2012

2011 kind of sucked. Really, it was a year full of sadness, frustration, disappointment, and bad times. It wasn't ALL bad, of course. There are many happy moments and successes I can think of. But, on the whole, the year tasted like a moldy lame-strami sandwich deep-fried in hot garbage oil and dipped in stupid sauce. Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic but not by much. I'm glad 2011 is over and can only hope that 2012 brings better things.

Having said all that, I still need to make my Best Of list for the year. Best Of lists are kind of a crazy thing that seem to have become a cultural force in the world. If you look at Entertainment Weekly this week, it's nothing but Best of Books, TV, Movies, etc. Like we all need to be told what to see, read, listen to, etc. Mine isn't some comprehensive list of things you must go out and buy right now! It's just a few things that I really enjoyed this year - whether they actually came out this year or not.

Books


The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall and Death of a Disco Dancer by David Clark. TLP is a sprawling novel that tells the tale of Golden Richards, a polygamist with more wives and children and worries than he knows how to handle. After a certain point, I wanted Golden to liven up a little and stop being such a wuss. He's immobilized by uncertainty for 95% of the book and nobody likes a protagonist who doesn't do anything. However, the other characters in the book are so compelling and interesting and funny, Golden can be overlooked. Rusty, the angry, angsty son of wife #2, is far and away the funniest, sweetest, and saddest part of the book. He alone was worth the price of admission.



DoaDD is a Mormon novel (by/for/about mainstream Mormons whereas TLP is by an ethnic Mormon about a splinter offshoot of Mormonism) published by Zarahemla Books. It follows 11 year-old Todd Whitman as he comes of age in Mesa, Arizona in the early 1980s. The book deals with the loss of two different loved ones - one to dementia and one to cancer - so in that sense, it hit close to home. But it's more funny and sweet than sad, and I appreciated that. The worrying about girls and your hair while tormenting your younger siblings was perfect. The dorky friends, the harmless-yet-dangerous ways of having fun as a Deacon - it was all very familiar. The book seems to work a little too hard to evoke the 80s at times by dumping reference after reference at you sometimes, and the climax isn't the big bang you hope for. But it's still fun to read and uplifting in its way. Worth taking a look for sure.

Music
Imelda May's retro-rockabilly vibe made me happy this year as did the 1963 classic A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. I'm not normally into Christmas music but I could listen to Darlene Love, The Ronettes, and the Crystals all season long and then some. Also, I discovered and enjoyed Colin Hay's acoustic solo career this year and loved his version of "Overkill." Also, I have listened to "I Can't Remember" by The Thorns over and over this year. I'm a Matthew Sweet fan from way back and have appreciated his different efforts over the years. Back in 2002, he teamed with Shawn Mullins (that guy who sang "Lullabye" in 1998) and indie musician Pete Droge. They did one album, one tour, and, to my knowledge, had one single - "I Can't Remember." I found it on itunes a few months ago and haven't stopped listening to it since. The three-part harmonies are beautiful and the song is kind of sad. What more can you ask from three minutes and thirty one seconds?



Movies
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is pretty awesome. Brad Bird has directed three of the greatest animated movies ever made - The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouie - and with MI:GP, he stepped into live action. The set pieces were spectacular in the most literal sense, the banter was witty, and there was a prison-break scene set to Dean Martin's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head." Again, what more can we ask?
The final Harry Potter was equally exciting and moving. We've been watching these characters for a decade now. How can I not care about what happens to them? David Yates, the director of the final four HP films did some really impressive things visually, thematically, and dramatically. He's a talented guy who came basically out of nowhere to bring cohesion and emotion to what could have been just a giant special effects pageant.

Comics
Nothing has really thrilled me this year. There were a few things I enjoyed - a sci-fi time travel miniseries with teriffic art called The Red Wing, the anthology miniseries Rocketeer Adventures, and, of course, the Atomic Robo trade paperback called Two-Fisted Robot Tales. But overall, it was a quiet year for me comic book-wise. The movies Thor and Captain America were more enjoyable than most actual comics. Maybe 2012 will bring something worth getting excited about.



Personal
Our vacation to Grand Haven, Michigan was a real highlight. Just spending time on the water, enjoying perfect weather, going letterboxing, going for walks, etc. It was utterly idyllic and I loved it.
Visiting my brothers at the beginning of December. It was a quick visit and all-too-short but wonderful. We sat around, made jokes, watched episode after episode of Prison Break, ate chocodiles, and just had a blast. I loved it.
Being with my family. The older I get, the more I enjoy just doing small stuff with Suzy and the girls. They are my favorite people.

I have some goals and hopes for this new year, but I'm going to keep them to myself for now. I've found that talking about my goals somehow saps my power/desire to meet them. Kills some of the magic, you know?

Anyway, I hope the coming year is a good one for you, full of the things you need to be happy and healthy. I will see you back here a little more regularly this year than last, I hope.