finish it up, lock it down, so we can get on with ’08 and the impending birthday madness!

	books i enjoyed most in 2007
didn’t read as many as i wanted, and wasn’t blown away as often as i would have liked, but there were some good picks among the rabble.
	#7: jesus’ son – denis johnson
a bit scattered, strange, and short, leaving not a whole lot to dig in to, but he’s obviously a talented writer. plus every now and then you’ll stumble into a really profoundly worded scene, where the narrator’s drug-addled haze parts for a moment of beautiful clarity; which is why i imagine people bother — with drugs, or this book.
	#6: god is not great: how religion poisons everything – christopher hitchens
ooooo, i could catch a lot of hell for this one, but as i’ve explained on here before, this book does a few things very well regardless of how you feel about its sometimes-pompous, frequently controversial author. despite his faults, he’s a clever and intelligent writer. as a catalog of the sins of organized religion, this may not be either an indefeatable argument or a definitive collection, but i found it thought-provoking and enjoyable end to end. something i can’t say for many of the few volumes of nonfiction i’ve been tempted into picking up.
	#5: the yiddish policemen’s union – michael chabon
how do you top a pulitzer-prize winning novel that ranks in among my favorites of all time? unfortunately, you don’t — at least not yet. even lacking the warmth of kavalier and clay, this was no small feat of it’s own, however. creating an alternate universe where alaska is given to the world’s exiled jews, and pouring into it a twisting noir tale with its own sense of chutzpah, was a decision i started out doubting. then by the end i realized i was not only sold on it, but have to recognize this chabon guy for being able to pull it off at all. kudos to him.
	#4: the black dahlia – james ellroy
a few tips: one, do not ever bother seeing the movie adapted from this book. it’s essentially a train wreck, trying to cram this wonderful, long, complex, disturbing crime story into a modern caricature of the noir genre. it botches several plot twists and is wholly unfulfilling, where the book pulls you in deeper and deeper as it gets darker and scarier and you can’t believe there’s yet another layer to uncover. two, if you click on the picture right there, you can get it for less than four dollars, which is an insane bargain for such a crazy-good book. you’re welcome.
	#3: from hell – alan moore
i didn’t realize this would turn into a ‘worst screen adaptation’ contest as well as a ‘best of’ list, but everything i said for the last one applies here as well. what’s also to be noted is that i’d normally not count a graphic novel among the list, saving it for mention as merely the best comic i’d read. but this is a novel in every respect, and definitely the best-researched work of speculative historical fiction i’ve ever seen; the footnotes alone could be their own PBS special. not to mention it’s a fucking cool story about the world’s first modern serial killer, written by one of the comic world’s bonafide geniuses.
	#2: the trial – franz kafka
gotta love the kafka, don’t you? before reading this, my only reference for the term ‘kafkaesque’ was the metamorphosis, which i now realize was a bit of a stretch. not only was this a better read than the better-known classic — what with it being about a human all the way through, interacting with other humans, and not a giant bug shut up in his room — but the baseless (or is it?) prosecution of the protagonist drives home with clarity the term so often thrown around by book and film critic alike. it’s not long, it’s not difficult, but it’s powerful and enjoyable; the best kind of book to recommend to anyone and everyone into literature.
	#1: the satanic verses – salman rushdie
i’m noticing a theme here… jesus, god, yiddish, hell, and satan all popping up in this list is awfully peculiar. coincidences aside, though, what can i call this book but delightful. my first foray into rushdie’s work, i was immediately surprised and pleased by the playful use of language, the weaving together of several equally compelling parts of a single over-arching story, and the mix of allegorical fantasy with insightful realities. i quickly realized i was just now getting to know one of the great living writers, capable of scratching every book-loving itch in my body all in one work. i don’t throw around terms like ‘masterpiece’ often, but this is one i wholly recommend and will definitely be returning to again someday.
honorable mentions…
	best graphic novel: absolute dark knight
anyone worth their salt in comic fandom has already read the original years ago. heck, i did too. but getting it in this drool-worthy hardcover oversized absolute edition (an amazing birthday gift around this time last year) was a great reason to read it again, and remember why it gets all the acclaim. it could have been just a good batman story, or a commentary on the media, fear, government, and violence all on its own. but melding the two together, delivering a batman story that not only gets to the core of that character, but also has something to say about the world he (and we) live in, makes for one hell of a devastating work for what to some is just a collectible funny book.

