whatever happened to 2005?

at the end of the year, most people start blogging about top ten lists. top ten albums out this past year, top ten songs, artists, movies, books etc... well, i'm going to succumb to the temptation to put in my 2 cents. however, i would like to do it a bit differntly. the following are my indulgences of 2005.

tv shows:
by far, hbo puts out the best series. despite a surge in book-reading this year, i managed to get into the following shows, in order of my personal choice;

- lost
last year, i watched a total of 3 episodes, all while visiting addicted friends. the opener, a middle episode and the finale. i honestly didnt feel like i missed anything. however, when i caught the opener and the 2nd episode of this year, i raised my eyebrow, tapped my nose and said "they've finally got it" - i now have to wach each episode otherwise, i will have missed something very important.

- sex & the city
i wanted to start this series from the first season, which is why i never got into it before. i am not sure if i love this show more b/c i'm a woman, a writer or want to live in NY. its gotta be all of the above :o)

- firefly
after much goading on behalf of the lowriter, 10lees and a movie premier (which i have yet to see - i'm sure i'll do a review after i see it this weekend), i finally borrowed the 4 precious discs that make up the half season of Firefly. rumors are true. its faboo. way better than any other tv series out there. well produced, beautifully timed and fabulously written. joss whedon, i hope you get the chance to resurrect this one.

- 6 feet under
i thank comcast's on demand for my ablility to get into hbo shows this year. i used to make the weekly call to mom on sundays, around 9pm ish. but most of the time, i'd get a tongue lashing "why did you call now??!! you know 6 feet under is on! call back in an hour!" blam - phone goes dead. i started out avoiding this series as a protest to my mom's rudeness and addiction to the program. however, one rainy boring day, i played episode 1, season 1 and promptly fell in love. i'm currently waiting for season 3 to arrive via netflix. i have very high hopes.

shweet gadgets:
- gmail
not new, i know, but i am finally using my gmail account, and it's great. streamlined and easy to use.
- IPASS open tolling
now that i'm in IL, this is infinitely more important than one would ever care to admit. 12 lanes of cement and traffic. tolls i shouldnt be paying, but damn, i get through soooo much faster now.
- the ipod video
i own one. i rule the planet.

stores i now frequent:
- trader joe's
now that i'm within 4 blocks of one, i feel as if i'll never have to eat ramen ever again! unless, i really want to. authentic ramen with real japanese writing on it. its really good. i've got some coming my way real soon!
- micawbers
the best bookstore ever. i regret that i cant visit as much as i'd like as it's in MN, but huge props to the staff and anyone who shops there.
- iTunes music store
see above

i'm sure i've done more in 2005, but for now, here's my piece of the shtuff...

cheesy xmas movies and cats

first off, profiles:

Romeo - my kitty (also responds to "Kitty-kitty"). Romeo is a siamese mix, which means he has quite the range of meows. sometimes i like to spell his name "romeow"... he's a millenium kitty, making him almost 6 years old. anyway, he's quite the good-natured cat, very polite and social. he's also very emotional. we have a great relationship - i'm definitely Mom. i could keep gushing, but...

Bailey - 1/2 of b's cats. Bailey is a few bricks shy of a full load. he's the clumsey one, the sweet one and the fat one. bailey and benny are supposedly brothers (whoa momma!!) and they are about a year and a half old.

Benny - the other 1/2 of b's cats. Benny is the toughie. he plays hard and cuddles even harder. currently he's a bit chunky, which seems to slow him down a bit, but dont let that fool you - he's quite the aggressor.

So bailey and benny have front claws, but benny is the only one who uses them in play. romeo uses his teeth periodically, especailly when highly provoked or overexcited. all three are horribly curious and playful.

so introducing these three lively little guys was quite the chore. it's day 2 and i'm still breaking up a few gang-ups on Romeo (well, i think B&B are just curious about Romeo, so they follow him EVERYWHERE, making r a bit nervous). however, it seems like these three will enjoy each other's company and playful nature. i wont feel so bad leaving Romeo alone when i go to work and hopefully romeo will teach B&B a few manners and help them slim down.

but all morning long, i've been listening to various rustles, bumps, crashes, skitters, growls, hisses, meows and squeeks - Bailey can't meow! i've also been doting on poor romeo, who feels pretty ganged up on, and comforting B & B who are pretty confused about our intrusion. overall, i'm scared to leave for home tonite! i know they wont kill each other, but i'm still concerned for a bit of blood loss and starvation on Romeo's half (b&b are pretty voracious eaters, whereas r is a grazer).

