Quick Wrap of 2006

Quick Wrap of my 2006:

• Loved - twice. Same person.
  
• Lost Love - twice. Same person.
• Job - Changed. Once. Good thing.
  
• Moved - Once.
• Car - Out with Lumey, in with Icey. Good thing.
  
• Music - too much to mention. Most of it great. Some of it downright awful.
• Roadtrips - 17 states and Canada this year. Seriously. All but three states were while chasing music. Seriously.
• Bodies of water traversed - two. Atlantic Ocean whale-watching; Mississippi Riverboat Cruise.

In-Depth Highlights:

• Seeing the genius that is Aaron Tashjian solo multiple times in multiple states in multiple formations (Autumn Under Echoes; Swig Tooth; solo; Semi-Precious Weapons). Amazing songwriter. Amazing guitarist. Amazing person.
  
  
• Whale-watching with Kara on the Atlantic - she was amazed. One of the things I love most is seeing the look on someone's face when they experience something that amazing. Personally, I've not been on a whale watch that didn't make me cry - seeing those amazing creatures that close is humbling.
  
  
• Seeing my daughter pet and feed her favorite water-based mammal - a beluga whale - at Marineland in Niagara Falls.
  
  
• Meeting Justin "Precious" Tranter - the face and voice of Semi-Precious Weapons.
  
  
• Seeing Semi-Precious Weapons live four times. (Columbus, twice; Chicago, Pittsburgh)
  
  
• Putting 33,000+ miles on my car in 8 months.
  
  
• My new job - and all the things I'm learning.
  
  
• The fact my new job is in Youngstown - moving me back to the area I was born in, and much closer to my daughter than Columbus.
  
  
• The new friends I've made this year.
  
  
• The 'friends' I unmade this year.
  
  
• Rediscovering my love of photography, and buying a new digital SLR.
  
  
• Rediscovering my love of writing (heh heh ... as the more than 200 blog entries this year show)
  
  
• The old friends I reconnected with this year.
  
  
• Meeting one of my musical heroes, Jeffrey Gaines.
  
  
• Meeting and hanging out with the guys from Watershed; Rob James from the Clarks; Mr. and Mrs. Nye and their associated family members.
  
  
• Making Mr. Nye crack up mid-lyric and laugh during the final show of Rockhouse.
  
  
• Talking music, life and alcoholic beverages with Quinn Fallon of the X-Rated Cowboys.
  
  
• Hanging out with Donnette when I needed a friend - or she did.