New Favorites and Old Loves
I decided something fun to do as a New Years post would be to take some broad categories and list enduring and new favorites in those categories.
Books
NEW: A book I read this year for the first time that really moved me was The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister. It's a kind and misty-eyed view of an idealized world told through a series of cooking lessons. It's the type of book that has enough substance to make you appreciate it, but is airy enough to bouy you up along with it. There is no religion in this book at all but whenever people ask for religious fiction I think of this fleetingly and wonder whether they would find the god and the good they are looking for in its sweet and simple story.
OLD: A past favorite that has come up again and again this year is The Hundred Secret Senses, by Amy Tan. I've recommended it to people impatient to read Shanghai Girls and have received rave after rave. I recently recommended it to pentateuch who seems to be enjoying it as well. I vividly remember reading this story at work at EDS in the breakroom and having to call Paul because I was bawling and needed to be talked down before I had to go back to work. This is a moving, heart-wrenchingly beautiful tale of sisterhood and the past we remember and the past that was. Amy Tan is a fucking master of catharsis.
Websites (humorous)
NEW: I have lots of new websites I've been lolling over this year. It's been the year of humorous review sites, seemingly. One that stands out for it's nicheness and good writing generally is CakeWrecks. Adnoxious almost edged them out, but the lack of regular updating recently sunk them right out of contention.
OLD: One site I have refered to again and again for lolz is the venerable Dooce. Whether it's her ridiculously cute dog or ridiculously good taste or just her general life ridiculousness this is a lady to watch and I always appreciate Boz for introducing me to her.
Websites (otherwise)
NEW: Actually been flirting with UrbanSpoon very recently as a Google Gadget. It's kind of a fun way to discover new places to eat.
OLD: An old standby for info (which also happens to be food related, though in a different way) is All Recipes. You can search for recipes by name or by ingredients (and you can even search for recipes that don't contain particular ingredients). You can see people's reviews of said recipes and the community there is vociferous with its picks, pans and suggestions for improvements in recipes. This site is single-handedly responsible for the carrot cake with really good cream cheese frosting I made this Easter.
Food/Drink
NEW: A new thing I tried and have enjoyed this year is Ice Wine. Speifically the ice wine we had at Boz and muranoprincess 's pre-Wedding, meat-on-a-stick fest. Yum, that stuff tasted like it was made by Galadriel individually dancing upon each grape.
OLD: Something I've enjoyed for years that I especially indulged in this year is cupcakes. They're perfect. It's just enough cake, they're easy to bake, easy to clean up after, and fun to frost. Thanks again to muranoprincess for making me realize how rocking these little guys were.
Music
NEW: Something new I discovered this year was the band The Fleet Foxes. I had been looking for something Joanna Newsomesque for a while and they strike a chord (eh? eh? that's a pun, folks) that is similar. There are a lot of songs I like from their self-titled album, but a standout is definitely Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.
OLD: A musical friend I returned to many times this year was Joanna Newsom (unsuprisingly). I've said it before. I just dig that crazy white lady.
Movies
NEW: A movie I watched this year that I just loved to pieces was The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Here, put on this bandit mask. :)
OLD: A "classic" I watched with much relish this year was the Wizard People, Dear Reader edit of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. if you like/hate HP and have no idea what I'm talking about (and don't mind the occasional oh-so-perfectly-placed f-bomb) give this experience a try. I can almost guarantee you will laugh.
TV shows
NEW: A show I've recently added to my brain queue is Top Chef. The show and its related kerfuffle is fun and worth watching, but the added element of exclusive friendship time with libation and tbosky easily pushes this over the top in terms of amusements. :)
OLD: A show I've watch for a few years now and which I hope to continue enjoying is the inestimable 30 Rock. Whew, that show is brilliant. I'm watching them on Netflix so I'm a season behind, be kind and don't rub it in my face. ;)
Games
NEW: Um, Dragon Age?! It's a great game, though I do wish you could run from battles that you clearly cannot win. When a certain lady's mom has beat your ass a few times over the course of the game you begin to, shall we say, chafe.
OLD: I'm replaying another BioWare gem Jade Empire. If you have a system that will play this and you haven't, well then, you should, silly.
Skills
NEW: A skill I finally picked up this year is baking! It only took me 15 years to master the very, very, very basics of "do what the god damned recipe says, yes, exactly". All my progress has been thanks to the excellent CakeLove. If you feel baking retarded give this book a shot. And actually read it, cover to cover, don't just try the recipes. It has been a huge help to my understanding of things baking related.
