Ah, the end of the year draws nigh, and it is in the twilight that we spend time looking back and pondering how far we have come.  So it is that I begin this pensive mood with a top five list of my best moments in 2007.  I know it may not be as riveting to some as others, but nevertheless, it is what I am going to write about.  If you don’t like it then TOUGH! 

5.  The All-Comers Cross Country Meet in July.  For those of you who may not know, I ran in high school and college, and in the years since have grown to miss those days.  But this past summer I talked a group of my friends to come run a free, all-comers cross country race in Zilker Park one fine Friday evening.  Sure it was hot, and all the high school kids made us feel old, but it was the closest thing to a real XC race I had experienced in years, and it made me smile.  Running through shin-high grass up hills and through the trees, around landmarks and to the painted finish line - it was great.  The greatest part of it, however, was having my “team”, my friends there with me.  I will always think of them sweating it out to support some silly idea of mine as a strong testament to the greatness of my friends.

4. Landing my internship with Fitch Ratings.  From early in the fall semester I thought I wanted to pursue public finance, and the best route seemed via municipal bond rating.  The competition was fierce for the Fitch internship, and when I found out I was the one, I couldn’t have felt better about myself.  It seemed everything was working out exactly right, the world was right, and the sky was the limit.  What a great feeling that was.

3. Colin Thomas Brown was born.  What a wonderful and blessed occurrence!  My best friend and his wife have a beautiful, healthy baby boy, everyone is healthy and joyous, the occasion was momentous.  The first of many signals that we’re all grown up!  You can’t ask for more than that, and to see Cameron and Tab, and proud uncle Kevin and aunt Sarah, as happy as they were, it was a wonderful moment in history.

2. Lollapalooza 2007.  Chicago (in the summer) is freaking awesome, the music festival was incredible, seeing Eddie Vedder backstage was amazing, and hanging with some of my best friends - priceless.  What a great weekend, an experience I will surely remember for the rest of my life.

1. My surprise 30th birthday party.  As mentioned earlier, I have some great friends.  My wife completely surprised me, the story is great (but better told in person).  Being roasted was fun and enjoyable.  But seeing so many people there that care about me meant more than anything else.  I get by with a little help from my friends, and my top five list of best moments wouldn’t be the same without them. 

Here’s to another great year gone by, and a better one to come!  Happy Holidays–