while i listen to the catzos romping around, i've got cheesy christmas movies on in the background. i have no idea what this one is called, but it's got the drummer from That Thing You Do, and Vicini from Princess Bride and Mini Me. it's a bad take on the scrooge theme, but with this cast its pretty damn hysterical. after chucking his head out the window (mini-me is the ghost of the future) in an attempt to scare vicini, the head lands in the snow outside and the head says "that was neither a good idea nor effective. and now i'm cold". another one; "i'm Death, and Death dont hug".... cheesy, but when a midget says it, i find myself laughing till i choke on the cookies i'm eating.

last night i watched a cheesy Lifetime Original where a 37 year old lady has her inner child come to life and frolic with her over a year, helping her embrace the youth inside of her. heartwarming and the kid was adorable. but what else are you gonna watch late at night with a bottle of wine and xmas cookies??

apparently there is a 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story. i figure i'll get to that one tonite.

So to all, a happy happy holiday, and enjoy who you are, how you got there, what you can do in the future, and embrace your inner child to the fullest. oh, and you cant have a Red Rider BB Gun, b/c "you'll shoot your eye out!!!"

adaptation

i am not a settler, i am an adapter.

this has been my mantra over the past week. i will prolly have to keep chanting it to myself for the next month too. moving always unsettles my emotions. i'm good at saving face, at keeping things in order, doing things on time and in a timely fashion. if i put myself on autopilot, i can get through my last and first days w/o any form of panic. i just have to have my mantra.

im not completely decided if, in order to be an effective settler, you have to be able to adapt. or if you adapt, it doesnt necessarily mean you are not a settler. i know, i know, double negative there. but moving is full of double negatives. and i am feeling very double negative about moving.

i dont really know how to end this post other than to say it's frickin' freezing here. i'm definitely going to enjoy a titch of warmer weather (and by warmer, i mean 5 degrees warmer. but that would bring me above zero). oh, and if you see me, and i'm grumpy, shove some chocolate in my hand and give me a hug. that always helps.

compartmentalizing

i've been compartmentalizing lately. it's about crunch time for the move, and instead of worrying my nails to nubs and fretting about, i've created a compartment for my worry.

i see it as a huge gray, metal locker.

i have other compartments in my life too. the work compartment is most noteable, and probably the one that everyone recognizes. what happens at work stays at work. i happen to be blessed by not being a workaholic. this means i dont feel the need to talk about work at all outside of it's setting. the work box is a nice, simple, polished wooden box. it's got great hinges & no lock on it.

the shopping compartment is a dirty sock hidden under my bed. i dont like to think about how pretty i feel in new clothes or how much money i wont have for food if i buy new shoes, so i keep it hidden, dusty and silent.

but this gray, metal locker, it's got a big ol' combo lock on it (like back from high school) and it has air holes in the top. it's standing on it's own in a dark room. periodically i open it and stuff a few more things in it, then i slam it shut, and stalk out of the damp room and try to forget it exists. i guess it's a lot like your grandparent's scary basement when you were a kid. sometimes you had to throw laundry down there or, heaven forbid, clean down there, and it was always a slightly clammy, nerve-wracking experience. well, for those of us w/ unfinished basements it was.

consequently, when i go back upstairs to my happy, well-lit main floor of life, i just dont need to think about that dank locker. so i dont. and when phil, the mailman asks me "are you all packed yet?" i stare at him blankly, head cocked..... "ohhh, for the move?? heh, well, sorta. i have a few days set aside for finishing."

i dont see chicago, or the actual move as a gray, dank experience. in fact, i'm rather looking forward to the change of pace and the challenges i will find. but the lifting of goods, the hauling of cat, the lack of familiar good night hugs and b's 2 week departure all weigh heavily enough to create the current need for a gray metal locker.

Wish List

ta daaahh! for all of you who really wanted to get me something this year, here's my Wish List!!!

The big one this year: iTunes Gift Cards
Other gift cards: Gap, Target, Bookstores, Gas (ie BP, Shell etc)
Brown mittens & scarf (chocolate brown, not light brown – an accent color is definitely acceptable)
a cover for my ipod (like a skin. i want something that protects the screen)
Books of all types. If you’ve read it and loved it, pass it on!!
DVD’s: Wallace and Gromitt movies, Season 3, 4 or 5 of Six Feet Under, any Sex & the City seasons, any Gilmore Girls seasons

with all of these things, i'd rule the world yet again. spread the merriment! i love you all!

now, what do you want for christmas, ladies and gentlemen?