OLD: An existing skill I relied on this year was kindness. So many barred ways and locked doors open to this simple key. True kindness (not pity or false flattery) is in unfortunately rare supply. Add some back to the world and see what happens. I'm not too much for mush and glurge on here, but seriously. I'm sure you know someone awesome. Call them and tell them they are awesome. No other pretext, just say "Hey, I just wanted you to know, you really make my life great. Thanks." Help, heal, and always try to be kind, kids. My one bit of lecturing for the year.
Goals
NEW: A new goal we added to our quest log this year was Buy a House, woot! And we're working on it, Internet. It's coming along, hopefully, tenderly, but inevitably. I can't wait for us to have a place so we can invite you all over!
OLD: An old goal that I've recently seen in a new light is weigh loss. I lost weight this year and have kept most of it off (house buying stress added about 10 lbs back, see above) but I've never been motivated by anything other than practicality. It's healthier to be thinner, the end. After making friends online with a few more buff bears I've realized that being in shape is also attractive (duh, I know, cut me some slack, my body image ideals are fairly wonky) and I could look that way too. So I'm working on weight loss and some muscle tone because it's better for me and because it will cement my place as the group "Cute One". Ha ha!
LJ Only Buddies
NEW: So my new favorite LJ person is the ever hilarious, wonderous and generally admirable mersipan ! She has excellent musical tastes and an eye for the upbeat and fun in life. As libation and I have said many times, "Everyone should be friends with mersipan !"
OLD: My favorite "old' live journal friend is the one who comes up in conversation the most. She rocks everyone's world. It's the crazy, airborn, faerie, spider-friend lex_of_green . This chick is truly excellent. I feel more extreme just for sort of minorly knowing The Daring Rapunzel of Coffee of Doom.
Friends
NEW: pentateuch isn't really a new friend, but I feel like this year our friendship reached a new depth and I'm happy for that. I'm sad that my natural reticence about opening up to people fully made this take 3 years more than it needed to, but I'm glad it happened before he left for his illustrious future as a fashionable library diva. Shine on you crazy gay man!
OLD: And let no acquaintance be forgot, especially not libation . Here is a girl with the sparkle of stars innumerable within her. I'm glad we had that fight so we could make up and get to everything that has come since. It's silly but I think I finally realized how much you meant to me. I'm sorry it took me this bone-headedly long to notice how fiercely my heart guards you, Amanda.
And there you have my year in review, sort of. If you weren't mentioned or included, please don't be sad, just try harder? :P
Books
NEW: A book I read this year for the first time that really moved me was The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister. It's a kind and misty-eyed view of an idealized world told through a series of cooking lessons. It's the type of book that has enough substance to make you appreciate it, but is airy enough to bouy you up along with it. There is no religion in this book at all but whenever people ask for religious fiction I think of this fleetingly and wonder whether they would find the god and the good they are looking for in its sweet and simple story.
OLD: A past favorite that has come up again and again this year is The Hundred Secret Senses, by Amy Tan. I've recommended it to people impatient to read Shanghai Girls and have received rave after rave. I recently recommended it to pentateuch who seems to be enjoying it as well. I vividly remember reading this story at work at EDS in the breakroom and having to call Paul because I was bawling and needed to be talked down before I had to go back to work. This is a moving, heart-wrenchingly beautiful tale of sisterhood and the past we remember and the past that was. Amy Tan is a fucking master of catharsis.
Websites (humorous)
NEW: I have lots of new websites I've been lolling over this year. It's been the year of humorous review sites, seemingly. One that stands out for it's nicheness and good writing generally is CakeWrecks. Adnoxious almost edged them out, but the lack of regular updating recently sunk them right out of contention.
OLD: One site I have refered to again and again for lolz is the venerable Dooce. Whether it's her ridiculously cute dog or ridiculously good taste or just her general life ridiculousness this is a lady to watch and I always appreciate Boz for introducing me to her.
Websites (otherwise)
NEW: Actually been flirting with UrbanSpoon very recently as a Google Gadget. It's kind of a fun way to discover new places to eat.
OLD: An old standby for info (which also happens to be food related, though in a different way) is All Recipes. You can search for recipes by name or by ingredients (and you can even search for recipes that don't contain particular ingredients). You can see people's reviews of said recipes and the community there is vociferous with its picks, pans and suggestions for improvements in recipes. This site is single-handedly responsible for the carrot cake with really good cream cheese frosting I made this Easter.
Food/Drink
NEW: A new thing I tried and have enjoyed this year is Ice Wine. Speifically the ice wine we had at Boz and muranoprincess 's pre-Wedding, meat-on-a-stick fest. Yum, that stuff tasted like it was made by Galadriel individually dancing upon each grape.
