2009 is well upon us, and January can go either way.  In previous years, I’ve fallen into deep January depression where everything feels dangerously dull and gray, and there’s just no excitement in the air and nothing to keep you going.  But this year so far, I’m on an uppity swing, thanks largely to the following 10 things.  Be forewarned…it’s very TV-centric.  So for you tv-phobes, maybe you wanna turn away rather than cast me your disapproving sneers.  Everyone else, take notes to salvage your dismal January.    

10 THINGS I LOVE IN JANUARY
 
10)  DUNKIN LATTES
I never really crave DD’s caffeinated crack until it’s frigid out.  Whether it’s gingerbread, pumpkin spice, or just plain latte….one thing is
certain.  DD is a latte better than the same at Starbucks any day.

9)  MID-SEASON TV
It wasn’t more than five years ago that networks realized that January didn’t have to mean tv hibernation and rerun hell.  That Jan could be the start of a new compact tv season thru May finales.  Hence, mid-season is the new fall season, and it often offers up the more exciting, continuity-reliant, heavyweight fare like 24, LOST, and IDOL.  But that’s not all!  All my other shows are kickstarting: THE CLOSER, BURN NOTICE, NIP/TUCK, KYLE, MEDIUM.  January is the new Sept, and my dvr is working overtime to make ends meet.

8)  ‘THE CITY’
Don’t judge me for loving this east coast Hills. 
Whitney was always my fave gal on Da Hillz, and finally she gets the
LC treatment with her own city of opportunities, her own super-skinny nemesis
portrayed in a pathetic light (snotty eye-rolling-extraordinaire Olivia), and her own
JustinBobby (Aussie Jay).  The show totally romanticizes a city that I’ve grown tired of, and it’s always fun seeing them at places you know (hey, they’re eating at The Smith!). 

7)  MY HOUSE SLIPPERS

My mom is the 99-cent store queen of Manhattan, and nothing gives her greater joy than to find something decent for 99-cents that uppity people are paying $9.99 for elsewhere.  Her favorite thing to buy me are house slippers, which I just can’t get enough of.  The blue sequined ones are mine; the zebra stripes are hubby’s.  We have several back up pairs of the sequined breed, in red, white, and hot pink….for, um, guests.  

6)  IDOL’S NEW JUDGE
When Kara DioGuardi was announced as the new fourth Idol judge, I didn’t give a rat’s ass (aka, Paula’s hair).  But now that we’ve seen her in action, the consensus is positive.  Kara is the new ‘it’ judge, she’s coherent, not afraid to sing off with a bitch in a bikini, not afraid to talk back to a bitch in a V-neck (Simon), and is just a necessary infusion of fresh & feisty to the show so far.  The only downside is, Kara’s feminine beauty only accentuates Paula’s mustache and adam’s apple. 

*BONUS*
a ‘Hate’ within a ‘Love’:  On the flipside, I am so NOT loving TOP CHEF’s new judge.  Toby Young is a dour humorless little bald man whose bizarre long-winded analogies and verbal vileness just detracts from the show.  At least Gail Simmons gave us girlish giggles over good food and Fabio’s accent.  So no love here for him. 

 
5)  ORNAMENT TREE

Pre-Christmas I found this nifty ornament tree at CB2 (Crate&Barrel’s funky little sister store), carried it home, dug out the ornaments, trimmed the tree, and had not one pine needle to clean up.  It was gorgeous with all my shiny balls, and it’s gorgeous post-holidays as just a bare sculpture.  My next thought is to put down dozens of recipes on colorful post-its, clip them to the tree, and pluck them off as I make each dish. 

4)  ‘DAMAGES’
I completely missed season 1 and
didn’t have the time to catch up before Season 2 started this month. 
Instead I watched the detailed recap on FX.com, and dove right into the
new episodes.  And I am hooked!  Both episodes so far have left me
breathless at the end, with a juicy new convoluted plot thickening like
a pool of gushed blood.  And I’m salivating over the tv season’s
potentially most vicious girl-feud between Glenn Close and Garcia Gay
Harden.

