Follow2012 was the toughest year of my life. I lost my wonderful father in law Walter Maheux in March. Seeing my dad’s brain cancer return in August.
But even in a terrible year there are best things.
Best poetry venue move: Rhythmic Cypher to Dobra Tea. The tea house fits it perfectly.
Worst poetry venue move: Port Veritas from Local Sprouts to Bull Feeney’s. There should have been a way to both charge a cover and keep a perfect venue for the place.
Best poetry book: Carl Sandburg’s amazing “Chicago Poems”. This is a reminder that many of these things weren’t produced in 2012.
Best poetry chapbook: Billy Tuggle’s “The Way of the B Boy”, just an amazing Chicago slam poet, and simply an awesome dude and poet.
Movie: Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom”. Not even close, Anderson’s best since the fantastic “Rushmore.”
Book 1st Read: “Daytripper”, a graphic novel that goes through life through a series of deaths in important places. Beautiful, poetic and amazing.
Book re-read: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Amazed how well this held up to re-reading. So it goes.
CD: Fiddler on the Roof – Original Broadway Recording. I love Zero Mostel and Fiddler together.
Hot Mess: Cloud Atlas — Lanna and @gennyfer both loved this. I like the modern tale, but a lot of it was just a mess. From the jub jub sounds of the primitive future, to some of the worst Korean makeup ever in the New Seoul scene. It’s a mess. **
Podcast: Lounging with LannaLee. Proud of Lanna doing this every week. Really, really good. It’s an adventure in conversation.
Discovery: How much I love golf. I am really shocked about it.
New Restaurant: The Dancing Elephant in Westbrook. Yummy Indian food a few blocks from my house, I do miss the lunch buffet though.
Ice Cream Sandwich: Catbird Creamery in Westbrook. Always good, but favorite was snickerdoodles with brown sugar ice cream.
Go to restaurant, great service: Saigon. Pretty much universally loved. Just excellent.
Beer: Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale. Just an amazing barleywine. Great balance and just amazing with a beef roast.
Brewery: Bell’s (Michigan). Not available in Maine but pretty much getting a case every time I visit my parents in Allentown, PA from Shangy’s in Emmaus, PA.
Blogpost: Write Poorly. Can’t believe this little poem inspired Colleen Hoover enough that it’s in the New York Times best selling book “Point of Retreat.”
Accomplishment: Seeing “Write Poorly” in “Point of Retreat” and being in the acknowledgments. Makes me super happy.
2nd Accomplishment: Blogging every day on this site in 2012 and completing a National Blogging Year (not even totally sure that exists.)
Most spiritual moment: Being in the room when my father in law spirit passed from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead. Feel blessed to be there.
Tap Water: Sebago Lake/Portland Water District. It takes going to Allentown to appreciate how great the tap water tastes in greater Portland.
Website: Goodreads. Just loved that it let me know I read 182 books in 2012. And of course that I can see how others love the books that I love.
Blog: Margaret Miller Finch’s Stationary Unicycle. I think Ms. Finch should make sure to blog more this year and not listen to her critics.
Best Local Brewery: Bunker brewing. Still at only a 1 barrel system. I hope this changes soon. Their beer is seriously amazing, if only available a few places in Portland, Maine. Ie Mama’s Crowbar, Sonny’s, Local 188 and the Great Lost Bear. I have loved every beer I have tried from Bunker.
To buy wines: Trader Joe’s and it’s not close.
To buy liquor in Maine: New Hampshire.
Best/worst website discovery: Dominion Online. Great in that it’s really Dominion and that’s awesome. Bad in it’s really Dominion and I want to keep playing. Even already spent $10 in real money to buy some sets and plan to get more. Warning addictive.