Should Old Aquaintance Be Forgot... (This Title Has Nothing To Do With A Best Of 2006 Post, But It Is New Years EVE!

I have decided to recap the entire blog year by awarding my favorites with a special mention right here. Not that anybody reads this... but that's okay. It's my life in 2006. It all meant something to me.

I have come across many interesting images this year, but I would have to say that the most arresting one I posted on this blog came from my own living room:



In June of this year, my boyfriend cut part of his finger off in an accident at work. This is what it looked like a few days later when we took the bandage off. Oweee Oweee Ouch Ouch Ouch!

We took two small vacations this year, one to Chicago and one to Branson. Both were great. The recaps were titled We Went To Chicago And IT WAS FABULOUS, and Diamonds And Branson Are Forever. The winner in this category is Chicago because we went without the kids. Here is an excerpt of a special moment:

"We went to The Millenium Park, which was where I wanted to go so badly. It was beautiful, but it was very cold and cloudy and windy. I bet it's wonderful in the summer. I had a very special moment with my man there that day. We were just about to approach the specially designed overpass walkway created by Frank Gehry, and I said to him "I love you. So much." I say this every day as it is, but this time his response was "Really? Because sometimes I can't tell if you do. You get in these bad moods and you get so mean." And that just stopped me in my tracks completely. He was totally right to say that. So then I got to say that I was sorry, and that the bottom line was that having him in my life just made it so much easier to handle. That I finally knew what it was like to have someone help me co-parent these kids, and that there is no one else, and boy do I mean NO ONE else, that loves me as deeply and as passionately as he does. I've found true love before with a few others, but nobody has ever adored me quite like him. So there you have it. Every time I get shitty with him I need to remind myself of this basic fact."

Each month I declare some special guy out there my Dirtbag Of The Month. This has run the gamut from Serial Date Rapers, Terrorists, shitty politicians and stupid guests on Dr. Phil. But to whom the honor of Dirtbag Of The Year should be awarded to is a no-brainer. I have often called him the Dirtbag Of Our Lives. Yep, it's none other than my ex-husband. You know, here it is Christmas and we didn't even get a godamned call. I understand if he can't afford presents. Crack is expensive. But a little "Merry Christmas Kids!" would have meant a lot to them.

There seemed to be at least three major themes in my posts (besides what a fucking asshole my ex is). Work, Waiting For The Child Support Check, and My Drinking. So, if I had to pick a favorite I'd say that My Drinking wins The Theme Of The Year. I talked about it a lot but here's the best thing I had to say about it:

"So, today is Thanksgiving. Oh sure, I'm thankful for lots of shit. The obvious things like my family (yawn... hee hee hee) and that I have a job (double yawn), but how bout I mention a trivial little inconsequential thing, too before I go? Like, I'm thankful for my Ipod. It is my favorite material possession. When I have a day off and I'm drinking, I listen to some great tunes and I don't think about any depressing shit for about an hour. Yes, I said it. Chuck Klosterman gave me permission to be honest about this. So next Wednesday when I pour the wine, before I take the first sip, I'll dial in a kick ass metal tune from the 80's on the Ipod, and give a silent toast to Chuck."

I know I'm just an amateur writer, who likes to post shit like this for the pure fun of it, but I came up with some interesting titles this year, and a few were even clever. I've narrowed my favorites down to two: When Your World Is Full Of Strange Arrangements, and The Curse Of The Lightweight Pansies. And the Winner IS:

The Curse Of The Lightweight Pansies. Why? Because I made that one up myself. The other one is a lyric from a song by ABC.

I saw hundreds of movies this year. And oh man, is this one gonna be a tough one to decide. Which one wins Best Picture? And who was Best Actor? I'm thinking, I'm thinking... Okay, I've got it narrowed down to three: Hustle And Flow, Wallace And Grommit The Curse Of The Wererabbit , and Jackass Number Two. Let's eliminate Jackass Number Two first. Even tho I laughed so hard I cried, it's disgusting. I mean come on, who makes a beard out of pubic hair and glues it to their friend's face? Brilliant, but so WRONG! I felt like the world's worst mother for dragging my kids to see that in the theater. They LOVED IT. Needless to say, I didn't take them to see Borat. All right, I've made my decision... And the Winner Is:

Wallace And Grommit The Curse Of The Wererabbit! Don't get me wrong, Hustle And Flow moved me deeply. Here's what I had to say about it in March:


"Best Movie I Saw This Week: I saw quite a few. But the one that really sticks in my mind as the most compelling was Hustle And Flow. I just thought that movie was great. Terrence Howard gave and absolutely stellar performance. In almost every good or even mediocre film you forget it's a movie at some point and get sucked into the story. But sometimes you REALLY forget it's just a movie when the actors just completly embody their roles and I could totally see and feel Mr. Howard as "You Know It's Hard Out There For A Pimp" D-Jay. My only complaint and it's a minor one, is that Taryn Manning is too pretty to be convincing enough as a twenty dollar Ho. I wanted so desperately for those characters to rise above their squalid circumstances that I rooted and cheered for them as they went thru the process of making those songs and wished and hoped right along with them until the semi-tragic ending where D-Jay is involved in a shooting and ends up in jail. I was totally devastated (and it just goes to show you how we as a movie audience whole expect nothing less than a happy feel good ending) and wasn't satisfied at all with that. I just started yelling "Oh Why, Why WHY!!!? Like I said, I was totally sucked in by this. Terrence Howard is nominated for an Academy Award and I want him to win. It will go to a gay cowboy or Johnny Cash, but you never know, he just might "Whoop That Trick" after all."

