Random Thoughts

2022 in Review

To say that 2022 had some real highs and real lows would be a tremendous understatement. We went from the extreme lows of dealing with a Condo fire (which as of this writing is STILL ongoing. Not the fire, just the “dealing with it” part) and struggling with family health stuff, to the extreme highs of starring in School of Rock the Musical (and all the friends and experiences that came with that) and watching Margot enter Kindergarten and Avery 2nd grade (and taking Avery to her first rock concert – Biffy Clyro at House of Blues). So much stress this year, but also so much joy and a lot of new friends that already feel like family. It’s been a roller coaster to say the least. But every year a prevailing joy (even though it can be frustrating and stressful at times) is watching my girls continue to grow and become the hilarious incredible little girls that they are.

Those were certainly the big things that happened in 2022. My lone goal that I had leading into the year was to write a new album. Thanks to the aforementioned stuff, that didn’t really happen, but I have picked it back up in 2023 so far, so that’ll be a rollover goal into this year. ?

I have a feeling that 2023 is going to bring some big changes in a lot of ways, and I think most of those changes are going to be good. But even if we hit adversity like we did this year, I know that I have a pretty incredible group of family and friends in my corner. I never want to take that for granted, as that gives me the foundation to face any darkness thrown my way. So I guess we’ll see what I’m writing about at the beginning of 2024!

But to officially let go of 2022, I need to do my usual look back on the various media that I enjoyed in 2022 (knowing this may not be interesting to anyone but me). Here are the previous 17 (!!) years that I’ve done this:

2021, 2020, 2019, 20182017, 201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005

And as per usual, I’ll begin with music, though I will say that this was a year where I really didn’t consume music at the usual rate that I do. Again, due to the roller coaster times, my routine got thrown off quite a bit.

Top 5 Albums

  1. the 1975Being Funny in a Foreign Language

I know that the 1975 has fallen out of favor at least with some, and maybe rightfully so, but I can’t help loving their music. I roll my eyes a little bit at the general “being canceled” theme that comes up in some of the lyrics, but almost every song on this album feels like the closing credits to an 80s rom com. And maybe after a year of such ups and downs, I just wanted some music that made me feel happy, and this album knocked that out of the park.

2. Lizzie McAlpinefive seconds flat

Jake Chandler had an advanced song by Lizzie on his mix in 2021 (doomsday) and I really dug the tune, so figured when the full album came out, I would give it a listen. It blew me away and stuck with me all year. Catchy, beautiful, sassy, and songwriting that seems like it is from someone much older than she is.

3. FathersonNormal Fears

Was really excited for this album leading into 2022, and it definitely delivered. Hard to replicate the joy I got from discovering their first album, but they’re the closest band to Frightened Rabbit I’ve found, and give me all the feels.

4. ONE OK ROCKLuxury Disease

In other years, this album might not make the top 5, and while it certainly feels very young in the songwriting, it is just so catchy and heavy and fun. It also helped that the girls really love them too. Maybe the timing will work in the future to take both of the girls to see them live, but in the meantime, we’ll rock out in the car.

5. alt-jThe Dream

Another album that I didn’t necessarily revisit much through the year, and in other years, it wouldn’t make a top 5, but I really loved it, and the track Get Better is stunning and heartbreaking.

honorable mentions

Arcade Fire – We, Jukebox the Ghost – Cheers, Taylor Swift – Midnights, Holly Humberstone – Can You Afford to Lose Me?, Gungor – Love Song to Life

Theme Song of the Year

Me: Better Friend – Fatherson
Corinne: Naacho Naacho – RRR (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Avery: I Just Wanna Shine – Fitz & the Trantrums
Margot: Stick it to the Man – School of Rock: The Musical

Top Albums I Should Have Been into Earlier

MUNA – MUNA

Didn’t hear this album until early 2023, and I bet it makes my top 5 had I actually heard it in 2022.

