2006 is dead, long live 2007!

Well, last year was a long one – so many changes have happened that it’s hard to look back and remember them now. But the highlights (and lowlights):

• I switched jobs – twice. First, I went from being a consultant to a full-timer at GSI Commerce for 9 months. And in the last month of the year, I started another new position at Medical Broadcasting Company in Philadelphia – a promotion, more money and a (thankfully) much shorter commute into the city.
• My wife went through 9 months of recovery from Lyme Disease and the resulting complications. She’s better now, but it’s been a tough year – and looks like she’s recovered again.
• Our menagerie of pets went from 3 crazy pets to 4 crazy and broken pets after we added our new cat, Jazz.
• My nephew – my sister’s first – turned 1, and is bright, cheerful and as hyperactive as I was when I was his age. Oh, she’s paying now for all of those mean things she did to me…
• Penn State had another good season (9-4), and won their bowl game against Tennessee. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go up to my alma mater this year.
• I finally got a little better at poker. After winning a tournament two years ago, I had a string of bad luck – and bad playing. This year, I didn’t get to play as often as I’d liked, but I was managing to win quite a few months – $40 stakes paying off $110, 125 and $160 on different occasions.
• I donated a bunch of images to the Philadelphia Zoo (which they’ve used on signage and mailings), the Calgary Zoo (this image will be used by the Calgary Zoo for a zoo + promotional materials) and a CPAWS magazine article. Not too bad – now I just need to sell some.
• My birding life list crept over 250 this year, from about a little over 200 a year ago. I also got into butterflies (and moths) and dragonflies this year, getting my lists for those up to over 50/25, respectively. And we’re planning a trip to Texas in a couple of months, so I hope to be adding a lot of new stuff to my record – AND my photo lifelist.
• My photography improved – in part because of my new Nikon D200 camera and Nikon VR 80-400mm f/5.6 lens. Among my best shots for the year:
  
  
  
  

  See the original posts on my Flickr account.