what? I do my best and ask for forgiveness when (not if) I fall short.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 06?
Nope.

16. Will you start or quit drinking?
You can have my beer (my one nightly put-in-a-good-day's-work beer) when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
Um, I don't see how things can get any better, but sure - why not?

18. Will you do charity work?
Yes - and it will be for something unrelated to the church.

19. Will you go to bars?
Yes - and I'll eat greasy chicken wings and drink beer and laugh uproariously with my friends. I'll lift a beer to my friends in the Wild Clover Band when I finally see them play live. I'll tell you when and you can come join us if you like.

20. Will you be nice to people you don't know?
As nice as I am to the people I do know - see above. I agree with LP, by the way - "nice" is a stupid word.

21. Do you expect 07 to be a good year for you?
I can only answer that in hindsight. I'll tell you this time next year. But I can say this - "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

22. How much did you change from this time last year till now?
I honestly, truly feel like I'm an adult now. Anticipating the birth of our first child done growed me up in a hurry.

23. Do you plan on having a child?
No - I am ill-equipped for that task, and the one with the equipment is busy finishing the child she's been working on for 9 months.

24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
Provided we don't become assholes (or asshole-ish to a degree far surpassing present levels) I don't see why not.

25. Major lifestyle changes?
Baby: 'nuff said.

26. Will you be moving?
Don't think so.

27. What will you make sure doesn't happen in 07 that happened in 06?
Doing my taxes late and having to get an extension for the second year in a row.

28. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve?
Can't say - left the crystal ball in the car. But Magic 8-ball says "all signs point to 'yes.'"

29. One wish for 07?
Healthy baby Healthy baby Healthy baby Healthy baby Healthy baby Healthy baby... You get the point.