Taking Stock 2008: Part One

Things lost in 2008:

• Wife
• Kids
• Retirement account
• Sleep

Things learned in 2008:

• I'm pretty much a chump
• Life isn't even remotely fair
• When a black guy runs for President, you find out rather quickly which of your friends are closet racists

Things accomplished in 2008:

• Car: Paid off
• Separation, and most of the financial and legal whatnot that surrounds it
• The Memphis Barbecue Map
• Having my sense of humor somewhat validated via favrd
• Plays
  1. The Underpants
  2. Little Women
  3. Sweeney Todd
• fancycwabs.com, your online resource for all things fancycwabs

Things tried for the first time in 2008 (Worthwhile Restaurant Division):

• Las Delicias
• Muddy's Bake Shop
• Banh Mi at Indochina
• Noodle Doodle Do

Movies on the Big Screen in 2008 (not quite in order):

• Cloverfield
• There Will Be Blood
• Jumper (ew)
• Persepolis
• National Treasure: Book of Secrets
• No Country For Old Men
• Iron Man
• Speed Racer
• Prince Caspian
• Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
• The Incredible Hulk
• Get Smart
• WALL-E
• Hellboy II
• The Dark Knight
• Tropic Thunder
• Quantum of Solace
• The Animation Show 4
• Twilight
• Synechdoche, NY
• Doubt

Taking Stock 2008: Part Two

2008 in Facial Hair:

• Mustache (normal)
• Mustache (handlebar)
• Goatee
• Clean-shaven
• Two weeks' growth
• Mustache & mutton chops
• Clean-shaven
• One weeks' growth
• Clean-shaven

2008 States Visited:

Does Alaska seem kinda...squished? It's so Sarah Palin can see Russia better! (Thanks Google Chart API)

Some meaningless statistics:

• Twitter followers: 227
• Twitter entries: 2057 and counting
• Twitter "grade:" 95.1
• What does the .1 stand for? No idea
• Facebook friends: 258
• Number of those who would actually lend me money: Maybe 20
• ...to get me out of jail: Maybe 1
• Photos on Flickr: 1539
• Vacation days this year: 6.875
• Weight lost before distractions set in: 30 lbs
• Weight gained back: 25 lbs
• Record at Blue Monkey Trivia, where earning some money counts as a win in my book: 3-2
• Number of times one of my pithy one-liners has been quoted in the Memphis Flyer: At least 3
• Number of songs memorized for shows: 8

2008 stage productions seen:

• Anything Goes
• Under Shelton Laurel
• The Wedding Singer
• Topdog/Underdog
• Lysistrata and The Death of Cupid
• High School Musical
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• The Compleat Female Stage Beauty
• Room Service
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• West Side Story
• Orson's Shadow
• The Producers
• I Hate Hamlet
• A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Sister Myotis: Church Retreat
• Air Heart
• Avenue Q