3 bests in 1! The Best Place---Best New Food--- & Best Change Made to my House of 2009 #best09

December 11 The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

My best place of 2009 is easily within the forest of the Indian Peaks near Granby, Colorado. It is one of the best places in the world to me primarily because every year I go there for a week long backpacking trip with the people that I love most. The quiet and the beauty of this stretch of the Rocky Mountains is unmatched in my mind. It helps that I turn off the cell phone, I forget about email and I just let myself be an exist with just a backpack, a sleeping bag and a water filter. My favorite view within the Indian Peaks is pictured here, it is a view of a peak called Lone Eagle taken by my dad, Jerry. Next year, we plan to scramble up this puppy. I've only been at the base of it so far and I can't wait for the challenge!

December 12 New food. You're now in love with Lebanese food and you didn't even know what it was in January of this year.

The new food that I have fallen in love with in 2009 is not really new to me at all. It is just...different. It is now home-made. You see, very recently, I became friends with a spunky young hippie who landed in Austin from the Northwest. She introduced me to her HOME-MADE BREAD. From the moment I first tasted it, I was crazy about the sweet, light, fresh fluffiness of her bread. And the crisp of her crust! It was divine! And so I requested that my new friend come over to my house and teach me how she makes it. And she consented. And we did. I learned how to make it and I think that I've officially fallen in love with home-made bread this year. I've made several different variations on what she taught me and I have a feeling that this love affair with bread will become more involved and even more delicious in the future.

December 13 What's the best change you made to the place you live?

The best change made to my house: the addition of a gorgeous, sweet, loving mini schnauzer named Murphy...

Photo taken by RC COLA

We added a small animal to our home. I've always been a dog-lover and I always said to myself that I would wait until the time was right to get a dog. And so, I loved on all of my friend's dogs up to this point. Then, an amazing opportunity landed at my feet. I had the chance to adopt a well-trained, older, wonderful dog whom I already knew. A good friend's estranged ex-boyfriend abandoned this gorgeous, six-year old, well behaved mini schnauzer named Murphy. I can't understand why he would ever leave this pup. Of course, me and mine scooped him up and took him in. We adopted him and added him to our household. It has taken a lot of adjustment for me and a lot of training on his (and my) part but he is becoming a better dog day by day. His playful spirit and tendency for cuddling enriches my life tenfold day by day as well. He's small and portable and he loves you if you are sad and celebrates with you if you are happy. I walk him every day and those walks have also enriched my life. I think of new poems and twists to my short stories on those walks. I clear my head and give myself wholly to this wonderful animal during these walks. This addition is one that I never want to part with. Who would? He's just too adorable!

Current book I'm reading: The Virigin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides