A New Year's Day

Ohhhhhhh, I have to admit I've been avoiding this post. So many festivities, so many people. So much wine drunk, so much grub gobbled. So much socialising I feel the need to spend a month in the mountains with a stick and sherpa blanket. And then to relive it all right here? No way. 2008 is about moving forward, so let's not dwell on 2007's excesses.

I will quickly summarise the holidays though: Christmas was gay and lovely. NYE was tame (had the flu so couldn't drink) and all the days in between were filled to the bursting seams with people living at our house. I didn't have time to miss my family much, and I certainly do not miss any of my friends right now... as much as I love them, I would like to love them from afar until this blanket of unapproachability has dissolved (and it might be a while yet). The thing about being so far away from home is that you see the same people for the entire festive season. And yes, there are a couple of isolated instances which directly resulted from the cabin fever that have one or two people perhaps not seeing eye to eye on certain topics. But everyone has gone home now, and there are no plans to do anything with each other for..... hmmm, let's see, 2 whole weeks (and only then because we booked the ice skating before Christmas, ie before the friend-phobia hit). Two weeks of no friends? What bliss.

So, I had all sorts of ideas for this post, despite avoiding it. A philosophical summary of 2007's highs and lows? A nostalgic trip down memory lane of what made 2007 the Year That Was? No. And I'll tell you why: 2007 was quite simply one of my worst years yet. I'd say my worst, but getting involved with a crack addict sort of trumps an all round bad year with the man you love, so it wasn't quite rock bottom. It came pretty close though - certainly my worst year since I turned 21.

It was bad for all the usual reasons and more, many of which you could find on the pages of this blog, should you care to look back that far (and come on, of course you don't). It was horrendous enough that I don't feel it would be right to start off the new year by rehashing the miseries of old. Also, I'm lazy and not in the mood for a deep, heartfelt post. Instead, I'll pay a tribute to 2007 by simply jotting down a few things that are going oh so right for me as we kick into 2008:

*My new job (starting next week Monday)
*Going to Cape Town in just 3 weeks and 2 days
*Spain in the summer?
*Combining 2 monthly salaries with a realistic "get out of debt soon" plan
*The end-of-year goal to buy property
*My wonderful boyfriend, who still loves me despite me being a miserable old cow for the last 4 months of 2007
*A fantastic group of friends (who just need to make themselves scarce for a month before they can go back to being fantastic)
*My ever supportive family - if there was an award for bendable ears, they'd get it

And now, instead of further musings about the state of my life (which is good), let's get to the really important stuff. Here's my Top of 2007 List:

Stand-Out Album
The Wreckers - Stand Still, Look Pretty (I'm cheating a bit here; this was released in 2006, but I only discovered it in 2007 and it became the soundtrack to my misery)

Legendary Song
Home by Daughtry

Vomit Inducing Song
Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston ("You'll have me suicidal, suicidal / When you say it's over" ....you don't say. Pass the razor blades.)

Most Watchable TV Show
Grey's Anatomy Season 3 before the writers hit the proverbial wall and made Meredith "die." What.A Lot.Of Kak.

Crappest TV Show
Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Most Fantastic Hook-Up
Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood (to all 19 year olds everywhere: THIS is how you rebel. It does not get better than this - her dad is gibbering in a straight jacket right now)

Unsexiest Hook-Up
Issy and George from Grey's (can anyone say incest?)

Broken Fairytale Break-Up
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling (It would never have happened like this in the Notebook)

Hands Down Best Movie
Superbad

Best Book (read, but not necessarily published, in 2007)
Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind - I can't pick just one as the series as a whole story is mindblowingly stunning