1) Moving back to the City. Yeah, it’s expensive, and I’m going to have to sell the car before I can really live here w/o being in debt, but I still love it, love my apartment, etc.
2) Trifecta of trips (Egypt in April with Jacob, Alaska with Kyle in July, and a Christmas Markets River Cruise through Germany and Austria with my birth mom). No wonder I’m in debt - but it was worth it!
3) McCullum Youth Court. Part of the coolness of this is being in charge again, but it’s also a genuinely awesome org that I’m psyched to be a part of it and I continued to be blown away by the youth involved in the program!
4) My year of Wine. From SueLin’s Winter Wineland Birthday Celebration to start the year off to my Wine Tasting Holiday Party Fundraiser to end it, I definitely drank more wine this past year than probably the past 7-10 combined! AND have a new fave: Pinot Noir over Cab.
5) Other parties. From the party that was absolutely amazing up until the moment someone killed our cat to the end of year festivities, I was reminded how much I enjoy hosting (and going to! why won’t someone ELSE throw a party and invite me?) a good party!
6) Thanksgiving road trip. Perfect in that it only took a couple of hours to get to our “base” in Santa Cruz, and then included fun side/day trips to Monterey and Big Sur, PLUS getting to hang out with my “El Lay” buddies AND my boy. Good times.
7) The only decent thing about Obama’s presidency: that so many gap-toothed, slack-jawed, inbred, backwoods, racists are SO upset by him. If only half of what these dimwits thought was happening, was happening, I’d be much happier.
8) Kyle walking. Even though it was “only” for a Certificate of Completion, he’s still the first one in his birth family history to do even that, so I'm still proud of him!
9) Asterios Polyp. I need to get back to reading more, but am definitely glad I went outside my normal genres to devour this awesome graphic novel. Loved it loved it loved it!
10) Good entertainment for a change. This was one of the best years for me in terms of discovering new and old “mainstream” entertainment. Awesome movies like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Christmas Carol in 3-D IMAX, Avatar in 3-D IMAX (seeing this weekend, but feel safe in putting down now!), The Princess and the Frog, Coraline, Star Trek, Harry Potter, District 9, In the Loop, and The Damned United were all amazing. Tho I only watch DVDs for TV, I continued/discovered awesome series like: Dexter, Lost, 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, Mad Men, Heroes, and Flight of the Conchords. And my personal “entertainer of the year” is/was Ryan Reynolds. Not only is he a stud, but he actually has some range as witnessed by his roles in “The Proposal,” “Adventureland,” and “X-Men.” Oh, and he’s got a decent body, too. :)
12/1/09
How Do I Get Offended, Let Me Count The Ways
Why do I get so offended when people say, "Beatles or Stones?" - Why?? Because, believe me, I get really offended. To me, it's not quite the fact that it's not even that close, it's that it's a ludicrous comparison in the first place. The Beatles stand alone as a group. Just like Elvis does as a solo artist.
And though I'm not like a Beatles freak or anything, I find this to be one of my "dealbreakers" because it's so appalling an idea. I mean, not to demean U2 or anything, but I think a more appropos comparison would be "Stones or U2?" - and, frankly, I think the answer is U2.
I'm not even a Stones hater. I like some of their stuff. But in terms of quality and impact, I think they're also still below The Smiths, Nirvana and probably some more--possibly even Pearl Jam, tho I'm not a big fan of them, either.
Why do I get so offended when confronted with stupidity? I mean, I don't know if there's more stupidity, or is it--like crime--so over-reported and/or witnessed that its true quantity is inflated in the public/my mind.
But, seriously, I think that listening to those stupid teabaggers at a protest (captured on film by an "undercover" prankster) scarred me for life. And I was just SO. VERY. OFFENDED that I have to entrust these people with the vote. It's disgusting.
And I'm talking more about the willfully, rather than the "innocently" stupid--if you aren't educated, well, then it only stands to reason you are going to be less open to new ideas, facts, etc., because you've had no lengthy experience with such things. But I know many folks with not a whole lot of "education" that are still plenty smart.
