New Year's MeMe

Following suit of Nettiemac and Kate/Susan, here is my MeMe for the New Year:

Best Album: I have to agree with Nettie and go with the Robert Plant/Allison Krauss album, Raising Sand. I kind of raised my eyebrows at first, but was pleasantly surprised by the duo.

Best Non-Fiction: Anything non-fiction that I have read this year has probably either had something to do with cakes or baking, or gardening. Can't say which is best. :-)

Best TV Series: I've been into Kyle XY, and am usually glued to the TV for most of the CSI shows.

Best Fiction: Kate/Susan really turned me onto Janet Evanovich, I totally blew through the Stephanie Plum series and am waiting with bated breath for the next two books coming out. I still have a few of her other books to read.

Best Kids’ Music: I am a 38 year-old woman with no children, yet my TV is usually tuned to The Disney Channel more often than not. And my favorite show to watch is Hannah Montana. Yeah, it doesn't hurt that Billy Ray Cyrus also stars in it opposite his daughter, Miley. In spite of the recent scandal that Miley has found herself in - which I think is totally ridiculous and was blown way out of proportion (I mean, really, look at any teenage girl's MySpace page and you see that same stupid stuff, girls just goofing off) - I believe she's got a great future provided she does not follow the lead of several of her predecessors. Disney has been a wonderful startup vehicle for many a talented young person, how they handle the fame and fortune as the result is pretty much up to the child star/parents. Miley, I hope, has got her father's (and mother's) support and guidance in this and I am positive that he will keep her on level ground.

Best Movie: Talmadge disagrees but Tiger, Bolivar, and I all liked the movie August Rush. Yes, it's completely fantastical and the plot is a bit trite and sad, but all in all it's just a movie about a little boy whose biggest desire is to be reunited with his mother and father after living in an orphanage all of his life, and the best way he knows how to do it is through music.

Best Sign of the Apocalypse: Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears will suddenly become the models of perfect motherhood and Mama Lynn will finally get to publish her book on parenting.

Best Come Back of the Year: Britney Spears......but of course. (gag)

Best Old TV show you are just getting into: I get on a M*A*S*H* kick every now and again. But I love watching the old episodes of The Waltons and Little House On The Prairie when I am at home on a weekday.

Best grocery store: Kroger!

Best (Summer) Vacation: I have to say that this past summer was the best vacation I have had in a long time. OK, so technically it wasn't a VACATION, because I'd had surgery - but how can I complain about getting to stay out of work an entire month and having people (thanks Tal and Mom!) waiting on me hand and foot and not letting me lift a finger!

(Skipping a couple of categories here, just didn't seem to have any answers thus far.....)

Saddest moment of the year: The year was pretty great up until Dec. 1, when my uncle passed away. He is the first of my dad's siblings to leave us, and probably the uncle I was closest to, because I had shared an apartment with his youngest son for a few years while he was in college and I was getting a jump start on my life. That, among other things, kind of set the mood for the remainder of the holiday season. I for one am glad that it is over for the most part and we can start the new year on a positive note.

Happiest Moment of the Year: When we got through the End of Fiscal Year activities at work and most everything balanced up, considering how screwed up things were when I first started working there and had not much of an idea how to do many of the things. But now everything is running smooth as silk (knock on wood).