Hello Everyone,

While it’s been a trying and difficult year, there were some great things to come from it and here today I give you my list of the Best Things About 2020. These are the events and things and even trends that made 2020 as good as it could be. Without further adieu, here is my list of the best things about 2020.

I should mention that with all the lists we’ve done this year, this should be taken semi-seriously and is being written for entertainment purposes. With that,on with the list.

20. Getting contact lenses

While this year has been challenging for me, I did do something I thought would never happen, I got contact lenses. At the age of 38 and working with a mask on with a pair of glasses caused headaches and foggy lenses. So,I got contacts and while I haven’t worn them in a while, I do like them a great deal. It’s actually pretty neat being able to see and not have your glasses on all the time and I got a lot of compliments on how I looked without glasses and how people could actually see my eyes for once. It was really nice,especially since I wasn’t always fond of myself sans glasses all those years. 

While I did experience problems with them in terms of redness in my eyes and dryness as bad as the Sahara Desert, I do plan on giving them another try in the near future. I think anyone who is on the fence in regards to trying them should do it. You never know if you like something unless you try it.

19. Kim Yo-Jong’s anime

One of the more interesting things to come out of North Korea this year was the status of Kim-Jong Un and whether he was alive or not. In fact,I’m still kind of questioning it. In any case, a photo of his successor, sister Kim Yo-Jong, with a piece of toast in her mouth and running in heels (Yes!) was turned into an anime sketch and you can’t help but love it. I even think it makes her and her government less menacing than originally thought. I thought it was pretty funny and good enough to make the list.

18. Kimberly Guilfoyle at the RNC

We go from one Kim to another and while the Republican National Convention was a trainwreck overall,it was the fact that it was a trainwreck that made some of it great and comedic. Exhibit A: Kimberly Guilfoyle, the current girlfriend of Donald Trump, Jr. and ex-wife of Gavin Newsom. She made a speech at the Convention where she was screaming the whole time to a room with nobody in it and to end it shouted “THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”. It seemed like she was on something, cocaine perhaps, but she was seriously unhinged and terribly loud. She also was incorrect about being a first generation American as her mother was from Puerto Rico,which is part of the United States even though Republicans don’t know that.

It was just so awesomely fantastic at the time and even now because it shows how much of a cult following they have with Trump and how crazy they are defending him and the agenda they have and Guilfoyle’s performance at the RNC was the prime example of that!

17. Parade boats sinking in Texas’ Lake Travis

I debated whether this should be on this list because when you typically hear about boats sinking it tends to be a tragic tale, but since nobody died, we’re good to go!

A parade of boats full of Donald Trump’s supporters generated a significant amount of wake in Lake Travis, Tex., near Austin and a total of five boats sank in the choppy waters and others crashed into rocks. Nobody was seriously hurt or killed. 

I thought this was great in many ways. First off, it generated a lot of funny memes and even a video on Facebook set to the Titanic theme played by a terrible fifth grade recorder. Also, it showed that these folks don’t know how boating on a lake works. If you have a lot of big boats on the water going really fast, they generate choppy waters that will cause other boats to rock back and forth and risk them getting sunk of crashing into other things like other boats and/or rocks. This was also a metaphor for how the election was going to go. Also,I like boats that don’t sink. 

I guess this still beats seeing all those people clogging up traffic on the roads with their oversized trucks carrying 79 flags in the bed on them for impromptu parades that nobody asked for or wanted. 

16. David Ayers

Something awesome that happened before the pandemic was seeing a man by the name of David Ayers, a 42-year-old zamboni driver and former goalie in the minors from Whitby, Ont., Canada, got his chance to be an emergency goalie when the Carolina Hurricanes needed one for their game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. While allowing two goals on the first two shots he faced, he stopped the next eight and helped seal the win for Carolina with a 6-3 score. He is the first emergency netminder to win a game in NHL history and the oldest to secure a win. Ayres received many honors following the game and even received honorary citizenship of North Carolina.

This was a very cool story that a lot of us have forgot that happened this year because it happened before the pandemic, but Ayres’ feat deserved to be brought back up again and should be celebrated as one of the best things to happen this year for sure.

