2008 was a difficult year for me.  My personal life was chaotic and, in my opinion, my blog wasn’t that good this year.  Thanks for continuing to read Citizen of the Month. I know there are 700 billion other blogs out there to read.  I consider your input and comments as much a part of each post as my own writing.
I went through my archives and chose the posts that best exemplified the events of my life during 2008.
Citizen of the Month 2008
Things fall apart with Sophia
(“The Last Few Days,” February 2008)
I go to a therapist
(“Therapy is Making Me Into a Humorless Twit,” March 2008)
I become obsessed with women’s bras
(A Birthday Chick Lit Tale:Â The Royal Bra, March 2008)
I think about retreating to New York City for a bit
(“A Five Minute Long Wild Sex Comedy,” April 2008)
I DO retreat to New York City
(“Saturday Night’s Alright for Writing,” June 2008)
Relatives visit us in Queens
“The Wrong Apartment 1H,” June 2008)
My plans to attend BlogHer are screwed up by Dockers and JCPenney
(“My Conversation with TLC Marketing Customer Service,” July 2008)
I create an imaginary BlogHim in NY
(“Sex in the Male City in Honor of BlogHim 08,” July 2008)
A blogger stays over in Queens and meets my mother
(“Meeting Mother Kramer,” August 2008)
I almost get into a fight with an Orthodox Jew outside the supermarket
(“The Orthodox Jewish Guy Outside the Supermarket,” August 2008)
My writing partner and I argue over a bar scene in a screenplay
(“Are Mojitos Gay?,” September 2008)
I spend too much time in McDonald’s drinking coffee
“Searching for My Identity in a Queens McDonald’s,” September 2008)
I attempt my first sexy email exchange with a female blogger
“The Sexy Email Exchange,” September 2008)
Obama’s campaign makes me focus on “change” in my own life
(“Change,” October 2008)
I remember my father’s love for Santa Claus
“I Believe in Santa Claus,” December 2008)
ETC.
The Biggest Selling Post
(“The Great Interview Experiment,” January 2008)
The Most Comments On a Post For the Least Amount of Work
(“Name Your Sandwich at Neilochka’s Virtual Kosher Deli,” March 2008)
Weirdest Fake Story
(“Giving Head,” October 2008)
Weirdest True Story
(“Neilochka vs. Archie,” May 2008)
See you in 2009!
lol
thanks for the best-of, I just started reading a few months ago, so I missed a bunch of these.
How about a change in perspective? This was the year you stepped out of your safety zone and did something that you needed to do. And next year is going to be better because of it. Promise.
Excellent, I just reread them all. (Why no selections for January, May, and November?) Then I went back and read all my comments on those posts. Feel free to ban me at any time.
Hard to believe you’ve been in New York for half a year. I echo Finn’s comments above, it’s always good to step out of the safety zone. (Now just step out of that terrifying Queen’s McDonald’s!)
I don’t know any blogger who gets as many comments as you do on every single post. Not even close. Whatever you are doing, you are hitting a nerve and having an impact on many, many people. That has to be a good feeling as 2008 comes to a close.
Danny, you should try reading your archives for the last year. It is an eye-opener, because you forget that your blog is also a “diary” of what was on your mind during the year. I never kept a diary, so it was a weird experience seeing myself so passionate or upset about some lame blogging issue in April that I didn’t even remember writing about. I must have truly been pissed about that Dockers-JCPenney’s promotion and Wii-giveaways because I must have written ten posts on those subjects! Even stuff that seemed funny at the time, about McCain! seems as old now as posts about Grover Cleveland. I think the more topical you are in subject matter, the quicker your material ages.
Finn — good idea. You too?
The Royal Bra was awesome, and I’m still waiting for the next installment.
Memarie — I have a really bad habit of doing that. I have some post from 2005 that I have never finished.
Neil always enjoy your posts and you’ve been on one of my blogrolls since way back when when I started blogging, keep it up.
2008, viewed in a certain way, was a very good year for you. In years past, your blog described a relationship stuck in Neutral, going nowhere slowly. I think we readers quietly hoped for some sort of a change, and this year you find yourself in a different place and time zone, having different sorts of adventures. You may not have achieved everything you wanted to, but you’re no longer mired in sameness; a world of possibilities is open to you.
You are a delight.
I don’t know you except through your writing, which has alternately led me to picture you as a terribly indecisive, slow-moving, chronically stuck man… and a brilliant, witty, soft-spoken comedian. I’m not sure who the real Neil is, but I know that he has a way of drawing people to him, no matter what the subject.
And yes, the last twelve months sucked. I think if we band together, we can make sure that kind of suckiness doesn’t happen again.
