It's the end; it's the beginning. It's a time for reflection; it's a time to look back on the past 52 weeks and think about all the good times, the bad times, and all the things that you wish had never happened (and maybe the things you wish had happened).

So first of all, I regret that Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney's sister, is 16 and pregnant. Jesus Christ, that family needs to get its hands on some birth control.

I regret that I had my Queen Bee 7-inch-record messenger bag with me in the mosh pit for Against Me! at the Capitol Hill Block Party, because the Young Men record displayed in the front got shattered to itty-bitty pieces as I got moshed by bros and Crayolas. So sad.

Neon Bible, the 2007 Arcade Fire album, is really good and I don't regret anything about the record itself, but there's a part in opening track "Black Mirror" where they start screaming in French, and I still find that unsettling. So I guess I regret that I don't like being yelled at in French.

I regret that I still like that "To the left, to the left" song by Beyoncé, but mostly because I've just had a hell of a time trying to convince people that it's good (which it is!).

I regret missing Jeremy Enigk when he played Chop Suey in July (and played a couple Sunny Day Real Estate songs); I regret missing Lifetime when they played El Corazón in September; I regret missing the Hold Steady when they played the HUB at the UW in November; I regret missing the Velvet Teen every time they've ever been to Seattle; and I regret not missing Jimmy Eat World when they played the Showbox in October because it was so, so boring.

I regret that I've seen every episode of VH1's Rock of Love starring Bret Michaels; I regret that Jess won when Heather was clearly a better match. And more than that, I regret that I'm looking forward to season two, which starts in January.

So in conclusion, I'll try harder to be perfect (and watch less trashy TV) next year. recommended

megan@thestranger.com