2006: A Year of Extremes

i'm a little late with my musings on 2006, and i think now that perhaps this post won't be as long-winded as i originally thought. i find myself fully embracing 2007 and putting 2006 behind me. but first i feel like i need to reiterate the major happenings in my world in '06.

2006 was either the best year ever or the worst year ever. it definitely was not the average year for me. allow me to list the major events:

• ice pilots finish the 05-06 hockey season with a horrible record
• ice pilots go through the first half of the 06-07 hockey season with the worst record in the ECHL
  
• flyers get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round
• flyers end the first half of the 06-07 hockey season with the worst record in the NHL
• i went to spain... but halfway through the trip i got some horrible illness that sucked some of the fun out of it. i didn't fully get over it until i'd been home for two weeks. yes, i sounded like a lifelong smoker with emphysema for approximately two and a half weeks. and yes, that sucked.
• my mom almost died (obviously, this was the worst thing that happened in my life all year. actually, it's probably the worst thing that's ever happened in my world.)
• a good friend's mom passed away (she had cancer)
• another good friend's dad almost died (a hole in his esophagus caused his lungs to collapse. he had surgery, was in intensive care for about a month, but is now doing physical therapy.)
  

and now for the parts of 2006 that didn't suck.

• i went to maine. i froze my ass off, but it was a blast.
• i went to spain
• i ran with bulls in spain
• i made friends and contacts that will help me throughout my career in both places
  
• the gulf coast was hurricane free
  
• i successfully completed all four field experiments i had planned (this is major - for once no hurricanes came along to destroy them like in 2005)
• i got my prospectus approved
• chad and i bought a house
• my mom got better

these are not everyday occurrences around here. some of them sucked in a big way, and some were awesome beyond words. all in all, i don't think i can take another up and down year like that. every time something good happened, something bad came right on its heels to ruin it.

here's hoping that 2007 is on a more even keel than 2006... or that the good stuff happens without those pesky bad parts.