Looking back at 2007

Continuing the tradition I started last year, here is this year’s list of favorites, notables and sometimes just plain weird occurrences from 2007.

Best adventure: Moving out to California! Born and raised a Kansas girl, it has been a great experience to move away, and we picked a quality destination. It has been a fun adventure so far! And it helps that I haven’t gone more than a couple of months without going home or seeing family.

Worst addiction: 7-Eleven coffee. Back in my carpooling days, Jenn and I would treat ourselves to QT every Friday for coffee. Now, 7-Eleven is on the way to campus, so on the days Alan doesn’t bike and I drop him off at work (which is RARE and only when it’s RAINING, cough, cough), we stop and get some java. It’s a surprisingly expensive habit when you do it every day. Thank goodness Santa brought a coffeemaker!

Craziest first, well, kind of: First earthquake. Alan called me frantically, reporting a 5.6 just near San Jose, which means right near us. I was actually in Phoenix, so I didn’t get to experience it. The earth definitely rumbled, according to Alan, and while I kind of wish that I would have felt a minor earthquake, I’m not going to go wishing for one any time soon.

Best extracurricular activity: A self-defense class. I’d always wanted to take one, so when I got a brochure in the mail I signed myself up. It was definitely worthwhile and I’m glad I took it. I highly recommend for all the women in my life. Gouge the eye! Slap the ear! Knee them in the groin!

Best purchase: A new bed. Having always slept in hand-me-down beds, it felt great to go purchase a brand-new bed. Plus, Alan and I felt very grown up.

Most welcome addition: Reagan Jean! Now I have an adorable niece to call my favorite. What a cutie!

Favorite nephew: Kenny gets the grand prize again this year. He gets to be more fun by the day. He’ll chat on the phone, sing Jingle Bells and count for me. Plus, he’s shaping up to be a great big brother. Hopefully he won’t throw pickles at Reagan's head when he grows up.

Most shocking display of flesh: A lady breastfeeding at our apartment complex’s garage sale this summer. With no cover up and full breast exposure. I did a double take because I didn’t believe what I’d seen.

Most interesting neighbors: We live next to an assisted living facility, and I think most of them have Alzheimer’s. There’s a fenced in patio, so they’ll say hi on occasion and I get to see some of the strange goings-on. It’s really quite sad. Elmer yells “help” for hours on end because he thinks that’ll get him home to his wife; one guy talks nonsense to himself in what he thinks are actual conversations; another asked me if I was Glenda because she said she’d be there. It makes me sad, but sometimes you just have to laugh. Such as when one of the guys was walking toward the fence and me, I thought, to say hi to Marti. But instead he doubles over, says he has to “go” in rather colorful language, and drops his drawers on the patio. I didn’t know whether to go get help for him or just ignore it completely, but he ended up shuffling, pants around his ankles, back inside. You never know what you’re going to see at ALF, but I do know that the nurses there are saints.

Cutest couple: Alan and Marti.

Most embarrassing Netflix confession: I’m watching The O.C. I never watched it when it was on air, but I’m “renting” it now and am super hooked. It’s interesting to watch it now that it’s a couple of years removed though, because I recognize actors that are now in bigger roles on bigger shows. Such as Grey’s Anatomy’s Denny Duquette, who played a guy in jail; or Alex, who is now on House.

Craziest work day: My magazine held an equipment showcase in November. The manufacturing guys were all pestering me to go up in a boom lift, and I finally complied. I’ve never considered myself afraid of heights, but my heart was sure racing at 45 feet up in the air. That doesn’t sound like much, but let me assure you, it’s HIGH.

Most embarrassing moment(s): It’s a close call between 1) the day Marti ran into our neighbor’s apartment and I had to run around and trap her in the bathroom to catch her and 2) the day that Marti pulled her leash out of my hand on a neighborhood side street acting all tough to a dog half her size. I then had to stop traffic while the other dog owner helped me capture Marti. It lasted all of 30 seconds, but it felt like 10 minutes.

Best pug: Marti! Marti almost had some competition this year as Alan and I considered rescuing a pug, but Alan couldn’t be convinced. Marti just earned another year as an only pug.

Marti’s list

Marti’s biggest challenge: She’s adjusted nicely to California living, but hasn’t adjusted as well to our new bed. It’s quite a leap for the little girl, so we occasionally have to help her out.

Greatest accomplishment: Being famous. The pug blog that I’m obsessed with makes a calendar and donates the proceeds to a pug rescue in Florida. A Marti picture was chosen to be on the back cover. Next year I’m going to send in more pictures sooner in the hopes of getting on a month, but I was a little tickled to see Marti on a calendar.

Best new friends: It’s a close call between the dog park pups and the mailman. Marti LOVES the mailman—at least she loves the one that’s nice to her. She even knows what the truck sounds like and whimpers to try to get me to let her out to see him.

Best honor: Being the mascot for the Turkey Bowl football game on Thanksgiving. Marti the Moose was even given a spot on the team T-shirt. Yay!

Be on the lookout for my New Year’s Resolutions!