This is just about my favorite time of the year.
It's when I get to look back on the year we just endured enjoyed and (in my next column) make predictions on what's coming in 2012. For a blogger like me, 2011 was filled with plenty of snark-bait. Let's go to the tape...
WTF 2011?
Best Idea a TV Executive Ever Had
Cancelling The Playboy Club, Pan-Am and the God-awfulest show ever, Prime Suspect.
Did you know Maria Belo was cool? Me neither. Don't you know that anybody who wears a hat and kicks thugs in the nuts is super-cool? Me neither. You weren't sorry to see this show get cancelled? Me neither.
Movies We Hearted
There were plenty of bad movies this year and a couple were even, dare I say it, unwatchable (I'm talking about you, Tree of Life). Charlotte and I saw a few we really DID like, including Blue Valentine with Ryan Gosling (confession, Charlotte LIKES ANYTHING with Ryan Gosling) but I'll admit to liking it, too. A Little Help with America's sweetheart Pam Jenna Fischer. Beautiful Boy with the non-hat wearing Maria Bello (she's a whole lot better when she's not acting "cool".) We also loved Cyrus - but then, anything with John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei has GOT to be good - and you know what? It was.
Didn't See That One Coming
I totally missed predicting Charlotte's star turn on HGTV's Donna Decorates Dallas. Of course, this means that any predictions I make for 2012 should be set on fire and burned to a fine, gray ash.
Unlucky Strike
Our beloved Texas Rangers blew an entire season due to their inability to throw One. More. Strike. This is how I'm rewarded for watching a sport that's as exciting as watching GRASS GROW? C'mon...I'm going back to watching the Latvian Curling Championship Series on ESPN 7.
If you don't see a post from me for a couple of weeks,
send help with armor-piercing ammo.
Best (not-so-fast) Food
Charlotte and I are addicted to WhichWich and their make-any-kind-of-damn-sammich-your-little-ol'-heart-desires menu. Of course, any sammich that lets you add horseradish mayo and spicy pepper mix is almost perfect as far as Charlotte's concerned. Know what? She's right!
Movies We Hearted That No One Saw
The BOOMER goes to....Jack Goes Boating. This little gem of a film starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman didn't do much at the box office, but you should definitely put it on your Netflix queue.
Best Reason to Eat Out More Often
Charlotte and I loved the new menu at Brio - especially the Duetto Toscano (translation: Tuscan dips). All I can say is "Dude, you had me at chorizo..." And no trip to Baja Oklahoma (translation: North Dallas) is complete without dinner at The Capital Grille where the flourless espresso cake is slap-yo-momma good.
Our neighborhood chupacabra, which I've nicknamed "Chuck" as in our "Chuckacabra". I'm just saying that if you don't see a post from me for a couple of weeks, send help with armor-piercing ammo.
Best Gadget - EVER
OK, I may be exaggerating, but the iPad 2 definitely qualifies as the best gadget ever (at least it is, until the next best gadget ever comes out and we move on with our lives). Any device that weighs less than a slice of the Capital Grille's flourless espresso cake and delivers streaming video, music AND the NY freakin' Times is damn-near perfect. And this bad boy, damn near is.
Best Reason to Tell Your Parents You Love Them
I lost my Mom in 2011 and it was even harder than I expected. Of course, everybody thinks their mother is the best...and they're right. That's why you need to put down your iPad and call your mom...or better yet, take her to the Capital Grille or Brio for an amazing meal and some laughs about old times. You won't regret it.
Next up...My 2012 Predictions