I recently purchased a DVD box set of the Spaghetti Westerns, so I thought it would be an interesting idea to look back over my last twelve months and recall the events that were good, bad and ahem....ugly!
The Good
Watching Michal (6) teach herself to read over the summer, to the extent that by the end of the year, she is at the same level as her seven-and-a-half year old sister.
Celebrating ten years of marriage - and being truly amazed that my wife has still managed to stick by me. G-d the woman is courageous.
Successfully completing my NQT qualification and becoming a "real" teacher.
The trip to Liverpool (possibly the highlight of the year).
Finally buying that laptop I'd promised myself.
Celebrating my parents' 45th anniversary.
Helping my mother choose a new Tom Tom satellite navigation system and knowing that as a result, her arguments with my dad will have immediately halved.
Getting a nice pay-out from the insurance company after one of our cars was written-off when someone drove into the rear and damaged the bumper.
Having our cousins J. and his daughter A. come and stay with us for a week...and seeing a picture of Dana in biker gear. Also meeting cousin JF again for the first time in twenty odd years.
Dassi meeting her idol, Jacqueline Wilson.
Tali loosing some more teeth.
Shira starting kindergarten and then nursery.
Finally getting Broadband.
Discovering that Krispy Kreme donuts are Kosher.
The Bad
Having to deal with some truly horrendous students. Particularly in 8J.
The limitless amount of money we seem to be spending to keep on repairing our family car (yup, the same one that was hit.
Finding out the bitter truth that Twinkie Bars are no longer Kosher (a definite low point).
The Status Quo concert (sorry Larry).
Shira's difficult potty training period.
Taking the kids to "March Of The Penguins" and having to endure the hostile reaction from my bored children. (I loved the movie BTW).
The hell that was OFSTED.
That toothache.
The Ugly
Watching a friend of mine being victimised and finding myself standing up for him, despite some strong opposition from people who think they're more important than they actually are.
The teenage bastards who went joyriding one night and in the process, smashed the front right hand panel of my "new" car.
Being ripped off by my bank for getting overdrawn (over my limit) by 26p. I did get some money back but I shouldn't have been penalised in the first place.
The "Holocaust conference" in Iran and Israel's bloody nose in Lebanon as well as the continuing rise in antisemitism in the UK.
Almost everything Ken Livingstone and George Galloway have said over the last twelve months.
The theft of my memory stick and sunglasses at school.
I could think of others but I reckon these events pretty much sum up the rhythm of my year. It is gratifying to see that the good things outweigh both the bad and ugly events and that's how it should be.
So, dear friends and family, here's to 2007 and let's hope my 40th year (I am coming to terms with it, but very, very slowly) is way better than my 39th and that by this time next December, I'll have more good things to write about, fewer bad things and absolutely zero 'ugly' events to relate.
Happy New Year!
The Good
Watching Michal (6) teach herself to read over the summer, to the extent that by the end of the year, she is at the same level as her seven-and-a-half year old sister.
Celebrating ten years of marriage - and being truly amazed that my wife has still managed to stick by me. G-d the woman is courageous.
Successfully completing my NQT qualification and becoming a "real" teacher.
The trip to Liverpool (possibly the highlight of the year).
Finally buying that laptop I'd promised myself.
Celebrating my parents' 45th anniversary.
Helping my mother choose a new Tom Tom satellite navigation system and knowing that as a result, her arguments with my dad will have immediately halved.
Getting a nice pay-out from the insurance company after one of our cars was written-off when someone drove into the rear and damaged the bumper.
Having our cousins J. and his daughter A. come and stay with us for a week...and seeing a picture of Dana in biker gear. Also meeting cousin JF again for the first time in twenty odd years.
Dassi meeting her idol, Jacqueline Wilson.
Tali loosing some more teeth.
Shira starting kindergarten and then nursery.
Finally getting Broadband.
Discovering that Krispy Kreme donuts are Kosher.
The Bad
Having to deal with some truly horrendous students. Particularly in 8J.
The limitless amount of money we seem to be spending to keep on repairing our family car (yup, the same one that was hit.
Finding out the bitter truth that Twinkie Bars are no longer Kosher (a definite low point).
The Status Quo concert (sorry Larry).
Shira's difficult potty training period.
Taking the kids to "March Of The Penguins" and having to endure the hostile reaction from my bored children. (I loved the movie BTW).
The hell that was OFSTED.
That toothache.
The Ugly
Watching a friend of mine being victimised and finding myself standing up for him, despite some strong opposition from people who think they're more important than they actually are.
The teenage bastards who went joyriding one night and in the process, smashed the front right hand panel of my "new" car.
Being ripped off by my bank for getting overdrawn (over my limit) by 26p. I did get some money back but I shouldn't have been penalised in the first place.
The "Holocaust conference" in Iran and Israel's bloody nose in Lebanon as well as the continuing rise in antisemitism in the UK.
Almost everything Ken Livingstone and George Galloway have said over the last twelve months.
The theft of my memory stick and sunglasses at school.
I could think of others but I reckon these events pretty much sum up the rhythm of my year. It is gratifying to see that the good things outweigh both the bad and ugly events and that's how it should be.
So, dear friends and family, here's to 2007 and let's hope my 40th year (I am coming to terms with it, but very, very slowly) is way better than my 39th and that by this time next December, I'll have more good things to write about, fewer bad things and absolutely zero 'ugly' events to relate.
Happy New Year!
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