two thousand and seven. whoa.

ripped off from Qacei's myspace page, and customized.

Where did you begin 2007?
In a huge public square, with fifty thousand like-minded revelers in the driving rain. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

What was your status by Valentine's Day?
I was someone's valentine! I had noooooooo idea what the next few months would bring... talk about a universal sideswipe!

Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Yes. I left University this year, incomplete.

Did you have to go to the hospital?
to visit my friend Konstantin.

Did you have any encounters with the police?
I was asked for my passport in Germany. apparently i was not the droid that they were looking for.

Where did you go on vacation?
Holland. (Antwerp, Eindhoven and Amsterdam)
Belgium. (Liege, Brussels, Bastogne, and the Bois Jacques)
France. (Paris, and along the Normandy Coast)
Luxembourg. (Luxembourg City)
Germany. (Aachen, Dusseldorf, Cologne)

What did you purchase that was over $500?
airline tickets. human veal for ten hours, and then wandering sheep in O'Hare for ten hours. no wonder i will not eat either... for i AM them!

Did you know anybody who got married?
One Lutheran wedding in July.

Did you know anybody who passed away?
Not this year. I kind of got to know a couple of people who died before i met them.

Did you move anywhere?
seventeen hundred miles from all that which i thought i knew.

What sporting events did you attend?
Is team-table herb worship in amsterdam a sport? then, i attended that one! oh, and some minor league junior hockey, and watching the Canaries lose repeatedly.

What concerts/shows did you go to?
Low, twice. Amy Steinberg.

Describe your birthday:
worked. felt sorry for myself. noticed no one was helping me feel sorry for myself, and then felt better.

What's the one thing you thought you would not do but did in 2007?
walk the stretch from the Bois Jacques (Jack's Wood) to bastogne at twilight. lots of ghosts there, man.

What has been your favorite moment(s)?
When i couldnt quite work up the courage to kiss TFG for the first time... she stood two steps up from me, so we could be at eye level, and she kissed me. it was very sweet, yo. learning about Hannah and Mitch through rapid 'ignore what's happening in class and pay attention to this seemingly insane woman on the other end of google chat' IM conversations that led to our first date. being terrified at Hannah's Fat Tuesday party. Enjoying Christmas Midnight Mass in a five-language service. We left immediately before the communion, so i'm pretty sure God thinks it's okay that a heathen was in her House for a while. Driving in the French countryside.

Any new additions to your family?
Two. well, three. well, five. One nine year old boy. One green eyed redhead with pale skin (the universe really must have been listening to that one.) One meowing Calico cat, 15. One Husband, and One Little Girl, both having shed this mortal coil.

What was your best month?
march.

What music will you remember 2007 by?
the "put your hands up for Detroit" song. it was playing all over europe when we were there. listening to Sigur Ros on the TGV from brussels to paris. Recording forty seven songs in a two-day marathon in brookings, SD- one of which was forty minutes long. yow.

Made new friends?
a nearly overwhelming amount. 2007 has been an unusual year for me.

Favorite Night out?
the goodbye and good luck party at the Hippie's Farm, complete with fireworks and psychedelics. August.

Overall, how would you rate this year? on a scale of 1-10
it's been a year of terrific change. no, i mean terrifying change. no, i mean...

Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
in the car. on the highway.

Change your hairstyle?
yep. went bald.

Do you have a New Year's resolution?
haven't considered it yet. guess i could quit smoking so damn much.

Do anything embarrassing?
i embarrassed myself, but i don't quite know if there was anyone else there to witness it. oh wait, i'll just say this: "EEP!" while not entirely embarrassing, i did end up sharing more of myself than i had intended to at that moment.

Buy anything new from eBay?
an mp3 player for me, and a carefully researched phone for TFG.

Get married or divorced?
Hooked up, good and proper.

Get arrested?
no. thanks, cops in Germany!

Be honest - did you watch American Idol?
no. but, i never watched other pop phenom stuff like OC or Desperate Housewives, either. Did watch some Chef Ramsay this year, though.

Did you get sick this year?
called in sick, once.

Been snowboarding?
Nein.

Are you happy to see 2007 go?
I'm hoping for a touch of stability in 2008. but, we'll see. maybe it's overrated!

Been naughty or nice?
i guess i'll have to look at it in a karmic payback sort of way. i guess i've been good enough!