Christmas in a Cup! Or, Best Tea of 2009

Okay, before you call me out on quoting the delicious Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal, I'll have you know I have been referring to Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice this way long before I ever saw that movie, and rightly so. The ingredients consist of cinnamon, roasted chicory, roasted carob, natural spice and vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg.

I enjoy it hot, cold (iced soy Chai-esque latte, anyone?), and I hear it's excellent steeped in hot apple cider.

Trust me. It's the tops.

Best of 2009 Catch Up

Best Place of 2009

It was my home away from home this year. The place I always showed visitors to SLC. The place I could spend both a million years and a million dollars.

Yeah, I'm talking about Sam Wellers.

Especially this room, with its yellow-arched entrance to the land where the books about words live.

Best New Food of 2009

Kouing-Aman

So, so, sooooo good.

Best Change I Made to the Place I Live (in 2009? How do I phrase that exactly?)

Um, I moved here?

Best Rush of 2009

Driving Nebo Loop after dark. Seriously, I was super scared I was going to get stuck and freeze to death. The adrenaline as pumping long after I made it home.

Pictures found here and here. The last one was mine.

Best Album of 2009

Here's a top 3. If you couldn't tell already, I have a hard time committing to just one thing.
#3 The Essential Neil Diamond, Neil Diamond.

Recommended by: It's Rachel and Jeremy's go-to house cleaning soundtrack. Sometimes it's clutch in a stressful "I'm going to fall asleep looking for missing commas after introductory phrases" situation.

#2 Sara Watkins, Sara Watkins

Recommended by: Mallory. A great summer CD. Second most listened to of 2009. Worth hearing: "Long, Hot, Summer Days," "All This Time."

#1 Glee: The Music, Vol. 1

Recommended by: I saw this show for the first time when it aired after American Idol, and then I proceeded to bully all of my friends into watching it.

It's had its highs and lows, but the best thing about Glee is its soundtrack (though Mallory will tell you it's a tie between the soundtrack and Matthew Morrison). I dare you not to grin while listening to any of the songs, but most of all "Somebody to Love," "Keep Holding On," and "Don't Stop Believin'."

Best Moment of Peace of 2009

That moment during my Best Challenge of 2009 when I knew that everything was going to be okay.

(Technically, this wasn't actually my moment of peace, but what better way to illustrate what I'm saying than cute Josh just happy with his chocolate while his crazy brothers are running amok behind him?)

Best Challenge of 2009

Most everyone else wrote about their Best Moment of Peace in 2009. I did too. But after writing it up, I decided that you wouldn't fully appreciate it unless you knew about my biggest challenge.

Once upon a time, half way through the year, my boss decided he would rather I didn't work for the company anymore. Which hey, now I understand that it was really his prerogative, but back in July it was a terrible, horrible shock.

In terms of workforce trends, 2009 has been the year of the layoff. But my separation from the company was more of what some circles would term "getting fired." No one really wants to be unemployed, but the whole idea that my performance wasn't up to par with expectations was pretty humiliating. Because not only was I unemployed, but I sort of felt like I sucked as a human being.

However, through the duration of this whole experience, I learned lessons I couldn't have learned any other way--really essential life-altering lessons. Stay tuned for the Best Lesson Learned (aka Best Learning Experience) on December 24.

Best Blog/Conference

Best Blog: 2009 was the year that a lot of my friends started blogs. So, welcome to the blog-o-sphere, friends. I would name you, and take the time to link to you, but I would inevitably forget one, and also? I'm three "best of's" behind!

Best Conference: By default, Women's Conference wins. Now, what's fun about thousands of Mormon women invading BYU campus and cat-fighting over fudge? Ask a BYU student/faculty/staff member/administrator, and the honest answer will probably nothing. I, however, do not go within 100 yards of the bookstore. I hunker down with my mom, aunt, cousins, and friends in the Marriott Center, listen to uplifting talks, and eat candied almonds. Also, I usually go to lunch with some former coworkers.

Best Night Out of 2009

May 15.

Sara Watkins show at the State Room.

A birthday present from Mallory.

Best night of the year.

Get Sara's CD here. (She signed mine when I met her. Also, we're pretty much BFF's on twitter.)

Best Book of 2009

I cringe to write this post. I have thought seriously of just skipping it and hoping no one notices.

I don't know if you know this about me, but I read for a living. Reading words is how I pay my rent, put gas in my car, keep food in my belly, and clothes on my back. Unfortunately, it no longer pays for beautiful haircuts.

So I worry that people are going to expect some crazy amazing and profound book that I thought was the best book of 2009. Now, it's not for want of opportunity that I can't think of anything. I belong to book clubs, surround myself by English major or degree holding friends who are constantly recommending great books like The Life of Pi by Jan Martel, My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok, or A Mercy by Toni Morrison, all of which I have in my possession and am determined to read as soon as the thought of reading doesn't make me carsick.

