Best Book I Read: Fire Season: Field Notes From a Wilderness Lookout by Phillip Connors. This was a Hard Year in Some Ways, y’all. Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, “There are years that ask questions and years that give answers.” This year was a hovering, maddening question, and reading this book during it sort of undid me in the best way possible. It reminded me that being still is okay, that the lulls in life are not only there for a reason, but that they should also be embraced. Phillip Connors also wins Kindred Spirit of the Year Award.
Best Stairway I Climbed: The one that included a thug of pugs and the city’s tiniest twistiest street
Best Unexpected Crush: New Orleans Saints Tight End Jimmy Graham! Also see: Best Unexpected New Obsession: Football.
Best Redheaded Orphan: A tie between Jimmy Graham and the blind Russian ginger seal
Best Outright Flouting of Established Pinata Rules: Mills Baker calculatingly wails on Billy Dalto’s birthday pinata
Best Email From Another Dimension: This one
Best Email from a Notable Radio Host (Act One): This one
Best Reason For an Impromptu Road Trip to LA: Twin Peaks 20th Anniversary at Clifton’s Cafeteria
Best Museum to Crash an Apocalyptic Bible Study Session: The Bunny Museum
Best Karaoke Duet: “Wuthering Heights” with Andy Sturdevant
Best Suburban Police Blotter Entry: Radiated Japanese water, oh my
Best Zipline Entrance: A tie between Lolo and cursivebuildings
Best Themed 30th Birthday Party: Little Danzig on the Prairie
Best Secret Swimming Hole Discovered: This one
