The Twelve Days of Gheorghemas: Day Nine

On the Ninth Day of Gheorghemas, Big Gheorghe Gave to Me

Nine Admirations
Eight Matchups Worth Watching - not really
Seven Books for Reading
Six decades of Fairbank
Five bits and bobs
Four reasons to save 68 CDs
Three balls a-rainin'
Two more automotive wormhole websites
And a bald guy and some random hor-seys

The overwhelming theme of G:TB this year, at least things that I wrote, was abject dissatisfaction with the state of the American body politic. I whined, I bitched, I raged, and I metaphorically shook my head with dumbfounded shock at the daily degradations to our nation's norms.

In retrospect, that wasn't a terribly Gheorghie approach. Life's too short, and all that.

So as a means to make amends, I come here today to appreciate one good thing about this year. Call it a psychic cleanse, a way for me to wipe the slate as we head into a new year. 2018 might not be better than 2017, but it'll be different, and for that, we at least have hope.

And because I'm nothing if not efficient, I'm combining an appreciation of some of the things that bring me joy with your performance evaluations. If you've got an issue, please call the G:TB HR hotline.

Forthwith, nine-plus admirations and appreciations:

I admire Dave's polymathic and insatiable curiosity and brainpower. From publishing music to reading more books in a year than the rest of the Gheorghies combined, to providing the world with alternately insightful and self-unaware musings at Sentence of Dave, to coaching and teaching the youth of America, to podcasting, Dave gets more out of his days than most people I know. One of my New Year's Resolutions, such as they are, is to operate with more intent. Kinda like Dave. Three run-on sentence fragments out of five.

I admire Mark's resolute sense of self, his confident approach, and his artistic sensibility. Some may not consider tattoos, sneakers, and hip hop high art, but I do, and I wish I had more of Mark's attitude when it comes to carving his own path. We're going to need more posts from Mark in 2018, so we'll give him four smoked pork bellies out of five for his commenting, but an incomplete for his posting.

I admire the way Teejay reinvented himself as a family man, foodie, and scholar while retaining his essential sweetness and good nature, and his generosity of spirit. Also, his stubborn willingness to commit to a bit. His long-running Brian Posehn impersonation may trail only his McFisty online series on the list of things that amuse me. Our filler game suffered this year. May the Teej step it up. Two Star Wars socks out of four.

I admire Zman's fierce intellect, diversity of thought and influence, and clear conviction regarding his priorities. I'm heartened to know that when we're ultimately sued by some bigger website that's stolen our material and passed it off as its own, we'll be in good hands. Three Mini Innocenti tires out of four.

I admire Whitney's charisma, the effortless charm that draws people to him and gets him off of more hooks than even he probably recalls. And I deeply admire the way he walks the walk when it comes to being there for his friends, even when being there means he has to go out of his way. Finally, I admire his way with words, even as I wish he employed it more here. My goal in life is to have him give my eulogy, rather than the reverse. I'd just kinda like to see the rough draft. I'd also like to see him write more here. His mid-year exhortation to up our game certainly sparked a renaissance here, so we'll give him four Dale's Pale Ales out of six. So, like, Tuesday morning.

I admire TR's self-deprecation and ability to deflate his own balloon. For a dude who operates in a world lousy with type A fuckfaces, his humanity shows up regularly, at least in these cozy confines. Sure, he might get in the occasional fistfight with other soccer dads, but he can laugh about his fucked-up role in it. That lack of self-seriousness is the Gheorghian ideal. Three train beers out of five.

I admire Danimal's sense of adventure and his poise and polish, under which lurks a little bit of Dennis the Menace a twinkle-eyed troublemaker. Our man moves easily in a world where he hangs out with Snoop Dog one day and George H.W. Bush another, and where he's in China one week and Scotland the next. All this from a dude who grew up in the Shenandoah Valley. I don't think anybody saw that coming. Two Florida sunsets from four.

I admire Marls' compassion, hidden as it sometimes is behind an essentially New Yorker facade. You don't fool me, Marls. You care about other people, and show it in manifold thoughtful and selfless ways, and I like it. I admire his big brain, and deep understanding of how the world actually works, too. Three Grinchy heart-sizes out of four.

And I admire all kinds of things about the citizens of Gheorgheville, from Mr. KQ's taste in music and beer, Shlara's drive to do good in the world, Donna's servant-leadership, Rootsy's musical talent and laid-back good nature, Dave Fairbank's curiosity and fundamental Gheorghiness, KQ's willingness to admit that she knows us, Fat Guy in a Speedo's footie knowledge, and Squeaky's artisan beer/music sensibility. This list is woefully incomplete, for certain.

As we close out this dreadful annum, I hope that each of you got as much from our weird little corner of the internet as I continue to do. When St. Peter asks me what I did while on Earth to make the world a better place, virtually hanging out with you folks will be on my list.

Godspeed, and God Bless, Gheorghies.