The year 2006 started out being nothing but regret. But it ended up being awesome. Go figure.

I regret that for the past three months of acting as interim music editor, I've failed to reply to literally hundreds of publicists who've called and e-mailed asking if I'd like to write about their usually pretty craptastic bands. I mean, I don't regret not replying, but I regret that they keep bothering me.

I also regret everything that I've ever turned in late. Ever. After experiencing the whole music editor thing, I realize now what a nightmare life can be if assignments don't come in on time. With that, I'd like to take a moment to apologize to every single editor I've ever had for every single piece I've ever turned in even 10 minutes past deadline. I deeply regret them all. More so, though, I regret that I will still probably continue to turn things in late despite my "awakening." I'm an asshole.

I regret missing the Smoking Popes at the Crocodile. I regret having five bands play my birthday party, which was also at the Crocodile. All the bands were great, and I had a fun time, but who has the energy to watch five bands on a work night? Yeah, should've known better.

I regret that my car broke down in the middle of an intersection and cost $1,200 to fix. I regret everything I've ever said off air to 107.7 The End's Harms while co-hosting the Young and the Restless with him, because he always managed to record my snide comments and/or off-key singing only to play them back on air just to embarrass me. You'll get yours, Mr. Harms.

Last month, while I was walking back to work after lunch at the Baguette Box (tofu sandwich, mmmm), I ended up following Hawthorne Heights' lead singer JT and his posse of goofy boys who were also probably in shitty bands, for about five blocks. I regret not doing anything about it. I don't know what it would've been, but I should've done something. I guess I also regret not being witty enough to think of something witty to do when following the lead singer of a fantastically bad multimillion-record-selling band.

I should probably regret standing in the cold for two hours to see Snakes on a Plane at midnight, but I don't. I do, however, regret the Cobra Starship video and song that played during the credits. So gross.

I regret that members of FSU caused an all-ages show in West Seattle to switch locations moments before the show started because of bullshit threats, but I certainly don't regret reporting on the incident. I do regret, though, the shitstorm that followed, which included hundreds of e-mails from supposed "friends of FSU" who thought I was a "fucking bitch" for writing about their buddies in such an unflattering way. Whatever.

I don't regret avoiding every single chance I had to see Cute Is What We Aim For. I do, however, regret missing every opportunity I had to throw things at them. And speaking of terrible music, I also don't regret that I still don't like Coheed and Cambria despite the fact I still get e-mails from their overzealous fans on a fairly regular basis about what a "cunt" I am for "missing the point." Again, whatever.

While I don't regret that I've been adamantly anti the Shins for the majority of the band's existence, I do regret that I've been sneakily coerced into maybe sorta liking their new album. Adorable boys can be so persuasive.

Lastly, and most of all, I regret that I haven't found a way to make a shitload of money in a really short amount of time, so I can quit my job and start up an all-ages club of my own. I also regret that it probably won't happen next year either.