For anyone interested in our ongoing hipster gambling ring, the day has come…

THE COACHELLA POOL

and yes, i sucked it up again. i’ve gotten fifth place for three years running, no matter who plays, no matter how many participants. i’m forever consigned to the lower percentiles of music festival savvy. [sigh].

yesterday at lunch, while enjoying my in-n-out french fries, i did a rough calculation based on the usual two tiny paper cups of ketchup i use each time i go. doing a very rough estimation, postulating i eat french fries an average of 3 days a week all year (not tough to imagine), i guessed it added up to almost a gallon every 10 weeks, which would mean in a year’s time i probably go through a sparklett’s water-cooler bottle (5 gallons) of ketchup annually. gross or awesome?

anyway, that’s not the point here…

	movies i enjoyed most in 2007
although i slacked off a bit here during oscar season and still have to see several of what could be the best ones, i’m still standing behind this list as essential films to see if you haven’t.
	#7: hot fuzz
it was no shaun of the dead, or it would have been almost number one. still, for every action-movie-loving male human, this is a must see. it skewers action movie conventions while being a great movie in its own way, instead of falling into the trap of parody. if nothing else, you have to watch the last half hour for the non-stop chain of references and laughs layered over a pretty fun and original action sequence of its own. now that i think about it, i don’t know why i haven’t gone out and bought this yet.
	#6: children of men
this was a last-year movie, but i checked ticket stubs; i didn’t catch it until almost the end of february. i’m so cutting edge, i know. but i don’t think i’ve seen a film this gut-wrenching possibly ever, and on that alone i have to give it a ton of credit. spectacular visuals and the ever-impressive clive owen never hurt either.
	#5: juno
this one’s pretty recent so i’ve already explained my take on this to most people who care: it’s a great movie with a few flaws. not even flaws, really, almost just elements they could have included but didn’t. still, movies this sweet and clever don’t come along often so when they do i eat them up.
	#4: knocked up
i originally liked this better than the other apatow flick on this list, because i think i related more to that life stage versus horny teenagers. but after rewatching it, i’m not sure this one will keep getting funnier with repetition. still, i can’t think of a single thing i didn’t like about this movie, from characters (his friends are priceless) to story to just generally high level of humor and heart.
	#3: no country for old men
this is the slot everyone will say should be filled with a certain other dark, quiet drama, but you know what, it’s not just my undying love for the coen bros (shup up with yer ladykillers, that doesn’t count). i thought it was tighter, more involving, with a creepier antagonist and a nice touch of dark humor. the ‘what the fuck?’ ending really did it for me and the epilogue scenes that followed were like a punch in the gut. may get glossed over during awards season but ultimately i found it much more satisfying and probably the best drama this year.
	#2: superbad
this is going to be one of the movies that keeps getting better and better the more times you see it. where you memorize entire scenes, down to the inflection of every word, and it never stops cracking you up. some pieces may be a little weak (*coughbillhadercough*), but michael cera and johah hill are both comic geniuses in opposite ways that play off each other gloriously and make this an instant classic.
	#1: live free or die hard
was there ever any doubt? this was my favorite movie of the year as soon as i sat down in that seat — same as i can guarantee dark knight will win out next year — as long as it didn’t blow it with the greatest action movie character ever created. and save one scene that went a little silly over-the-top, which is at least good for a laugh, i think they hit this one out of the park. i left that theatre knowing i could easily watch this movie as many times as i’ve endlessly rewatched the first one. well, almost anyway. so for coming even close to one of my top 10 movies of all time, this is clearly the uncontested winner.
honorable mentions…
	best movie i didn’t love: there will be blood
i didn’t do a full review because i saw it before it was out most places, and i was still ‘digesting’ it by sharing thoughts with all my friends who’d seen it. i won’t pretend there weren’t long stretches in that theatre where i wasn’t bored, but overall i won’t try to deny either that daniel day lewis was jaw-dropping, or that it wasn’t a quote-unquote “great film”. but i still feel it’s almost better in retrospect than it was sitting in that seat; a bit like ‘great literature’, in that it may be a bit plodding to get through, but you’re really glad you did for the fascinating ideas and characters it lets you reflect on after the fact. or, maybe i’ll see it again some day and decide it’s the best thing ever and i was just too tired that night, who knows?
&nbsp	best netflix rentals this year:
veronica mars jessica continues to imply i love this show so much because i have a crush on kristen bell, but i respond that i’d like it equally if it were called ‘victor mars’. it’s a mix of snappy detective fiction and high school drama with a great sense of humor; what’s not to adore? … dawn of the dead this has to be one of the most fun remakes ever. it’s action-packed, hilarious, and essentially crazy. plus: dead babies. … stranger than fiction so intriguing, even if i still feel like i’m missing some secret hidden profundities. … united 93 when they say, ‘keeps you on the edge of your seat’, they’re usually shoveling shit, but this movie was intense. holy fuck. … jesus camp powerfully infuriating and depressing documentary. sort of gives new meaning to the term ‘zombie movie’… … street fight another doc which anyone frustrated with politics should definitely see. … munich i thought this would bore the crap out of me, but it was surprisingly moving while still having that thrilling element of planning and plotting ‘the big hit’ (or hits, as it were. …
&nbsp	TV shows i enjoyed most:
flight of the conchords funniest new show for sure. some of those songs were both pop brilliance and comic perfection; no easy feat. … 30 rock i’ll come out and say it proud: i think this show was funnier than the office this year. the different yet complementary styles of humor from tina fey, alec baldwin, and tracy jordan (all brilliant), are a hilarious triple threat. i mean, did anyone catch the, ‘you can’t have a lemon party without ol’ dick!’ line from liz lemon (tina fey)’s dad in the christmas episode? spectacular writing. … tell me you love me brutally honest and real, and the most thought-provoking relationship stories i think i’ve ever seen on television besides maybe all-time-fave six feet under. … chuck the most fun kinda-bad-but-totally lovable show that no one else i know watched but us. very enjoyable. … weeds and dexter catching up on both the first seasons on dvd and loving both. the former for wonderful dialogue around a fairly simple plot, the latter for godawful dialogue around a totally captivating character. …

