OK - 2006 in Review

From Alyson by way of Marcie

1) Drinking Buddy of The Year?
Well, in years past it’s been Cathy for consistency and Jimmy for sheer fun. This year, though, it’s been Dahly for both. And the dangerous thing is, she lives about 100 feet away from me.

2) Lifetime service award - Longest friend
I have some distant friends from grade school, Susan Priest, being the first who pops to mind. I am also still close with my college professor Susan Maroldo after 18 years, but for close-close friend, it would be Cathy, then David, who have 15 and 13 ½ years respectively. Satan’s been there since day 1, but I wouldn’t call him a friend, per se.

3) High Point of the year?
Orlando Vigilante and some great work I did for my major client. Oh, and the Tennessee Mountain was pretty high.

4) Low point of the year?
#1 - Mikey's recurring cancer and radiation treatment. #2 - Having this trouble with my company, and then finding out that the contract for a job I downright love ends 3/31/07.

5) Best holiday?
New Years in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina I would have to say. This was with David, David Dean, Mikey, and Michael

6) THEME for 2006?
Enjoying what I have before I lose it or “Now it also disinfects as it nourishes!”

7) Any regrets?
Wow, let’s see, shall we?
- That I didn’t use my gym membership more
- That I haven’t finished American Troubadour and I haven’t realy started Deep Trouble in ernest
- That it take cancer or moving away to make you realize you have to dilligently work on your friendships
- That I talk to Joshie more than I listen to him
- That I can get into stupid intellectual arguments with friends I’d rather just enjoy being with them, which is what I want to do, Mattie…
- That I cannot find peaceful, non-conflict ways out of certain problems, so I avoid facing them because it’s gonna get ugly
- That I didn’t win the lottery
- That I haven’t eaten out more with Larry and Marylee
- That I didn’t take pictures of Sarah’s and my off-Fridays together before they ended, so I could show total strangers in the frozen foods aisle that I spent time with a very sexy, funny woman
- That I want to go to the downtown United Methodist church, but because I am a bit of a cynical pantheist, I feel like a hypocrite at a Christian church
- Mistaking vag cream for whipped topping and ruining a good piece of pie (no pun intended)
- That I didn’t spend more time with Kim before she left
- That I can’t be less egotistical about the great job I know I am doing at work and try more to make friends
- That I haven’t made a vegetarian meal for Toddie and Marcie like I promised myself I was going to.

8) Best Night out?
New Years and later at a local restaurant in Tennessee, I-Bar was fun, Marcie’s birthday at Cheesecake Factory, the nights in the Fringe beer tent, and the afternoon I spent with Cathy’s family at the North End Brewpub Cafe

9) Worst Night out?
Fringe preview night and then SEVERAL NIGHTS with a 100-foot crawl from Dahly’s apartment

10) Who did you spend your valentines with?
My cat…

11) Best relationship?
David

12) Worst relationship?
Cathy's fiance

13) Best concert?
Shiny Toy Guns in February in the tiny, shitty Backbooth. Amazing band!

14) Best New Relationship/Friend?
My right hand and I reconnected

15) Best decision made all year?
To have fun with Vigilante, period

16) Best new album that you have listened to?
Got a few – How We Operate by Gomez, Sufjan Steven’s Christmas album, Ta-Dah! By Scissor Sisters, Deep Cuts by The Knife

17) Most proud moment?
How I handled the Forums for my client and getting to know Elizabeth Maupin a little better (honestly!)

18) Most reliable people?
David, Cathy, and actually Billy

19) Best job of the year?
The one I am losing

20) Best Film?
A tie between two very different but lovely films, Little Miss Sunshine and The Departed

21) Favorite quote(s) of the year?

“Thank you for making us intimately aware of the details of your job, but none of that sounds impossible, so could you just do it?!?!?”

“I like absurdism, just as long as it makes sense!”

“Maybe you’re right, Mary. Maybe George Lamisil can’t make a difference, but the Orlando Vigilante can!”

22) Rate 2006 on a scale of 1-10 (10=best)
6.3 – it would have been higher, except for these last couple of weeks

23) Plans for '07?
Find a stable job, finish American Troubadour, go to the mountains with the crew, find a part in a fringe show, win the lottery.

24) Funniest Friend?
David

25) Best Family Member Award
Always, my sister, Lisa