Here is a look back at 2008 from my rear view mirror; what I am thankful for and what we have been able to give back.

THANKS

Family…

My mom & dad, brother, 98 year old grandmother, my NY aunt & uncle and cousins, my mother & father-in-law, 5 sisters-in-law, 4 brothers-in-law and 11 amazing nieces & nephews.

Health…

My 30 year old friend Jackie was diagnosed with a brain tumor this summer and after surgery, emerged from radiation and chemo with few side effects and a positive outlook. She has already returned to work. Her courage, strength and spirit are incredibly inspiring. We are very thankful for her health and to have her in our lives.

The gigantic 8.5cm mass that I had removed 3 weeks ago today was non-cancerous. I am almost fully recovered, and return to work myself on Monday.

Job…

I feel lucky to have one, and many of my co-workers will be friends for life.

Love…

Though we are very disappointed by the passage of Prop 8 here in California, we are thankful and blessed to have shared over 11 years with one another, and look forward to spending the rest of our lives together.

Passions/hobbies…

If I were not able to write and share, my life would not be the same. Thank YOU for being interested!

GIVING
Every year we designate a few charitable and non-profit organizations to contribute to; we did not let the current economic climate affect our decision this year. Below are the ones we chose to support.  I encourage you to explore and do the same in your area if at all possible before the end of the year, in any amount.

ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation)
Rescuing and finding loving homes for abused and abandoned cats and dogs, as well as providing programs which bring the healing touch of animals to at-risk youth. Founded by former MLB coach Tony LaRussa.

CaringBridge
Free, personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery.

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Their tagline says it all: “because no one should go hungry.”

GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)
Dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Make-A-Wish
Giving hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Stand Up To Cancer
Founded on the belief that there is now sufficient knowledge of the basic science of cancer and that technologies are available to allow the practical application and translation of even more basic science knowledge to patients with cancer; the successful application of this knowledge will result in more rapid advances in the treatment of patients and the prevention of cancer in those individuals who are at risk.

Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund
Provided members of the industry affected by the WGA Strike with emergency assistance for food, housing, transportation and medical expenses.

Happy holidays to you and your family.

Thank you for continuing to visit and read; I appreciate each and every one of you for doing so.

- Jo

[Unless otherwise noted with a link, you can find all of these items on Amazon.  Keep your eyes peeled for great online coupons from Borders and Barnes & Noble as well.]

APPAREL & ACCESSORIES

Dr. Leo Spaceman T-Shirt (30 Rock)
$17.95
He’s a fine doctor, and a pretty good dentist!

Edward Cullen’s Replica Wristcuff (Twilight)
$19.99
Seriously. You can purchase this man bracelet for your swooning daughter or girlfriend.

Top Chef logo cap
$14.99, Bravo Shop
For the top chef in your own kitchen or life.

BOOKS

The Bro Code
Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
$12.98, CBS.com
I believe that the cover photo says it all.

Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)
Charlaine Harris
$7.99
Get to know Sookie Stackhouse and the other cast of characters from Harris’ series, on which the new HBO show True Blood is based.

Heroes, Volume 1
Illustrated by Tim Sale
$13.59
Regardless of how you feel about the television series now, this compilation of online comics that accompanied the first season is very cool.

Lost Ate My Life: The Inside Story of a Fandom Like No Other
Jon Lachonis & Amy J. Johnston
$13.57
If you or someone you know has ever posted on a Lost message board/forum or spends hours analyzing and discussing every episode, this is the perfect gift for them; a fantastic behind-the-scenes perspective about how one show has inspired an entire online community.

Roasting in Hell’s Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words and the Pursuit of Perfection
Gordon Ramsay
$11.16
Even if you haven’t seen any of Chef Ramsay’s shows, this is quite a fascinating autobiography.

Watchmen
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
$11.99
One of the most celebrated graphic novels of all time; you do not need to be a comic book aficionado to appreciate it. The film debuts next year – read this first.

