Las vacaciones ahora, por favor.

Wow, my Spanish is really impressive.  Good thing we're booking ahead, so our rooms won't depend on my pseudo-French accent.  I sound like maniac version of the girl chef from Ratatouille.  But we got our Cancun hotel - Avalon Barraca Cancun!  It's boutique, small(ish) with outdoor massage and so pretty it makes you want to do this:

This is an actual photo from their website.  And we might just be taken by the urge to do this ourselves.  At least I will, right before we come home.  Right before I throw myself into the ocean and swim like hell for Cuba.

Now let's hope I can make it to January 15.  In the back of my mind, I've always wondered where my limits lie.  Where, exactly, is the edge of my sanity?  Well three solid months of complete chaos, panic and that slow, sinking feeling have left me almost completely defeated.  My "Goonies never say die!" attitude went under a bus sometime before Thanksgiving, and I've been floating facedown in the pile of work on my desk for weeks now.  Hence the tequilla-flavored light at the end of this tunnel causing such rapturous blog posts when it hasn't even happened yet.

Also, Justin bought me this for Christmas.  Hot damn!  I'd better get some extra turbo kickboxing in before we leave!

Hasta pronto! (Must get keyboard with upside-down exclamation point.)

Fun While it Lasted - My 2009 Awards

I used to be so pop culture savvy.  I think this was the year I turned into my mom.  Next year I'll be watching the 24-hour "Law & Order" channel whenever there's a commercial break on QVC.

Favorite TV Show
Winner: Castle - Love the sass and the Nathan Fillion. 
Runner up: The Amazing Race - Where water slides end the world.

Favorite Movie
Winner: Inglourious Basterds - This is not a paid endorsement.
Runner up: Avatar - repeat viewings may result in recount
(Caveat: I only saw about 12 movies this year.)

Favorite Song
Winner: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga - Played 200 times in 2 days.
Runner up: "Sober" by Pink - She never ceases to amaze.

Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Winner: "Hot Mess" by Cobra Starship - Sign it out loud at the gym.
Runner up: Pawn Stars on History Channel - Antiques Roadshow with weirder stuff and cranky fat guys.

Favorite Food
Winner: Pluot - Where have you been all my life? 
Runner up: Root beer - I don't drink soda anymore. Really.
Honorable mention: 53% Dark Chocolate from Whole Foods

Favorite Trip
Winner: Machu Picchu, Peru - Whose idea was it to walk there?
Runner up: New Orleans Halloween - Barefoot on Bourbon Street.

Favorite Concert
Winner: Jimmy Buffett "Summerzcool" - My 15th-ish, Justin's first.
Runner up: Better than Ezra - Spectacular.

Favorite Place in SF
Winner: Ferry Building Farmer's Market - see "plouts"
Runner up: It's a Grind Coffee House on Polk - Outside on a sunny day.

Best Dance of 2009
Winner: Bollywood Flash Mob - Lightbulbs!
Runner up: Big fish, little fish - cardboard box.

Best Discovery of 2009
Winner: Travel Book Club - I have found my people.

Best Commitment of 2009
Winner: Gym classes at lunch - Core Central and Kickboxing with Libby at 24 Hour Fitness!

Best Habit of 2009
Winner: Conscious food consumption - I feel better, literally and figuartively.

Best Idea of 2009
Winner: Financial planner - 1 hour that changed my life.

Best Books of 2009

I keep a list, which says I read 59 books this year.  Considering a lot of them were 700+ pages, that's not too bad!  My Amazon Wish List is well over 130 more titles, so bring on 2010.

Best Books of 2009
1) The Sword of Truth - Terry Goodkind
Oh how I do go on about these books.  I'm counting all 9 that I've read as one entry, because it's pretty much taken over my life.  It's a big commitment, but among my favorite things I've discovered this year.

2) The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson series) - Rick Riordan
Thrilling end to a whiz-bang smarty-pants series - I actually laughed and cried while reading this (on the bus, of course).

3) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen (with help)
As hilarious as it sounds, and still it holds the rapture of the original story.  File under: Wish I had thought of this first.

4) The Magicians - Lev Grossman

Brilliant, meticulous and packing a few wicked surprises, I loved the idea of Harry Potter-esque idea a twisted tale for some very messed up high schoolers.

5) The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz
Brutal and brilliant, with stunning prose, this book was transported me to a dangerous, fascinating place in recent foreign history.

Bonus: A Song of Fire and Ice - George RR Martin
To avoid scary the non-fantasy fans, I'm tacking this on as a freebie.  Less magic, more intrigue - this series reads like historical fiction from a world you've just discovered.  And there are dragons (only a little!).

Worst Books of 2009 
Caveat: I did not finish these books.  Life is too short.

Maps and Legends - Michael Chabon
I can't believe I just typed that!  This book of short-story memoirs read like a self-indulgent inside joke that I had no interest in getting.  Like watching someone else's vacation slide show - boastful and boring. 

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again - David Foster Wallace
See above.  No more uber-literary short story memoirs for me.

Hunter Mtn Opening Weekend!

Dust off your Gaper Gap and tell Jersey to put on their best stonewashed jeans.  Hunter Mountain is open for business!

Shane's first video of the season - sign me up, I'm desperate for a tuck run down the Belt Parkway.