The Year That Was Called 2014

2014. It won’t be over till the fat lady sings but she’s warming up in the wings…

Our big news this year was the trip to Hawaii and luckily, I’ve already covered that which means I won’t have to struggle to remember and ultimately make up the details now. If you didn’t catch the “Inconvenienced Tourists” back in May, you can check it out via the link.

Best Movies of 2014…

1.   Guardians of the Galaxy – We are Groot!

2.   The Grand Budapest Hotel – Best Wes Anderson movie ever, until the next Wes Anderson movie comes out.

3.   Interstellar – Still trying to figure this one out (still trying to figure out “Memento,” too).

4.   The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Haven’t seen it yet but I will and the trailer is awesome.

5.   Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Marvelous. (See what I did there?)

6.   Godzilla (2014) – I’m just a sucker for a giant fire-breathing lizard movie.

7.   Dracula Untold – I’m just a sucker for a vampire movie.

8.   X-Men: Days of Future Past – Fassbender’s Magneto may be even better than Gandolf’s Magneto.

9.   The Monuments Men – If it’s Hitler and the Mona Lisa in a burning room and I can only save one, I’m saving the Mona Lisa. Burn in hell, Adolf!

Second Quarter Highlights…

Summer was something of a blur. Too much work, not enough life. My understanding from several HR workshops and staff retreats that my work and my life should be in harmonious balance. Do I have to count the hours I’m asleep in the life column? Seems like sleep should get booked 50/50 to work and life. Or maybe you take 8 hours off the top for sleep. However the sleep accounting is handled, still too much work if you ask me.

Excuse me. My inner child is throwing a tantrum and I’m going to have to put him in timeout.

Best TV of 2014…

1.   Whenever the New England Patriots are Playing – Compelling drama for me; tragedy for the rest of the AFC East.

2.   True Detective – Human consciousness may be a tragic misstep in evolution but it makes for damned good television.

3.   The Walking Dead – I wish I’d started keeping track of how many times Vickie says, “They better not kill [fill in the blank].” She’s usually talking about Daryl (he’s the coolest) but toward the end of the season she focused her laser-like sense of Impending Doom in the Biblical Sense on Carol. They better not kill Carol. Especially not after Beth.

4.   The Strain – Sookie Stackhouse won’t be having sex with these vampires.

5.   Sherlock – Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman rival Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson. Brilliant modern take on the classic detective story.

6.   NCIS – Gibbs rules still rule.

7.   Sleepy Hollow – Who isn’t up for a gothic romance/supernatural temporal displacement story about good vs. evil with a hero named Ichabod?

8.   Castle – Okay, amnesia is never a good sign on a TV show. It’s usually an indication the writers have run out of ideas. (Is traumatic blindness next? Evil twin?) Still, Castle and Beckett remain the best thing since Nick and Nora Charles when it comes to rom-com crime-solvers. Let’s have amnesia about the amnesia. Or let’s have it be something related to his mysterious and deadly secret agent dad. Oh, and Stana Katic looks really good in a cowboy hat.

9.   The Leftovers – Guilty Remnants. Ain’t we all?

Honorable Mention: Forever – Rachael’s new favorite show so I’m watching it while she’s visiting. If you can accept an immortal medical examiner who winds up naked in the East River every time he dies, I think you’ll like this show. (I know I do.) Especially if you find Ioan Grufford easy on the eyes. (Uh…) Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson – I’m going to miss him. And Geoff. And Secretariat. The Daily Show – They used to say of The Clash that they were the only band that mattered. Well, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is The Clash of TV shows.

Third Quarter Highlights

I think it was sometime in late summer/early fall when I finally gave up on American democracy. It turns out we kind of suck at American democracy. Who saw that one coming? I saw Lincoln and I felt relieved slavery was outlawed in 1865. The 13^th Amendment could never be passed today. I fear the arc of the universe bends not toward justice but towards gluttony and avarice. Maybe that’s just me. Maybe we’ll get there some day and I’m just bugged that I won’t be there for the after party.

