Fluid Pudding Best of 2007
It's funny how a week can go by and five (FIVE!) Christmas parties can be under your belt (along with a heapin' helpin' of potato casserole with those corn flake things all smashed up and delicious) and you sort of forget that you've got a website because you're way too busy rubbing sock yarn under your chin and trying to unwire toys from cardboard packaging and such.
I hope you had a good week. I did. And so did Jeff. And so did the kids, although their recent fascination with wrapping things around their necks sort of bugs me a bit. I really thought we were past that.
By the way, have I ever told you that two of my relatives met their demises after getting drunk, trying to walk home from the bar after closing time, passing out and falling into the snow, and freezing to death? Is the plural of demise "demises"? Or, like sheep, do you still sheep it regardless of number?
I come to you today to deliver my Fluid Pudding Best of 2007 List. And because I have social plans today along with more toys to release from cardboard boxes, I believe the list will be added to in the coming days. So, you know what to do. Check back if you want and scroll. I apologize. Really, why should you have to do all of the work around here?!
Onward, Christian Soldiers.
The Best Gift Package Delivered by the Mail Guy in 2007: I must say, there are quite a few nominees in this category. Several people sent CDs, a few sent yarn, a few sent books, one sent a really great box full of skincare stuff geared toward eczema and I really should tell you more about that sometime soon, another one (just a few days back!) sent a box that contained homemade caramels, pumpkin gingerbread, and biscotti, and just yesterday I received a $50 gift card to a nearby restaurant. So many excellent and amazing packages. It's nearly impossible to choose just one because holy crap! I'm so lucky.
The winner? My iPod. Megan T. picked up on my sorrow regarding the lack of an iPod, and she sent her old one to me! AND, the iPod is super-special because it is engraved, and the engraving has The Best Story Ever attached to it. Because of the amazing and ultra-generous Megan T., I am now listening to podcasts before bed. And this has brought me three steps closer to Smartville. I am in love with my iPod, therefore, I am in love with Megan T.
The Best Thing I Smelled in 2007: Yeah, there's the whole smell of a baby's head and whatever, but the winner of this category outshines Fresh Baby Head by about a mile.
The winner? The lavender wash used on the Tess' Designer Yarn I picked up at Stitches Midwest. The yarn has been stored in my bin thing for four months now, and it's still holding the smell. Because of this, I sit on my bed every morning before I shower, open my bin, and sniff my Tess' Designer Yarn.
The Best Album I Purchased in 2007: The answer to this required absolutely no thinking.
The winner? The Fragile Army by The Polyphonic Spree. If you live in Dallas and went to their Holiday Extravaganza, please shoot an e-mail my way and tell me that you're taking me next year. And be serious, because I don't like a tease.
The Best Book I Read in 2007: The number of books I read this year is embarrassingly small. So, although the winner WAS quite good, I really cannot be trusted with a decent answer in this category.
The winner? The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian. And if you think you and I have a lot in common (and I'm sure we do), please shoot me some titles to try out in 2008.
The Best Trip I Took in 2007: Okay. Here we have our first tie. Seriously? You can't really say that a yarn trip beats out a road trip with your kid. Then again, no one cried or yelled at me during the yarn trip. It's a sticky monkey, no?
The winners? Stitches Midwest with my mom and Tempe, and Springfield with Meredith for the Relay for Life.
The Best Meredith/Bill O'Reilly Moment of 2007: (It's not like she has a lot of Bill O'Reilly Moments. Actually she only had one, and it occurred last week.)
The winner? When Meredith received a loofah scrubby thing from my aunt last week, she played with it all afternoon. Right before bedtime, she looked at me and asked, "Can I take my uvula to bed with me?" I will never correct her. Uvula it is.
The Best Thing I Ate in 2007: Again, we must either celebrate a tie, or break this down into different categories. Yeah. Let's do that! (Suddenly, I'm feeling very Ellen Degeneresesque!)
The Best Thing I Ate in 2007 Made By a Friend Who Now Lives Across the River: Robin's Double Decker BLT and Homemade Soup!
The Best Thing I Ate in 2007 Made By Friends Who Live on This Side of the River: Hands Down. The Ben/Tempe Fajitas. (EDITED TO ADD: A picture of the fajitas is in the comment section! Look at those limes!)
The Best Thing I Ate in 2007 Made By People I Don't Know: The Saag Paneer at Gokul. Also, the Vegetable Korma. And the Delhi's Chaat. And the Rice Pudding. Gokul is less than ten minutes away from my house, which is God's way of saying, "You're alright, Pudding!"
The Best Marital Moment of 2007: This was an easy one.
The winner? Sushi at I Love Mr. Sushi and The Decemberists show with Jeff.
The Best Sock Knitted in 2007: This was surprisingly tricky, because I've really enjoyed all but one sock.
The winner? My Red Robin Monkey.