time to get on this shit! promise they’ll all be up by the end of the week.

	albums i enjoyed most in 2007
oh man, i bought so few albums this year i almost feel guilty bothering with this. either i’m just getting lazy musically, or i’ve zeroed in on what i like so much that i just have no tolerance left anymore for bullshit and wait patiently for bands i like to come out with new material. however, for posterity, i will press on and enlighten you with the scant selections i bothered to pick up and didn’t regret almost immediately after.
	#7: our earthly pleasures – maximo park
you don’t even have to tell me this wasn’t the greatest album, i know, trust me. see how little into music i was this year? but it did grow on me after repeated listens, i have to give it that much. and seeing them play some of these songs live did increase my enjoyment of them, i have to give it that too. so all in all, they still get a slot for being a likeable group of chaps putting down some solid rock songs.
	#6: the flying club cup – beirut
i’d heard their old stuff and thought it was pretty enough, but i guess this was the year i allowed myself to be enchanted by the magic of a band of gypsy frenchmen. i still think there are a couple songs off the lon gisland EP that should have been on the album — ‘elephant gun’ was a killer track — but i listened to this many times and it put me in a nice wistful mood.
	#5: neon bible – the arcade fire
i may catch crazy shit for this, but i’ll go ahead and say it: i didn’t love their first album that much. i certainly loved half the tracks off of it, but it may, just may have benefitted from a little bit of hype. in all honesty, i thought this, their second effort, sounded more professional, focused, and even from end to end. there may not have been a ‘neighborhood #3 (lights out)’ track quite as dynamite, but i bet i played it more end to end than the first one and it showed they weren’t a one-off band. good stuff.
	#4: alive 2007 – daft punk
pretty high for what’s essentially a rehashing of old material, but damn, if you’re GOING to rehash old material, this is how you do it. i mean, you’d think making some of the best music in a genre even better would be a tough thing to do (other than adding the coolest light show of the decade from within a super-tron pyramid of radness), but these frenchy spacemen make it look easy.
	#3: sound of silver – LCD soundsystem
may not be the second coming that some pitchfork-thumping dancefloor junkies claim it to be, but i will concede a few points: yes, ‘someone great’ and ‘all my friends’ are probably two of the best singles in the last several years. and i’ll admit, seeing them live at coachella did knock my balls off, allowing my desert-wearied body to continue dancing through the pain and exhaustion in some sort of blissful delirium. yeah, there are few tracks on the album that i’m not wild about, but you gotta give ’em a sack full of credit all the same.
	#2: the stage names – okkervil river
now we’re into the ones i was actually crazy about — which i know should have been 5 (or even 15) albums ago, but what can you do? it’s a good sign when i’m still putting this one in months later to listen to and continue digesting. when you write songs as densely packed with wordy goodness as these guys, it’s almost a necessity. i’ll admit, i wish there were a few more tracks where they went in to rocking-out mode, but then i’ll find myself hours afterward singing the chorus of the slower ones to myself and have to admit that they serve their purpose on the album too. overall just a great-sounding album for which ‘strong songwriting’ is a gross understatement. i’m still a little angry i didn’t act fast enough to get into their last sold-out show here in LA, although as penance i did memorize all the lyrics to ‘a hand to take hold of the scene’, so it wasn’t a total loss, because that song is fucking amazing.
	#1: challengers – the new pornographers
i was a little curious how this list would shake out back in the summer when i realized it’d be the first december-goat-less year in the last several, giving me no sure pick for number one. i should have realized it’s really not fair to the other bands when you have as much talent as this group does; going from neko case’s bittersweet melodies to carl newman’s poppy gems to the, well, whatever you’d call dan ‘the destroyer’ bejar’s unique sort of indie balladry. i wonder if they’ve ever caused a musical meltdown with that much goodness crammed into one studio? i also wonder if jessica will ever bring this disc back in from her car after several months so i can listen to it more.
honorable mentions…
&nbsp	songs which i really liked but didn’t bother with the full albums much, or at least not yet:
D.A.N.C.E. – justice (or jus-TEECE?) most of the album, eh. and even this had to grow on me. but at this point how can you not d-a-n-c-e when you hear it, which is everywhere? …. back in your head – tegan and sara how do you make such a simplistic little piano tapping so goddamn catchy? hot indie twin (lesbian?) sisters, that’s how! …. punkrocker – teddybears (w/iggy pop) for being repetitive in just the right way. …. is there a ghost – band of horses for actually kind of rocking, despite general wimpiness. …. the orchid – califone for not rocking at all, in those times when i needed a song like that. …. pretty much any remix by MSTRKRFT for basically killing it, even on songs that were damn good in the first place.