3)  OBAMA BLEND COFFEE

Hubby found these super duper Obama Blend K-cups for our Keurig single-cup coffee machine.  The brand is Coffee People, and Amazon sells them.  But not surprisingly, they are out of stock.  We had to wait a while to get our shipment too.  And how does it taste??  The Obama Blend is B*r*cking great!  We blew thru one box of 24 in about a week, and we have one box left.  They better make more fast.  Incidentally the, um, McCain Blend is available though.   

2)  “JUST IMPOLITE” BY PLUSHGUN
My favorite song this month is an unknown one that I discovered on ‘The
City’.  (Take a quick listen, posted on my left sidebar). The scene in the second episode where Whitney is sitting at
Cafe Noir, waiting for her Aussie JustinBobby to show up.  They only
played a few seconds of it, and it was enough to get me all
investigative via Google and Limewire.  And now, I’ve made it my
ring-tone.  So call me and the song will play:  (917) 855-AS-IF.  I
know…that’s just impolite.

1)  ’24′

The BEST SHOW on tv is finally back, and all is right with the world.  Well, not in the crazy ’24′ world.  But that world also has Jack Bauer, as does my world.  By now we’ve all had a chance to watch the heartstopping first 4 hours (but I haven’t watched this week’s yet), and we can all agree….OMGWOWTFYAY.  The Jack vs. Tony plot was exciting and sexy while it lasted, and when that sexcitement came to a halt, we were unexpectedly treated to tv’s potentially best geek-girl-feud ever between Chloe and Janis.  Bestill my encrypted fire-walled heart!  Even I can admit the previous season of ’24′ was one of its worst.  But the extended hiatus has done the show much good because it’s now shaping up to be the best ever with characters and conspiracies so rich and twisted.  Maybe “Heroes” should take a year or two off, or just unleash Jack on Sylar.  Indestructible badass VS. indestructible badass.

*BONUS*
A special “love-love-love” mention for the latest episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, in which Beau Bridges plays Wisteria Lane’s beloved handyman who suddenly dies, and all the wives flashback to a special emotional memory involving the handyman.  I was close to tears during every flashback.  What could easily have been a throwaway episode that does nothing to further storylines, was actually one of its best ever!

And so the new year begins.  And there’s gotta be a first new entry of the year.  Here’s how I rang it in…

With champagne, naturally.

With a feast that hubby and I cooked up, naturally.

We kept things simple by doing a few tried and true dishes that always please:  Baked chicken with caramelized onions in a mascarpone/white wine/tarragon sauce; Ziti pasta with spicy Italian sausage and roasted fennel & broccoli;  French’s fried-onions encrusted baked shrimp; Ratatouille. 

With good friends who helped you get thru a skankass year.

With vanity poses.

With dear friends Phyllis & Steven, Gary & Aaron, Bob & Todd, Ben & Patrick, and Gloria & Tim.  Just 12 of us.  I kept it small so as to enjoy my own party rather than be hostess slave.  I learned my lesson after previous years’ parties where I invited everyone who would come, no matter how irrelevant and boarish.

At 11:30pm, I was ordered to prepare the champagne for the midnight toast.  Nobody wanted a repeat of last year, when at 11:58pm I freaked out and forgot to pour the champagne, and I PAUSED the ball-dropping countdown on Tivo until I was able to open/pour/pass around the champagne.  I had a dozen people YELLING at me “You can’t do that!  You can’t PAUSE the new year!!!”  Well I did, I paused it, I delayed it a couple minutes.  And look how 2008 turned out.  This year I did not make the same heinous mistake.  At midnight, each couple got their midnight smooches from their honeys, we toasted a brand new year, and hugged out our dear friendships.

Then Bob & Todd presented us with a surprise gift for each couple….these awesome hand-painted nameplates on canvas.  Todd had them done by an artist friend in Vietnam.  They are SO COOL and so special.  Who doesn’t love personalized gifts??

After everyone left, we still had 2 open bottles of champagne that were kinda half-full.  I didn’t have the heart to pour them out, so I stayed up for 2 extra hours finishing them and reflecting on a successful enjoyable party.  A party that this hostess cupcake was quite pleased with.  Let 2009 roll on…