FOUR FOR FRIDAY- THE YEAR-END EDITION

Q1 - Bump That Chest: Looking back on the year that was 2007, what are you most proud of?

Q2 - Moving On : Which famous person's death in 2007 impacted you the most? (Need some help? Here's a short list of some of the famous people--and one horse--who died this year: Kurt Vonnegut, Barbaro, Anna Nicole Smith, Lamar Lundy, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Boris Yeltsin, Art Buchwald, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Robert Goulet, Beverly Sills, Lady Bird Johnson, Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner, Tom Snyder, Bill Walsh, Luciano Pavoratti, Jane Wyman, Joey Bishop, Mr. Whipple, Brad Delp, Richard Jeni, Bowie Kuhn, James Faust, Eddie Robinson, Don Ho, Liz Clairborne, Joel Siegel, Ingmar Bergman, Merv Griffin, Norman Mailer, Leona Helmsley, Sean Taylor, Evil Knievel, Ike Turner, Marcel Marceau, and Benazir Bhutto.)

Q3 - Bring It!: Looking ahead--toward the year that is still to be (2008)--what are you most looking forward to?

Q4 - Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout: What was your favorite Holiday / Christmas gift (from either this year or of all time)?

1. Bump That Chest: Hmmm... well, what I am most proud of is probably too personal to talk about here. But I'm pretty proud that I finally got my family into a house.

2. Moving On: Wow, I didn't realize all those people were dead (save for a couple). The most? Probably Rev. Falwell since I participated in a discussion about him on this very website!

3. Bring It!: The end of December... Uh, and maybe finally upgrading my home computer after three years *fingers crossed*

4. Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout: When I was 5 or so, I got a new bicycle. I completely flipped out when I saw it.

Q1 - Bump That Chest: Getting accepted to medical school. I'm still amazed they let me in and I hope they don't change their mind before next fall.

Q2 - Moving On: President Faust. He is the only one I knew from that list.

Q3 - Bring It!: Starting med school and hopefully having a kid sometime next year.

Q4 - Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout: My favorite this year wasn't even my gift. My mother-in-law got a full-sized bonified pin-ball machine. Since I don't have to pay any money, I can't keep my hands off that thing.

Bump - I think I'm most proud of my son's progress as a well-mannered, nice kid. It's a lot of work, and it's paying off so far. I especially like the fact that he is considerate of, and interested in, older people.

R.I.P. - I'll miss Kurt Vonnegut, maybe the funniest author ever, and I took special note of the death of Norman Mailer, because I was an accidental guest in his apartment.

2008 - I am most looking forward to improving the stability of my consulting business. 2007 was a bit rocky.

Gift - My favorite gift this year wasn't a holiday gift, but a gift "card" from my son when my cat died. It made me laugh and cry too. I'll quote it, mispellings and all...

"all about kitty

I love you DaDey and kitty by Reese

kittey is a vvery good cat and pet
to bad kitty is ded.
I'm said (sad) to
I wish I can helpp you and kitty you are nisse."

Then the back says,
"but kitty is ded. The end.
your sun, Reese"
It is illustrated with a drawing of her grave. I'll keep that forever.

1. I guess getting my first salaried job that entails in part of what I want to do as a career - porn stunt double.

2. Evel Knievel - He's from my home state of montana, and that is pretty rare since Montana does not produce many celebrities, unless they have spitoon spitting as an olympic event.

3. loosing my man breasts

4. similar to stu - my first bigwheel. Now presents are just lame and practicle. I will even get excited about argyle socks, which makes me worry about how my value system's changed.

1. I made all A's in every class{10} that I took in my major of Graphic Design {and my kids and I are still alive too :-}

2. Hummmm... my Ex Husband may not have been famous except to us; but his death Nov. 6th impacted us as a family greatly. Benazir Bhutto really tops my list. She was a gutsy woman and died giving peace a chance.

3. Graduation from college... which will be my 4th degree and most difficult to achieve.

4. This year I got a GPS system from a beloved friend. I will never get lost again... among other things. It was a Fab' Christmas!

1. I'm most proud of starting a new hobby, which I have turned into a small business. With improvements and updates, this business will be up and running at full-tilt in 2008.

2. None. And while it is sad to know these familiar people have passed on, they really didn't have much impact on my life.

3. In 2008, I am looking forward to moving closer to personal and professional goals. Success and fulfillment of my dreams.

4. My favorite Christmas gift...hmmm...that's a tough one. I'd have to say Christmas 2004-07 brought my very favorite gifts from one very thoughtful, generous and special person.

Q1 - Bump That Chest: The many recognitions that my company Doba received this year.

Q2 - Moving On : Almost none. Although I remember I my parents telling me I was born the day before Evil Knievel tried to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho not to far from Burley, so I guess if I had to pick one from the list, I'd pick him.

