The Year End - Part Four

Well, here we are. It's the final day of 2007, and we're looking ahead to 2008. The past year has definitely been an interesting one, and we expect no less out of the upcoming calendar. This is a time to refresh, restart, and rededicate, or just to look at everything with new eyes. And that's why we present, in our humble opinion...

The Top 12 Months

12. August
August is often viewed by many as being one of the more troublesome months. It gets very hot, there are no real good holidays, and school is right around the corner. But it holds some charm. After all, what other month can lead quite so easily to experimentation with eggs and sidewalks?

11. April
We don't really have anything against April. We actually like the month in general. But that clever little rhyme about "April showers" exists for a reason. The month is wet, both because the ground is thawing, and because the sky keeps opening up. But hey, it gets off to a great start.

10. October
Autumn is in full swing, and Halloween is waiting. It must be October, when the air turns a few degrees cooler, and hot apple cider starts seeming like a really good idea.

9. June
There's not a lot going on in June, but it's such a nice, slow transition into the summer months that we just couldn't place it anywhere else on the list. If only it could get a good holiday of its own, instead of riding the coattails of "Christmas in July".

8. May
People that get their summers off from work or school tend to look forward to May with great anticipation. We look forward to knowing that the summer movie season, complete with numerous disappointments, is right around the corner.

7. September
Why does September rank just above May? Well, they've got similar holidays, and common weather patterns. So what sets September apart? All those people who were being smarmy after getting the summer off are definitely back to work or class.

6. November
Hey, Thanksgiving alone would help tip this month forward. However, the encroachment of Christmas and the overabundance of football promotions, coupled with it being an election month, kept it just out of the top 5.

5. December
The month of giving (or, in many places, taking) ranks firmly at number 5 for us. It's got brisk winds, crisp temperatures, loads of holiday cheer, and people wishing their fellow people well. It's also got crippling credit card bills and post-holiday depression, but we won't hold those too much against them.

4. October
The month so nice we ranked it twice. What can we say? We really love Halloween.

3. July
Americans get to celebrate Independence Day. The rest of the world gets to wonder why Americans celebrate their independence with things that are reminiscent of bombs exploding. Sounds like a good second-runner-up to us.

2. March
The month that features St. Patrick's Day (and sometimes Easter) is firmly in second place, if only because it shows just what people can do when they don't let a little thing like Prohibition or religious persecution get in the way of a good time.

1. January
It's the first month of the year for a reason. When January hits, everyone gets a fresh slate, full of 365 (plus a little extra) within which to make entirely new mistakes, friends, and experiences. Besides, what other month gets to start out with a huge world-wide party?

You may think that we missed February. We didn't. We know that February is just a few weeks, masquerading as an actual month. So it automatically doesn't qualify.

Well, folks, that wraps up our year here at the Coffee-Soaked Mind. We hope you've had a great 2007, and we'll see you in 2008! Stay safe out there.