I had fun creating my 2002: Year in Review last year, so I'm going to do one for this year, too.

To begin, here's a statistical comparison:

	2002	2003
Books read	56	43
Mariners games	4	0
Expensive toy	iBook	Gamecube
Photography expense	<$100	>$1000
Weight Dec. 31st	198	199
Weblog entries	203	329
Weblog comments	232	2401

Then, of course, there are the more traditional (and more interesting) lists of favorites.

Favorite Films
(2002 favorites: Amelie, Moulin Rouge, The Big Lebowski; least favorite: Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones)

Lost In Translation

A gentle, almost haunting, film of loneliness and isolation in a strange city. Lost in Translation, which features a marvelous soundtrack, tells the story of a sweet, platonic relationship that plays out over the course of several days. I liked this film when I left the theater, but I like it more as time passes.

Spellbound

Who would have guessed that a documentary about that national spelling bee could be so hilarious? This is a great film. The filmmakers are sympathetic with their subjects at the same time they're making fun of them. It's a fascinating glimpse into the lives of intelligent kids. Nothing else I've seen this year is even close to being this funny.

Unforgiven

I watched several Clint Eastwood westerns this year, and this was the best of the bunch. Intelligent and well-acted, this film does a great job of portraying the shades of grey present in complex moral situations. One of the best scripts I've encountered to date.

Least favorite: The Hours

This film seemed fine at the time, but it has not aged well inside my mind. The subject might have been interesting, but the film itself is a tedious exercise in liberalism. (And I often count myself as a liberal!) Ed Harris is awful as a self-loathing AIDS-stricken author, but none of the characters are compelling save Julianne Moore's housewife. Honorable mention of badness: Far From Heaven, more self-congratulatory liberalism.

Favorite Books
(2002 favorites: Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Orchid Thief by Susan Olean; least favorite: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan)

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust

Dense, yes. Difficult, yes. Still, this is a wonderful volume (the first of a seven-part novel), especially those parts which focus on the young Marcel. A fascinating exploration of the nature of memory, nostalgia, and love.

H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian

This was the year I finally read Patrick O'Brian. Of the 43 books I read, five were O'Brian's nautical tales. I loved The Golden Ocean and The Unknown Shore, but the Aubrey-Maturin novels show the author at his prime. Of the three I finished, H.M.S. Surprise was easily my favorite: filled with adventure, humor, and a touch of romance. Fine stuff.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

An off-beat teen novel about a pair of sisters who live in an actual English castle. Some might considere this a typical romance, but the quality of the writing and the delightful characters help it to transcend the mundane.

Least favorite: Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger

This might have made a first-rate feature in Sports Illustrated, but in this form it's too long and too obvious and doesn't go anywhere. Worse, the writing is atrocious.

Favorite Albums
(2002 favorites: A-Teens: The Abba Generation, Dirty Vegas: Dirty Vegas, The William Caslon Experience: Delay Pigs; least favorite: Sinead O'Connor: Sean-Nos Nua)

Favorite albums? This category felt outmoded last year, and it feels even more so now. I've been downloading most of my music for years, and with the coming of the Apple Music Store, I can now do so legally. The concept of an album, as such, no longer work for me. For example: I recently purchased the soundtrack to Lost in Translation, but the version I listen to is one from which I've stripped three songs and added a few new ones, and then burned to a new CD. Better yet, I just listen to my favorite tracks on my iPod or in Winamp or iTunes. So, as alternative to my favorite albums, here are my favorite songs, as pulled from the "Best of 2003" playlist I created on my iPod:

• The Star-Spangled Banner by The Dixie Chicks (I'm no nationalist, but their rendition at the Super Bowl was phenomenal)
• Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue (easily my most-listened to song of 2003, and the force behind the ever-popular sexy songs thread)
• Raspberry Swirl by Tori Amos
• How Soon is Now? by t.A.T.u. (an awesome cover of The Smith's signature tune — best listened to loud)
• Clocks by Coldplay (channeling the spirit of U2 — this is a great song)
• The First Cut is the Deepest by Sheryl Crow
• Hurt by Johnny Cash (I only got into Cash this year, thanks in part to Nicole)
• The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
• It's All Good by Sinead O'Connor
• Still by Elvis Costello
• Girls by Death in Vegas (from the Lost in Translation soundtrack)
• Autumn Leaves by Eva Cassidy (a beautiful rendition)

(Note: there's one exception to my anti-albumism. Poe's Haunted is a concept album of sorts, so that's how I listen to it. It's great, certainly worthy of this list.)

