Area 151

I’ll get back to updates on my status as the nine-fingered wonder* at some later date. But, since my return to the blogosphere approximately coincides with the turn from 2006 to 2007, I thought I’d try a quick re-cap of some of my annual projects.

The 26 in ‘06 Reading Challenge. A bit of a failure. When I last logged in on the topic, I listed off books 15-17 towards the goal, and mentioned that I’d deliberately lined up a short volume to start September off on a speed-ready note. Well, The Castle of Otranto was assuredly short (136 pp.), but it took me more than two months to read it. After that, I read Howard Carter’s memoir, The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen, bringing my grand total to 19 books. At this point, I’m just readying myself for the 27 in ‘07 challenge—even to the point of leaving one of my current books with a single chapter still unread, a final chapter that will remain unread till next week.

The Annual Alphabetic CD Crawl. Again, something of a failure. As I type, I am listening to #1350 in my collection: Sugar Ray’s The Pursuit of Leisure. Since the collection ranges alphabetically from ABBA to Zero 7, you can perhaps imagine how many CDs remain unheard at this point (I’m estimating approximately 100, and will do an official tally on January 1). It may just be that I have finally reached the point where my CD collection is too large to permit the comphrehensive annual tour. It may also be that a willingness to disengage from zombie channel-surfing might allow me more time for both music and reading. I’m thinking of maming one more try at the annual crawl in ‘07. Maybe I’ll go backwards through the alphabet to make sure those poor neglected Windham Hill compilations get some guaranteed airplay.

Films. I don’t have a snappy name for this one (note to self: fix that oversight for ‘07), but I spent a lot of film-geek/scholar years where I became accustomed to averaging a new movie each week. I did not keep that pace this year, and I don’t even think that pace is a reasonable expectation now that I’m out of grad school (note to self the 2nd: what goal do I want to set for next year?). Current tally: 36 new films in ‘06. Most interesting is how a full 23 of those films have all been viewed in the three months since we got DVR in this household. Why didn’t I buy this shirt when I had the chance?

Weight Loss. I continue to make slow progress. If I ever started exercising, it’d go faster–which maybe I will do once I am permitted to do so without ripping stitches and causing permanent irreparable damage to The Thumb. Regardless, I had gotten down to 165 before leaving town for Christmas (that’s 29 pounds lost with another 20-25 to go), even without any exercise beyond my daily walk to work. Holiday treats plus the food-based pity party I’ve been having since the accident mean I’m back up to 169.5. I’m hoping this is a temporary reversal of direction and that I’ll get back on track once I’m back into my regular ten-fingered non-holiday routine.** If nothing else, the progress I’ve made thus far has enabled me to go down a size and buy an absitively kick-ass gown for the grand gala in early February.

So, by a whole lot of charting, 2006 doesn’t quite seem to have measured up the way I might have preferred. And yet, this year has also found me making a great job change, settling back into my city life, re-engaging in music and trying brand new experiences like improv. And did I mention this absolutely kick-ass ball gown?

It’s been a pretty good year.

* This phrase, snappy as it may be, is admittedly hyperbolic. All ten fingers remain attached to my two hands where they oughta be. It’s just that only nine of them work right now…

** This may sound whiny, but my two primary non-food stress-relievers are journal-writing (which I already complained about) and cross stitch. I don’t know how to do either of those things without my left thumb, so I’m all out of sorts and off-kilter.