batskeets | Goodbye, 2006... Hello, 2007!

Is anyone missing a copy of Karaoke Revolution Party? I ask because, when I set up the PS2 in the living room on New Year's Eve, I found that very game lurking in the CD tray. I certainly don't *mind* having it, but I'm pretty sure I don't own it, seeing as I don't have the case or the manual. Let me know if it's yours.

Anyhoo, the wee New Year's thingy went well! Not a huge turnout, but considering how last-minute the whole arrangement was, I didn't expect a huge invasion. :) There were a few people absent that I'd have liked to have on board, but I was plenty jazzed about those who did make an appearance! We chatted and played games and enjoyed snackage until 11:58pm. (I made Banana Chocolate Chip muffins, Artichoke Parmesan dip, and a Veggie and Goat Cheese pizza) I also got my obligatory Phone Call From The Future, courtesy of

dakania, heh. ;)

We went outside for some hooting and hollering at midnight, and were greeted by some *really* awesome fireworks that the neighbors were lighting off! I'm not sure exactly where they were coming from, but it couldn't have been more than a few blocks away. The early-to-bed types took off after that, but those of us who remained played various versions of K-Rev until the wee hours of the morning.

Yesterday, I got to test out my new hiking boots, after going to REI on Sunday, so I could hop around in several pairs until I found some that I liked. We just hiked around the Spencer's Butte area, so nothing big, but they're a vast improvement on the beat up non-hiking shoes I used to wear. Woo! :D

Since everyone else is doing it, I did one, too:

January
* Got sick on New Year's Day. Great way to start things off, eh? ;p
* Got obsessed with Project Runway, The Colbert Report, and PvPing on WoW
* Quit taking Taiji classes, because I was too broke to keep training with Sifu. :(
* Returned to Wushu and did lots of demos
* Gizmo turned 12!
* First time playing poker for Real Money (at Jeremy's)

February
* Sleepwalking problems, cracks in personal life taking their toll, really stressed out
* Wushu: got new silks, broke Mr. Slashy The Broadsword
* Valentine's Day party = puking for the second time in my drinking history
* Snow on Valentine's Day! :O
* The big demo at Asian Celebration
* Quit WoW PvP grind in favor of more wushu training
* First time doing karaoke! Blame

divadrummer and

nick2310 ;)

March
* 10th ANNUAL COLLEGIATE WUSHU TOURNAMENT! Stressed out by the planning phase, but it went great!
* Phatty and well-deserved pay raise, w00t.
* Pretty much married to wushu, after seeing Collegiates and getting all pumped up
* Computer virus ate my Windows install... I *still* feel dirty just thinking about it
* I got trapped in an elevator!
* Weight dropped below 170 lbs. for the first time since high school :)
* Random dude bought me a free beer on St. Paddy's
* Weird tingling/numbness problem in hands and feet, dead legs due to overtraining
* Got screwed by the IRS by actually having to pay on my taxes :p

April
* First experiments with people photos and photo retouching
* Visit from Keith, with Halo party and TWO Colossus pizzas
* Competed at Berkeley, got 2 bronzes, but was disappointed in my overall performance
* Saw

shannidee (!!),

twinki79 and

giggles7984, and had Easter dinner w/the Dorwins :)
* International Night demo; Ng and I both blew out our ankles, but the demo went off pitch-perfect!
* Crazed leveling of Winkletoes on WoW
* BIRTHDAY SHENANIGANS! Shoji's on Friday, Party of Mystery and karaoke on Saturday!
* Modeled for Eco-Friendly Fashion article in Flux

May
* Bought sarahgiffrow.com and consolidated my "web empire" (hur hur)
* More karaoke than you can shake a stick at
* Met

xplo_eristotle during his Portland expedition!
* Took up running while waiting for my ankle to heal
* Figured out out that crappy personal life issues weren't just due to tournament stress
* Doom and More Doom at the Job :(
* Awesome Memorial Day coast trip with Ben, David, and Michael
* More-Than-Friends feelings between Ben and myself materialize

June
* Jeremy's birthday party and the Sasquatch festival downtown
* Went sailing for the first time
* Ng's graduation and wushu coming to an end for the school year
* Photography side-business starts to take shape
* Relationship with James comes to a messy, messy end
* Blew out ankle AGAIN, and really badly, making me unable to train wushu for 2+ months
* Ben and I decide things are way too weird and take a break from each other
* I find a new place to live with the quickness.

July
* Moved out of apartment and into house with

evil_violet
* Karaoke ahoy! Multiple awesome duets with

divadrummer, and the Best Compliment Ever for one of my songs
* Cool 4th of July picnic right next to the fireworks
* Auditioned for NeedleThread fashion show
* First time attending Oregon Country Fair
* Went on one quasi-date with somebody from Teh Internets
* Started hanging out and going to Ems games with workpeople
* Ben and I start dating in earnest
* Obsessed with Battlestar Galactica
* Visited my aunt at ZimFest and saw her play marimba :)
* Ran four whole milese without stopping
* Saw the Information Society reunion show!

August
* My first time photographing a "real" model
* Saw

nidaba and

gmendel get married!
* Walked in the fashion show and did more photoshoots
* Good times at the company picnic
* Finally fixed my bike and started riding it again
* Ankle started feeling okay enough for me to train again
* Five days of vacation and amazing photography opportunities! :D

September
* Scaled back on running, due to cranky joints and getting back into wushu training
* Found out about sailboat rentals at Fern Ridge and sailed a whole dang lot
* Joined US Wushu Union and started looking into judging certifications
*

junsiew came back to town!
* Went to Eugene Celebration, and Renaissance Faire
* House is filled with roommates and kitties!
* Got some counseling to help work through relationship issues
* Fall kickoff party thrown by the roommates... good times! (mostly)
* We photograph a wedding!
* I become head coach of UO Wushu (eep!) and we get a ridiculous number of newbie recruits (eeeep!)

October
* Visited

twinki79's restaurant!
* Fired a gun for the first time ever :O
* Got

coyoterose to do the costume idea I'd been wanting to do for years
* More Doom at the Job
* Took up racquetball and initially sucked at it, heh
* Good times dog-sitting Gizmo!
* Pumpkin carving party at the house and Halloween party at the Shack
* Out and about for

bookid's birthday
* Won a free iPod at work for aforementioned Halloween costume!
* The Big Hard Drive goes into its final death throes (noooooes)

November
* Took photos for a PAID event gig!
* Started doing a one-day-a-week paper route
* Went to a show at WOW Hall for free! (having the hookups is awesome)
* Finally caught the plague after avoiding it for most of the year
* Thanksgiving with Ben's family
* SNOW!
* Went to see Primus at the Hult Center, also for free!
* Big Hard Drive finally died, but not before I got an external HD to back up the data (phew!)

December
* Kung fu movie bonanza!
* Did Christmas photos for

bychoice and

bodhranist,

nidaba and

gmendel, and

craftyran
* Saw an RV burst into flames a block or two away from the Shack
* Super-fun weekend at coast and OMSI Star Wars exhibit
* Office christmas party, party for

bodhranist, gaming night hosted at my house
* Being emo because the holidays always seem to do that to me ;p
* Sold my beloved Kero-chan, after 5 years of loyal service
* Good times down south with the whole family
* Last-minute gathering for New Year's Eve!

That's all! I'm tired today.