Year End Round-up

Current Reading: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Psychology of Happiness, by Arlene Matthews Uhl.

Inspirational Quote: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.

My third annual year in review is a month late. Why? Um... okay, so here's the thing. You know how, when the new millennium began on Jan 1, 2000, many people were of the opinion (rightly so) that the millennium didn't actually begin until Jan 1, 2001 because Jan 1, year 1 was actually one year after the calendar started counting?

Yeah, like that. So Feb 1, 2011 is actually the first day of the new year. Sure. That's the ticket...

Entertainment:

Best Movie I've Seen: Despicable Me. It's a 3D computer animated kid's movie that's just a lot of fun and silliness without ever sinking into stupidity.
Worst: The Last Airbender. The cartoon had so much going for it: the rich world, entertaining characters, and a plot that gripped right up to the end. It's hard to believe that a director who has given us such good films as The 6th Sense and Unbreakable could take that kind of material and deliver a film as empty of quality as this.

Best Book I've Read: Tough call. There have been some great ones. Time-Traveller's Wife, Mainspring, Coyote Horizon... but I'm going to have to go with Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain. 'Tis a tale told by a dog, full of soul and fury, signifying a great deal, actually.

Best Song I've Heard: I've really been enjoying Ash Koley's Brighter at Night. Their music is upbeat and catchy. Coldplay is still entertaining me as well.
Worst: Eminem's Recovery album. I get that he's had some tough times, and I'm glad he's making it through. I just don't need him screaming obscenities at me through my speakers while he's telling me about it. My sons love him. I think he should spend some time in Somalia, or Ethiopia, the slums of Calcutta or Mexico City in order to get a little perspective.

Best Television Show I've Seen: I'm not actually watching much. I'm watching "The Cape," which is super hero stuff a couple of silly-steps more serious than the 60's Batman TV series, so I guess that'll have to qualify. Doctor Who is better, though.
Worst: Any "reality" television show. Vacuous instant celebrities trying to make me believe for an hour that their problems are somehow important. What a waste of the E-M spectrum.

News:
Best News I've Heard: Chevrolet's Volt is a battery-powered car that actually looks practical.
Worst News: Publishing's dire straits has me looking at the Magnus Somnium and wondering if there's much point in finishing it.

Personal Stuff:
Best Thing that Happened: My cat's going to live. According to the vet, you'd never know he'd been sick.
Worst: The Republicans gained control of the senate by appealing to the stupid and mean-spirited among the electorate. How can one not be disappointed by that?

Most Fun Thing I've Done: Walked every conservation area in the local river valley with Cassandra. Beautiful scenery and some GREAT company.
Least: Tried to enforce some kind of homework discipline on two teenage boys. It's like pulling their teeth, but I feel the pain.

Most Surprising Occurrence: Again, the readership here. 23 of you now.

New Year's Resolution: Same as last year, which ought to depress me, but... huh. To finish the new book, finish "final" (yeah right) edits on the Magnus Somnium, and begin querying agents.

I hope your 2011 is off to a good start. Mine is, for all kinds of reasons.
Truly, every day is a good day.