everything I want to be comes crashing down on me

Everyone made Best Of lists to close out the year, but it has been a little too hectic for me to do anything like that. Until now. Jumbled and ridiculous, but here we go, to close out 2006:

Best redemption of an utterly annoying song
Goodbye, My Lover by James Blunt, saved by Steve Carell looping an audio sample of it endlessly in an episode of The Office. Which reminds me-

Best television comedy
The Office. Sorry, I can't give it to Ugly Betty, which is a fine show, but perhaps too sweet to be considering side-splitting comedy.

Oxymoron song of the year
I don't feel like dancing by The Scissor Sisters. While the song proclaims that the singer does not feel like dancing, everything about the song indicates otherwise. I dare you not to tap your foot to it.

Jeff Buckley Hallelujah Memorial overplayed for television drama song of 2006
How to Save a Life by The Fray. And that leads to-

Sarah Jessica Parker Memorial Most Unlikable Lead Character of 2006
Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy. And I still do not understand why so many people insist on watching this show.

Point-Counterpoint Political Song Comparison of 2006
Take Waiting for the World To Change by John Mayer, which basically seems to celebrate a generation's apathy and complete paralysis in the face of the major problems of the world. Now hold it up to World Wide Suicide by Pearl Jam, which features such gems as medals on a wooden mantle, next to a handsome face, that the President took for granted, writing checks that others pay. As a matter of fact, the whole of Pearl Jam's latest album spanks the John Mayer song to pieces.

Indistinguishable Bands of 2006
There are songs out by some dude named Matt Kearny and some band called Augustana. Both reference Boston. Neither are memorable.

Best Throwbacks to the 90s
Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups- almost an homage to Smashing Pumpkins. Even better, however, was the entire new album by Band Of Horses- it's as if they listened to all of the 90s Seattle sounds, incubated it for 15 years, and then emerged with something truly inspired.

Best Use of a Song in a Movie
It's a tie between How it ends by DeVotchKa in Little Miss Sunshine and We Belong by Pat Benatar in Talladega Nights.

Best M.I.A, who? Takeover of 2006
It started out looking like it would be Lady Sovereign, but in the end, Lily Allen clinched Indie It Girl (LDN is one of the most enjoyable songs I have heard in some time).

Biggest Fall From Grace
One trip to India took Jeremy Piven from gold to goofball.

Best Show Unlikely to Make it out of 2007
There can be only one- Friday Night Lights. It could also tie with Ugly Betty for show with maximum heart.

Best Cameos in a Music Video
Donnie Osmond dork-dancing and Seth Green smacking his a$$ in White and Nerdy.

Biggest surprise of the year
The Democrats actually managing to make substantial gains in Congress, despite still not clearly articulating any kind of position or vision for improving our current predicament. I think George W. Bush deserves a tip of the hat for this one.

Best Show (allegedly) that I have not seen
Battlestar Galactica

Best Movie (allegedly) that I have not seen
The Departed (avoided due to my irrational hatred of DiCraprio, even though everyone claims they, too, loathe him but found the movie good) tied with Borat (that's the bro-seph's fault, as he made me promise to wait to see it with him, and then went ahead and watched it without me last week).

Joni Mitchell Never Lies award
SJM leaving SF.

Saddest Shutdown of Blogs
A very tough call between Abhi and J. I really do not if I will ever get over these two suspending their blog activities.

Blogger Newcomers of the Year
I cannot express how excited I am that Tamasha and Brooklyn Brown have started blogs. Is it a coincidence that they're both extremely interesting and Brooklynites? Hmmm...

Bloggers I hope will be back at 100% in 2007
LS and MR. Here's hoping 2007 will find you sharing your always wise thoughts with us.

Best Present Received This Year
A 12-pack of Grey Goose from B.

Best Evidence that Anger Management classes could come in handy
The Great BART Meltdown of 2006.

Best Purchase of 2006
Mini-cheesecake pan. Best $10 spent ever.

You know you want to add more.

There is a beautiful fog that settled over the city this morning. I went for a walk, early, and everyhing seemed like it was washed clean- quite a feat in the Mission. Mission Street itself was so sleepy, and in that quiet, I noticed things I usually don't. The palm trees that are so obviously lining Dolores Street had completely escaped by notice on Mission Street until this morning. And the fog. The beautiful fog felt like a million little kisses. This city loves you back.

I know it has been a bad year for some. There is a lot to look forward to in 2007. It has been a trying year for me, but I know I will look back and marvel on how it all happened in a span of 12 months. 12 months. I know there is so much ahead, but it is too overwhelming to imagine that right now. Instead, experiments with freeze-dried mangosteens and pastry bags are a nice way to close out the year.