Favorite Movies

This year I was able to keep a little better track of this (at least part way through the year), because I started using Letterboxd, thanks to Calin (my username is fosterthemorgan if you care to be friends on there). So I’ll give my full list of top rated movies, but I first have to make a special call out to:

RRR

Could be that this caught me at exactly the right time (while having covid and being stuck at home), but this was as much fun as I’ve ever had seeing a movie. It’s like 3.5 hours long and I wouldn’t cut a minute of it. You should all see it, it’s incredible.

My other top rated movies that I saw for the first time in 2022 were:

Pig
Violent Night
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Barbarian
The Vigil
Prey
NOPE

Worst Movie of the Year

As usual, with following along with How Did This Get Made, I watched many terrible movies. But of those that I watched and rated (in Letterboxd), looks like the worst rank was:

Ghost in the Machine

I remember this movie coming out when I was a kid and it looked SO cool. It…. was not cool, it was so dumb and terrible.

Favorite TV Shows

No clear winners this year either, but here were a few I really loved:

Stranger Things Vol 4
The Bear
Hacks
Severance

Andor

Favorite Podcast

No runaway favorite this year either, and to be honest, I listen to so many podcasts I can barely remember what all I did listen to, but here were a few I really enjoyed:

Hot Money
Ultra (Rachel Maddow Presents)
Cautionary Tales

The 2022 MCAM (Morgan, Corinne, Avery, Margot) Mix

1: Better Friend – Fatherson

My primary warm up song on the way to School of Rock rehearsals and shows. Lyrically it’s somewhat unimpressive, but it’s such a catchy tune full of heart.

2: Be Sweet – Japanese Breakfast

Didn’t listen to this album that came out in 2021 until early 2022, and the girls and I both really loved this tune and listened to it all year.

3: Giants – WALK THE MOON

Similarly, I totally missed this album in 2021, and this song stuck with me all year.

4: SLAY!! – Paledusk

This was a Jake Chandler special, and hoo boy does it deliver. When I first heard this track I said “I don’t know what they’re doing in Japan, but I am here for it.”

5: Prove – ONE OK ROCK

Wonderfully catchy epic rock tune, kind of their specialty.

6: Wasted – Jukebox the Ghost

This song hits me deep on a variety of levels – reminiscing about being young and in a band; “worrying about our parents getting older”; etc

7: Unconditional I (Lookout Kid) – Arcade Fire

“Lookout kid, trust your soul
It ain’t hard to rock n’ roll
You know how to move your hips
And you know God is cool with it
But some people want the rock without the roll
But we all know, there’s no God without soul”

I mean come on!

8: Honest to God – Fatherson

My other warm up tune on the way to School of Rock rehearsals and shows. Simple and beautiful.

9: Get Better – alt-j

“I still pretend you’re only out of sight in another room
Smiling at your phone”

Oof, just heartbreaking and beautiful.

10: Cut Me Up – Friday Pilots Club

Heard a track by these guys on Jake’s mix last year, so I listened through their EP, and I especially loved this track. I’m a sucker for a dramatic ending to a tune.

11: Stick it to the Man – School of Rock the Musical

Obviously had to include something from School of Rock. ??

12: Anti-Hero – Taylor Swift

I mean….. this is a great track, I’ll admit it.

13: Naacho Naacho – RRR (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The iconic song from maybe the best movie ever (as I explained above).

14: Cameo – Kavinsky

Totally random poppy tune I Shazam’d in a grocery store or something like that, and Avery loved it too, so we jammed out in the car often to this throughout the year.

15: Scarlett – Holly Humberstone

This one I believe Avery heard at a coffeeshop with me and asked me to put it on her playlist. Another super catchy fun tune.

16: Happiness – The 1975

Perfect title for this song, as it is like a pop rock version of a nice cup of cocoa. Just delicious and comforting.

17: orange show speedway – Lizzie McAlpine

A memory that will stick with me for a long time was driving in the car with the girls and all 3 of us singing this song together. ?

==================================

So that’s a wrap. What a weird year. One that I both couldn’t say bye to fast enough, and yet….. I miss it already? Hoping 2023 will be a little less roller coaster-y and just a nice smooth glide. Regardless, people will keep making art, and I will keep consuming it and telling you all about it. So long, 2022.

Cheers!

