I love learning new words and any "fun" twists that make conversation interesting. According to the Merriam-Webster online poll, the winner of 20 terms that best summed up 2007 was "W00t". Now apart from being the name of my favorite web site, besides southwest.com :), it is defined as " a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness or triumph".

One word though? In the past, when we'd receive a memo from Herb Kelleher, I'd often find myself with the dictionary to translate several terms. I loved this. So, in the spirit of Herb and my personal learnings from 2007, here are a few "words of the day" to sum up my 2007.

I started the year joining the gym because my body was falling into desuetude after quite some time of poor eating habits and no regular exercise. It took a while for me to cotton to the new exercise routine.

Another 2007 goal included a desire to learn new things and expand my horizons. After several guitar lessons, my lack of rhythm and sporadic practice left me as a guitarist manqué. I will not be a fungible guitarist, even for the Ramones. However, I was able to confabulate with the kids in the lobby of the music store before my lessons.

The Jacuzzi had a lenitive effect on my body after a couple of attempts with a surf board on my San Diego vacation. Alas, my surfing dreams were only a fata morgana. A week at a beach did do wonders to mollify stress and a long summer of Phoenix heat.

Stella, an Airedale puppy, joined our family in October. I had forgotten how rambunctious puppies can be. After a few weeks, we found Stella's constant energy to have a soporific effect on us. Her escapades are entertaining and have made me laugh.

So looking back, I guess I have triumphed and have enjoyed a lot of happiness. It was a very 'w00t' year! Was yours?