DVDs

Can’t Hardly Wait (10th Anniversary Edition)
$17.99
One of the best ‘guilty pleasure’ teen movies around, featuring an ensemble cast of future television stars and character actors: Lauren Ambrose, Eric Balfour & Freddy Rodriguez (Six Feet Under), Selma Blair (Hellboy), Clea DuVall (Heroes), Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg), Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Cullen in Twilight), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Seth Green (Family Guy), Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer), Breckin Meyer* (Robot Chicken), Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan), Chris Owen (American Pie trilogy), Erik Palladino (ER), Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl), Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect), Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) and Sean Patrick Thomas (Save the Last Dance).

* Pop culture sidenote: Breckin Meyer is married to Can’t Hardly Wait writer/director Deborah Kaplan.

Friday Night Lights
$10.49
The excellent film that preceded the stellar television series, both of which are based on H.G. Bissinger’s book of the same name.

The Office, Season 1
$19.98, NBC.com
Watch Jim watch Pam, from the beginning.

Pushing Daisies: The Complete First Season
$18.99
This gem of a show was recently canceled, but it is destined to become a cult classic.

MUSIC

Matt Nathanson: Some Mad Hope
$10.99
I never pass on the opportunity to promote Matt’s music. Even if he wasn’t a very good friend of mine, I would own this CD. His songs have been featured on Eli Stone, Men in Trees, Private Practice and Scrubs.

OMFGG No. 1: Gossip Girl Soundtrack
$14.99
An upbeat compilation with tracks from The Killers, Phantom Planet, The Ting Tings, Junkie XL and more.

TOYS & GAMES for Grownups

The Dude Abides: a Big Lebowski talking keychain
$11.99
Clip this bad boy on when you go bowling or to the bar when you order a White Russian.

LOST Dharma Be@rbrick
$15, Meltdown Comics
What LOST fan wouldn’t want this cute little Dharma bear figure on their desk?

Sex and the City Trivia Game
$16.99
We all know someone who knows entirely too many details about Miranda, Charlotte, Carrie and Samantha. This should be right up their Manolo alley.
—
And of course, here are a few items on my personal wish list of pop culture gifts:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone – safe travels!

To our surprise, they allowed early birds in the theater an hour before the film started rather than making everyone wait in a line outside. And that’s when it began…the palpable excitement emanating from gaggles of girls, proud and loud exclamations about Robert Pattinson’s eyes and whether they prefer brooding vampire Edward or the cute and mysterious Jacob. Swoons and sighs. Giggles of glee. And I sat there absorbing it all, sharing occasional eye rolls with the parents who were chaperoning in large groups of tween BFFs.

Many people have asked me if reading Stephenie Meyer’s first book of the series is essential before seeing the film. The quick answer is no. That being said, the movie is a very faithful adaptation of the book and I found myself looking forward to certain scenes because of how they would translate from page to screen.

PROs
I was pleasantly surprised by the direction of Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown); she was able to establish and maintain lead character/narrator Bella’s surreal perspective throughout the film. We walk in her shoes through the dream state that her life becomes upon meeting Edward Cullen.

Everyone can attest to the fact that high school is an awkward time, complicated by love at first blush and unfamiliar lust. If there is one element that Meyer and Hardwicke both nail with great success, it is the blundering interaction between Bella and Edward…which account for a few appropriately cheesy and inadvertently funny moments on film.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were perfectly cast and share an indisputable chemistry. I loved that Pattinson chose to portray Edward in a way that it was always unclear whether he wanted to kiss or kill Bella. However, my favorite relationship was actually between Bella and her father (played with quiet, understated grace by Billy Burke).

Without giving away a key scene, I will say that the confrontation between vampires toward the end was very well choreographed and executed, and it was easily the best sequence in the movie. 

CON
Honestly, the hair and make-up used to distinguish the Cullen family from the rest of the town was distracting – it was more Halloween costume than naturally pale vampire (in unflinching close ups, the caked on white powder was painfully obvious). It was announced that they are moving forward with the sequel (New Moon), and I have no doubt that they will improve upon this look.

Of the three, my heart was firmly planted with the cast, crew and creative team behind Pushing Daisies. The show was far more than whimsical; it was a series with soul and great spirit.

I enjoyed Dirty Sexy Money for exactly what it was – a late night soap blessed with a fantastic ensemble cast and intriguing stories that successfully intermingled dysfunctional families with politics. And although I was a fairly late convert to Eli Stone, I thought that the series offered a unique and quirky blend of drama, humor and music.

Sigh.