Bad.
The bad:
My husband had multiple surgeries, taking us even further into debt.
His depression and agoraphobia have worsened, leading him into a hermit-like existence.
We lost our oldest cat to bladder cancer.
A friend’s divorce has turned into a fiasco.
The good:
My book was published.
I got a raise.
Meh.
Pretty good.
Was laid off. 
Got a new job at 23% more money. 
Didn’t have an operation this year.
Found out I’ll need one next year.
I have lost some weight.
But not enough.
Paid off all my medical bills FINALLY.
Mostly a good year.
Got a new job: good
Job was in Bay Area, had to move from SoCal: good and bad
3 biopsies, all negative: good
Truck broke down on the way home last night: bad
Mechanic’s diagnosis: needs engine rebuit: BAD.
If it wasn’t for those last two items, I would have rated 2006 a 8/10. The final rating won’t be in until after I get the repair bill.
The bad: [ul]
[li]Dad got laid off from two different jobs this year, so I ended up paying a few of my parents’ bills for several months.[/li][li]Mom had three knee-replacement surgeries. (No, she’s not some kind of mutant – the partial knee replacement didn’t work out and had to be redone four months later.)[/li][li]An ex-friend of mine transferred into my department and is attempting to make the work environment as uncomfortable as possible.[/ul][/li]
The good: [ul]
[li]I kept my two New Year’s resolutions: don’t bring any work home over the weekend, and take care of my teeth.[/li][li]I got a big promotion at work that included a nice raise, a much more prominent role in the company and way more potential for advancement. Also, the subject matter is much more interesting than my previous work.[/li][li]I met many people in my new department and made several new friends.[/li][li]Mom is up and around after her surgeries and is feeling better than ever.[/li][li]Dad got an even better job with fantastic benefits.[/li][li]I finally started a Roth IRA.[/ul][/li]
Overall, I have to say that 2006 wasn’t bad.
2006 was an almost mirror image of 2005 which was hopefully the most horrific year of my life.
Daughter #3 was born healthy and does not have the rare genetic disease that claimed the life of daughter #2 in 2005.
Our house was reconstructed bigger and better than ever after being half destroyed by a giant oak tree strike in 2005.
My consulting job gave me a permanent offer and even though it was low-ball, I am generally happy with my job for the first time in a few years.
Anything I complain about will seem petty because none of it compares at all to 2005 and is still overshadowed by the good in 2006.
Good:
– DEFENDED THE DISSERTATION. I have a Ph.D. and nobody can ever take it away from me. The rest is pretty much gravy.
– Taught one of the cooler classes of my life.
– Traveled across most of Canada; saw outstanding productions of The Duchess of Malfi and Coriolanus, and also saw the Rocky Mountains and a real live bear (rather too close for comfort, but survived).
– Got at least one column published in the Chronicle of Higher Education; may see some more publications in the immediate future.
Bad:
– Keep having the feeling that this is as good as it gets, and really truly do not know where, or if, I’ll be employed this time next year.
– Turned thirty. Do not have a boyfriend, or a steady job, or a baby, or pretty much of anything. Feel like life is on hold in so many ways.
Overall this year has so far been pretty good. Best year I’ve had in a while, really.
The only things on the “bad” side of the ledger I can think of:
I had my first (and hopefully last…) motorcycle accident after just over a year of riding back in April. Fortunately I managed to avoid a collision, but was thrown off my bike at about 35 mph when I skidded in a panic brake after getting cut off by an SUV in city traffic. Thanks to wearing a full face helmet, padded gloves and an armored jacket, I got away with mostly bruises. Except for my unguarded knees, which got pretty bad “road rash” once the corduroy pants wore away on the pavement.
It also kind of bummed me to find out… in early August… that the promotion I thought I was in line for at work was not going to happen this year. I’ll get money instead. Just how much I’ll find out at year end (that’s the Wall Street bonus system for you). Huh.
And since SNenc brought up the Tigers as both a high and a low… I had a great ride with my Mets this year, but man did it end badly. Of course going into the start of the season if you’d told me they’d run away with the division and make it to Game 7 of the NLCS, I’d have been beyond thrilled. But I was at the stadium for the game where they lost to the Cardinals, and after seeing Endy Chavez make that amazing over-the-wall catch in left field, and the way the bottom of the 9th started out, I believed like I have never believed in anything in sports that the Mets would pull it out. It really would not have hurt nearly as much had the Cards simply pummeled John “Who’s that?” Maine early on and won Game 7 going away. I already believed there was no God… Now I know!