The Best Meredith Moment of 2007: There have been SO many spectacular Meredith moments this year. Meredith has learned to write her name. Meredith is starting to sound out words. Meredith has started to entertain us by putting on shows.
The winner? The day Meredith drew me for the first time.
The Best Harper Moment of 2007: Like Meredith, Harper has really blossomed this year. And I don't use the word Blossomed very often. In 2007, Harper began taking naps in her own bed. She transitioned from crib to big girl bed. She experienced her first crush. (Congratulations, Murray Wiggle.)
The winner? Harper weaned. And the angels swooped down from Heaven and sang all sorts of Air Supply songs. And my chest got all badass on me, so I had to purchase a new restraining device.
The Best Community Site Thing That Kept Me Returning to The Internet in 2007: Yeah, you've got your Twitters and your Flickrs, but you know I'm not as devoted to them as I am to the knitting stuff.
The winner? Ravelry. I love Ravelry almost as much as I love Saag Paneer. (And as I type this, I've got a plate of Gokul's Saag Paneer balanced on my lap.) If you're on Ravelry, let me know. I'll totally Friend you.
The Best Celebrity Crush of 2007 that I am Canceling as of 2008: You know, when you have a celebrity crush for a few years, and the crushee never shows up at your door with a bag of doughnuts and a Thank You card, well, sometimes you just have to get over it.
The winner? Zach Braff. Sorry, Zach Braff. It's time for me to move on. It's not you, it's me. And something about setting you free to see if you come back and if you don't you were never really mine to begin with or something (or other).
The Best Visitor to Fluid Pudding Dot Com in 2007: Oh, man. There have been quite a few visitors. It's really hard to choose just one.
The winner? You. (But hey! Don't tell the others. I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings.)
Happy New Year to Each and Every One of You!
Submitted by
Jennifer
at 12/30/2007 3:52:30 PM- I think your categories are brilliant. And also? I will never experience a hot bubble bath with exfoliation in quite the same way. Not that this is a bad thing, but the experience will be forever altered, thanks to Meredith. :-)
Submitted by
FP
at 12/30/2007 4:24:25 PM- Kathy--I read Love is a Mixtape, too! And you're right. It stirred me.
Jennifer--I know! I'll never look at that little dangly thing in the back of my mouth in quite the same way!
Submitted by
Jan
at 12/30/2007 5:16:54 PM- Welcome back to the world of blog. I've missed you and your humor. Your post was like a breath of fresh air. I love the categories too. Can't wait for more.
Submitted by
All Adither
at 12/30/2007 6:17:52 PM- What was the best thing you ate in 2007? Not including chocolate.
Submitted by
Angella
at 12/30/2007 9:39:23 PM- Can I just say that I HEAR YOU on the unwiring of toys from cardboard packaging?
Seriously.
Too many hours of my life WASTED!
Happy New Year :)
Submitted by
Megan T.
at 12/30/2007 11:30:29 PM- YES! I have placed! I hope that fabulous IPod has brought you much christmas joy and thank you for reminding me of the reason I had an extra ITunes gift certificate! It's for you! SO more mail comin' your way!
Submitted by
Deb on the Rocks
at 12/31/2007 9:06:33 AM- Don't leave Mr. Pudding out in the cold--what was your best marital moment of 2007? (I'm hoping for an R-rating full of lots of innuendo, but perhaps that is presumptious of me. It's your marriage, and your 2007. Still, enquiring minds want to know.)
Submitted by
Badger
at 12/31/2007 10:36:57 AM- Best Sock Knitted in 2007?
Best Pork Product (or Reasonable Facsimile Thereof) Consumed in 2007?
Best Thing About Harper Weaning in 2007?
Also: my husband does not have a uvula. He had it removed, along with his tonsils and a portion of his soft palate, in some gnarly apnea surgery thing. Oh!
Most Gnarly Surgery of 2007?
No?
(If it helps, DH is out of the running. His surgery was several years ago. But now we know: uvulas do not grow back like starfish arms, alas.)
(Most Inappropriate Comment of 2007? Me? Do I win?)
Submitted by
RzDrms
at 12/31/2007 1:03:58 PM- "best harper moment in 2007"
also? i really hope that your two relatives who met their demises after getting drunk and freezing in the snow didn't both do so over the last week.
lastly (and very embarrassingly), i momentarily forgot was a uvula was until i read the comments and finally stopped thinking it was something else entirely. whew.
Submitted by
Heather B.
at 12/31/2007 3:26:09 PM- I was about to ask "Best thing you knitted" but duh, the sweater of course.
Or how about Best new thing you discovered? Could be anything a site, a person, a place, whatever.
Happy New Year!
