New Year's Meme - reminiscing

I've seen a couple of folks do this - I think TheoGeo, now Busy Mom (via Nashville is Talking), so like a slavish follower of fashion, I shall do it myself. Highlight the first lines from each month of last year.

January:
Well, my first post of last year was brief and such a contrast to the way I feel this morning (we had a very quiet and sober evening last night) that I'm reproducing the post in full.

1 Jan 06: Fantastic. The Deco Lounge in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. Piano bar, master of the ivories the gay son of a former Texas governor. He called us yankees (my friends are from Texas and Mississippi) just to get a rise, but then played the Tennessee waltz.

We're in the San Jose airport on our way back to Vegas. I feel queasy. As I write this, I am lying on the filthy carpet with my head propped on my luggage.

And just for fun - a photo of Mr Houston Allred, which I wasn't able to provide last year - as I was busy lying on the filthy carpet of a California airport.




February:
There were two posts on 1 February, one event has been forgotten but both are worth remembering:

Cold dead hand:
The IRA has held on to some guns after its "final act of decommissioning". Shocker.

I'm Danicus
Newspapers across Europe are taking a stand by publishing cartoon images of the Prophet Mohammed.

March:
I tried to find a suitable gal for my brother. 1 March is VolBro's birthday - and it was cheaper than sending a card, what with the trans-Atlantic postage and all. Go read the whole thing - he's still available.

Woman seeking woman for brother
When I was home over Christmas, VolMom oft lamented VolBro's single status.

April:
There seems to have been a gap in posting - my first post is on 4 April - where I lament the refurbishment of my local pub. It's been open again for ages. On the upside, I'm not ashamed or scared to meet people there now, but on the downside it's a lot more expensive and I do miss the atmosphere provided by the scowling, Chelsea supporting locals and their one-eyed dogs.

My local
My local pub is shut now for refurbishment. But it's less a refurbishment and more a metamorphisis from dark, cheap drinking den - a spit on the sawdust floor kind of place - to a chi chi gastropub.

May:
I publish a digest of links to my series of posts "liveblogging" my trip to Paris.

Je n'aime pas Paris, but it's OK
Vol K was over in London on business again and decided to she wanted to see Paris -I've made it a point of pride to say "I've live only a few hours away from Paris, and I haven't been in 20 years!"

After breaking the seal on my ban on France, the Vol-in-Law and I went on vacation there in September.

June:
On the first of June last year, I was pumped for the World Cup! Hurray, Go Vols! Wait - they weren't playing, and my other favorite team - England - might as well not have been.

Cup fever
The World Cup is not far away now. Vol Abroad readers get ready for some World Cup blogging.

July:
Oh, dear, my first post of July and this is how that World Cup thing turned out

It's over

England's out of the World Cup.

Loss on penalties. Again.

Tears in my beer.

August:
On the first day of August last year I blogged about donations to Islamic charities that ended up supporting terror. Be careful where you give your money.

Doing evil thru good
Where is your charitable donation going? Panorama- a BBC documentary news show had some interesting answers.

September:
In celebration of football time in Tennessee, I post a YouTube link to the cutest thing ever.

October: Although on the first of October last year, I blogged about the Conservative party conference, including McCain's speech there at. And I also blogged about that amazing sweet 15 party in Knoxville

But my first post in October was asking for reader advice on some changes to my garden.

How tacky is that?
I've been thinking about getting an articial lawn

Reader opinion was not divided.

November:
London Mayor Ken Livingstone shows his true colors - again - on the first of November.

Ken backs terror - again
London Mayor Ken Livingstone had to make a big old U-turn yesterday after supporting the employment of a convicted terrorist on the Underground system.

December:
Getting a jump on the New Year's resolution thing - my husband and I resolve to put my cat on a diet. Sometimes the threat of the law makes you do things you might not have otherwise.

Fat Cat
Two brothers are facing a private prosecution in the UK brought on by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). What's the charge? They let their dog get fat. Real fat.