A Look Back on 2006

Date: December 31, 2006

It’s New Years Eve, and like every year, I am left shocked to know that in less than 24 hours, another year of my life will have fallen to the bottom of the hourglass. It is neither a good or bad notion; like many things in life, it simply is.

This year has been particularly odd for me. It has contained all the ingredients to tear me apart, to make me burst, either from sorrow or joy. On a larger scale, the world has changed, as it ever does; and wars and battles, both great and small, have begun and ended. How can one possibly summarize such a year–any year–in a minuscule set of paragraphs? I will try, however.

January

One of the entries I wrote in January, A 13-Year-Old is Not a Playboy Bunny, continues to be one of my most-visited entries, mainly because many people are searching for 13-to-16-year-old pornography websites. Lovely thing to know, isn’t it?

Also in this month, I ended my job at the newspaper so I would have time to visit Melbourne for three weeks, from the end of January to the middle of February.

According to Wikipedia’s summary of events for January 2006, there were 10 wars/conflicts taking place in January, six elections and a plethora of trials.

February and March

When I got home in mid-February, I came down with the measles (yes, this is noteworthy to me, because that sucked in a way all its own) and began working on all my information to begin school here. It’s something I had worked toward for almost two years straight. On the 21st, during the height of my measles, I turned 19.

Wikipedia’s summary of February 2006 includes the event of the 2006 Winter Olympics and the death of actor Don Knotts.

In March, I was hurt by someone I loved very dearly at the time. I was also accepted into my university here in Australia. Talk about mixed feelings!

As a result, I threw myself into other things–as much as I could, at least–and redesigned this entire website, especially working on the art gallery. I released the new design, titled Alternative Rock, in March as an early part of the May 2006 CSS Reboot. For those of you who have forgotten, or for those of you who never knew, here is a comparison of the 2005 design to the current one of 2006.

The 2005 and 2006 designs of LeliaThomas.Com

Wikipedia’s summary of March 2006 reminds us of some major political events, including the United States’ new pact with India in regard to civil nuclear cooperation. Because, as we all know, pieces of paper and word of mouth mean a lot when it comes to nuclear power.

April

I wrote Truth Behind the Mask in this month, not knowing it would become one of my most frequently-visited entries. At the time, I was writing it mostly as a reminder to myself, and in hopes of reaching a certain person. That never worked out, but the return I’ve received from this post has been rewarding in other unexpected ways. Many of you have emailed me personally to talk about it, and it’s meant a lot to know that I have touched your life, even if only for a moment.

According to the Voice of America website and summarized in Wikipedia’s April 2006 page, American doctors were able to create and use re-engineered bladders. Quite a medical milestone!

May

In May, I officially rebooted and began my posting system of Moral Matters Monday, Del.icio.us Tuesday, Hump Day Funnies and MP3 Thursday. Sadly, Artist Spotlight Friday never panned out well.

A popular entry from this month is Religion in the Modern World, which takes a look at religion’s role in modern society’s workings.

This month was a busy one as I made last-minute arrangements for my departure from the United States, set for June. summary of May 2006 includes the event of the United States’ voting for a new immigration bill amendment which declares English as the national language. Finally. Because, of course, those who go into the States illegally are very willing to learn English. Sí.

June and July

June was a big month for this site, as well as for me personally. Firstly, LeliaThomas.Com was accepted in 9rules’ round four submissions. I also completely revised the poetry and short story sections.

On the 20th of June, I left America. My friend Kavita posted pre-written entries here for two weeks thereafter. I thought that would be enough content, but boy was I wrong (see here and here)!

Wikipedia’s summary of June 2006 includes the death of two important animals, Moose the dog (of Frasier) and Harriet the tortoise.

I started university on the 17th of July, a mere two days after getting into my apartment. This is the nature of life.

When I finally settled in, in late July, I wrote Immigrating to Australia Part I and Part II. These entries are by no means definitive guides, but they provide more than I ever found out about immigrating when doing my own research.

Not that it should be of too much note, considering the sad ordinary nature of it all, but Israel, Iran and the whole Middle Eastern Rat Pack made headlines a lot in July 2006.

August

Because you were all so curious–not really, of course–I posted pictures of my apartment this month. (For the record, I’ve since tamed that monster in my toilet. I call him Fred.) The end of the world was found. Later in the month, my entry MySpace, a Virtual Mirror of Society created an interesting series of debates.

Because it humors me, I find it worth noting that August 2006 saw Mel Gibson drunk and slurring profanities against Jews; he was arrested on DUI charges. Good ole, Mel.

September

These pictures proved to many people that my life is, indeed, quite strange. Soon after I got over my laryngitis (a two-week mission), I began my MySpace series, which lasted into October. Despite it being an almost entirely sarcastic “test,” I caught a lot of heat for what I wrote. This continues to make me laugh.

I was interviewed for the first time in this month.

September 2006 marked the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks and the month in which Aussie “crocodile hunter” Steve Irwin was killed. The only real shockers in either of these things are that now Americans are more restricted by their own government and fears than by fanatical regimes, and it was a stingray that got the croc hunter. Irony at the helm, as always.

October

A slow month for posting, as I finished up my semester’s lectures. The world was not quiet in October 2006, however. For one, a new chemical element was discovered by American and Russian scientists and given the atomic number 118, further screwing my hardly-remembered education of the periodic table. It is currently named Ununoctium, because we didn’t have enough hard-to-pronounce elements, as it were.

November

I learned to accept my happiness here in Melbourne in this month. It seems to be hard for the human brain to allow itself to be content sometimes.

I was interviewed for a second time in November, that time in online art magazine Melbourne Pixel. Ted Haggard got caught bending over for the wrong things–hey, almost literally!–which I covered here.

Other stuff happed in November 2006, but really no one cared, because they were too busy laughing at Ted Haggard with his pants down.

December

I’ve been missing in action here lately, because my parents came to visit on the 6th and have only left as of today. We went on a road trip through several parts of Victoria and some of South Australia. Melbourne’s still home for now, but the people are nice wherever I seem to go in Australia. Christmas was good, although extremely strange in warm weather.

I’ve begun writing extensively again, and 2007 looks beautiful–or “mostly fine,” as the weathermen say here. It’s going to be good, I think. I’ll be 20 soon, and for the first time in about 11 years, I’m actually happy about getting a year older, especially since my birthday will be in summer. I am content. There are much worse ways to end a year.

Comments ordered from oldest to newest.

LorriM

December 31, 2006 at 4:08 pm

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This is a nice recap of your year, Lelia. :)

I am not looking back, but prefer, instead, to look forward to 2007!

Happy New Year, the best to you! :)

SkeptiC

December 31, 2006 at 5:43 pm

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This post is going to have some good stuff that I haven’t seen yet. So, im going to give it a good read and come back to the comment. This is going to be the best of the best. :)

SkeptiC

January 1, 2007 at 7:22 am

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I never did see the site with the older design, but by looking at the pictures, I like this one. Its easily the softest on the eyes site I think I’ve ever come across.
I must say, overall, it is a very productive year for you. Even though I guess I can’t compare what productive would be for you in the years previous. But nonetheless, you’ve done a lot.

This post makes me realize how much more of your site I still want to read. Especially some of the articles, like ‘Truth Behind the Mask’. I’m sure once I start going through more of your archives, I’m going to find a ton of super posts.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!