The Best of 2009

2009 brought us some some bright superlatives. Every year I reflect back on the year that was and make a "Best of" list of sorts. This year I thought I would share with you guys.

-Best song I heard for the first time in 2009. Katy Perry - Waking up in Vegas. This one was tough because there were a bunch. Pink's Please don't leave me was good as well as The Black Eyed Peas I've got a feeling. Jimmy Buffett's "Wings" might have been the pick but I am not exactly sure that I didn't hear it for the first time in 09 so I went with the Katy Perry tune.

-Best new time waster/trend - Twitter. Yes I joined the Twitter revolution in 2009 because I like to be connected and in a lot of ways my Twitter friends (you guys) got me missing blogging and brought me back to the fold so to speak. (because sometimes 140 characters just ain't enough)


-Best Concert - Billy Joel and Elton John Face to Face. Not only the best of the year but one of the best of all time. This show was great. Three and a half hours of all the hits from both superstars. My only regret is that I believed the ticket stub that no cameras were allowed and left mine at home. It would have been great to have a few snapshots to keep.

-Biggest news Story - The Death of Michael Jackson. This was not just a huge news story but it just so happened that I was home sick from work the few days following his death so I was even more deluged with coverage than many. Sad story but almost seems like the man died the same way that he lived, Bigger than life.


-Best New Book read - The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown. For all it's hype this story lived up to it. It's not Shakespeare but Brown doesn't sell it as such. This book takes Brown's protagonist Robert Langdon on a harrowing search across Washington DC for the secret to enlightenment that has been held for centuries by the Masons. If you haven't read it's worth picking up. It's better than the DaVinci Code but not quite as good as Angels and Demons.

-Best Movie - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. How could it possibly be anything else? This movie should have come out in November of 2008 but was held by the company because of the Twilight movie so the two wouldn't come out the same weekend. Instead I had to wait until July for this movie to come out. It was worth the wait. I bought a ticket online (for the first time) and left work for a half day to be among the first to see it. Harry Potter is quite addicting and I can almost bet that 2010's best movie will probably be part 1 of Deathly Hallows.


-Best New TV Show - Leverage on TNT - I discovered this hidden gem by accident this past summer. What a great show. The premise is that a group of 5 talented con-people play Robin Hood and steal from the rich and powerful when they step on little people. The cast is great and includes Timothy Hutton. A new season kicks back in during January and Jeri Ryan gets added to the group. If you haven't seen it give it a look or at least set your TiVo to record a few episodes.

-Best Sporting Event - Florida State at North Carolina on Thursday Night Football - What a great night! I was given free tickets and a parking pass by a friend of my wife's and my buddy Wyatt (a huge NC fan) and I went to the game together. The Seminoles put on a furious second half comeback to stun the overly cocky Tarheel fans who just knew they had the 'Noles beat. I walked out a happy camper that night!


-Best Radio Show - The Candy and Potter Show on 107.9 The Link - Once again the 10am - 2pm show which features a husband and wife team came up with innovative and funny ways to keep current and entertain me at work in 2009. Candy and Potter are not only great on air but do a lot to give back to the community as well. In the coming year things should get even more interesting as the couple recently announced that they are expecting their first child in May.

-Best New Discovery that other people already knew about - TIE between Jimmy John's sandwiches and Crocs. - The Crocs have been well documented here on YJKOBT but I need to take a second to extol the virtues of the best sandwiches around in Jimmy Johns. They are not only fantastic but are not too huge to eat the whole thing. I suggest the #9 (with no mayo and extra tomato) if you like a classic Italian sub. As a matter of fact I plan on having one today for lunch.

So share some of yours with us. What was your favorite new song of the year? TV show? Book? Sporting Event? How about something you discovered that everyone else already knew about? What was your Best of 2009? Speak up and let us know.

-Doc