Summing up 2006

Via Overdressed and Re-Employed, I found this set of questions summing up 2006 at SundryMourning.com with an invitation to answer them on our own websites. So here are my answers (kind of boring/serious responses as I’m still not feeling like myself, but I’ve cut out my truly boring responses).

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

I went hang-gliding! I went to Chicago! I got a subscription to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! I bought a decent camera! I volunteered at the international AIDS conference hosted by Toronto this summer! I went to the Stratford Festival (to see the amazing Colm Feore star in “Coriolanus”). I went hawk-watching. In general, I stopped making work my life and did a bunch of cool stuff instead and lived.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Well, not beside me or in front of me ... But yes, my friends Ryan and Isabelle welcomed little Audrey into their lives. And early in 2007, I will be an auntie for the first time when my sister-in-law Lisa gives birth to twins!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but my friend Nancy’s father passed away right before Christmas, and that family’s grief was hard enough to witness.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting a life. Escaping the gravitational pull of work.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not keeping in touch as well as I should have with people precious to me (Wendy, Dirk and Lieve, Melissa, Heather, Leslie-Ann, Joe and Lisa …) "Not keeping in touch" is saying it kindly ...

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Britney Spears, for going commando and proudly showing the world her private parts. (Sorry, if you really want the pictures you can go looking for them yourself.)

Seriously:

Stephen Lewis, for continuing to be the conscience of the world on behalf of African women and children suffering as a result of the AIDS epidemic. The man is a rock star.

Al Gore seems to have stirred the apathetic masses/media with “An Inconvenient Truth”, so he deserves some major kudos for helping to bring concerns for the environment back into the mainstream.

Also, the American voters who finally gave an ass-whooping to the Republicans. Keep up the good work!!!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Surely, George Bush & Dick Cheney are foregone conclusions?

Also, Steven Harper (current Prime Minister of Canada) and the Progressive Conservatives for introducing a plan to address global warming by the year 2050????

And after watching "Manufactured Landscapes", I can't forget the average North American (including myself) whose voting and buying practices and general ignorance/apathy have undermined the well-being of our planet.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

“The Hour” with George Stroumboulopoulos. That’s about all the TV I watch these days (TV during gym workouts doesn't count). However, I did watch season one of “Weeds” on DVD and thought it was very good.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Hate would be more destructive to me than to whomever was in my bad books. But there is at least one person of whom I think much less than I did at this time last year.

25. What was the best book you read?

Hard to pick, but I think I’d have to say that “A Mighty Heart” by Marianne Pearl was the best. Runner-up: “Race Against Time” by Stephen Lewis.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. A wonderful orchestral work that’s beautiful and passionate. I was introduced to it by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra! (If you ever get the chance to see it performed live, go for it – and get seats that will allow you to see the entire stage.) If you don't normally listen to classical music, this might be a good introductory piece for you to listen to! :)

27. What did you want and get?

A life. A camera. Some wonderful new friends.

28. What did you want and didn't get?

Sufficient sleep. Too busy doing absolutely everything else.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
“Casino Royale”. I have never left a theatre so elated as after that movie. Runners-up: “Pride and Prejudice” (which, like Kalisah, I do watch over and over again), “Borat”, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, “The Constant Gardener”, “Brokeback Mountain”.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
“Wait to shop until I lose a few more pounds and wear the same old worn-out crap in the meantime” LOL

33. What kept you sane?

“95% of the things we worry about never happen.” My boss. Exercise. Journaling. Photography.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Several – it’s been a good year: Mélanie, Leslie-Ann, Aamer, the other volunteer supervisors from the AIDS conference, Andrea …