Oprah ain’t the only girl with some favorite things. (By the way, did you happen to catch her Favorite Things show? It was “homemade” and “cheap” this year, so people were getting stuff like pipe cleaner picture frames and bedazzled belt buckles. I woulda been like, “Where the heck is my flat screen and Smartcar?!!”)

Anyway, a lot of people had a horrible 08, but thankfully and gratefully, I had a good year! Here are some of the things that made my 2008 so swell.

1. The Sharpie pen.

This has replaced my favorite from last year (and previous years) to become my new pen of choice. Since I’ve been chained to a computer the last few years (who hasn’t?), my writing is HIDEOUS. I vaguely remember having decent hand writing. Now my writing looks like it came from a 95 year old arthritic hand. Does this pen help? Not at all. But I still like it.

2. Sweet potatoes. Who knew I liked these things? I already blabbed at length about having to follow a strict diet (having to and doing are two very separate ideas, but I always have stellar intentions), and so this year I cut out white things. No white bread (or bread at all), no white potatoes (unless they came in a little bag with golden arches on them), no cereal (might as well cut my heart out). So in one of my many new cookbooks for “freaks who can’t anything and nobody really knows why,” I found a recipe for sweet potato fries. Not the fancy kind dripping with praline sauce. But just cut up and baked sweet potatoes. And I like them! I had no idea. I hadn’t ever had them in all my life. I don’t typically eat orange mushy things. And I definitely don’t eat a vegetable that has to have marshmallows to earn a respectable place on the table at Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes, I’m so sorry I wronged you for so long.

3. Fritos. Fritos are my downfall these past six months. The worst day of my life was finding out Fritos didn’t have wheat. Because now I eat them all the time. It’s just too easy. And I keep them stocked in my house like I’m Sam’s Club or Costco. And they may not have wheat, but Fritos sure have fat and calories. Just ask all the jeans I can’t fit into anymore.

4. Speaking of jeans, I love my favorite jeans by Gap. Gap’s clothes this winter looked like something an 80s hobo would wear. But I did find one item to love this year. Trouser jeans. They’re jeans…but they’re trousers. So we all know what that means. I wear them to work.

5. Saturday Night Live right up to the election (but NOT after). Sure, they’re horribly biased. But it’s still pretty funny. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are HILARIOUS. Great writers and Poehler is a great comedian. (And Baby Mama was funny too.) I still just LOVE this sketch and think it’s one of the best written moments. And Poehler just GOES for it.

6. The Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. I want to apologize to all 100,000,000 of you who have told me over the years to read her. Once upon a time I couldn’t STAND a first person narrator. Once upon a time (like last year), I didn’t read mysteries. But I decided to give old Evanovich a try. So glad I did. I about cried when I got to number fourteen and I was done. But 15 comes out this summer! (Books not suitable for anyone under 21, anyone who doesn’t think overweight retired hookers are funny, or anyone who thinks War and Peace was a riveting piece of literature.)

7. Walnuts. Another food item that I used to hate. But if you get the right kind–they are good! And no wheat! But again…led to a new size in jeans. Darn their nutty goodness.

8. Joyce and my iPod. A few years ago when I handed Best Buy my wallet, turned, and coughed, I just knew I wouldn’t get my money’s worth out of my iPod. I was SO wrong. I use that thing more than my toothbrush. In my endless quest to make my 5 mph commute to work bearable, I have found Joyce Meyer’s TV podcasts, free on iTunes! It’s just the right amount of time. By the time my 28 minutes of Sister Joyce are through, I’m usually three lights away from work. Joyce is funny, honest, and has really changed my thinking in terms of pursuing joy and peace. I would share a bag of walnuts with her any day.

9. Old Navy Polar fleece. Um, I pretty much live in these sweat shirts. I have like 10 of them in all colors of the rainbow. I run in them. I write in them. I nap in them. And when you’ve put on a little extra cush from too many Fritos, they are super forgiving.

10. Apples. I eat apples all the time. At least one a day. I recently read they have a high sugar content, so that explains a lot. I didn’t like the fruit on the “low sugar” list. Dates. Who wants to eat dates? Gross. Can you dip dates in caramel? Um, no. Can you stick dates in a pie and throw ice cream on top? No. Or at least you shouldn’t. But even when apples were 4.99 a pound, I was still faithful to my favorite fruit. I was also favorite to chocolate donuts, but there’s really nothing redeeming in that story.

11. My CD pick of the year…still Chris Tomlin’s Hello Love.

Words cannot describe how I felt when I read the CD title. Hello to you, too, Chris.

12. Lint rollers. I have a cat. Therefore I have a lint roller. In my car, in my desk, in my backpack, in my purse, in my bedroom, in my office… I have only one pet, but I swear if we could get fuel from Miller’s shedding, I could power a nation. Next time I’m totally getting a guppie.

13. Chuck.

He’s the secret. She’s the agent. How can you NOT like a show with that tagline? I just caught this show this year, season two. It’s not riveting. I often read AND watch it. But there’s some good chemistry and Chuck’s dorkiness is so endearing and funny. I mean he’s a Geek Squad worker who has to moonlight for the CIA. What a cool setup. Impossible, yes. But fun nonetheless.

14. Speaking of dorkiness. Brace yourselves for this one.

Super Callanetics. This is a DVD of a workout that came out in the early 80s. It is as uncool as you get. You can see a clip HERE.  For the last few years I’ve read reviews on this ancient workout where people swore results and said they kept dusting it off and using it despite how dated it was and despite the fact that the leotards were skimpy and scary. For whatever reason I tried it. And it really does work. I swear by this thing. Or at least I would if I hadn’t have quit using it. See winter came on…and there was the Christmas shopping…and the writing…and the orphans to save… Seriously, if you do it like 7-9 times you will totally see a difference. But it’s lame. I’m warning you. It’s LAME. I have to plug in my iPod on Chris Tomlin and tune the blue eye shadow completely out.

15. But when I don’t feel like sweating to the oldies and I’ve had a few too many rounds of fajitas, I turn to this favorite item.

I don’t read it. I just keep it on my coffee table. I know I don’t work out, but there’s no reason OTHER people have to think that.

16. Finally, my last and most important one is emails and blog comments from readers. Omg, totally makes my day. So thank you for stopping by here and hanging out with me on the blog. Or for the comments on Facebook. OR for taking the time to send a friendly email. I have had some GREAT emails this year that have totally warmed my non-exercising, chip eating heart. To quote a Dixie Chick, “Y’all are awesome.”

I would love to hear any finds of 2008 you have. I know it can’t top the thrill of walnuts and turquoise leotards, but you can try.

Happy New Year and see you next Monday!! 2009 is gonna be fabulous!

JENNY

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