Being Renewed Day by Day

Take 2…
Here I am! It takes a new year to keep this blog limping along! I am entering 2010 with my New Year’s Resolution energy hoping it lasts longer than last year! Unfortunately, I looked through all my drafts and found about 4 partial posts that I still need to publish.

In order to delay that even further, I give you my Top 10’s of 2009!

Top 10 Songs:
10. “Love Lost” – Mindy Smith
9. “I Love/Hate You” – Derek Webb
8. “Lions” – The Features (repeat!)
7. “Hey Na Na” & “Hologram” – Katie Herzig (tie! & repeat!)
6. “My Girls” – Animal Collective
5. “Dreamer” – K’naan
4. “Two Weeks” – Grizzly Bear
3. “Stillness Is The Move”- Dirty Projectors
2. “1901″ – Phoenix
1. “Sleepyhead” – Passion Pit

Top 10 Artists I listened to in 2009 compared with 2008 with help from last.fm
10. Michael Jackson*
9. Sara Groves (-6)
8. Sufjan Stevens (-1)
7. Jennifer Knapp (-1)
6. Over the Rhine (-2)
5. Andrew Bird (+3)
4. The Weepies (+6)
3. Derek Webb (-1)
2. Katie Herzig*
**1. Sandra McCracken**

Top 11 Movies of 2009
11. The Fantastic Mr. Fox (September)
10. The September Issue (SILVERDOCS)
9. Where the Wild Things Are (October)
8. The Philosopher Kings (SILVERDOCS)
7. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (Summer?)
6. An Education (December)
5. (500) Days of Summer (July)
4. Up (May)
3. Julie & Julia (August)
2. Precious (December)
1. Avatar 3D (December)

Top Concerts/Live Performances of 2009
10. Charlotte Martin (Jammin Java, VA)
9. Mae (Black Cat, DC)
8. Dar Williams w/Jordan Hamlin (Blueberry Hill, St. Louis)
7. Katie Herzig opening (IOTA, VA)
6. Over the Rhine (Alexandria, VA)
5. M. Ward (9:30Club, DC)
4. Katie Herzig & Brandi Carlile (9:30Club, DC)
3. Derek Webb & Sandra McCracken (Jammin Java, VA)
2. 10 Out of Tenn (IOTA, VA)
1. St. Vincent & Andrew Bird (9:30 Club, DC)

Top 10 TV Programs of 2009
10. What Not To Wear (TLC)
9. L.A. Ink (TLC)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants
7. Hollywood’s Best Film Directors (Reelz Channel)
6. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
5. Phineas & Ferb (Disney XD)
4. 30 Rock (NBC)
3. American Idol (FOX)
2. The Office (NBC)
1. Glee (FOX)

I missed WAY too many good films & concerts this year, but I’m really glad for the ones I did see. My list of “too see” is constantly growing. It’s challenging to be inundated with stories and live my story at the same time. Each story, each character, and each experience becomes a part of my own story, my character, and my experience. I’m like 8-yr-old Oskar in Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, who fills a journal with news clippings and printed pictures in order to claim others’ experiences as “Things That Happened To Me.”

In 2010 I want to do something with those stories, characters, and experiences. I need to share them with you. I will be processing, reviewing, and story-telling. Let me know what works, what doesn’t work and how I can be a character in your story. Let’s experience movies, music, and television together!