I have a lot of catching up to do. Do you have a Twitter version? 😉
“The Sexy Email Exchange”
Speechless.
(and possibly going to create a new incognito g-mail address)
Thanks for posting this best of. And I agree with your response to Danny: rereading one’s archives is an enlightening experience.
This is officially on record as being one hell of a year sugar—here’s to moving forward;-)
Stopping by to wish you a very Happy New Year, just a tad early. I am away from home, and my internet time is a bit weird these days, and I never got around to wishing you a happy Hanukkah individually (although I did it on my blog!).
Thanks for all the fun and thinking that you bring into my life close to daily. I don’t comment much anymore for lack of time, but I come and visit at least two or three times a week!
I had never read the fight with s one. Perfect. I was like right there following you through yr pilgrimage of lovers hell. I could see yr 5:00 shadow and the sleepy look in yr eye at Starbucks. Bravo. I come here to read yr writing and I always leave caring a bit more about you-yr a good egg Neil. Happy New Year. I did this on my blog today too! sorta. xo
This was a GREAT recap. 2009 is going to be great for you. Happy New Year!
Well, honey, at least you still have your looks. I’m seeing at you right now looking all NY-Macho and boho in front of the Yacht Manhattan with your fab pink(??) scarf.
’08’s been difficult for a lot of people. Here’s to waving farewell to the ass-end of it. Wishing you and Sophia and your family only the best that the new year can bring.
I read ONE of those posts and started to cry.
I don’t know how to say this, but you are the type of person whose blog it’s an honor to read. Make sense? Probably not. I read plenty of blogs and a lot of people’s day to day stuff, and sometimes it’s just drivel and nonsense. But with your day to day there is insight, feeling, depth. My favorite blogs are ones where I feel I can reach out and touch the words. You sir, cause me to do just that.
Happy New Year, Neil. I just sent you an email as well.
It will all be ok. This is all part of the journey. Sending you a hug and best wishes for a fabulous 2009!
Neil, I love the way you fearless try to get people to come together. Your interview experiment (which is how I found Kevin from Always Home and Uncool), your Holiday concert, the Holiday crafts fair… Who else would have thought of these things? You’re unique and amazing. Happy New Year!
i love your blog. i’ve been around these parts since you posted your interview project post so i’ve had the chance to read all of these. i can see how you’ve evolved as a person. all of the posts might not have been true literature, but you have done a good job of chronicling your life this year. and that is worth more than a good story.
Dear Neil,
Happy New Year! Remember this?
http://tamarika.typepad.com/mined_nuggets/2008/01/new-years-day-i.html
I do!
I wish you love and happiness wherever you find it.
Your “Giving Head” post still sneaks up on me every time I think about oral sex. I think I’m scarred for life.
Happy New year, buddy.
You have, above all, managed to keep your humour … and that, is truly wonderful! I hope 2009 brings less chaos and more peace. Happy New Year! JP/deb
I’ve definitely enjoyed your blog this past year. Hope 2009 kicks 2008’s ass. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the recap, I joined mid-year, so there were definitely posts that I’d missed. Here’s to a peaceful 2009.
So, yeah, that was a pretty good year for you.
I took a lot of naps. Good year for me, too.
The saddest moment of the year? When you shaved your chest and took that photo. I can’t look…
We’ve been together a long time now. Good company on the journey, even if 2008 was the Year of the Clusterf*ck.
Wow. 700 billion blogs? That’s a lot of competition isn’t it. OK.
Hi Neil 🙂 Vodka Mom sent me. I just do what she says. :)) But I will come back of my own volition…
i know i’ve read the majority of your posts, i’ve said it before, but i consider you to be part of my daily read, kind of like a favorite columnist in my daily paper, only with you i can leave comments and/or read comments others leave and your reaction to the comments, which in turn has made me feel like there is some sort of connection with you, in some sort of on-line way. i don’t know, i still don’t really get this whole internet thing. but i do hope 2009 holds the prospect of joy, good health, financial and emotional stability for you and look forward to reading what you care to share with me/your devoted readers. happy new year!
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the list…I actually think i missed a couple of those, now I’ll have some reading on my 17 hour shift at work tomorrow.
Hope this year rocks your socks off.
Lots of catching up to do – last few months have been nuts – but this morning I’ve been reading some of what I’ve missed on your blog. Hope you’re okay.
Neil, I actually found you not through bloggy friends but through BlogHIM. I planned to host a BlogHIM week inviting my guys buds to guest post, but saw you’d already coined the term. So I did Man’s Rants. And it wasn’t even blogHer related. What a fascinating comment this was. Pithy and hilarious. (honkshiz snore emoticon)
Meaning, I googled ‘BlogHIM’ and you came up.