Still, the book I thought of first was this. (Don't worry: it wasn't written by Stephenie Meyer, but I think it may have had at least one reference to a vampire.)

I don't deserve to know how to read.

Best Article of 2009

Thanks to Google Reader, I go through thousands of articles in the course of a year. You probably do, too. Think about it, if you read just 5 articles a day for 365 days, that's 1,825 articles, and in all honesty, I read at least twice that.

I've been thinking about articles that have struck me, and there are two in particular that I'd consider the best.

Coming at #2: "Helping to Write History," from the Washington Post. It's a profile of Jon Favreau, 27, President Obama's head speech writer. I have a ton of respect for this guy who's only a year older than I am, and who will write some of the most historically significant speeches before he hits 30. (Author's note: It's come to my attention that this article was published on December 18, 2008 and will therefore be disqualified from the ranking. Take that, Favreau.)

The Best Article of 2009: "Vanish: Finding Evan Ratcliff," Wired.com. A good article sucks in the reader, causing him or her to become emotionally invested. When I read this article, it read like a short story; I found myself rooting for the unlikely protagonist, a writer who was sponsored by Wired to go "off the grid" and to see how easy it would be for readers to find him with all of the electronic resources at their fingertips. A truly fascinating read.

Photos found here and here.

Best Restaurant Moment of 2009

I love eating out. It's one of my favorite things to do. When I was living in Salt Lake City, I enjoyed discovering new haunts. Well, in the Avenues, a new restaurant opened up called the Wild Grape. I'd say it's probably in my top 5 restaurants in the city. And, since I lived so close, I was able to get there during non-busy times.

Another interesting thing about the restaurant scene in Salt Lake City is the period during spring when we all wait breathlessly for The Day We Can Eat Outside. Random snow storms usually push this day further and further back, but when it finally arrives, it's almost better than Christmas.

After a particularly rainy morning during the summer, the sun started creeping out mid-afternoon and by the time I got done with work, it was positively balmy. I drove past the Wild Grape and noticed they had tables outside, but no one was dining. So, I walked in and asked if they were seating people on the patio, fully prepared for the hostess to say no, but I'm pretty sure she conned a server into setting up table for me.

So, there I was, sitting by myself out on a lovely patio, looking out at a shady section of South Temple, and enjoying every minute of it. I jotted some notes about a novel I was thinking about writing, chatted with my server about life, and just enjoyed the general splendor.

Then came the food.

I blame my dad on my salmon snobbery. He just cooks it so deliciously every time that other salmon cookers have no chance to compete. Until now. This salmons was grilled to perfection, and it sat on a bed of shallots, spinach and sausage.

But we haven't even gotten to the Best Restaurant Moment. Until now:

Okay, seriously? I don't even remember what this was called. It was a cheese cake-esque custard of some sort, but instead of cream cheese, it was goat cheese. Yeah, you read that right GOAT CHEESE. It's a running gag in my family that anything can be made better with goat cheese. My dad tries to put it in everything.

It was drizzled with a honey-wine-fresh cherry reduction, and it was the best thing I have ever put in my mouth. Ever.

And at that moment, I knew what heaven tasted like.

Best Trip of 2009

I took four exciting trips this year: one to Hinesville, Georgia; one to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; one to Long Beach, California; and one to Moab, Utah.

Try as I might, I can't rank them. So, congratulations to all four for winning the distinction of Best Trip of 2009!

And, since I don't have pictures readily available of most of these trips, here are some of my favorite spots in Utah.

The Avenues:

Moab:

Uintas:

Countdown

I found this end of the year blogging project referenced on my sister's friend's blog, which I've enjoyed reading for the last couple of years.

I love the holidays. I love the food, the family, and the presents. If I had to rank the "winter" holidays, it would go like this:

1. New Year's Day: I love the idea of a new beginning. The biggest aspect of my spirituality is the comfort of renewal. What's done is done. I can remain fixated on the past or I can look forward to the future, and I choose to do the latter.
2. Christmas: This has everything--family, food, and loot.
3. Thanksgiving: 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
4. New Year's Eve: Mostly because it leads to New Year's Day. Also, exciting things happen at midnight.
5. (A Very Distant Last Place) Valentine's Day. I like the idea, but it's always a letdown. The chocolate is good, so it's not a total loss.

So, part of the greatness of my favorite holiday is being able to take stock of the year and ponder resolutions for the next. So, here goes nothing.

Gratitude

Thanksgiving will be over in just under an hour, and I'm about ready to go to bed.

I've wanted to do a Thoughtful Thursday post for quite some time, but usually by the time Wednesday is over, I'm too tired to think of anything. But today, I didn't have a lot going on. I slept in, cooked some food, made a pie, and spent time with family. Tomorrow will be more of the same, sans the food prep.