Favorite Computer Games
(2002 favorites: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Unreal Tournament 2003, Total Club Manager 2003; least favorite: Warcraft III)

There's trouble with this category, too. I didn't play many computer games this year. I guess my favorite game and my least favorite game are the same: Magic Online. This game is like a drug to me. I've spent far too much time and money on it, but I love it. I enjoy the challenge of constructing my own decks, and the thrill of seeing them perform well against online opponents. (Of course, I get down when my decks don't perform well, but that's another story.)

Next year, I expect this category to be filled with lots of Gamecube games!

Favorite Experiences
(2002 favorites: playing soccer with FC Saints, dinner parties, book group; least favorite: Yurt explosion and its fallout, and adhesive capsulitis)

Time spent with friends

Some of my favorite experiences this year were extended weekends spent with friends. In late March, I drove to Eugene to spend the weekend with Paul. In mid-July, Kris and I joined Andrew, Courtney, Lisa, and Craig on the coast for some clamdigging. At the end of August, Mac and I went camping for a weekend. In September, I spent a long weekend at Crater Lake with my sweetie. These extended outings were the highlight of my year.

Dinner parties

The dinner party fun continued this year, including Jeremy and Jennifer's "Spring Fling", Joel and Aimee's readers theater, Lisa and Craig's birthday celebrations, Mac and Pam's harvest celebration, our tenth annual Friend Thanksgiving, and more. I love dinner parties: I love the food and the wine and the companionship. I love the entire concept. This year, we'll not only host Friend Thanksgiving XI, we'll also host an Asian-themed dinner for Kris' birthday, possibly another poetry night, and, on March 13th we'll host the family-oriented Chicken Noodle Fest to which everyone is invited. Though not really a dinner party, Chicken Noodle Fest will be an opportunity for all of our friends, and their children, to come together and just hang out for an afternoon while eating chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and other kid-centric food. Mark your calendars now!

Book group

Was there any doubt that this would be on my list again? For seven years, the monthly book group has been my church, my family. I hope that this continues for at least seven more years.

Least favorite: Knee surgery and its aftermath

The time and the expense involved were mind-boggling.

Favorite Personal Changes
(2002 favorites: non-judgmentalness, writing more, genealogy research; least favorite: physical ailments)

Photography

This as the year that I discovered photography (thanks to Mac). After some initial flailing, I found a rhythm, and for several months I enjoyed my new hobby. Eventually, the cost (and my knee surgery) put a hold on my photography, but not before I was able to produce some decent work for a beginner. I look forward to taking more photos in 2004.

Book Jacket Covers

"Ha!" you say, and I agree, but I love the process of covering my books in book jacket covers. As I do so, I'm both tidying my library and creating new treasures out of old books. What I really need to do is give my library a thorough culling, thinning it to only the best volumes. This would free a lot of space!

Writing more

This year, I not only wrote a ton in this weblog, I also took a fiction writing class from the community college. This was the best writing class I've ever had; the instructor was fantastic, the texts were good, and the assignments challenged me. Ultimately, I produced two stories with which I am moderately well-pleased. I hope to take another writing class, possibly from the same instructor, sometime during 2004.

Least favorite: Decline in reading

Since we joined Netflix in mid-September, my book consumption has decreased from one a week to one a month. This is unacceptable. How, then, do I balance Netflix with reading? I don't know. Maybe I'll just have to give up and let Kris have complete control of the queue. If I watch two or three films a month, I can still be happy as long as she's still getting her money's worth.

Favorite Comic Panel

For the second year in a row, the winner is:

I've had a good year, and I hope that you have, too.

On this day at foldedspace.org

2002 — 2002: 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.

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