Related: disney reservation center, snoop dogg clothing brand, bank robbery sentence texas, types of angels and their roles, waiting to send decision to author nature, mille lacs county warrant list, why did james lesure leave blue bloods, charlotte fc tryouts, does hardee’s drug test, christine lahti daughter, cremas para aumentar la sensibilidad del glande, focus financial partners lawsuit, which theatre company did shakespeare join in 1594, perry’s blueberry cucumber martini, police incident shaw, oldham,Related: apron stage advantages and disadvantages, harry and meghan fight at polo match, interopweb stephens county ga, jonas eidevall height, shia islamic center houston tx, daniel diorio wedding, east irondequoit board of education, delta cancelled flights today, food lion global id, how did the tainos worship, costner funeral home gastonia, nc obituaries, popeyes chicken japan menu, how long is the fairyloot waiting list, norwich city academy trials 2022, scenic drive from rome to pisa,Related: cafcass and final hearing, ticket for broken headlight in florida, bein sport max 1, wingate university football, cobar weekly funeral notices, the revenant bear scene timestamp, poplatok za zrusenie uctu csob, arthur c brooks wife, neodymium magnets illegal uses, horry county traffic court records, tristar setter problems, missing girl west frankfort, il 2020, jacob wood obituary maine, fatal accident on us 23 today 2022, orange star plant dormant,Related: national airlines flight 967, woocommerce payments vs stripe, woonsocket call police log, whataburger opening date, incredibox mod blinding lights, glasgow, kentucky obituaries, pediatric blood pressure cuff size chart, robert nicholas murrieta, ca obituary, uci track cycling world championships 2022, edm festivals australia 2022, is being an assistant principal worth it, michael burch roane county wv, port gibson, ms news, hutterite breeding program, japanese curry calories,Related: dr daniel torres rheumatologist smithtown, short exhortation about prayer, hidden door detail dwg, chris sutcliffe christa ackroyd, david still lawrenceville, ga political party, latest pictures of mike yarwood, justin from generation why wife, california pottery marks, source of danger crossword clue, archie miller family, lakehouse cove at waterside, beaumont softball tournament, what is wrong with me quiz nhs, does capri sun need to be refrigerated, lawrence high school fight,Related: pickleball skills assessment worksheet, noble cause corruption, witcher 3 keira metz take notes or not, battle of mogadishu soldiers list, oakmont memorial park obituaries, differences between burgess and hoyt model, powershell command to run batch file as administrator, blood makes the grass grow marines, wells fargo funds availability policy, pet friendly homes for rent in chandler, az, katie mccoy net worth, generations senior management, buddha bliss strain cake, best place to retire on $5,000 per month, jesse marsch daughter,Related: virginia state police height and weight chart, is sam carlson from port protection alaska married, grant reynolds obituary, how to add padding to an image in photoshop, town of cary water start service, smelling oranges stroke, romans 8:28 kids lesson, calle real de la arepa pereira, significado de marian en la biblia, when is beaufort county sheriff election, lummi language dictionary, property management post falls, id, porque piscis es el signo consentido de dios, una stubbs coronation street 2020, arizona state parks lifetime pass,Related: large heavy duty plant caddy with wheels, does pineapple juice help swelling for wisdom teeth, kington recycling centre booking, surname wise caste in andhra pradesh, 20 gauge sabots for reloading, 405 motorcycle accident today, stand by me how did gordie’s brother die, davis lafayette death, why is evelien smolders called gab, pirati dei caraibi 1 film completo in italiano gratis, parking near hyatt regency waikiki, logitech g hub import profile, verafin annual report, maysville nc property search, line of duty kate promoted over steve,Related: pax charging lights, porque mi cara engorda y mi cuerpo no, gunnery sergeant selection board, st ignatius prayer of surrender, sing, unburied, sing discussion, all inclusive wedding packages in southern california under 10 000, south ayrshire council swimming pools, parasite cleanse cellcore, leonard rossiter on richard beckinsale death, similarities between health and fitness, christopher bacharach, eric fischer obituary, signs isis goddess is calling you, nj transit bus 165 port authority gate, when will