2007's Bests & Favorites

In my opinion:

Best New TV: Man vs. Wild (favorite episode is the one where Bear catches a salmon in a stream, and takes a raw bite while it's still wriggling in his hands -- now THAT's sushi!)
Best Reality TV: Survivor (it never gets old)
Best Drama TV: ER (ok, maybe it's old, but I still LOVE it)
Best Comedy TV: The Office (I've never been so delighted to cringe, and that Steve Carell is swoon-a-rific)

Best Movie(s): Once (heartbreaking romance and music); La Vie en Rose (I cried from how beautifully acted it was); Juno (refreshing and lovely and inspiring)
Best Netflix: Big Love, season 1 (Mormon fundamentalists on TV? Righteous!)

Most satisfying album: Raising Sand by Alison Kraus & Robert Palmer
(download "Gone Gone Gone")
Dirtiest single (in a good way): Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Coolest new discoveries: Dr. Dog (download "Worst Trip"); and Lily Allen (download "Smile")

Jewelry trend: huge rings (bigger is definitely better)

Favorite dessert: Tres Leches cake at Casona in Collingswood
Favorite entree: Pulled pork with peanut bbq sauce at Tortilla Press in Collingswood

Best concert: Soweto Gospel Choir in Verizon Hall (they come back next year, and I can't suggest strongly enough that you DON'T MISS IT)
Best theater: Wicked at the Academy of Music (gotta love a good prequel)

Rounding it up

Can it really be the end of 2007? It's hard to believe that just a year ago I moved to NJ after living in the same apartment in Glenside, PA for 9 years. The change in scenery and surroundings has completely turned my life around.

This calls for a list. The top 5 highlights of 2007 (in no particular order)
Note that technically, I moved to Collingswood in 2006, so the move itself doesn't exactly qualify.

1. Two Fantastic Friends
My newest friend Elizabeth and I were introduced late last winter by a mutual friend, and immediately felt like we had known each other for years. She's the kind of friend you can talk to about anything. Hours go by during our chat-fests, and I treasure every moment. Alison has been a friend for many years, but since my move to Collingswood we have bonded like sisters. 2007 simply wouldn't have been the banner year it was without her loving friendship.

2. Rock Climbing
It was something I had always wanted to try. And watching Bear Grylls do it on Discovery inspired me that much more. I'll never EVER forget my first trip up a rock face, with the circulation in my toes cutting off from the tight shoes, the comforting feeling of resistance in the belay rope, and the unexpected ease I felt nearly three stories up. It was beyond exhilarating. And I'll amend this entry by adding my first whitewater rafting excursion—another thing I always wanted to try, and finally found the motivation to do.

3. Cooper River Walks
I couldn't count the number of times I have visited the path surrounding the Cooper River. It's a mere three blocks from my place, and about a 4-mile loop around. I've used it to sweat, to think, to breathe, and to enjoy the view. I've seen egrets, scullers, sailors and sunsets. I've walked it jogged it, ran it and sat on the banks of it. I've photographed it too. Sometimes I go it alone, and sometimes Alison and her dog Neemo join me. With them it's more about talking—and sometimes swimming for Neemo—than walking ... but no matter the circumstance, it's always good. Beyond good.

4. Gatherings at My Place
In the 9 years I lived in Glenside, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I entertained more than 1-2 people at a time. In the year I've been in Collingswood, there's no doubt I've already surpassed that number, or even doubled it. It started on move-in day. There were at least 6 of us in a caravan from Glenside to Cwood, and after unloading everything, we stood around my new kitchen eating pizza and drinking beer... and suddenly I realized that this group of friends from all walks of my life were meeting for the first time and enjoying each other! Since then I've thrown several parties, had impromptu dinner gatherings, hosted 2 clothes swaps, and even sat 7 for Thanksgiving dinner! It's such a good feeling every time people gather here.

5. I'm Really a Jewelry Designer
Since I was a little kid, jewelry has fascinated me. My first earring designs were made from tape recorder parts when I was about eight years old. I've made lots of jewelry since then, but this year was my most creatively inspired year ever. Not only did I begin to develop a cohesive line of designs, but out of nowhere, a local gallery sought me out and invited me to show my work there. So between the gallery, launching my etsy shop and excellent friend/co-worker sales, I have suddenly found myself in the midst of having my own small business! I'm proud of what I've made, and I can't wait to see what I make next.

Items that almost made the list:
My fabulous porch, visiting the roof of the Kimmel Center, getting my tarot cards read, discovering the Discovery Channel, Perkins Art Center, and turning 40 (and the everlasting party that came with it).

2007 has rocked. So much has changed and improved for me this year. I have a few goals and aspirations for 2008, including lots more of all of the above, plus learning yoga, returning to Greece, canceling my online dating subscription for good, and quitting my 3-cigarette-per-day habit. CHEERS!!!

Up I go!