We had our streak of Thanksgiving visits to my mom in Oneonta broken this year by a nor’easter that dumped about a foot of snow on the Mass. Pike (and the surrounding region and up and down the coast) the day we were supposed to travel. I know this has never happened but I couldn’t help but picture us snowed in on the Pike, beset by genetically altered coyotes as big as ponies. I like to think we would’ve put up a fight. Anyway, we’ve had hardly any snow since. Still not sure I’m feeling any closure here.

We decided to sit on our money one more winter before replacing the roof. Naturally, a driving rainstorm hit us in early December and left us with cups positioned to catch water dripping through the ceiling near the front door. Definitely replacing the roof this spring. I will now click the heels of my ruby red slippers together and repeating that three times. Definitely replacing the roof this spring... Definitely replacing the roof this spring... Definitely replacing the roof this spring...

Not that this hasn’t always been true but how fortunate am I to be a white man living in the United States in 2014? If you’re black, you’re going to jail if you’re lucky and if not you’re getting elected President. Boom Shakalaka!

Best Music of 2014…

1.   Ed Sheeran – The Ginger Angel. “Multiply” is a great album, featuring “Sing,” “Don’t” (with the amazing Phillip Chbeeb in the video), “Thinking Out Loud” and my personal favorite, “Tenerife Sea.” I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention his cover of Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love” and the live performance of “All of the Stars.”

2.   Meghan Trainor – “Lips are Movin”. I liked “All About That Bass” but while that song skews toward novelty, “Lips” is pure pop perfection.

3.   Taylor Swift – Do I miss the country cutie of “Love Story?” Sure. But I loved the pony-tailed pop princess of “Never Ever,” too. Now I’m kind of loving the sophistication of “Blank Space” from “1989,” too. Apparently, there’s nowhere Taylor Swift can go that I won’t follow.

4.   OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out.” It feels alright.

5.   Hozier – “Take Me to Church.” A good excuse to link to this “So You Think You Can Dance” performance of “Like Real People Do” choreographed by the incredible Travis Wall.

6.   One Direction – I know “Story of My Life” was released in 2013 but isn’t it still on the charts? Best Boy Band on the planet. They killed it on the Christmas SNL with “Ready to Run” and “Night Changes.”

7.   Imagine Dragons – “Demons.” I say it’s up to fate.

8.   American Authors – “Best Day of My Life.” Always a chance tomorrow will be.

9.   Bastille – “Pompeii.” Ima gonna be an optimist about this.

When the Game is on the Line…

They say in football that any drive that ends in a kick was a success. I think you can say the same of any year that ends with you still kicking. Perhaps I should also note that any year that only features First World Problems is a very good year indeed. OMG! Our dishwasher is broken! Okay, there were worse moments than that this year but I really don’t want to talk about those things. I’m just glad they turned out okay. And that they didn’t involve Ebola, missing airliners, or leaked naked photos of me on the Internet. Seriously, how many more times do I have to post those things?

Life goes on. We were reminded again of this bittersweet truth in 2014. Those we love are with us always. It’s not being able to hug them that hurts.

This year’s holiday season wasn’t the literal pain in the butt as last year, and still I was late with Christmas cards and a disaster with gifts. It isn’t that I hate Christmas so much as I hate meta-Christmas. The greed-entrained crowds of sociopathic consumers, the Mad Maxian traffic on the Spaulding Turnpike as those sociopathic consumers make their way to and from the malls, the relentless marketing across all media channels exhorting me to acquire more and larger home electronics, wearable technology, Lexus sedans, Honda sedans, jewelry and perfume; it’s all so depressing, really.

Then I remember I already have everything I need (and I really need to stream more content). I’m gainfully employed. I’m still married to the love of my life and next year will mark our 40^th year together (yes, I got married that young). We have a nice house with an only slightly leaky roof. I’ve got an icemaker in the door of my refrigerator-freezer, a dishwasher, a garage and a reliable snow-plowing service that keeps our driveway clear in the winter. Our children are good people and I’ll only take partial credit for  that; for the genetic material, the middle-class childhood, the college educations and the intermittent financial support I’m only happy I can provide. They took care of the rest.

I hope Alex and Genine and Rachael and Ray have a life as full of love and happiness as mine has been with Vickie.

So far.

Not done yet.

We’re on to 2015!

Happy Holidays!