But the life of a pimp on the mean streets of Memphis just ain't my life at all, so that's why I'm giving the award to Wallace And Grommit. Not that this animated movie set in England is my life either, but here's what I had to say about it:


"Best Movie I Saw This Week: Wallace And Grommit And The Curse Of The Wererabbit. This movie was rated G (I think) and I haven't laughed this hard at a movie in a while. How could a dog, a claymation dog, steal the scene every time? Grommit doesn't talk (which makes sense because dogs don't) but the expressions on his face say it all. This movie had several themes that were just great. One is the humane and ethical treatment of animals and hunting is bad. Which is all right but I don't subscribe to that 100 percent. The other, which I do subsribe to fully is that of making a big deal out of something that might seem important on the surface but really is not. Like the townspeople in this movie are all hyped up about growing the biggest vegetables so they can win a golden carrot at the fair. But The Wererabbit ate all of them, so the town was in a tizzy. Nobody mentioned that by losing their vegetables somebody would starve, so was it really important that a giant carrot was gone?"

So who wins Best Actor, eh? I have two nominees: Allesandro Nivaro for his roles in Junebug and Laurel Canyon (this is based on movies I SAW this year, NOT movies that came out this year) and Peter Sarrsgard in Kinsey and Jarhead. The answer boils down to who is more fuckable I'm afraid and jeez... they both SO ARE!

But Peter Sarrsgard wins by a hair. Why? Because the characters he played in both movies were actual real people. I'm a fanatic for non-fiction. His "Troy" in Jarhead was my absolute favorite.

Music IS MY LIFE. Okay, so sometimes I think that Target is my life, but really music is the tonic that refreshes my soul (What? Did you expect me to say alcohol? I'd give that up before I gave music up, put please, oh please don't make me do that!). There were a couple of bands that were given more than one mention here this year. Nine Inch Nails and The White Stripes. So which is The Best Band I Heard, and what is The Best Song? Hmmm... That's tough. I saw Nine Inch Nails in concert and it was the best show I saw. But nothing puts a smile on my face like a White Stripes song can (well, ok, I can think of something ELSE that can, but we aren't talking about that!)

The Winner Is... The White Stripes. Because even tho the Nine Inch Nails show was AWESOME, I don't dig every single song in their catalog like I do the The White Stripes.

And The Best Song Award Goes To: Going In The Right Direction by Robert Randolph. It's a straight up gospel tune and it's fabulous. Here's a sample of the lyrics:


2. Now I’ve found
The road I need to travel down
I don’t know what tomorrow brings
Day by day with you I’ll do the same thing
I’m so glad I’m standing on my own two feet
No more running into that dead end street

Books are a big part of my life too. I have to have a book to currently read. I just have to. I need to give a special shout out to Vanity Fair. It is my all time favorite mag. When I don't have a book, I'm reading that. So, like the other categories in this post, I've got it narrowed down to two for Best Book I Read. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and Jarhead by Anthony Swofford. Both moved me to tears. But I guess that The Glass Castle wins this one. Because I can relate more to the story. Not that I had an impoverished childhood like she did, but the not fitting in part and the weirdo parents. That I know. Here's what I had to say about it in March:


"Best Book I Read This Week: There are a couple. I just finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Fabulous. It's the story of a woman who grows up heart-breakingly impoverished in a falling-down shack with no electricity and no working toilet or bath. Her mother has a teaching degree but only works sporadically and her father is a raging alcoholic. A fiercly intelligent one, but still an abhorrently bad boozer. She rises above it all, of course and moves to New York City and becomes a journalist. Good For Her."

So, what was the Best Thing That Happened To Me This Year? I promise this is the last category and then I'm done. Sure I could try to think of the Worst, but nah, I wanna end this with the Best. Ok... I GOT IT! This is actually the Best Thing That Happened To MY OLDEST SON, but as his mother, it is the best blessing I could have received. His health has been fairly good this year. No hospitalizations (!) and he will aften go WEEKS at a time without even needing oxygen. I miss him terribly and anxiously look forward to each time I get to visit him in the Home. They really do seem to love him there, but then again, I knew that they would. I am so thrilled that he continues to be happy and healthy.

I haven't thought about making any New Years Resolutions. I'm not quitting smoking. I would like to lose about twenty pounds, but it's not absolutely necessary that I do. I'm sure I need to be a better mother/girlfriend/employee, but doesn't every woman think that? Nah. I'm going to stay right here and keep writing. Keep letting everyone (well, actually NO ONE) know what's on my mind.

After all, I did turn 37 a few days ago. Have I not earned that right?