Top Things This Year

When I was in fifth grade I started keeping a diary. I unwrapped a pink paisley fabric-covered journal for Christmas and Claire, the (semi?) famous diarist, was born. And at the conclusion of 1985 I made my list of Good and Bad Things in '85. I did the same for 1986 and for pretty much every year after. I abandoned this practice and pretty much the diary itself in the last 5 or so years.
My little ritual to close out the year had me reviewing the major events of the past 365 days, just like Barbara Walters does on 20/20. (Note that I also fancied myself the next Barbara Walters when I was in 5th grade.) For the first few retrospectives my highlights included childish things like winning the handbell choir award (twice!!! I was a very talented middle G note), fighting with Juliet less one year, going to San Francisco on a family vacation, getting a big role in the school play...
As the years went by there was often a list of the light and sometimes profound. Grandpa died. Got cut from the tennis team. Was recognized as the smartest girl in Social Studies class.
In reviewing the lists I can tell that I've grown up (thank god) because the milestones are related to jobs, apartments, cars, and boyfriends who I actually speak to, instead of the 7th grade crushes who I insisted I LOVED!@!!! in every other preceding diary page, despite the fact that they likely knew me *only* as the smartest girl in Social Studies -- and that wasn't really a desireable trait.
So, for nostalgia's sake...
Good & Bad Things in 2006
1. Moved to Chicago... with Jason!
2. Finally moved out of the service side of the industry, now becoming the "client" and no longer the receiver of the short end of the stick, ...and deadline
3. Went to first live football game (OSU @ NWestern) and first Cubs game @ Wrigley Field
4. Went to San Diego on vacation
5. Traveled A LOT for work (Dallas, Houston, CT, San Francisco, LA, Florida, Louisville, New York, Atlanta, Dallas again, Boston, Virginia, New York again, New York again.) And suffered the new TSA liquid carry-on rules. (Apologies now to everyone whose town I visited and never mentioned it.)
6. Got to meet Magic Johnson (had nothing notable or auspicious to say)
7. Started a blog
8. Danish newspapers printed cartoons of Muhammad, making me wonder if this would be one of those seemingly small, odd things (Archduke Ferdinand) that go down in the history books as being a catalyst for major events. Same for the war in Lebanon and Israel.
9. 3,000 US troops died in Iraq, along with Sadam Hussein. Jason suggested to his grandparents we are now the greatest generation as the war in
Iraq is now longer than WWII. They respond grumpily to this suggestion.

Here's another list, with pictures of the year's events:
Yahoo!'s 2006 Year in Review