The Best and Worst of 2009

2009 started off for me, right where 2008 left off. My father passed away in December of 2008 and on January 2, 2009 we took my mom to the Emergency room. She passed away 24 days later. It is hard to mention these two losses without mentioning that in December of 2007, my nephew passed away quite unexpectedly. My mantra after my nephew’s passing was “2008 has to be a better year”. My mantra after my father’s passing was “2009 has to be a better year.” After my mom’s passing, I gave up on mantras.

So, you can glean the worst of 2009 for me. Could there be a best after all of that? Yes, out of darkness there is always light. I don’t believe I’ve been one to take my friends and family for granted. However, when you are in the midst of foggy grief, endless trips to the hospital, making life decisions you’d never, ever wish upon anyone, you do truly realize how the connections you make in life are a true life support system for you. I’ve always been cognizant of how wonderful my friends and family are, but during that time, all their lights shined on for miles. I realized how blessed I truly am. So, personally, I’ve experienced the worst through loss and the best through the lights of all my friends and family.

Now, I need to lighten up the mood and share what I think is the Best and Worst of 2009 in the world around us. I tried to avoid many of the obvious choices, however, some are listed with my own twist!

Best of 2009—(not in any particular order):
The World of Entertainment
• LOST returns for a fantastic season! Thank you Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. I’d also like to mention that Matthew Fox does not get enough credit for his acting. I know some people think his character is annoying—but I think his acting is on the mark!
• Seinfeld Reunion on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” - TV at its absolute best!!! Kudos to Larry David and the entire cast! If you are Seinfeld fan, it should not be missed! Now I just need Aaron Sorkin to film a semi-autobiographical sitcom so I can stop holding my breath for a “Sports Night” reunion!
• “The Hurt Locker”- I said it before, I’ll say it again—best movie of the year.
• Glee—although sometimes I think it crosses an unnecessary line—it is fresh and new for network TV!
• Bones – continues to entertain. I often drop one hour shows after about season three because they become uninteresting and formulaic. (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy…) However, I still cannot get enough of Bones!!! Thanks to the amazing writing and the amazing cast!
• Friday Night Lights is still surviving!! Yipee! Why this show does not receive more nominations is beyond me. The writing and acting are fantastic!
• The Office—Jim and Pam’s Wedding! Woot! Woot!! Great fun!
• Community and Modern Family—great new sitcoms!
• Here’s What…@Bravo Andy hosts a weekly show!! Just wish it was on at 11pm vs. Midnight!! (Okay, so I’m getting older…..)

The World Outside of Entertainment
• Twitter(new to me as a user in ’09) At first, I didn’t get the purpose. Now that I get it, I’m addicted. Best three folks to follow: @HartHanson, @JoshMalina and @JackGrayCNN. Their wit and insight brighten my day.
• Our first African-American President is elected. Politics aside that was a great moment for American history. Even my staunch conservative uncle, who is not an Obama fan (Calling him “not a fan” is cushioning the reality of his dislike for Obama’s politics) sent an email on January 20, 2009 saying what a great day for the history of our country. Now we just need a woman president!! (Of course--only if she is the right person for the job!)
• A gutsy pilot, a plane and the Hudson River. Captain Sullenberger and Flight 1549—an amazing story that captivates us because we all fear flying at least a tad. This story gives us hope.
• Girl, 14, rescued after Yemeni plane crashes in Indian Ocean. This is a story I still cannot believe. A plane crashes into the ocean and everyone dies except one 14 year old girl. How does that happen? Truly a miracle! I hope she is doing well, I’m sure she can’t believe it herself.
• Jacoby Ellsbury Steals Home!!! How cool!!
• Los Angeles Anaheim Angels—Entire starting lineup bats at .300 or above at one point.
• My friend’s brother battles cancer and wins!!!
• My niece battles cancer and wins!!!
• Beyonce’s Grace.
• Connecting with friends on Facebook!
• My daughter takes a passionate interest in something……(See the Worst)

Worst of 2009 (Not in any particular order)
• Her passion? Justin Bieber. Don’t get me wrong, he seems like a very respectable, humble, nice young man. I just wish as much thought and concern went into her math homework as it does for strategically placing hundreds of Bieber pictures on her wall.
• Jay Leno continues his show. I won’t elaborate, previous blogs explain it all. (Ha Ha Time Magazine—I guess he didn’t change the face of television!)
• “Partisanship” within our government and within our press is becoming trite and completely ineffective.
• Balloon Boy’s parents. It is sad that the drive for fame blinded the parents to the consequences of the stunt to their children and potentially to those trying to “save” their son. (P.S. My addiction to Twitter had me right on top of the story. @JackGray(CNN) posted it and I turned the TV to CNN to watch and pray for the boy!)
• Tiger’s fall from grace. I know we are all sick of the story and the family should be able to deal with it in privacy. However, as a student of human behavior, I find it fascinating--famous or not famous. One or two “indiscretions” one could argue that might not be so uncommon. However, 12 to 18 indiscretions in a four year period? Also, many of those “indiscretions” were actually “relationships” not simply one night stands. I find it all fascinating—the double life and the power of money. A truly great case study.
• SwirlGirl is put on cholesterol lowering medicine. My only saving grace is that Anderson Cooper mentioned he was on Lipitor. Oddly, that makes me feels a little bit better.
• Kanye’s lack of common sense and humility.
• As I write this, a new story is explaining how a man stole the St. Jude’s Collection Money from a convenient store. That is pretty low.
• This year we lost many notable people: Ted Kennedy, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, Patrick Swayze, John Hughes, Natasha Richardson, Brittany Murphy and so many more.
• Certain Hollywood heavies actually stick up for Roman Polanski. (Please read earlier blogs if you want to hear more of how I feel about Mr. Polanski. Actually, the topic of RP was my first blog.)
• The story of the Salvation Army worker who was killed during an attempted robbery is one of the saddest stories I’ve heard. It is one of the stories that leaves you asking "Why?" It happened Christmas Eve. If you haven’t heard about it, please search "thestar.com". I tried to add the link, but it did not work.
• Oprah calls it quits. Bummer, but I get it. I’ll elaborate in 2011.

I wish everyone a fantastic (dare I say better?) 2010!!