OLD: Something I've enjoyed for years that I especially indulged in this year is cupcakes. They're perfect. It's just enough cake, they're easy to bake, easy to clean up after, and fun to frost. Thanks again to muranoprincess for making me realize how rocking these little guys were.
Music
NEW: Something new I discovered this year was the band The Fleet Foxes. I had been looking for something Joanna Newsomesque for a while and they strike a chord (eh? eh? that's a pun, folks) that is similar. There are a lot of songs I like from their self-titled album, but a standout is definitely Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.
OLD: A musical friend I returned to many times this year was Joanna Newsom (unsuprisingly). I've said it before. I just dig that crazy white lady.
Movies
NEW: A movie I watched this year that I just loved to pieces was The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Here, put on this bandit mask. :)
OLD: A "classic" I watched with much relish this year was the Wizard People, Dear Reader edit of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. if you like/hate HP and have no idea what I'm talking about (and don't mind the occasional oh-so-perfectly-placed f-bomb) give this experience a try. I can almost guarantee you will laugh.
TV shows
NEW: A show I've recently added to my brain queue is Top Chef. The show and its related kerfuffle is fun and worth watching, but the added element of exclusive friendship time with libation and tbosky easily pushes this over the top in terms of amusements. :)
OLD: A show I've watch for a few years now and which I hope to continue enjoying is the inestimable 30 Rock. Whew, that show is brilliant. I'm watching them on Netflix so I'm a season behind, be kind and don't rub it in my face. ;)
Games
NEW: Um, Dragon Age?! It's a great game, though I do wish you could run from battles that you clearly cannot win. When a certain lady's mom has beat your ass a few times over the course of the game you begin to, shall we say, chafe.
OLD: I'm replaying another BioWare gem Jade Empire. If you have a system that will play this and you haven't, well then, you should, silly.
Skills
NEW: A skill I finally picked up this year is baking! It only took me 15 years to master the very, very, very basics of "do what the god damned recipe says, yes, exactly". All my progress has been thanks to the excellent CakeLove. If you feel baking retarded give this book a shot. And actually read it, cover to cover, don't just try the recipes. It has been a huge help to my understanding of things baking related.
OLD: An existing skill I relied on this year was kindness. So many barred ways and locked doors open to this simple key. True kindness (not pity or false flattery) is in unfortunately rare supply. Add some back to the world and see what happens. I'm not too much for mush and glurge on here, but seriously. I'm sure you know someone awesome. Call them and tell them they are awesome. No other pretext, just say "Hey, I just wanted you to know, you really make my life great. Thanks." Help, heal, and always try to be kind, kids. My one bit of lecturing for the year.
Goals
NEW: A new goal we added to our quest log this year was Buy a House, woot! And we're working on it, Internet. It's coming along, hopefully, tenderly, but inevitably. I can't wait for us to have a place so we can invite you all over!
OLD: An old goal that I've recently seen in a new light is weigh loss. I lost weight this year and have kept most of it off (house buying stress added about 10 lbs back, see above) but I've never been motivated by anything other than practicality. It's healthier to be thinner, the end. After making friends online with a few more buff bears I've realized that being in shape is also attractive (duh, I know, cut me some slack, my body image ideals are fairly wonky) and I could look that way too. So I'm working on weight loss and some muscle tone because it's better for me and because it will cement my place as the group "Cute One". Ha ha!
LJ Only Buddies
NEW: So my new favorite LJ person is the ever hilarious, wonderous and generally admirable mersipan ! She has excellent musical tastes and an eye for the upbeat and fun in life. As libation and I have said many times, "Everyone should be friends with mersipan !"
OLD: My favorite "old' live journal friend is the one who comes up in conversation the most. She rocks everyone's world. It's the crazy, airborn, faerie, spider-friend lex_of_green . This chick is truly excellent. I feel more extreme just for sort of minorly knowing The Daring Rapunzel of Coffee of Doom.
Friends
NEW: pentateuch isn't really a new friend, but I feel like this year our friendship reached a new depth and I'm happy for that. I'm sad that my natural reticence about opening up to people fully made this take 3 years more than it needed to, but I'm glad it happened before he left for his illustrious future as a fashionable library diva. Shine on you crazy gay man!
OLD: And let no acquaintance be forgot, especially not libation . Here is a girl with the sparkle of stars innumerable within her. I'm glad we had that fight so we could make up and get to everything that has come since. It's silly but I think I finally realized how much you meant to me. I'm sorry it took me this bone-headedly long to notice how fiercely my heart guards you, Amanda.
And there you have my year in review, sort of. If you weren't mentioned or included, please don't be sad, just try harder? :P