Submitted by
amy
at 12/31/2007 7:00:23 PM- Happy New Year gal
so glad I discovered you this 2007
you rock :)
yahoo for 2008
Submitted by
torrie
at 12/31/2007 8:24:58 PM- I go back and forth about Zach Braff. One minute I think he's adorable and has great taste in music, but then I notice how HUGE his lips are and it's all over.
Submitted by
Marijean
at 1/1/2008 9:19:15 AM- Water for Elephants -- one of my favorite books of 2007.
Submitted by
witchypoo
at 1/1/2008 3:21:42 PM- I'm so happy you picked me! And don't worry, I won't tell a soul.
Here's to an even better and fabulous 2008. Thank you for my reading and giggling pleasure in 2007.
Submitted by
caryn
at 1/1/2008 6:37:27 PM- M-I-Z!
Submitted by
FP
at 1/1/2008 6:44:26 PM- Z-O-U!!! And are you by any chance Caryn of The Southern Comfort Night Caryns?
Submitted by
caryn
at 1/1/2008 6:58:56 PM- nope! Caryn formerly of Missouri, now in Texas, and very recently from the cotton bowl. What a great game! I married into a long lineage of Missouri fans, and until I saw them play, I was just a halfhearted fan supporting the husband. But today I am a convert:)
Submitted by
Danielle
at 1/2/2008 8:36:06 AM- I am on Ravelry, and my user name is StegosaurusRex. I have made knit just a little more than nothing but I made a resolution to fix that so give it a minute.
Happy New Year!
Submitted by
Sara
at 1/2/2008 10:28:44 AM- Ha, I love this list. But who, oh who, will take the place of Braff in the coming year?
Submitted by
FP
at 1/2/2008 10:54:39 AM- Caryn--I was a member of Marching Mizzou for three years. I'm not really into the game of football, but I really love the atmosphere of football--if that makes sense.
Sara--Good question. This will require some thought. I AM becoming fond of John Krasinski. (Jeff and I have been watching Seasons One and Two of The Office after the girls go to bed.) But I think the fondness is merely a result of JK looking a bit like Jeff.
Submitted by
Jessica
at 1/2/2008 1:07:55 PM- You promised, so now you totally have to go friend me. (gabel on ravelry)
And JK looks like Jeff? Too lucky you...
Submitted by
Lara
at 1/2/2008 1:15:58 PM- Saag Panner is great. Ravelry is great. Ravelry WITH Saag Paneer? Awesome!
Submitted by
Megan T.
at 1/2/2008 2:05:20 PM- Happy New Year! Also, when do we get to see the French Horn videos?
Submitted by
Paul is a Hermit
at 1/2/2008 2:50:27 PM- I gotta, for the best of the best, go with Meredith capturing your, what do you call it? Essence. (I need to look that up though).
Happy New Year, new person and family. Sigh..., it's the picture of the truck and mental image it generates which attracts me. Okay, your sense of humor too.
Submitted by
Alli
at 1/3/2008 8:08:35 AM- Best blog of 2007 (and prior)...yours!
My best xmas gift was my daughter - born 12:13 pm Christmas day, yay bedrest is over!
Submitted by
Amy in KC
at 1/3/2008 2:19:21 PM- You definitely had the best bra-fitting story of 2007. Or perhaps ever?
Thanks to you FP, my mother, sister and I will be traveling from KC to St. Louis for a Girls Bra Fitting Trip sometime this Spring. My 11-year-old niece wants to come along but there will be far too much cocktail drinking, so she is not allowed.
Happy New Year to the Puddings!
Submitted by
Rachel
at 1/4/2008 9:02:19 AM- I love Best Of's and bloglines cooperated by sending me all of your updates. I didn't even have to remember to check back and scroll down to read the goodness.
I can give you recommendations of half-read knitting books because that is mostly what I read last year. Unless you count "Soon I Will Be Invincible" which is not a knitting book at all, but very good nonetheless or Wonder Woman comic books, which are not very good at all but oddly addicting. Oh, and the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon which is in the romance section but isn't about romance at all. And Lamb by Christopher Moore which is not a romance and not in the romance section. This morning I started "How Sassy Changed My Life" and I'm already halfway through this very interesting read. Okay, so I guess I have more recommendations than I thought.
Submitted by
FP
at 1/4/2008 9:08:39 AM- Thanks, Rachel! I will now visit Amazon and read descriptions of Soon I Will Be Invincible, Outlander, and Lamb. (How Sassy Changed My Life has been on my short list for quite some time now. I really need to check that one out!) It's funny that Outlander is in the Romance section, but lacks Romance. It reminds me of the time I went to the book fair at West County Mall and found that people were placing copies of the Bible next to the copies of Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. It was a hoot.
Submitted by
krista
at 1/8/2008 1:37:38 AM- I am so glad you came back to us and ditched the many-people blog. Happy New Year to you!
I had more books in my "to be read" pile than books actually read. My favorite by far was Love Is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield. Bring kleenex, though.