and looking forward… well, we all know how much i’m looking forward to being double-teamed by the hot-chip-mountain-goats combo in february. after that, rest of the year, we’ll have to talk and see where we stand. and what say we steal one of those last ones for the pay day song… umm, how about this nifty tegan and sara remix my cool buddy mike played for us (CORRECTION: i believe the term is laid down; this was serious dj business) at the new year’s party? yeah, that’ll do nicely to keep things moving along into ’08.

things that need to be over as quickly as possible:

–the writers’ strike, because the daily show is much better with a team of talented people than just one poor guy trying to wing it. seriously, would it be that terrible to pay some people part of the profits from their work?

–as a corollary to that, the networks’ belief that they can bandage the wound with more scraping the bottom of the barrel of reality tv ideas. plus, even those people need some goddamn writers; have you heard hulk hogan on american gladiators? it’s embarrassing.

–the primary season, because they need to get over the stupid infighting when they should be focusing on who is going to do a better job at fixing america’s real problems.

–as a corollary to that, the bush presidency. with voter turnout breaking records left and right in the primaries, can we just call it now and save ourselves the final painful year of him trying to save the world for jesus, or whatever he thinks he’s doing?

oh, and also, my stupid cold. i’m tired of coughing up goop, it’s gross.

and lest i forget to remind anyone who cares enough to visit here, there happens to be a certain someone’s birthday coming up. i’m not saying you HAVE to come to the party — although you really should. or even get me a gift — although i won’t stop you. i’m just saying there are good times ahead and another thing that needs to just end already is this week, so it can be next friday sooner.

okay, so in the interest of getting my too-long, not-interesting-to-others post about new years resolution as far down the page as quickly as i can, let’s talk about music real quick.

my 2007 best of lists will be coming soon, but don’t expect much. i have to say, in all three categories i usually post about, 2007 was pretty lackluster. but i will make one 2008 prediction right now, and that is that two of the best albums of 2008 will be out in the first quarter this year. one is the new hot chip album due out in february.

the other is the new mountain goats album, also due in february, and from which the first track has been let out in the wild via their site. yeah, i know, i always boost them pretty much on faith more than evidence. but i posted the track here as the pay day song because i like what it should mean for the rest of the album. after get lonely, a good if very solemn record, this track is showing a little more fire and passion. and if past records are any indication, this being track one means there’ll be even more yelling and drama further in to the album. i am excited for this one. especially since it’s called heretic pride, a topic near to my heart. anyway, check out sax rohmer #1 if you’re interested and wait with me the next six weeks until there’s something to get really excited about again.

