Weirdsmobility
Now Playing: Marvin Gaye--"Flyin' High (in the Friendly Sky)"
This will very likely be the last post I make this year. It's been a strange year, too, probably the best I've spent in Ann Arbor.

1. I feel a sense of confidence about my work and am better paid than I have been at any time since grad school (and possibly before, not that it's saying much). The job can be breathtakingly annoying, but I could certainly be doing something worse.

2. I got out, saw some terrific shows, met an assload of terrific people, and realized again that it's fun to dance.

3. I'm starting to gain control of my financial situation (student loans, etc.) and have become much better at budgeting myself.

4. Writing-wise, it's actually been a much less impressive year than 2004 (for which I suspect blogging is much to blame), but one can't have everything.

5. I've become semi-involved in my community, handling the establishment of the WRAP library (albeit, due to work and weekly exhaustion, at what might be considered a snail's pace), continuing to attend Planned Parenthood volunteer nights (even if I missed the last two, once due to illness and once to being preoccupied with Katrina), and following state and local policy on important bread-and-butter issues (even if I get lost, knowing jackshit as I do about urban planning).

5. I've gotten a start on changing my living situation, finally taking the GRE and going to information sessions at U-M (and getting stuff from other schools as well).

So, certainly compared to the two before it, 2005 can definitely be considered a good year. I started it out coming off post-election depression at a killer New Year's Eve party (thanks, Gardiners and Jessica), went through more depression, and then got better. I just hope next year tops it.

Christmas weekend, I watched a few holiday flicks (although this is the first year in memory that I wasn't able to see A Christmas Story as the free showing at the Michigan was sold out)--It's a Wonderful Life (I finally saw it all the way through a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised at how dark it got at times) and White Christmas, to which my pal Elaina introduced me back in Akron. The latter is terrific--you can marvel at Rosemary Clooney's hotness, enjoy Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen's well-meant nosiness (although Mary Wickes does them several better), and best of all, just wonder what the hell goes on in "Der Bingle's" head. He has this kind of perverse, twisted anti-cool that yet manages to be hipper than hip. This means he can do all sorts of things and never have to explain them. "All sorts of things" include: calling Danny Kaye a "weirdsmobile," breaking into song on a whim, and employing German words and a Swedish accent for no apparent reason. He probably could have killed someone and nobody would have done anything about it. God, it's awesome. The song's pretty good, too.

Christmas Day, I called the family and sort of vegged, I guess. I then saw the Richard Loncraine/Ian McKellen Richard III (1995), which takes place in a weird parallel fascist Britain of the 1930s or 1940s. I thought it was fun. There was no real reason to cast Robert Downey, Jr. in the movie, but it's hard to argue with a Shakespeare adaptation that stars a tank.

One good thing about the season nearing its end (several more days left, don't forget, both for Christmas and Chanukah) is that we don't have to hear any more of this "War on Christmas" bullshit. It's a relief for me, anyway.

Happy New Year, everyone!