ssi recipients receive the golden state stimulus,Related: jim murray baseball agent, hetalia fanfiction america captured by russia, massachusetts mugshots 2021, barnesville funeral home obituaries, hive truncate table partition, nouman ali khan wife valerie de leon, glenn high school student death, audrey gruss daughter, fort worth military base murders, list of tiger woods caddies, sussex police helicopter live, martin slumbers salary, autism conferences for educators 2022, midwest cremation obituaries topeka kansas, carl higbie height and weight,Related: how to know original olay products, obituary for david jenkins, camisas paragon en puerto rico, lodi, ohio obituaries, shortest lpga players, strange sounds in alaska, peoria journal star accident report, why did ed king leave lynyrd skynyrd in 1975, parking at homebase maidenhead, premier league players aged 29 living in barnet, pictures of the emerald tablets, hospital cleaning job application in trinidad, jack lord funeral, quirky places to eat derbyshire, mexican straw hats manufacturers,Related: youngstown radio personalities, acworth parks and rec summer camps, andrew dunn finchatton net worth, what day did mac die in unbroken, st joseph mercy dermatology residency, who are the siblings of kiko pangilinan, alternative polytunnel covers, activities to teach empathy to adults, emily morris age a second chance, mike golay wife, rate my teacher albyn school, prevailing wind direction brisbane, killeen police department warrants, deborah zoe height, what is a precinct committee person,Related: cafe sydney dress code, town of wellfleet building department, ophthalmologist middletown, ny, garmin forerunner 245 settings, extreme makeover: home edition cheyenne wyoming, state workers pay increase, cambridge associates internship, titusville pa obituaries, judge hatchett husband, robert horton net worth at death, samantha elkassouf wedding dress, landforms in the west region, gabriel elijah simon, the hand signals used by german police are different, $1,000 down payment semi trucks,Related: salesforce user object permissions, albat apprenticeship portal, storke funeral home obituaries bowling green, va, unicaen zimbra webmail, what is jamaal charles learning disability, patrick walshe mcbride, hampton bay satin white paint match, what is danny fairbrass net worth, cooper’s hawk copycat recipes, how do airport scanners detect drugs in luggage, mary berry honey cake, is edward watson married, how did dog the bounty hunter’s son die, insight conference 2022, lake garda ferry timetable 2021,Related: barclays avp salary uk, soho friends membership requirements, available lots in portofino clayton, nc, who is the voice of siriusxm yacht rock radio, wythenshawe gangsters, can you leave the country with a pending dui, birthday gift for myself caption, graduatoria sottotenenti carabinieri, tesco colleague help login, uiuc graduation 2022 cap and gown, i 589 processing time 2021, richard alvarado heather holmes, smokin fins nutrition information, atascocita police reports, white claw gabe family,Related: is mohair itchy, crystal shops buffalo, ny, ex qpr players still playing, contention interrogatory missouri, wharton high school football, jaden ivey vertical jump height, body found in mobile al today, center lovell, maine stephen king house, fab dock vs sea pen, how did echo die in jurassic world, significado de patricia biblicamente, dickies factory seconds, electrolysis of copper sulphate using copper electrodes half equations, the phrase behavioral expressions of distress refers to quizlet, why was jack mccoy estranged from his daughter,Related: st john parish sheriff sale, are caves formed by chemical weathering, beverly country club medley results, cantilever vs caliper brakes, ashley kerr oklahoma, bill donovan obituary, can you get protection 5 from villagers, jon schlegel net worth, titans return sixshot instructions, nick buoniconti daughter gina marie, motorcycle accident ohio, arkansas electrician license lookup, jarrell tornado bodies, baby goat stuck in birth canal, riggs property management topeka ks,Related: gender wage gap in different countries, boxrec ratings heavyweight, wellington national golf club membership cost, marie claire field wiggles, tecul pure vanilla, john leclair obituary, ed debevic’s los angeles closed, michelin star restaurants monterrey, mexico, buddy john quaid, who was jessy dixon wife, anne adams paintings strawberries, google maps timeline no visited places, birmingham city fc parking away fans, top 10 most dangerous high schools in america, zima anderson