I've arrived at the end of another year, a little older and a little wiser. In the spirit of the popular media, I've decided to encapsulate the past year of my life in best-of lists and stacks of statistics.
Personal Statistics
Weight 01 Jan 2002: 198
Weight 31 Dec 2002: 198
Highest weight (2002): 203
Lowest weight (2002): 193
Weight for which J.D. believes his body is genetically programmed (even before seeing these statistics): 198
Weight to which J.D. aspires despite this belief: 158
Calorie deficit required to achieve this weight: 140,000
Number of Oreos in 140,000 calories: 2642
Number of Oreos J.D. has consumed since 01 Nov 97 (when he last weighed 158): let's not go there
Entries posted to this weblog (2002): 203
Days without an entry (2002): 162
Comments left to weblog (2002): 232
Books read (2002): 56
Books in my to-read pile: 9
Mariners games attended (2002): 4
Most expensive new toy: iBook
Favorite new toy: iBook
Computer I'd buy today if I could buy any new computer I wanted: iBook
Most popular weblog entries (in terms of hits): My religious musings, the gingerbread cookies recipe, my review of Peter Jackson's Helms Deep, adhesive capsulitis, and my Warcraft III woes. Curiously, three of these entries were written in the past moth.
A stack of statistics cannot possibly begin to describe my life. How about a list of favorites from the past year? Of those that I experienced first during 2002, the following were my:
Favorite Films
- Amelie
- This film is simply charming, a buoyant examination of life, told with bright music and bold colors. Whenever I feel a little blue, I pop in the soundtrack and life seems rosier once again.
- Moulin Rouge
- The first thirty minutes of this film are jaw-dropping. Though there are a couple of wince-inducing sitcom moments, the rest of the film follows through: the "Elephant Love Song" and "Roxanne" are both fantastic. I hope to see this in a theater someday.
- The Big Lebowski
- I haven't laughed so hard at a movie in, well, I don't know how long. The Big Lebowski is certainly not a film for those who find vulgarity offensive. The script is outstanding, but it's the acting that makes this film shine: John Goodman's earnest Jewish bowler, Walter Sobchak ("Shut up, Donny", "I'm as Jewish as fucking Tevye", "Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."), Philip Seymour Hoffman's ingratiating Brandt ("Ah hahahahaha! Wonderful woman. We're all, we're all very fond of her. Very free-spirited."), John Turturro's psychotic Jesus Quintana ("What is this 'day of rest' shit? What is this bullshit, man? I don't fucking care! It don't matter to Jesus! But you're not fooling me! You might fool the fucks in the league office, but you don't fool Jesus! It's bush league psych-out stuff! Laughable, man! I would've fucked you in the ass Saturday, I'll fuck you in the ass next Wednesday instead!" and, of course, the classic: "Nobody fucks with Jesus"), Julianne Moore's disturbed artist, Maude Lebowski ("Does the female form make you uncomfortable, Mr. Lebowski? My art has been commended as being strongly vaginal which bothers some men. The word itself makes some men uncomfortable. Vagina.") I'm laughing out loud just typing in these quotes, more of which can be found at IMDB.
- Least favorite: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- A mess. Poorly written, poorly directed, poorly acted. That didn't stop me from purchasing the DVD, though.
Favorite Books
- Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
- A dense but powerful novel about Oregon and the people who live here. Kesey's characters are positively Shakespearean. This book features two fantastic scenes involving drowning. (How many books exist about which one can say that?)
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville
- A great book. I loved this book so much that no book group discussion could possibly have lived up to my expectations. Deeply layered, and written with rich, beautiful prose.
- The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
- When Kris read this and hated it, I was ready for the worst. Instead I found a twisty, turny type of book -- and non-fiction at that -- in which the characters are stranger than fiction. In the end it's hard to know who's crazier: the author or those around her.
- Least favorite: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
- When I first learned about the premise of this book -- plants exert their will by manipulating human desirer -- I was intrigued. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Instead this book read as if I had written it: glossing over salient points, repeating dull, unimportant points ad nauseum. I had hoped for more.
Favorite Albums
- A-Teens: The ABBA Generation
- Yes, I'm a closet Abba fan. Who isn't? The A-Teens update the Abba sound with modern pop-dance-synth beats. I love it. Their Spanish version of "Mamma Mia" might be my favorite song of the year.
- Dirty Vegas: Dirty Vegas
- Dirty Vegas produces a kind of trance-pop, a variation on the typical electronica to which I'm always listening. Dirty Vegas is top of the class, and "Days Go By" is melancholy greatness.
