A personal review of 2007

Every year, on New Year's Eve, Dave and I each write a list of the most positive outcomes of the past year, plus a list of the bad things. In my quaint little way, I then put the lists into a box labelled "Nostalgia" in our study. So this year I decided to blog our lists.

Sarah's Best of 2007 List

1. Our one-week holiday in Morocco (Marrakesh) in February, including picking up over £500 from British Airways for agreeing to get a later flight than the one we were booked on.
2. Dave's outlandish huge Afro wig that he wore at Christian's 40th (seventies fancy dress) party.
3. Dining at Simpson's in Birmingham with Dave after my Marketing exams in June.
4. Wave jumping on the island of Koh Chang, Thailand, in August.
5. Thai cookery course at Chiang Mai, Thailand, in August.
6. The whole of our weekend in St Ives, Cornwall, in the middle of December. Wintry walks on the beach, Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden and the Alba restaurant were all highlights.
7. My relations with my in-laws improved considerably over the year, due mainly to activities around Dave's Dad's 80th birthday.
8. Debating Matters - I was a judge in the West Midlands round of this inter-school debating competition, and it was enormously fun and rewarding.
9. Sitting with Dave and Elsie at Hilary's barbecue. I hadn't seen them for years, and we chatted the afternoon away in the sunshine. Dave died a few weeks later.
10. Going to the Take That concert in November at the NEC with friends.
11. Kevin Rowlands (ex Dexy's Midnight Runners) DJs at the Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath. When I heard him play Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, I thought that anything could happen next. And when I saw Shug dancing to Eddie and the Hot Rods 70s hit "Do anything you want to do", I knew I'd been right.
12. My paper is accepted for the ER&L conference due to take place in March 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
13. Dave and I treat my brother to the 7 course taster menu at Juniper's restaurant, Altrincham, one of the best restaurants in England.
14. Working on Project Xedio for Talis.
15. My social life improves immeasurably, for reasons I've not altogether worked out, but maybe it's something to do with good luck.

Some bad things in 2007...

1. Gina Owens dies.
2. Dave Hallsworth dies.
3. The CIM Marketing course took up far too much of my time.
4. Too ill to run the Manchester 10K race.
5. Car crash at Five Ways, Birmingham. A taxi driver runs into the back of me while I'm waiting at the roundabout.
6. My head splits open at home when I bash my head into an item of furniture, and I end up spending a whole Friday evening in A&E.
7. Dave was too ill to go out exploring Kuala Lumpur with me, and I had to go on my own.
8. I faint on the Bahrain - Bangkok flight due to dehydration.
9. The bathroom, which was supposed to be done in 5-7 days, wasn't complete for 4 months, and was an absolute nightmare, in the midst of which we started contacting the media.
10. My Dad's brother, my Uncle John, sent my Mum the nastiest Christmas card imaginable. It began "To Dora. What a shame you haven't got any grand-children at this time of year." And then got even worse...