But other than that, everyone I’m close to is healthy, financially I’ve had a good year, and I also cleaned up my eating habits and begun a workout regimen that has seen me lose 45 lbs. of fat since mid-May. I’m in probably the best physical shape of my life at age 35.
So of course I’ll jinx it all now by writing about it. Eep!
Good:
Got married, to the love of my life
Moved into our dream house, with option to buy
Had darling baby #3, and got tubes tied, so lots of worry-free sex
Re-established friendship with long-lost best friend
New car, with enough room for 3 car seats
Bad:
Tot broke his wrist. Cast for 2 weeks, and he whined for a bath the entire time.
That’s all I’ve got. It’s been a wonderful year, for me.
Bad:
Good:
All the health-related crap really sucked; the boyfriend and job stuff is great. If nothing bad happens before New Year’s, I’ll say it was a draw.
Bad:
Worked for over half a year at a soulless job that ended badly
Still depending on parents financially
Stressed out over a young brother who doesn’t know what to do with his life
Got involved with guys that turned out to be jerks/creeps
Trying to get over a crush that I know will never work out
Got rejected by every single grad program I applied to
Good:
Made a lot of new friends
Got accepted into a grad program that I initially wasn’t considering, but has turned out to be awesome
Living on my own for the first time ever and doing all right
Rekindling passion for literature
Moving back to the US after being away for over a decade
Hm. There are more bad things than good things to list, but overall I think the good outweigh the bad. At least at this point in time I feel pretty content. It’s been an okay year.
Good
Found out work relationships that had existed for years but I had never recognised how close they were.
Elderly parents still alive and kicking.
Even older cat still going strong.
Australia will win back the Ashes.
Bad.
Ongoing issues with sun cancers, including one removed surgically from an eyelid during the past week.
The passing of a close Internet friend.
Drank way too much sigh
Decided I really have the morals of a stoat
Overall- will probably be marred by the passing of my friend.
Bad:
Good:
Overall, a good year. The worst was probably 2000. The best was maybe 2005, but this wasn’t too far behind.
Overall year rating: Bad.
It acted like it was going to be a good year for a little while:
but then it got extra-super sucky:
Still, with “husband” set to become “ex-husband” next year, I hope 2007 will be a better year for me.
Overall, bad. Started out good - went back to work, which was great. Right now, it’s the only thing keeping me (semi) sane.
Marriage of almost 29 years on the skids.
So, yeah, overall 2006 has been pretty crappy.
Overall I’d have to say that 2006 has been an excellent year!
Good:
Bad:
Good wins - bring on 2007!
Good: New job that I adore, working with great people, making a shitload of money. (Bad: hour-plus commute each way.)
Good: Followed through on my NY’s resolution not to get my heart broken this year. Still not in a relationship (still not sure that’s bottom-line what I want), but the benefits in my current friends-with-benefits arrangement are mind-blowing – and there’s a different gentleman currently making a persuasive argument that he could make it worth my while to give up that arrangement.
Bad: Nothing major. My brother’s not in good shape mentally/emotionally, but he and I are not at all close, so that’s more a theoretical concern than an actual one. My very elderly cat may not make it to his 19th birthday in March. I got rearended last summer, but the other guy’s insurance covered it completely, so aside from the inconvenience, no biggie.
I have a couple of amazing close, nurturing friendships; a job I love; more than enough money to live on comfortably, after years of being broke all the frikkin’ time; a nice house to live in.
No complaints – overall, an excellent year.
Ye gods. What kind of cat was this.
The GOOD
Finally got out of the stinking hellhole I used to work at and got a job at a place where I’m actually appreciated. Took a fancy new raise with it, too.
Finally got those last couple of wisdom teeth out
The BAD
The inexorable slide back into depression has been hard to overcome and I feel my personal life has suffered from it.
I had to spend $2700 on car repairs.
…wow, it seemed like a lot more happened this year.
2006 was a good year for me … I can’t think of anything bad that happened! The main highlights from the year:
[ul][li]I went on a trip with my father for the first time in 20 years, and we were still speaking to each other when we got back.[/li][li]I moved from a too-big townhouse into a just-right townhouse, with a much better property manager.[/li][li]I decided to leave the company I’d been with for 5 years, which was a hard decision, but now I’m working for a large, respected company for more money.[/li][li]I met someone from an online dating site for coffee a couple of nights ago, and we actually clicked! I’m looking forward to seeing him again.[/ul][/li]
I enjoyed reading all of the posts in this thread, but that made me laugh out loud. Congratulations.
Best Year Evar!
A few bad things, but the good far outweighs it all.