2019 Best-Ofs!

Ah, that time of year again, when a semi-portly Hopper reclines with a glass of port and relaxes and reflects on the past twelvenmonthe. The highs! The lows! The smashes and the, er, trashes. An overall review of what made life worth living in the Hopperverse.

So, dim the lights, crank the Dolby stereo, open the curtains and obey the APPLAUSE signs –

It’s the 2019 Best-Ofs!!!!

… without further ado …

Best fiction, re-read: Weaveworld (1987) by Clive Barker

Best fiction, first-time read: The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1953) by James A. Michener

Best nonfiction: Lincoln and His Generals (1952) by T. Harry Williams

Best Short Story: “The Mouse” (1969) by Howard Fast (I dare you to read this and not weep...)

Best TV: Still gotta be The Office. Chronologically binge-watching the seasons with the girls, currently up to mid-season 6.

Most Disappointing TV: The reboot of In Search Of with Zachary Quinto attempting to replace the irreplaceable Leonard Nimoy in yet another genre. That and the bad editing and silly writing doomed this new version.

Best movie: Joker

   Runner-up: Crawl

Worst movie: Godzilla, King of the Monsters

   Runner-up: Zombie Tidal Wave

Best song: “Long, Long, Long” by the Beatles (a Harrison tune)

   Runners-Up: Just about any Lennon song off the White Album or Revolver

Phases:

   Beatles

   Under the Dome and 24 marathons with the girls

   George Armstrong Custer research

   VSI – Very Short Introduction – books

   The Spraining of the Ankle, November 9

   Bundesliga soccer

   Re-reads (The Eye of the World, Weaveworld, False Dawn, The Face of the Waters)

Best phase: Becoming a Beatles archaeologist

   Runner-up: Under the Dome, for the bellylaughs with the little ones.

Least fun phase: The sprained ankle, or that time I slipped on a baby pumpkin and thought I shattered my ankle and that’d need to be amputated and it painfully swelled up and turned all shades of purple gold and green while I hobbled about on crutches while my girls said I was “milking it.”

Funnest Day: (tie) Leisurely strolling round Cape May all day with the Mrs. April 26; biking all over Hilton Head Island with the little ones August 8.

Best Decision: To take off Tax Season ’20. Now I get my nights and weekends back.

Worst Mistake: Choosing, through inaction, to remain a wage slave.

Biggest Life Change: Listening to multiple podcasts/video shows on a daily basis – Ann Barnhart, Red Letter Media, Dr. Taylor Marshall, Steven Crowder, Jocko Willink, Critical Drinker, Uberboyo and Jimmy Boyo. Can I get them in the car so I don’t have to listen to Talk Radio? Also, I was upgraded at work to an office with a window back in April. Nice.

Best Experience I Thought I’d Hate but Didn’t: That wedding in September, dammit! Don’t comment to say “I told ya so” or invite me to another wedding!

Proudest Moment: Watching and listening to high-school aged Little One perform in her concert band back in May and again just last week. It’s phenomenal how great this band now sounds, and next year she’ll be First Chair Clarinet! Plus they did a Sergeant Pepper medley that I absolutely loved. If she only played as much as I strum my guitar she’d be a shoe-in for the Philharmonic in half a decade.

All right … here’s to 2020, just around the corner!