melody | "united state of pop 2009 (blame it on the pop)"

adios, 2009

What a year for a new year. 2009 was interesting, but I am excited about the new decade's potential. I would like everyone's economic fortunes to improve, though I realize that things were too heady in the last few decades, and that's how we got where we are today.

As we bring it down on 2009, here are some milestones I'll remember from the year that was.

This was my first full calendar year in St. Louis. I finally feel like a resident, and have learned my way around despite not owning a car. Now that Highway 40 is open, I'm learning all over again. I moved two blocks further into the Tiffany neighborhood, and finally understood what all the fuss is about, crime-wise. There are gunshots every other week, so cleaning up the violence would be a prudent 2010 goal. Other than that, it's a total hidden gem in the city, just begging to be gentrified.

Dead celebrities. Every year, a certain number of them take their final bows, but damn. And it's never the ones you expect, like Amy Winehouse or Britney Spears. We lost dozens of famous people this time out, and 2009 will be remembered for the sheer volume of expired fame. Michael Jackson will get more than his share of attention, but it's probably Bea Arthur that I'll miss most.

This was the year I finally discovered a taste for coffee, after years of trying and failing to enjoy it. It started with the new man in my life (a definite high point of the year -- love you, Scott!) introducing me to iced peppermint mocha at Starbucks. Then I started making it for myself at work, with extra squirts of pumpkin spice syrup. Now I make it at home most mornings, and have actually dedicated the coffeemaker to its intended use after years of service heating water for hot chocolate.

Facebook really owned the Internet in 2009. I spent my few months of unemployment among the denziens of Farmville, and once again abandoned something trendy right before it exploded in popularity. I continued to be unsure about my Twitter feelings, and am debating coming up with a new handle. And I finally abandoned MySpace this year, whose demise I'd like credit for predicting years ago when I signed up.

This was the year I got back into music. I flow organically in and out of the pop music scene, and this was assuredly an in year. From Beyonce to Lady Gaga, Owl City to (sigh) Miley Cyrus, I embraced it all...except for Rodrigo y Gabriela. Still hate you guys, and Music Choice for constantly trying to foist you upon me.

Finally, this was the year I enjoyed movies again. I saw more first-run films in theaters than in the previous several years combined. I'm not huge on action flicks, and I only like the "Final Destination" franchise for the comedy. But there was a lot to like late in the year. The two that I expect to stick with me are both Oscar contenders. "Precious" and "Up in the Air" are achievements in storytelling, unchallenged. It'll be weird to actually have an investment in movie awards for a change.

What are your 2009 highlights (or lowlights)? I'm curious about 2010...who knows what the future holds. This will be my first new decade as an independent adult. Bring it...maybe this is the year I get health insurance.

books | "u is for undertow"

by sue grafton. (hardcover, 2009)

How much do I love Sue Grafton's PI heroine Kinsey Millhone? Thorough and reliable, she can always be counted on to root out the action from seemingly mundane details or supposedly unrelated events. This alphabet series is winding to an end, and I'm torn between wanting to experience the conclusion and hoping "Z" doesn't come just yet.

Grafton takes her time with these books, adhering to that '80s timeline (though some language may be starting to slip. Were phrases like 'bio-dad' common parlance in the Reagan era?) and checking in on beloved background characters Henry and Rosie. Shaking up the format in recent installments has been a success, approaching the stories from multiple perspectives without abandoning Kinsey's familiar voice. "U" explores the case of a botched kidnapping when an eyewitness suddenly comes forward two decades after the fact.

It's always satisfying to watch the pieces slowly come together, and "U" is a fun trip back in time that further illuminates the history of the series' fictional Santa Teresa setting as well as Kinsey's once-murky family history. I can't help but wonder if these subplots are setting up a major climax for the series, or if Grafton will keep an even keel to the end.

Wikipedia suggests the series is scheduled to end in 2019. I've been reading these for just shy of ten years (though "A" debuted in 1982), and as much as I'm sure the end will be bittersweet, I can't stand to wait another entire decade for the finale.

melody | "have yourself a merry little christmas"

snap | "fun on the freeway, part deux"

The crowds were out on a chilly Sunday for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in the road before its reopening yesterday. Photo by Scott.

five-finger discount | fun on the freeway

I plan to join the throngs of locals taking advantage of a rare opportunity this weekend. Sunday, on the eve of Highway 40's reopening, residents are invited to walk, run, and bike on the completed road. Details are on the I-64 site, and festivities include bicycle time trials, a 5K run, and a fancy ribbon-cutting. This is a chance to cast your better judgment aside and go play in the road.

tuck goes to tiffany

I tweaked the blog title and color scheme this week. Tuck is the two-year-old medium mystery mix dog I share with my best friend/roommate. After graduating college in May 2008 in northern Alabama, we packed up and moved to St. Louis in late August 2008. Tuck hasn't been to the Arch much since then, but he does spend a lot of time in our neighborhood.

The Tiffany neighborhood is roughly bordered by Chouteau Avenue, Grand Boulevard, 39th Street, and I-44 in south St. Louis City, one of the city's smallest residential neighborhoods. In September 2009, Roommate Megan and I moved two blocks in Tiffany, and our awareness of the criminal activity here skyrocketed. We are both active in the neighborhood association and are hopeful that our frequent 911 calls (along with other factors) will have some effect on the intermittent gunfire that seems to plague our new street.

After a year, I'm starting to feel comfortable calling this city home and hopefully I'll be sharing more of my experiences and perspective as a relative newcomer. Either way, I changed the blog's name to be a more specific reflection of my geography. That I shifted to red during this festive month is purely fortuitous.

melody | "silver bells"

Kicking off a month of holiday melodies, here's Vonda Shepard.

haiku

exchange of gunfire
rings out again on my street
too often lately

911 people
say they need three calls before
police will respond

but the calls get 'lost'
and the cruisers rarely come
it's no silent night