[oh and side note: i picked up the full muscles album from amoeba this weekend, and although it won’t blow your mind or get any best-of recognition, it is surprisingly fun and enjoyable end to end, not just pure novelty. although i’ll admit part of me sees a close kinship between these songs and the cheesy fluff tracks on the old reggie and the full effect albums by his euro-pop alter ego ‘fluxuation’ — oddly some of the best tracks to come out of that project.]

normally rattled off in the first week of the year, i decided none of my new years resolutions should be expected to take effect until the week that included the big new years party/rose bowl celebration type business was fully behind me.

so, in the first FULL week of 2008, time to look at last year’s resolutions and update them for the new one. i really like my — what are they, 9 categories? yes. so i’m keeping them all. but i think this year i need to be a bit more specific within each one so i can really say to myself, ‘yes, i am doing this,’ or ‘come on brian, you said you would do this and you totally did not.’

anyway, the list:

–be smart
last year: fell slightly short on my 1.5 book/month (18) goal again this year. i was close. we tried to start a small reading club discussion, but that fell apart after one book. i think my crossword habit even fell away. shame on you brian! i read almost all day every day at work though, and i do get a sense of increasing general wisdom somehow, so it can’t be all bad.

this year: hit that book goal for the first time in several years (that means if three weeks go by, better finish that damn book already). get back on the crosswords. talk about the books and films i see more often. easy.

–be social
last year: i declared, probably for the first time on paper, i really no longer felt the need to go out of my way to make new friends. i did want to make sure i didn’t get too settled down though just because i had a steady girlfriend and lots of buddies. for the most part i think it worked, i still had a lot of fun times. sure, moving in with her meant more nights at home, but they were really good nights so it’s okay. and i did make some new friends anyway, so check me out, it works better when i don’t try to hard.

this year: tough one. i’m so pleased with the circles i’m in, i don’t really need to work at this. i guess the one thing would be to stay in better touch with the friends that aren’t as close by.

–be active
last year: played very little volleyball last summer, my bike got stolen, but i did have a short spurt of tennis enthusiasm. perhaps i’ve gained a few pounds — my profile is slightly softer than it was, i’ll admit — but it’s not too late to escape pudgy status if i act now!

this year: act. NOW! i don’t have a scale so i can’t make a weight-loss goal (get a scale, you say? fah!), but i can commit to a goal of thrice-weekly activity of some kind, and accept the requisite guilt when i succumb to laziness. should get back into tennis too, that was fun.

–be adventurous
last year: wanted to go on a cool trip, and went to tokyo with jessica. did go to several new restaurants and other LA things. did not go on any exciting road trips. i did make the big jump of moving though, a year after i thought it would be a good idea, on the fluke of jessica needing to vacate her condo-converting apartment building. and it worked out great! that is one adventure i couldn’t be happier with.

this year: need to go snowboarding once. need to go on an overdue road trip (possibly in an RV to austin city limits or SXSW?). need to finally make my first trip to new york city. and otherwise keep hitting up yelp for new local adventures, but that’s basically a given.

–be better
last year: wanted to do well at work and i did. a promotion and a raise, at two separate points in the year. that’ll be hard to top no matter what i do. i think i’ve written more on the blog this year too, at least in spurts. and i’m getting more on top of my finances, so overall i think i’m proving fairly responsible and capable. go me.

this year: do a kickass job in my new role at work, shoot for another promotion, and put a big fat dent in my debt. not that lofty, but totally doable.

–be romantic:
last year: this will sound sickening, but every day since we’ve moved in together has been really sweet and effortlessly great.

this year: with things going so well, my main priority is to keep them going as well or better if that’s even possible. and i guess not get too into a routine where we aren’t excited about how lucky we are. (okay i’m going to stop sounding so lame now).

–be creative
last year: i wanted to try to do something outside of work in some sort of entrepreneurial endeavor just as an experiment, or try to create something original. umm, i didn’t really, despite having a few decent ideas that just never got started.

this year: honestly, something new, even if it’s small and hobbyish. i need to put one new thing out into the world this year. that’s my goal. perhaps easier said than done.