But the willfully ignorant ones--the ones who still blather and parrot crap told them by talk radio, even when contradicted by facts (e.g., "You lie!"), those are the ones I want to see shipped to Alabama or Mississippi or some other welfare state that consistently votes against government support but takes in WAY more federal support than they provide in return, and just let them be their own, yes, stupid, country and leave us to a socialist "hellhole" of universal health care, world class mass transit, zero waste policies, and a quality education povided through college in exchange for 3 years service to your country in the military, Peace Corps, or Americorps. I'll take that trade.
Why do I get so offended over timidity on the highway? Kyle is always hectoring me for being so "aggressive" on the road and for getting SO. VERY. OFFENDED by timid drivers. You know, coming to a virtual stop to get around the corner, sitting there like a dumb animal and/or on the cell/texting when the light turns green,etc. It's like they just don't deserve to drive. But, again, really, it's more the willful ignorance that is most annoying.
I mean, how can so many people complain, like me, about how people don't know how to use the left lane on the highway, and yet there still be so many people who don't know how to use the left lane on the highway? And, again, why do I get so offended by the arrogant, clueless, selfish assholes who cruise along at the same effing speed as the car on their right, or won't bother to temporarily merge back to the right so you can pass because, eventually, they will pass the car far off in the distance on the right.
And yet, in the end, rather than really honestly beating myself up for getting so "easily" offended, I rationalize that my rage is healthy, as it is based on legitimate things to be offended about--and that, in the end, it's the rest of society who should be asking, "Why am I NOT so offended?"
Well, Why aren't you?
And though I'm not like a Beatles freak or anything, I find this to be one of my "dealbreakers" because it's so appalling an idea. I mean, not to demean U2 or anything, but I think a more appropos comparison would be "Stones or U2?" - and, frankly, I think the answer is U2.
I'm not even a Stones hater. I like some of their stuff. But in terms of quality and impact, I think they're also still below The Smiths, Nirvana and probably some more--possibly even Pearl Jam, tho I'm not a big fan of them, either.
Why do I get so offended when confronted with stupidity? I mean, I don't know if there's more stupidity, or is it--like crime--so over-reported and/or witnessed that its true quantity is inflated in the public/my mind.
But, seriously, I think that listening to those stupid teabaggers at a protest (captured on film by an "undercover" prankster) scarred me for life. And I was just SO. VERY. OFFENDED that I have to entrust these people with the vote. It's disgusting.
And I'm talking more about the willfully, rather than the "innocently" stupid--if you aren't educated, well, then it only stands to reason you are going to be less open to new ideas, facts, etc., because you've had no lengthy experience with such things. But I know many folks with not a whole lot of "education" that are still plenty smart.
But the willfully ignorant ones--the ones who still blather and parrot crap told them by talk radio, even when contradicted by facts (e.g., "You lie!"), those are the ones I want to see shipped to Alabama or Mississippi or some other welfare state that consistently votes against government support but takes in WAY more federal support than they provide in return, and just let them be their own, yes, stupid, country and leave us to a socialist "hellhole" of universal health care, world class mass transit, zero waste policies, and a quality education povided through college in exchange for 3 years service to your country in the military, Peace Corps, or Americorps. I'll take that trade.
Why do I get so offended over timidity on the highway? Kyle is always hectoring me for being so "aggressive" on the road and for getting SO. VERY. OFFENDED by timid drivers. You know, coming to a virtual stop to get around the corner, sitting there like a dumb animal and/or on the cell/texting when the light turns green,etc. It's like they just don't deserve to drive. But, again, really, it's more the willful ignorance that is most annoying.
I mean, how can so many people complain, like me, about how people don't know how to use the left lane on the highway, and yet there still be so many people who don't know how to use the left lane on the highway? And, again, why do I get so offended by the arrogant, clueless, selfish assholes who cruise along at the same effing speed as the car on their right, or won't bother to temporarily merge back to the right so you can pass because, eventually, they will pass the car far off in the distance on the right.
And yet, in the end, rather than really honestly beating myself up for getting so "easily" offended, I rationalize that my rage is healthy, as it is based on legitimate things to be offended about--and that, in the end, it's the rest of society who should be asking, "Why am I NOT so offended?"
Well, Why aren't you?
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