- The William Caslon Experience: Delay Pigs
- Who? What? The Williams Caslon Experience is a collaboration between a man in Portland and another in Colorado. They produce some fine downbeat/ambient tracks, perfect for unwinding at the end of the day.
- Least favorite: Sinead O'Connor: Sean-Nos Nua
- Sinead O'Connor is my soul artist, the one musician with whose music I most identify. Her music contains a barely suppressed rage which is revealed in the bitterness of her lyrics and the power of her voice. Yet this album, a collection of traditional Irish ballads, is an over-produced mess in which Sinead's affected wispy tones are lost beneath the music. Give me the woman who fifteen years ago shrieked "Troy".
Favorite Computer Games
- Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
- I was frustrated while playing the single-player Jedi Outcast campaign. The level design sucked, and a couple of the puzzles were maddening. The game was fun, but not as fun as its predecessors. Then I played multiplayer. Holy shit. This is what gaming is all about.
- Unreal Tournament 2003
- What? Two first-person shooters on my list? Has the world gone mad? Unreal Tournament 2003 may not match Jedi Outcast in playability and fun, but it makes up for it in sheer beauty. UT's level design is elegant and innovative I love one level in which the combat occurs around a mammoth tree (like something out of Lothlorien) in a low-gravity environment. The graphics on this game are eye-poppingly good.
- Total Club Manager 2003
- A full-featured football (soccer) club management sim with immense, customizable detail. The level of control a player can exert over his team is mind-boggling, but what makes the game for me is that one can choose not to exert control over those aspects that detract from gameplay. Biggest drawback? This game is time-consuming, addictive as crack.
- Least favorite: Warcraft III
- Perhaps this is unfair because Warcraft III isn't a bad game, butI didn't play many games this year, and of those I played Warcraft III was my least favorite. Gameplay is tedious, even in multiplayer, and the technical problem I encountered earlier in the summer soured me on the game.
Favorite Experiences
- Playing soccer with FC Saints
- I hadn't played soccer in fifteen years before Joel suggested we join a team. My lack of fitness showed as I suffered through injury after injury after injury. The team struggled to a 1-9 record (and let's not even mention the goal differential). I had a great time in spite of it all. If my knee heals (and it isn't really), and if I get fit, I may try to play again in the spring.
- Dinner parties
- Starting with a fondue and liquor extravaganza for Kris' birthday, a core group of eight has gathered for periodic dinner parties. Mac and Pam, Joel and Aimee, Jeremy and Jennifer, and Kris and myself have shared some great food and great conversation. We add another couple to the mix from time-to-time, but it's the eight of us together that creates a synergistic vibe that takes me to my happy place.
- Book group
- Was there any doubt that this would be on my list? For six years, the monthly book group has been my church, my family. I hope that this continues for at least six more years.
- Least favorite: The St. Patrick's Day yurt explosion and its aftermath
- And that's all I'm going to say about that. (Note: adhesive capsulitis was a close second.)
Favorite Personal Changes
- Non-judgmentalness (which isn't even close to being a word)
- In November I made the decision to be less critical of my friends, to relax and to enjoy their company. If I think that what they're doing is foolish, I'll not comment; it's their life to live as they wish. It's as if a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders: I'm pleasant to people with whom I've never been pleasant, I'm more willing to initiate conversation with friends and with strangers, and I don't bitch about others.
- Genealogy research
- By exploring my family history I'm able to enjoy my passions for statistics, research, writing, place-based history, and for family-groundedness (to use another non-existent word). This genealogy works makes me feel more connected to my family and to the world around me. This place is my home.
- Writing more
- This year I failed to follow through on my commitment to begin exchanging fiction and poetry with Scott Durbin (ready to try again, Scott?). I also failed to do National Novel Writing Month with Mac (though he made a valiant effort). Instead, I focused my writing on this weblog. By moving from a blurb-based format to the current essay-based format, I've been able to explore my voice. I may have found it. And this may, in turn, lead to more fruitful writing in the future.
- Least favorite: Physical ailments
- From 19 Dec 2001 to 18 Dec 2002 I had enough physical ailments to last an entire decade. It was miserable for me and for those around me (to which I never tired of complaining). I hope to follow up the least healthy year of my life with the most healthy year of my life. Can I develop the self-discipline to do it?
Favorite Comic Panel
I've had a good year, and I hope that you have, too.
On this day at foldedspace.org
2003 — 2003: Year in Review I've arrived at the end of another year, a little older and a little wiser. In the spirit of the popular media, I've decided to encapsulate the past year of my life in best-of lists and a stack of statistics.
2001 — Hot Stock Tip While were in California, Kris' Uncle Bob gave me a Hot Stock Tip. Normally, I'm not one to follow Hot Stock Tips.