I have taken hundreds of pictures of the Kimmel Center. In fact, someone recently asked me if there was an angle of the building I hadn't yet taken a picture of. I thought for a moment, then replied, "yes, there is ONE, but I have to wear a harness to get it!" Well, after waiting and wondering and wishing for 5 years, I finally got a ride in the lift that takes the window cleaners up on the roof. They fitted me with a full-body harness, showed me how to hold onto my rope, and flipped the switch on the lift's motor. I spent about an hour up there in the blazing sun and filthy grime. Those window cleaners are a unique blend of daredevil and perfectionist. They are particular about their squeegees, they make jokes about lift motor malfunctions, they clip, unclip and hop around up there like acrobats. It's truly impressive. My trip up there with them was a huge highlight of my 7 years here at the Kimmel. And I finally got the shot I was missing!

I'll post the photos I took of the cleaners on the Kimmel Center's flickr later this week.

City Survivor?

I'm a huge fan of "Survivor". I've written about it before. It's a great show. And I'm thrilled and excited about tonight's premiere, Survivor: China. It's a beautiful country, rich in aesthetically-pleasing traditions. But enough with the picturesque landscapes! When will Mark Burnett, Jeff Probst and the gang bring it to the streets?? I want Survivor in the city.

Survivor: Soup Kitchen
Survivor: Broad Street Concourse
Survivor: Crack House
Survivor: Subway

The possibilities are endless! And talk about challenging. The smells, the bodily fluids, the trash, the pigeons, the rodents, the locals, the commuters -- it would be a challenge just to watch!

Yo, Survivor: Philly. You got a prollem wit dat?

More than just ice cream

After a wonderful dinner with an old friend tonight, we met up with another good friend for dessert. The three of us don't get to spend much time together these days. Work, relationships, life ... they all get in the way. So time together is precious, and we never squander a millisecond. We savor it like home made ice cream.

After we ordered -- chocolate with sprinkles for one, butter pecan with chocolate sauce for the other, and peanut butter for me -- we hashed out the issues of the moment. No stones left unturned, no mishigoss taboo. It all poured out over ice cream.

Nuggets of life's mysterious wisdom come out of such conversations, like beacons or light bulbs ... pathways to clearer thinking. I treasure those nuggets (and the friends who inspire them) like gold.

My belly is full, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Put up a parking lot

A friend of mine and I were at the beach last weekend. It was Labor Day, so nearly everyone else in the Philadelphia region was at the beach with us. The weather was glorious, the water perfection. I couldn't wait to get to the boardwalk, though, to savor summer's last taste of my favorite confection: Kohr Brothers frozen peanut butter custard with chocolate sprinkles.

There's a Kohr Brothers on the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk at 10th Street. So we started looking for parking at around 6th. We drove all the way to 13th and back through to 2nd Street more than times than I care to admit, and everywhere we looked, someone else was pulling into a spot. But could we find one? Not on our custard-starved souls.

Finally, I pulled up behind one of the amusement park back entrances at 10th Street, put my flashers on, and we took turns running up to Kohrs while the other stayed with the car. It was surprisingly easy and went off without a hitch. We even got bold and drove up to 13th for Johnson's caramel corn. Again, easy as pie, very satisfying. And though part of me had hoped for a boardwalk stroll, our stealth maneuvers protected us from what could have been a chaotically annoying end to our lovely, serene day. The Ocean City boardwalk (especially on Labor Day weekend) is nothing short of a mob scene.

All of this struck me, several days later, as an apt metaphor for my life. I say I want the full experience -- chaos and all -- and I go about the chase of finding my place from which to launch the adventure, but I'm always one step behind everyone else. I watch the rest of the world secure their spots just before I get there, and there's nothing left over for me. Meanwhile, part of me feels like it's just as well, because somewhere in the back of my mind, all I really want is to grab an illicit, temporary spot from which to get the minimum, immediate satisfaction. Then I'm gone. No commitment to a lengthy stay required.

Dammit! I want to be ready to build a parking lot of my very own. A safe, secure place from which to launch any and all adventures life brings. A home base where my car will always have its spot. My tool belt is loaded with the appropriate stuff, and the bulldozer has leveled the ground. But it's a gravel pit until the right person comes along with the pavers to smooth the way.

20 years?!

There were only 48 kids in my high school class. Very small, very insular school. Which was good and bad. Good because it provided a sense of groundedness. It was a strong, solid community. Bad because it was so small, everyone knew everything about everyone. And if you started there in kindergarten, your social place was set in stone from then on. It was nearly impossible (or at least extremely daring) to reinvent yourself or try anything (or anyone) new. If, God forbid, you transfered in later (especially post-junior high), everyone immediately defined you by the first person you happened to stand next to in the hall. It could take years to undo any unwanted associations and create your desired social niche. And by then everyone was off to college.

What a challenge. I loved it.

Next weekend is my 20-year reunion. Well, technically, 21 years, but our class couldn't get it together last year to organize a party, so we hitched onto the class of '87. We're such slackers. They're not much better, considering that the party will be at the local dive bar where we all went to get served underage back in the day!

I'm nervous to see everyone. Mostly because I know they'll all be wondering why I haven't gotten married and had kids like the rest of them. I guess I wonder that too ... but I trust that my life has gone its own path, and with no regrets, I've enjoyed most of it. No complaints. Besides, I've always done things my own way rather than following the crowd, so it's probably what everyone expects of me! That was, after all, my place in the social schema.

What everyone expects shouldn't matter anyway, right? But reunions bring that out in the best of us.