–be conscientious
last year: i wanted to smoke less, eat better, give more… well, i probably should have realized that everyone does and been a little more realistic.

this year: i promised to be done being a regular smoker this year, so, well, i’ll be working on that (if somewhat gradually), mostly because i don’t like that other people don’t like it. i would also like to be more generous and supportive of my friends and family. i’d say i should volunteer but i’m going to be honest with myself and say i’m just not at a volunteering point in my life. sorry orphans!

–TOP PRIORITY: DON’T SLOW DOWN.
last year: well, i definitely went to tons of parties and hosted my share of them as well. maybe i don’t stay up as late, but i do pack it in when i can. i’d say this is going well and i don’t forsee a drastic stall in my social calendar any time soon, so as far as fun goes, i’m all set.

this year: umm, keep up the good work?

alright, and it begins well. i’m blogging, i exercised, i was proactive about things at work today, and i’m making my girlfriend dinner. 2008 is going to be fucking excellent.

some good writing i’ve come across lately…

i’m not quite halfway through jonathan lethem’s fortress of solitude, which is a good story made spectacular by the occasional sentence that’s pure brilliance in its simplicity and/or humor. two examples i can’t help but record here in the simple hope of better remembering them:

fathers, fathers, why so grim? today you emerged from your houses, your hiding, and were warmly welcomed. smile, fathers. relax. today this world wants you in it.

i mean, that last sentence — only seven words — just nailed me. pure poetry. and then, of course, there’s this:

the [disco] enforcers go first. they’re an all-black crew, ‘enforcers’ compensating easily for any faggy associations in the first part of their name. similarly, all their partisans dance on roller skates – ‘uprocking’, that’s what they call it – and nobody’s laughing. they balance knee-bends and one-heel spins against a series of crotch-grabbing and fist-clenched poses, an in-your-face aspect. one mimes feeding you an endless firehose of dick.

oh MAN did he get me with that one. this time nine words, but with enough punch to be worth its weight in laughter. precious golden laughter.

in other places, an article spencer sent me a link to about the wire creator david simon, which is both about how incredible the show is while revealing how dark the man behind it is in one fascinating essay.

the angriest man in television

and this is a bit old, but they mentioned it in the rose bowl broadcast on new years and it reminded me that more people should have read it — basically it’s a lengthy profile of pete carroll and why he’s probably the most amazing football coach ever.

23 reasons why a profile of pete carroll does not appear in this space.

please, do enjoy.

first day back to work after… wait for it… 14 straight days off. two full holiday fun-packed weeks! oh dear, it’s making you jealous already, i can tell.

but what did i do in those two weeks? well let’s see. i flew to illinois without incident and was welcomed with cold. i had my first opportunity to throw a snowball at my girlfriend. i had white castle twice, pizza twice (deep dish and thin crispy), italian beef once, and more holiday appetizers at more parties than my waistline would care to admit. i’m fairly sure i had a beer 12 out of 14 of those days, often many many more than one. i did NOT puke this year. i lost games of poker, ‘catch phrase’, simpsons’ pictionary, and bowling (on two different nights), but won games of pool and darts and wii tennis and beer pong — although i lost a couple of those as well — and had a ton of fun regardless. i saw high school friends, college friends (one who counts as both!), cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and the movie walk hard, which wasn’t very good. i introduced jessica to the glories of the godfather, and my sister to the joy of getting ‘drunker than i’ve ever been!’ — her words. i got lots of presents and hugs and eventually came home.

once back, we were greeted with warm weather but not our luggage, a long shuttle ride home, and our couch while the luggage got to travel an extra day. we went to a party (in the hills), bought a new computer (at the apple store), fired pistols, rifles and a shotgun (at a gun range), threw a great new year’s party (at our place), made breakfast and cleaned up a big mess (also at our place), then watched the trojans destroy in the rose bowl (still at our place; we were spent).

overall, i could hardly have asked for a better break. it felt so long, i almost didn’t mind going in to work today — i was starting to feel guilty having so much fun.

now that i’m back at a desk during the day and eager to use the shiny new imac at night, all that new years/end of year list/party and trip photo stuff to come in due time. happy new year internet.

As you can see, we've had a very relaxing holiday in illinois. Time to head home tomorrow and get ready for a great new year.