Goodbye, 2005

Pretty predictable, huh? But how can you not . . .

With no numbering system and only fairly generic categories, here goes the best of 2005.

Favorite stuff
I got married!
Mom and I pretty much made over my house (although we've still got stuff to do).
I got a new job and I like it.

Favorite eats
Gunther's (I still like Vics, but we went to Gunther's a lot, so it gets the nod).
Malouf's Taste of Lebanon (about once a week -- spinach pie, lentil soup, falafel, labneh . . .)
Kamon. Every Saturday night - I think we missed it about four times this year when we were out of town.
Fox and Goose for breakfast.
Cafe Bernardo for breakfast, too.
Tres Hermanas, whenever I can get it.

Best buy
Tie between my cool new armchair and the reproduction Stickley side table

Best books I read this year
The Time Traveller's Wife - Niffenberger (I liked the characters so much I missed them when it was over.)
The Things They Carried - O'Brien (Read it for school, but it was fantastic.)
Where I was From - Didion (Thought provoking. I can't wait to start the new one.)
Memoirs of a Geisha - Golden (Yeah, yeah. I liked it, I don't care.)
Candyfreak -- Almond (Lightweight, but very interesting and funny.)
Plan B - Lamott (More of the same as in Travelling Mercies. But I like the same.)


Best Albums I bought this year (almost none of which were released this year)
American Idiot -- Green Day
Poor Little Critter on the Road -- The Knitters
Get Behind Me Satan -- The White Stripes
Good News for People who Love Bad News -- Modest Mouse
The Moon and Antartica -- Modest Mouse
Dead 60s -- The Dead 60s
Let's Do Something We'll Both Regret - Rock the Light
Mezmerize -- System of a Down (I will not apoligize for liking this!!!)
Sounds of Violence -- Th' Losin Streaks
Create or Die -- Whiskey Rebels
And I'm much too lazy to get up and look at the titles, but I got CDs from Ira and the Velvet Fury, too.

Best movies I watched:
Hotel Rwanda
Walk the Line
Good Night and Good Luck
Crash
Man, my memory sucks! I know I saw other good stuff this year, but I can't remember what!

Overall, this year gets a pretty high score on the old life-o-meter. I welcome 2006, too, though. Let's see what comes.