I find that I have plenty of reasons to be grateful, most of which might be considered "little things." For example, I'm grateful I caught the last few minutes of An Affair to Remember just now. I'm grateful my cranberry sauce turned out. I'm grateful for my gold shoes and some new rings I bought.

Then there are bigger things: I have job I absolutely love. In fact, most days I can't believe I'm finally getting paid to read and design books. I love my house. It's fresh and clean and warm. I'm grateful that I got to live for a whole year in the Avenues. I'm also in love with my car. Sometimes it's strange to think that I even have a car.

I have a family I adore. Seriously. They make me laugh until I can't breathe, and most importantly, they make me feel safe. I have great friends. They add the best spice to life. Honestly, to know me is to know that 95 percent of my anecdotes start with something like this:

• "One time, my cousin and I . . ."
• "Little Brother said the funniest thing . . ."
• "I was talking with my sister the other day, and . . ."
• "Can I just tell you why my parents are the coolest?" (This question is rhetorical.)
• "Last time at book club . . . "
• "My nephews and nieces are cuter than yours because . . ." (I usually only imply that last one. People would get offended if I just came out and said such a thing. It doesn't it make it less true, though.)

Most of all, I'm grateful to know what life's all about. I'm glad to know that even though right at this moment I may not enjoy everything I hope for, sooner or later I will. And trust me, I have quite enough to be getting on with.

And yes, I know I ended that sentence with a preposition. It's okay: I'm off the clock.

Why I love Movie Monday...

How do I choose my movies for Mondays? Generally speaking, the video must make me tear up, laugh out loud, drop my jaw in awe, or simply make me smile until the muscles in my cheeks get sore.

Today's video did the latter, and was brought to you by friend David.

Hee.

Good reads.

I've decided to celebrate my triumphant return to the blog-o-sphere with a week's worth of Austen themed posts. Remember yesterday's Emma post? Yeah, I do too. It happened like it was 10 minutes ago.

Anyway, here's a book I believe to be a Tuesday-worthy Treat.

Nevermind how gorgeous that cover design is. This book contains essays from writers like Virginia Woolf and C. S. Lewis on various aspects of Jane Austen's imperfect genius. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Christmas is a-comin'!

Image found here.

A big "I missed you!" hug

The other day I saw one of my favorite former roommates. When I knocked on the door and she answered, our conversation went like this. Imagine our tone of speaking in about a b above middle c.

Both (in unison): Hi! How are you?! Good!

Then there may have been some jumping, squealing, and hugging.

That giddiness is exactly how I feel right now as I'm writing this post from my laptop, at home. I have a retroactive Monday Movie and Treat for Tuesday planned, but I have to grab some breakfast and head off to work.

Still though. I'm sooo excited to be back.

Because I missed you.

BBC One has my unswerving devotion.

Every now and then I go through an Austen Renaissance of sorts. Something or someone will remind me how much I love Jane Austen.

This time the someone was my old roommate Alicia, who posted a link on my facebook wall, introducing me to the newest addition to the BBC One literary adaptation library.

Feast your eyes, lovelies:

Now, I will forever love the Gwyneth Paltrow version from my teenage years, but seriously folks, there are no words.

It doesn't hurt that the three potential suitors--Mr. Knightly, Mr. Elton, and Frank Churchill are all glorious to behold.

I just can't wait until they show it on Masterpiece Theater, because then it will be available on Yankee-friendly DVD, and I will buy it.

Also? Happy birthday, Mom!

I miss you!

I've decided I'm almost to the point where I'm going to sacrifice my home time during lunch hour to stay at work to blog. I miss it that much. Things happen, and sure, I'll let the peeps on twitter know when things happen, and while I think I'm darn clever in 140 character or less, it's just not the same.

So, maybe twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'll post pictures, or links to funny videos, or short yet entertaining essays, and then you all can comment on them. Deal?

Also, I'm getting ready for NaNoWriMo. I know. I've said it before, but this is the year. I don't know what it is about reading for a living, but I am getting a ton of ideas for novels/movies/web series/etc. and it's exciting. So, be ready for exciting things.

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

But I HAVE moved to Springville to a lovely new apartment really close to work. My books are unpacked and shelved according to spine color, and I've shaved an hour and fifteen minutes off of my commute.

The only downside: we don't have internet yet! As one might imagine, this cuts deeply into my blogging time, and I miss it deeply. I have videos I want to share, treats I want to show you, pictures I want to feature and food I want you to be jealous of. But no, we might have to wait longer for any of these things to happen.

Best ever.

Okay, for today's Movie Monday, we're going to take a little field trip.

All aboard, everyone, and head on over to my sister's blog. There's a fantastic video where my little nephew is Living Up his birthday. I mean, really, it's all kinds of cute and all kinds of awesome.