... it's *that* time again (for the fourth year in a row) ... time for my annual list of favorite things that I'll remember about the year that is expiring in just a few days.
Here are 13 things from 2013, presented in alphabetical order:
1.) Baby -- Not to start on a down note, but we went to a single pet household this year (from our all time high of five) when we lost Baby Jane in July (after losing Demon James in 2008, Mystery Josephine in 2010 and Mauler Jean in 2012 ... only Murder Jehoshaphat remains). I still think of her every time I put a cardboard box on the floor, or pile up the empty plastic bags after a trip to the grocery store. She lived a nice long life, and she is still very much missed.
2.) Cher coming out of retirement -- Proving that farewell doesn't always mean farewell, and that the old retirement age means nothing when there's a tour to undertake, last year saw the release of the first new album of material in over a decade (there was more Christina than Cher on that Burlesque soundtrack), and that made me a very happy Troy. Now the challenge is to try to find (and afford) tickets to a concert in the new year.
3.) Come D--- with Me -- I have to think it's all about the snark and that's why I love it so, but after finding Come Dine with Me on BBC America a few years back, I was tickled to see that it (well, a Canadian version of it) was back on the air this month, courtesy of Lifetime. Of course, it may be that I was the only one tickled to see it, because it disappeared after three airings, but just when I thought all was lost, along came The Cooking Channel to air its sibling Come Date with Me (also the Canadian version). If I could go back in time and re-decide what I wanted to be when I grow up, my first choice would be the narrator in this series.
4.) Indy -- This nearby town makes the list two years in a row, because it's consistently been the favorite weekend getaway spot. Even though one of the best bars on the bar crawl closed down ("best" is in the eye of the beholder), it was still a place to hang out with the friendliest of folks with always something fun to discover along the way.
5.) Lorem Ipsum -- Maybe you're already following along, but last year was the year I bit the bullet and got back into focusing my creativity into a regular outlet, deciding to write a short superhero origin story about a kid who finds out he has a special power -- that he can heal the psyche of others by absorbing painful memories of those with whom he comes into contact ... literally. Since I'm only writing it via daily status update, it's developing a couple of paragraphs at a time, with Chapter 9 scheduled to wrap up as this year does. But I'm only getting started ...
6.) Mindy Kaling -- In the tradition of women who make me smile any and every time I see them, and joining past listees Bonnie Hunt, Dot Marie Jones (congrats on your wedding, Dot!) and Sarah Paulson, I couldn't have been happier to see that the Office finale didn't represent the end of my weekly exposure to the comedic genius of Mindy. She just makes me smile!
7.) Missing Chicago/Moving to Florida -- All the cool kids are doing it. And me and mine are joining them, come this February. Although the move itself is more of a story for *next* year's list, it's the decidin' and the plannin' that is makin' this relevant now ... and it's provided me with another opportunity to do a countdown, as you know if you've seen any of my "50 Things I'll Miss About Chicago", which has been my adopted hometown for the last dozen years.
8.) Pearl Jam -- Cher wasn't the only performer releasing new material in 2013. So was P Jam, and I celebrated with a 10 week countdown (I do so love a countdown!), leading up to the release of 'Lightning Bolt'. But nothing could prepare me for the surprise invite to go join my college roommate of twenty years ago at their concert in Baltimore, which led to this "review" of mine ... "The moment of catharsis that only Pearl Jam can provide came just before [the] finale, when all the lights came on in the arena, and everyone sang 'Alive', one to another. Because although many of us couldn't personally relate to the specifics in the lyrics of that song, we all could triumphantly admit, that despite whatever trauma we'd been through individually, as a collective body, at exactly that very moment, with the lights up so that we could look into each others' eyes if we so chose, we all, strangers and friends alike, were individuals who were most definitely 'still alive (yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah)'".
9.) Penn State football -- In particular, there was a certain white out game with multiple OTs that was one of the highlights of any year. With Hackenberg doing his thing all year, and Ficken coming through more times than not (Atta Boy Ficken!), all under the leadership of "they're-a-bunch-of-good-kids" O'Brien ... it was a great year (and here's hoping that the post-season ban gets lifted a little earlier based on all of that good behavior going on).
10.) Routine Change -- Not quite as drastic as regime change, and much more effective in the long run. I'm talking about dropping my Coke habit to just one can a day ... and having fresh fruit instead of dessert every night except Sundays ... and heading out most days on my lunch break for an hour walk around the 'hood ... and throwing around the dumbbells more often than I've done in years. I originally set a goal of losing 40 lbs back in September, and I've made some progress (taking off as many as eight before the holidays), with hopes to layer in even more healthy habits in the new year.
11.) Seymour (which became Seysome/Seymore/Seymost/Seyprise) resurrected as Seywick (which became Seygreg, Seymarcia, Seypeter, Seyjan, Seybobby and Seycindy) -- Buy a quality bulb from the local Botanic Gardens, and even someone who's never explored green thumbin' can have an award winning Amaryllis. Truth be told, I'm a little creeped out when I realize it's growing behind me while I work from home (it apparently has a brain and makes decisions, but I don't know where it keeps it).
12.) Toad the Wet Sprocket -- Cher and Pearl Jam weren't the only performers releasing new material in 2013 (separately, although that would be a duet I'd enjoy seeing) ... so was the band that wrote the soundtrack to my college life twenty years ago. Lucky me got more than just the T-shirt and the new album ... I got to see them perform just outside of Detroit on a vacation this past fall. All in all, it was a very musical fall for me!
13.) Trip around the Lakes Tour -- Speaking of vacations, perhaps the most memorable one of 2013 was the one that took me up through Michigan via Ann Arbor and into the UP for the first time, and back down through Green Bay and Milwaukee. The purpose for the trip (all done in three and a half day?) ... to get my feet in Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Seeing as how I had already done that in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan, now only Lake Ontario has yet to see my tootsies (could it happen in 2014)?
What an amazing year -- made all the better by being able to share it with you in over 550 posts on this blog. As we get ready to hang up the 2014 calendars and embrace the adventures that lie ahead ... here's three cheers for the year that was ... wishing you each health and happiness, hoping you are surrounded by loved ones, as I am.
Huzzah ... Huzzah ... Huzzah ... and a happy New Year!
CATCH UP FROM THE BEGINNING WITH THE COMPLETED CHAPTERS SO FAR:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/2013/05/lorem-ipsum-aloysius-angelasia-archives_527.html
RELIVE MY P JAM JAM:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/search/label/Series%3A%20%20P%20Jam%20Jam
50 THINGS I'LL MISS ABOUT CHICAGO:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/search/label/50%20Things%20I%27ll%20Miss%20About%20Chicago
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