Cup Caker: Get Educated!

Welcome to Becklectic Takes Manhattan's very first Best Of list! Past Best Of lists have been, dare I say, the cornerstone of the Original Becklectic Blog Series. (See 2004's, 2005's, 2006's, and 2007's lists.) I truly hope that you enjoy this, but even more, I encourage you to voice your own opinions on where you think I've gone really wrong or really right. Hey, it was your year, too.

Wow, that was the best intro paragraph I've seen this year. Best Intro Paragraph of 2009!!! And that makes the intro paragraph the winner of the Best First Winner of 2009!!! Two best ofs, that's amazing.

THE BEST "BEST OF 2009" LIST OF 2009

Best Car of 2009
Ok, Gabe really cut it close this year. I mean, his inky black finish and glossy tortoiseshell interior are still as gorgeous as ever, but he's been acting like a complete adolescent for the past 2 years. So cranky. No battery is ever enough. If you roll down the passenger window, it won't ever come back up. Yet there's just something about him. Gabe Kotter, you stole my heart. Best '96 Camry of 2009.

Best Chanukkah Present of 2009
The ice cream maker my brother got me! I am literally making my first batch of ice cream right now. That's right this second. Can you believe it?

I went blonde. Most Anticlimactic Hair Color Change of 2009.

My very best dog and little poochie brother of all time died this year. In a bizarrely wonderful twist of fate, I have been seeing schnauzers of all sizes all over the city, and even all-black ones, which are pretty rare, just like Sparkey.

Best LOST-themed Blog of 2009
Why The Locke-Down Plan, of course!

Best Aborted Blog of 2009
For about three days this summer, my friend Dan and I kept a blog. It was terrible.

Best Brooklyn Apartment Acquisition of 2009
I'd say that with three bedrooms, a huge living room, a kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, and a huge kitchen/living room in-between room, Tess of Curiouser + Curiouser fame will win the Best Brooklyn Apartment Acquisition of 2009. Which also brings me to the Best Informative Blog With Also The Highest Entertainment Value of 2009. It's C+C.

Best New Hobby of 2009
All those crayon portraits! I like them. I still like them, that's the thing.

Best New Job of 2009
My new job!

Best Dates Of Interest Predictions of 2009
This is awkward because I didn't do any for 2009. Typically, I call out dates at the beginning of the year and then wait to see if I was right about something interesting happening. I mean, it generally works because everything I do is extremely interesting, but this is still mysterious and great. I think. So I'll be sure to do it for 2010.

Best Surprise of 2009
Wow, 2010! That is 6 years after the year I hatched The Becklectic Blog Series out of nothingness. Wow! Surprise!

Best Dinner Plan of 2009
Tonight's the night. Check me out: beef stroganoff and steamed broccoli. It really must be 2010 (almost) because steamed whatttttt? Old people have to be a little more careful about the fuel that they eat. That's why. Plus I'm undergoing the most disturbing taste bud change of my life.

Best New Comedy Pilot of 2009
Foster's Kids, the hilarious tale of four twenty-something has-been child stars who must reunite when their tv father's will gives them joint custody of his set-replica mansion. Anybody want to produce a comedy pilot? Suits, are you reading this? Papa can you hear me??

I feel like there are more best ofs worth mentioning, so I'm leaving this open-ended until midnight tomorrow. The witching hour!!!!!