That cat thing sounds great. About your friend though: maybe you can put post-its around your house (if you spend a lot of time there) with your friend's name? I used to do it before, when a recurring dream sign was my friend whom I don't see often. I put sticky notes all around the house with her name, and RC when I see them. Not sure why it worked for me though, since it was just a name, and not a face. Perhaps coming across the name is enough to trigger a memory of her face and personality.

Anyway, good job with the improving recall. Also, what are some of your lucid goals? We'd love to know