The Week: Dec. 23, 2011

As unbelievable as it sounds, 2011 is about to draw to a close (wasn’t 1998, like, 4 months ago? It seems like only a few weeks have passed, and yet now I can’t shop at Urban Outfitters without someone asking me if I am looking for a gift. Also, why are t-shirts and skirts so absurdly short these days? HIDE YOUR SHAME, LADIES. But I digress.)

It’s been a shockingly eventful year here at the blog. Thanks to what I can only assume was a mixture of dumb luck and god getting drunk, my blog was mentioned on several sites far more prestigious than my own (including TIME, Forbes, and, most recently, Elliott.org). It’s all been delightfully unexpected and wholly undeserved, unless you ask my mother, who is convinced that my blog is the greatest one ever, even though she’s never read it.

And while I’m eternally grateful to her (on account of bringing me into the world), my husband (for helping me travel all around it), and those wonderful editors and journalists (who, for whatever reason, felt that my accounts of it were worth noting), the people I am most grateful to for making this year amazing are those dear folks who sit at their computers and choose to spend their precious time reading my drivel.

So, thank you. You’ve made my 2011 absolutely grand. I hope to see you all again in the new year, when we’ll complain about kids these days, the state of rock music, European showers, and how you can’t really get a good pretzel outside of Munich. I’ll be back with new posts on January 2, 2012 (2012? Holy crap). Have a safe and happy holiday – be it Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus, or nothing – and eat some extra cookies for me.

Now, on to the week …

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TIME magazine has gotten plenty of attention for naming the protester as their Person of the Year. But equally fascinating? Their list of People Who Mattered in 2011.

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Loving these artistic, wacky, and wondrous photos of Santas. From Manhattan to Berlin, the guy in red really does get around.

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Slate tackles the oft-asked question of why eggnog isn’t sold year-round (my theory – that nogs only lay eggs in the winter – was incorrect).

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Check out some of the truly amazing submissions to National Geographic‘s 2011 photo contest.

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OMG. OMG. OMG. BABY POLAR BEAR!

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An amazing tale of hoarding, love, and really old cans of tuna.

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I am dying- absolutely dying – over the 50 best celebrity tweets of 2011. If weren’t already a fan of George Takei (seriously, the man is a gem), you soon will be.

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The Atlantic‘s just released a list of 17 films to look forward to in 2012. While I’m not too keen on the next installment of the Dark Knight series (really? Anne Hathaway as Catwoman? I don’t see it), I will gladly watch anything with Jason Segal.

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In Holland, apparently Santa doesn’t have elves. He has slaves. The tradition of Zwarte Piet is as disturbing as it sounds.

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Somehow, I doubt the passenger sitting in the aisle seat is properly fit to handle the responsibilities of being in an exit row.

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Peace out, one and all.