2013 in Review

This was an interesting year. Adjusting to parenthood was the theme for most of it. Because of that, I did next to no theatre. We also saw hardly any movies. We finally embraced Redbox toward the end of the year, though, so we may eventually get caught up on movies. 2014 will be different, since I already have 3 shows lined up for the year. Anyway, happy new year!!! Here’s my 2013.

Favorite Personal Theatrical Experience: The Sound of Music (Director)
Granted, this is really my only theatrical experience this year, but it was a good experience nevertheless. Only a handful of bad apples, and we were able to stay faithful to the original story without copying the movie and still got good feedback.

Favorite Movies: Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby, Star Trek Into Darkness
I really didn’t see many movies this year, and while none of these were amazing, they all were fun and had their moments.

Runners-Up: The Conjuring, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Least Favorite Movies: Grown Ups 2, The Last Exorcism Part II
How disappointing. Granted, they were sequels to subpar movies to begin with, but at least the originals had their fun moments.

Favorite Movie-Going Experience: The Conjuring
So much fun to be in a theater with so many people who were scared to death.

Least Favorite Movie-Going Experience: Star Trek Into Darkness
Theater printed the wrong auditorium number on our tickets, so we were sent into the wrong one- during the climax.

Favorite New TV Addictions: Hoarding: Buried Alive, My Strange Addiction
Not new, but my introduction was this year. We tried a handful of new primetime shows this year and didn’t like any of them. Which is nice, because we’re becoming less and less addicted to TV.

Runners-Up: Hollywood Game Night

Least Favorite New TV Shows: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Super Fun Night
What a waste of Clark Gregg and Rebel Wilson.

Runners-Up: Dracula, Sleepy Hollow

Favorite SNL Sketch: One Direction’s #1 Fan
Are we all in agreement that SNL SUCKS this year? Good. That said, there are still highlights every once in a while. It took me days to think of this, though. And it was one of the final episodes of the year. However, even though I can’t think of any one specific sketch, I dearly love Kate McKinnon and almost everything she does on the show. She’s definitely the consistent highpoint.

Favorite Album: OneRepublic’s Native
Holy crud. I loved this album much more than their last effort.

Least Favorite Album: Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped in Red
Are you as surprised as I am? I absolutely loved about half of the album, but the rest was just meh. Poor song choices and duet/trio partners, and while there was variety in the sound, the album order tried to hide that. Also: “My Favorite Things.”

Best Concert: Kelly Clarkson at Stadium of Fire
Amazing as always. Plus, she interacted with me, due to the fact that we had amazing seats. Hooray for having the head of the Freedom Festival as your boss.

Best New Recipe Discovery: Mint Oreo Ice Cream
Have mercy.

Runner-up: Latke Burgers, Homemade Mayonnaise

Favorite Personal Facebook Statuses:
Nov. 26     This is the year that Charlie Brown is finally going to let Franklin sit on the side of the table with all the other kids. I just KNOW it. *fingers crossed* #popcorn #toast
Nov. 8     Just saw where SNL cast members go to die. It was called Grown Ups 2.
Aug. 22     I'm starting to suspect that I'm just not Tyler Perry's target audience.
Aug. 19     Every time I hear Ke$ha, I can't help but envy the record producer who won the bet by proving you can use Autotune to turn any random homeless person into a successful musician.
July 17     With people so upset about the Boston marathon bomber on the cover of Rolling Stone, I can't wait for next month's Paula Deen cover on Ebony.
July 14     Sometimes you bend down to pick up your baby, and you both accidentally belch at the exact same time. You can't plan bonding like that.
June 27     Just convinced some of the kids at Sound of Music rehearsal that the real Maria was a serial killer who killed three of the kids and then fled to America.
June 13     Just randomly discovered that my home-teaching companion unfriended me. I guess that means we're not going (again) this month...?
May 28     I was supposed to report for jury duty tomorrow, and the trial got cancelled. I was really hoping to be able to call myself the rural juror and have a massive breakdown in deliberation. Maybe someday.
May 7     Found out this weekend that my wife was raised to believe that Tiny Toons and Animaniacs were for "poor people" because "rich people" could afford the Disney Channel. I think I'm going to raise my daughter to be poor.
Mar. 5     If you have neighbors whose toddler is in the road almost every day when you're coming home, is it appropriate to leave a DVD of Pet Sematary on their porch?
Feb. 20     Carol Channing's voice is made from the same substance as nightmares.

Favorite Personal Tweets:
Dec. 18     The story of Rudolph and Hermey is probably my favorite inter-species love story.
Dec. 6     NBC just announced that due to the success of #TheSoundOfMusicLive, they're going to broadcast South Pacific Live! with Kanye and Kim!
Oct. 23     It's the Great and Spacious Building, Charlie Brown #MormonHalloweenMovies
Oct. 16     Contrary to rumors, I am not, in fact, down with OPP. (Yeah, you know me.)
Aug. 23     Saying Affleck will be a good Batman because he's a good director is like saying Francis Ford Coppola should be the next Bond.
Jul. 22     Just walked in on 2 guys in the bathroom as one turned to the other and said "Wanna sword fight?" 1st time THAT'S ever happened.
June 26     If gays can get married now, does that mean they're going to start doing all the other things I can do, like music and theatre?
May 7     If you only knew my from my Twitter feed, you'd probably think I was crotchety and judgmental. Which is completely- accurate.
April 6     It's great that we can spend two hours learning how to be more Christlike and then be completely selfish in the parking lot.
Mar. 26     I wore a red jacket to work, but it's too hot in my office to keep it on. I guess I only support equality weather-permitting.
Mar. 18     If the hills are alive with the sound of music, I don't think Maria should be out there alone. That's how Evil Dead started.

Here’s to a great 2014!!!