Best of 2008, series two.

Transportation.

1.  TRAX and bus pass.

2.  awesome bike.

Consumption.

1.  (books) the library, the library's robot, self-checkout.

2.  (books) Google Book.

3.  (music) e-music.

Technology.

1.  web cam.

2.  the hope of a Mac in 2009.

3.  iPod shuffle (for walking).

Awesome songs for walking.

1.  "Paper Planes," M.I.A.

2.  "Gamma Ray," Beck.

3.  "You're Supposed to Be My Friend," the 1990s.

Travel.

1.  Seattle (Koolhaas library, Olympic Sculpture Park, the historian's daughter and partner, rain rain rain).

2.  Dublin (Ireland, come on! and, of course, the Scotlands).

3.  Boston/Maine/Provincetown (wild ocean, college daughter, rain rain rain).

4.  NYC (NYC, come on!)!

Communication.

1.  two conversations with Running Son in Malaysia.

2.  weekly conversations with the Scotlands (now, with video chat!).

3.  my cell phone, which I value far more than I ever thought I would.

4.  Google chats with my brother.

5.  blogs (almost all of my kids have 'em).

Family life.

1.  evenings at home with the historian.

2.  frequent breakfasts and lunches and occasional dinners and movies with my daughter the make-up artist and her darling boy.

3.  hanging out with singing son's family--they live right around the corner.  Now, with darling baby!

4.  Trips with all and sundry to the holy land (Idaho).

Art.

1.  Visiting the MOMA (bonus: with Dr. Write!).

2.  Getting to work on my manuscript(s) in Idaho and at an undisclosed location downtown.

3.  Seeing Yeats' papers.

4.  Seeing Francis Bacon's studio.