Q3 - Bring It!: The massive amount of work that's still necessary to complete for Doba to become what I have always wanted and believed possible.

Q4 - Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout: Probably my first bike, I remember I was older than most kids, and I didn't have any training wheel bike, it was a BMX.

Q1 - Bump That Chest: I am most proud of the fact that I can walk and even run a little on the tread mill. After an accident in 2007 it took much physical therapy to get here.

Q2 - Moving On : Unfortunately, Anna Nicole Smith death impacted me the most. Everyday for 90 straight days this was on the TV at physical therapy between her death and all the baby drama people could not get enough of the train wreak that became her life. I started keeping a running total in my head of how many days in a row it was on. The hospital staff could not get enough of it.

Q3 - Bring It!: Watching my kids hit their various mild stones, better health, helping my husband with the bills.

Q4 - Now That's What I'm Talkin' Bout: I will never forget a purse that my parents bought me when I was 14 or 15. It was way too expensive, but I wanted it so bad. Now that I am a parent I see how much of a sacrifice they made for me.

Q1- Tough question,...it's a toss up between my work experience and position with the company I work for (Doba), or me losing roughly 30 pounds on the divorce diet.

Q2- Is it sad that I didn't know most of the people listed were dead? I would say Sean Taylor, because I some-what followed him when he was playing college ball for Miami. Plus, there is something fishy about how he died.

Q3- Spending time with my daughter and watching her grow up. She turns 2 on New Year's Day. It is really amazing to see how fast she has grown. Also, it's "Next Year" for the Chicago Cubs...I am excited to see how they do.

Q4- All time favorite holiday gift of all time has to be tickets to my first Chicago Bulls basketball game. The game was on Christmas day (night). They played the Boston Celtics. It was back in the day, so I got to see Jordan, Pippen, Cartwright, Grant and the rest of the players who started the Bulls Dynasty....as well as classic Celtic players Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and others. It was an awesome experience.

1. Dropping the credit card debt... four months ahead of my best case scenario.

2. Famous people don't really tend to have a lot of bearing on my life, but as an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader, I think I will miss Robert Jordan the most... I just can't see how this new guy is going to finish Jordan's epic and have it feel right.

3. Medical School (fingers crossed that I actually get in)

4. This year, definitely the Xbox 360 I collected at the company Christmas party. Of all time, probably my first lego set... I was lost in my own world for months.

1 - Making the decision to end an abusive marriage. It was hard to do, but since I've done it, I am returning to the person I was before, I'm happy, my kids are good, and I love life again.

2 - Can't say the death of anyone famous impacted me much this year. I lost my closest aunt in Jan and that was the impetus for me to take control of my life and end my marriage. Reminded me life is too short to be miserable. Also lost another close aunt later last year. Had enough death in my own family...

3 - Continuing to make new friends and date and enjoy life. I want to overhaul my house and set better habits for myself and my kids. But mostly just enjoy life for a change.

4 - Last year my daughter bought one of those cheesy plaques at her school's holiday shop for me, that said something about Mommy and had flowers on it. I never liked them but this one was really special to me...

1. I am most proud of working the Boston transit system all on my own and not getting any beer or puke on me!

2. Evil Knievel, he was a fello Montanan.

3. I am most looking forward to my month long sabbatical!

4. From this year it is the tennis bracelet my parents gave me. From past years, it is the porcelain musical unicorn my mother gave me when I was 12. It is very special to me and is a reminder of the past and what is important.

1. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. I try to avoid it.

2. Robert Goulet. My afternoons are so much more productive now that he isn't messing with my stuff.

3. I am most looking forward to the newborn that is scheduled to arrive on 4/15/08.

4. My wife gave me a trip to the USVI for Christmas this year and it was awesome.

q1: Getting into a home
q2: Benazir and James Faust...the impact was mainly reading news
q3: Watching my little boy turn 2, getting some remodeling done to our home, getting a new mountain bike
q4: When I was little we got an Atari 2600 (?) it was awesome.

1. I had the option of keeping my job or taking a layoff. I went with the layoff and this has been the best 6 months of my life. It was a scary choice, no health insurance and reduced income but I have seen most of the country and have lived. Really lived, and now I have something to draw on when I am working for the man at my next job to help whittle away the hours.

2.Mr. Whipple. Yeah, I know but when I was a kid I thought he would never stop squeezing the charmin. I thought he would be a permanent fixture, unlike my freckles which I thought would go away at 19. No idea how I picked that age.

3.The unexpected because I found out this year you just never know.

4.One year I asked my stepfather to get me something special. I wanted something that was between the two of us. He got me a jewlery box and when you open it and plays Pachabels Cannon in D. The funny part is that I'm a bit of a soft butch dyke that does not wear jewlery but I love that present.