siblings,Related: lindab porte fjernbetjening, the closer cast coroner, do wishes come true at 11:11, karen lawrence esq, volusia county employee directory, vehicle verification punjab by cnic, are rangers in financial trouble again 2021, peter teakle biography, can couples make money on onlyfans, pfister push and seal replacement stopper, what color tube is used for a bilirubin test, laurie liss literary agent, will a crossbow kill an armadillo, paris school district calendar, dahn woodhouse funeral home obituaries carroll, iowa,Related: impact of colonialism in congo, turkey breast protein, do sam and colby live together 2022, are jeff fenech and mario fenech related, discover “interest charge refund”, no credit check apartments bayonne, nj, pros and cons of being a lady in medieval times, delhivery pincode service check, how to anonymously report a felon with guns, stockton mortgage manage my loan, san diego padres theme nights, twilight wedding packages manchester, mushroom shawarma ottolenghi, sereno o neblina, gucci love parade handbags,Related: eliza butterworth gemma whelan, peter alexander journalist, meredith chapman jennair gerardot, james wlcek family, pat cassels net worth, iowa primary election 2022, pleco not moving but breathing, unemployment overpayment waiver, rick barnes coaching tree, black bay, lake vermilion, what happened to sir timothy in lark rise, beth el cemetery paramus, nj find a grave, wetherington country club membership fees, wild orange speakeasy hawaii, neighbors loud pool parties,Related: kodak portra 160 35mm photos, uber eats merchant portal, looking for delivery drivers, sudbury rnip point calculator, trochaic tetrameter fair is foul, and foul is fair, does lucy devito have fairbank’s disease, sentinelone api documentation, ohio state football roster 2020 21, paul masson apple brandy nutrition facts, todd snyder + champion hoodie, harrison h4 replica for sale, ed mcmahon yacht, setara hussainzada biography, descented skunks for sale, is liz crowther married,Related: hms ganges abuse, wylie fire department, spurs jokes about west ham, universal drinks menu, the promised neverland minecraft map, nationsotc com bcbsri login, custom gibson truss rod cover, queen elizabeth hospital neurology consultants, cherokee woman tattoo, boat captain jobs costa rica, positive externalities of parks, bukta manchester united, norwegian sourdough bread hairy bikers, joshua lee turner interview, bill manning musician,Related: johnson funeral home obits canandaigua, ny, agendas personalizadas 2022 para imprimir, st columba catholic church philadelphia, jonny richardson take me out, celebrities who live in alabama, names that go with rey, why is there a mandatory retirement age for pilots, monkey bar food truck schedule, topics for socratic seminar, keith murray daughter, drivers license renewal colorado appointment, virginia concealed carry permit renewal application, theme park donation request, how to whitewash bamboo furniture, drevodomy polsko cennik,Related: alexandra michler greenwich, ct, luckin coffee scandal ethical issues, wembley stadium seating plan, robin askwith wife mary wilson, 60 days in sign up 2021, lanell grant baby daddy, celebrity cruise luggage valet service, kamora coffee liqueur vegan, barking and dagenham reside login, where is chris cuomo working in 2022, kara henderson obituary pa, lugtfri petroleum bilka, captain munnerlyn wife, evergreen tesla toy hauler, early times bottled in bond uk,Related: waterpik troubleshooting won’t turn on, how to manifest revenge on someone, how to view mentions on discord pc, excel storm cat vs seaark procat, memorial quotes for pilots, anne archer married to tom cruise, eaton green road luton hostel, sleepy hollow lake rules, kentucky landlord tenant law pest control, mississauga crime by neighbourhood, harvard school mental health conference 2023, phyllis hall al jarreau wife, miriam weaver husband, 7 major sins in islam islamqa, what kind of dog is wally in then came you,Related: missing person from ohio, google research scientist salary blind, plastic surgery resident clinic nyc, mr cooper equity loan rates, how did richard blumenthal make his money, north sydney council contact number, university of illinois track recruiting standards, mini hummers and enhanced go back carts, orange city obituaries, rothschild original name bauer, mcilvaine funeral home obituaries, tony richards obituary, dr hector cabral realself, clay travis and buck sexton show sponsors list, stone and robert from cooley high,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.