L'Annee en Review

I've taken some time to reflect on 2007 and I'm realizing that my mother was actually right this time. She told me about a year ago that 2007 would be MY year, for whatever reason. I'm not exactly sure what 'my year' meant, but I can say with absolute certainty that this was the best year I've had in probably 10 years.

Looking back 10 years, I was in high school and living out those days with little to no responsibility, playing sports constantly and I was in really good shape. Then I went to college, became kind of fat, borderline alcoholic, prone to smoking weed on a regular basis and a host of other things that probably don't deserve any mention. But who's counting? Isn't this essentially what college is for? As an 18 year-old kid who had lived a fairly sheltered life up until college, it wasn't exactly difficult for me to go catapulting into that black hole of mischief and malaise. Alas, here I sit at 28 and I'm back at the weight I was in high school. This only bears mention because at the start of 2007 I weighed in at a chunky 197lbs. This morning I was 167. That's right bitch, 167 pounds and I'm proud of it. I turned a new leaf in 2007, and it was a giant fucking leaf.

I don't know why, exactly, that I waited as long as I did to try and regain some form of fitness and health. Oh wait, yes I do. Because implementing an entirely new and challenging way of life into my routine is akin to passing a stone (or so I would imagine). No matter now, because it's done. I think Christmas was most indicative of my current state of being, as was manifested in some of the gifts I received: health-conscious cookbooks and a gift certificate to a running store that ultimately paid for my new running shoes. Really good stuff there, and elsewhere in the presents, too...but those are representative of the new me, I guess.

Enough about my metamorphosis, because I'm sure you're all just tickled pink that I've found this new path. I'm done talking about that for the year. I'll move onto the year in sports, but I'll keep it nice and terse for all of you non-sports fans. Besides, I'm sure there will be a much more in depth analysis of the year in sports on Hammen's blog over the next week or so. (no pressure, bud...but get it done) I can turn to Christmas gifts as a fair representation of 2007 in Boston sports once again. As a way to bring my father back down to earth from his Red Sox & Patriots euphoric utopia, my oldest brother Chris presented him with a pin from the 1986 Super Bowl and a blown up photo of Buckner and the infamous ground ball off the bat of Mookie Wilson in 1986. What a year that was, indeed. I thought these were the most creative gifts of the holiday season, especially coming from Chris. He's not what you might call a "sports fan"; at least not in the traditional sense. But he know exactly what might conjure up past turmoil in the eyes and heart of our father. That being said, I don't think my dad gives a shit anymore. I already know that the highlight of his current vacation in Florida occurred on the 4th day of the trip, when he was able to watch the Pursuit of Perfection in his motorhome...something that was previously thought impossible due to the NFL Network. I'll say this about 2007 for Boston sports fans: I might not deserve this success, nor may thousands and thousands of other fans in this area and nation-wide who are currently living the proverbial dream as a result of said success. But for the older generations, such as that of my father and other baby boomers...they deserve this. They went through far more than I have in terms of disappointment and misery. (hang in there, Cubs fans. It'll happen.)

The past year brought some certain high points for me in the travel category. When all is said and done for 2007, my feet will have stepped foot in the following states: MA, CT, NY, NH, ME, VT, OH, IN, CA, NV and PR. PR is technically the 52nd state...Guam being the 51st. That's not too bad, especially considering I went to Cali three times over the course of the year. PR was the best trip by far, though. It was my 28th birthday gift from Lauren along with a few other things and it was the best birthday present to date. Thanks baby.

2007 was a momentous year for this blog, too. Hell, I made and kept plans with some dude from North Dakota that I know as a result of our blogs. Because of that, I have corresponded with some fine, young men who make their homes in various parts of our country. I gotta say that those friends are much more manageable than local friends of any variety because there's never any pressure to see or contact them. Cheers, boys. And Ben, I'm waiting for the re-ship on the Very Schneweis Holiday 2007. And to the rest of you blogworld inhabitants...Bowen, Ponch, DVJS, D-Lo, Alex, Hambone, Lovetron, Tallman from ND...Happy New Year. Here's hoping we all continue to litter the virtual literary world with non-sensical babble for another year.

To the various and sundry category, I've got new outlooks on so many new things because of 2007. I now pay close attention to every urinal I piss in; I have a great, new appreciation for breasts and breast cancer (you know who you are, Ms "feel this and tell Lauren what it's like"); I've now been to 2 Sox Playoff games and both were walk-off Sox wins; I've successfully orchestrated a charity event and attended two other fancy ones; I've learned to be ok with the love of my life loving another man (even if he is 4 years old); I've greatly expanded my horizons in terms of sushi that I am willing to eat; I've parted ways with red meat and pork and also my jiggly gut and puffy thighs; I don't smoke anything anymore; I know a good amount more about wine, albeit only red wine and it's really not that much at all...just a lot more than before this year...that might be it.

I think I'm ready for 2008, as I prepare to enter my final year of being in my twenties. Man, now I'm not so sure that I'm ready for 2008. That prospect alone is a shitty one at best.

Some goals for 2008:

Go to France, trim down to a lean 160 by the summer, be able to bench 200lbs at least 5 times, make 100k and one more thing that I don't feel like mentioning on here because it's not necessary. If I can do all these things in 2008, it will surpass 2007 as the best year of my life.

Good luck to you all on your resolutions and remember: make enough of them so that even if you only accomplish a couple of them, you can still view those as successes. And listen, don't go getting too fucked up tonight, whoever you are.