Nightglow Window

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Year At A Glance

It was an incredible year, 2006. The roll call of memorable events is too long to divulge, but here are a few highlights on this last day of the year.

January 11 was unassuming, but turned into a clarion call for the remainder of the year. It was dark and I was barefoot as I went to go get the mail that night. Everything changed after that.

Now, all of 2005 my left ankle had been a wreck. It had been X-rayed and MRIed. Surgery and bone fusing and six months on crutches were all real topics of discussion.

So when I stepped off the curb on the way to the mailbox that January night and heard a distinct "snap" in my ankle, I thought I was screwed.

I remember my butt hitting the sidewalk and how I walked back into the house ashen faced. It hurt like a monster, and I had a trade show in Florida in two days.

I wanted to cry.

The next day, however, was a revelation. Sure my ankle was weak as a kitten, but it no longer hurt to walk on it, no longer felt like a permanently sprained ankle. By the time I got back from Orlando, I was a new man.

This set the stage. A few days later, on January 19, I looked at myself long and hard in the mirror and decided to make a change.

I was fat – 235 pounds (!), unhealthy, and miserable. But with fresh motivation and my ankle no longer killing me, I made a pact with myself to get into shape. I started riding my bike, exercising, dieting – heck, I even joined the gym. (Imagine!)

Today, on the last day of 2006, I'm at 198 pounds. Still eight pounds heavier than I want to be, but infinitely healthier and happier with myself nonetheless.

I’m not there, but I’m on my way.

So this was the obvious big change in 2006, but there were other, smaller highlights as well.

I really enjoyed my kids this year -- maybe more than ever -- as I watched them both develop and grow. I like how they've become best friends. Speaking of friends, we’ve made some great new friends this year and I feel more a part of the community than ever.

This must continue and it's my New Year’s Resolution for 2007 (along with shedding those final ten pounds).

But today is a day for looking back, and I want to recall some of my favorite days of 2006: The dumping snowstorm in Camp Nelson in February, the whole Surf Summit week, Barry’s wedding, those few hot days in Barcelona, those trips to T-street and Laguna in the summer, that glorious week in the Sierra, and just recently that one wave at Gas Chambers on the North Shore.

These are just a few (certainly not all) of the days that I’ll treasure forever from 2006, one of the best years I've had in a long, long time.

Happy New Year!