2006 in review

I found this survey that I did in 2004 and I'm going to type it up and give you my answers from 2004 and 2006. Enjoy.

1. What did you do in 04/06 that you'd never done before?
04- Went to the baseball Hall of Fame, knew issues in the election, worked
06- Kept a steady job for over a year, had a decent sized bankroll

2. Did you keep your New Years Resolution?
04- I don't make new years resolutions, because I believe you can change your life at any time.
06- See 04

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
04- No
06- My cousin's girlfriend

4. Did anyone close to you die?
04- No
06- No

5. What places did you visit?
04- Ocean City, Cooperstown
06- Cooperstown, Canton

6. What would you like to have in 05/07 that you lacked in 04/06?
04- A state bowling title
06- More consistency to every aspect of my life

7. What dates from 04/06 will remain etched upon your memory?
04- 6/16, 11/04(I only remember the first one)
06- None really

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
04- Hit several home runs for my Squirrel Hill team
06- Finishing Atlas Shrugged and writing a 12 page scholarship paper on it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
04- Failure to do well at state bowling chamionships or losing in the first round of city playoffs.
06- Losing a lot of my bankroll at one time.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
04- Not really, little things here and there.
06- Nothing until a nasty stomach virus five days ago.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
04- The movie "The Shawshank Redemption"
06- 3 in 1 printer.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
04- Aron Ralston
06- Warren Buffet or Bono

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
04- George Bush
06- Not going to say here.

14. Where did most of your money go?
04- Food
06- Poker and School

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
04- Summer and bowling on tuesdays
06- Summer

16. What song/album will always remind you of 04/06?
04- REO Speedwagon "Roll with the changes"
06- Dashboard Confessional "Don't Wait"

17. Compared to this time last year are you:
happier or sadder?
04/06- Happier

thinner or fatter?
04/06- Thinner

richer or poorer?
04/06- Richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more or?
04- Gone out during the year, used my time better
06- Spend more time outdoors

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
04- Computer
06- Wasted time

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
04/06- With family

21. Did you fall in love in 04/06?
04- Three times(haha)
06- I think once at the end of the year, but I'm careful how I throw the word "love" around

22.How many romantic relationship in this last year?
04- 2
06- 3

23. What was your favorite TV program
04- Everybody Loves Raymond, poker, the OC
06- Seinfeld, the OC, high stakes poker

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
04- George Bush
06- One individual

25. What CD did you listen to most often?
04- Mix
06- Either Dashboard Confessional's 'Dusk and Summer' or Ludacris' 'Release Therapy'

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
04- Ludacris
06- Something Corporate

27. What did you want and get?
04- Better at bowling
06- An ipod

28. What did you want and not get?
04- Left blank
06- A win in a big poker tournament- I was close for about three weeks straight

29. What was your favourite film of the year?
04- Spiderman 2
06- Click

30. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
04- Partied and I was 17
06- Went out with friends then with my family later and I was 19

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
04- State bowling title
06- A big poker tournament win

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 04/06z/
04/06- Same as always

33. What kept you sane?
04- Music and friends
06- My friends

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
04- war in Iraq
06- Anti-gambling bill

35. Whom did you miss most?
04/06- Grauated friends

36. Who was the best new person you met?
04- Jason Iampietro or Bethanne
06- Doc or Po

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.
04- You can't always get what you want.
06- A lot of how you're feeling has to do with your attitude.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
04- So if you're tired of the same old story/Turn some pages/And let me hear if you are ready/To roll with the changes(REO Speedwagon 'Roll with the changes')
06- Close your eyes, and i will be swimming/Lullaby's fill your room, and i will be singing/Singing to only you/Dont forget ill hold your head/Watch the night sky fading red(Something Corporate 'As You Sleep')

So that's the end of my little survey. Take it yourself if you'd like. All in all, 2006 wasn't a real memorable year other than I solidified a lot of friendships and make some new friends. Looking back, I was in a much better mood most of the time in 2006 than 2003, 2004, or 2005. I'll leave you with the best poem that I read in all of 2006, and hopefully you will enjoy the selection.

I Dream It Is Afternoon When I Return to Delhi
By: Agha Shahid Ali

At Purana Qila I am along, waiting
for the bus to Daryaganj, I see it coming,
but my hands are empty.
"Jump on, jump on," someone shouts,
"I've saved this change for you
for years. Look!"
A hand opens, full of silver rupees.
"Jump on, jump on." The voice doesn't stop.
There's no one I know. A policeman,
handcuffs silver in his hands,
asks for my ticket.

I jump off the running bus,
sweat pouring from my hair.
I run past the Doll Museum, past
headlines on the Times of India
building, Prisoners Blinded in a Bihar
Jail, Harijan Villages Burned by Landlords.
Panting, I stop in Daryaganj,
outside Golcha Cinema.

Sunil is there, lighting
a cigarette, smiling, I say,
"It must be ten years, you haven't changed,
it was your voice on the bus!"
He says, "The film is about to begin,
I've bought an extra ticket for you,"
and we rush inside:

Anarkali is being led away,
her earrings lying on the marble floor.
Any moment she'll be buried alive.
"But this is the end," I turn
towards Sunil. He is nowhere.
The usher taps my shoulder, says
my ticket is ten years old.

Once again my hands are empty.
I am waiting, along, at Purana Qila.
Bus after empty bus is not stopping.
Suddenly, beggar women with children
are everywhere, offering
me money, weeping for me.




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