15. Amy Klobuchar not being president or vice president

There are many people I am glad did not end up becoming vice president or president and Amy Klobuchar is one of them. She’s too in the center for my liking for starters, not to mention does not want to give everyone healthcare or free college and probably has no timeline to get us out of these endless wars we’re in overseas. Also,she’s a very abusive boss who has had high staff turnover and was demeaning towards people who have worked for her. Having worked for someone who was that way to me, the last thing I want is for that same kind of person to be President or even as Vice President.

I also can’t stand by her decision to not do anything about several police misconduct during her time as district attorney of Hennepin County,Minn. Oh,and she’s also against $2000 stimulus checks,calling them an “attack on every American” on MSNBC as recently as last week at the time of this writing. I am so glad Trump is leaving office,but just as much am glad that Klobuchar won’t be President. Nobody needs that!

14. Drive-in movies made a comeback

One thing that made a comeback in 2020 was drive-in movie theaters. Once a thing of the past that are rare to find, the drive-ins that currently exist gave quarantined movie-goers who were dying to see movies in places other than home again and while I have yet to go to one during all of this craziness (now that it’s cold I don’t feel like going right now), kudos to all that did and were able to enjoy. 

I hope this is something that stays and I would love to see these make more of a comeback as in new drive-ins popping up. I know a lot of places locally where we can have a few and I know I would love to just pop the tailgate of my Honda and hang out and watch a movie.

13. LeVar Burton reading to people during quarantine

Anytime a birthday buddy of mine makes a list about the best things about a bad year,you know they’ve done something good. LeVar Burton, Mr. Reading Rainbow himself, is still reading to us after all these years, even during trying times.

On Twitter livestreams called “LeVar Burton Reads” three times a week, Burton reads to children,teenagers,and adults helping to create a love of reading. 

I think this is truly commendable and I feel like reading is something I need to do more of and I think it’s something we all should do more of instead of watching inane TikTok videos and indulging in other nonsense that’s not always good for us. I think education should be valued more than it is these days. Kudos to Burton for doing that!

12. Restaurants sharing secret recipes so we can make them at home

One thing of life a lot of us are and have been missing during this year is going to our favorite restaurants. But many restaurants have been sharing some of their recipes for their patrons to try while at home. From Disneyland to the Cheesecake Factory (their Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are pictured here), you could try just about any of them while eating in the comfort of your own home. Sure, it’s not the same without the ambiance and company of friends and loved ones to share with, but I think it was a unique way of having your favorites to eat while being stuck at home and it made being there a little more bearable.

11. The return of Alex Smith

I was very happy to see Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith make a return to the NFL after being out with a gruesome leg injury that cost him the 2019 season. This injury could’ve ended his career, but Smith came back and not only that, earned back the starting role and is guiding this team to perhaps a division title. Sure,it’s the worst division in all of football, but in as wild of a year as it is and has been, I think seeing Smith,36, back in the league playing again has been great. He is by far the Comeback Player of the Year. Smith is one of those players that’s on the list of Impossible Players to Hate in the NFL along with Larry Fitzgerald. Alex Smith,with all he’s been through in his career, continues to shine through adversity and he’s been through the worst of it and it’s great to see him back in the NFL.

10. Melania Trump’s Green Screen dress

This is the second thing from the awful Republican National Convention to appear on our list and it was glorious. Melania Trump, who by the way is not crazy about Christmas whatsoever, especially when it comes to decorating, decided to wear a lime green dress on the final night of the awful event and everyone had fun placing whatever they could onto the green screen she had on her body and it was awesome.

I understand that she hasn’t made the best or most conscious of fashion choices, but I really don’t care when it comes to this,do you? I thought this was hilarious and it needed to be made fun of and to be mocked. That was not a good color to pick, especially since green isn’t an American color. Why not red,white,and blue? How unpatriotic!

9. Shakira’s tongue

The Super Bowl LIV halftime show featured Jennifer Lopez and Shakira and it was pretty decent. Both ladies showed that they’ve still got it. However, Shakira upstaged J.Lo, at least that’s what I thought, but I was ill, so who knows what I was thinking?

Anyways, Shakira did this thing where she looked into the camera and was doing something sexy with her tongue and it was generated into a GIF and it was a fun one to use during the early part of the year. I need to use it more often,though. I have said it before and will now: If Shakira came to my door at 3 in the morning and proclaimed her loneliness to me, she would be invited in no questions asked.

8. Sacha Baron Cohen

Just when you think he’s done with us, he comes back stronger and funnier. Sacha Baron Cohen was a hit with me during this crazy year. First he made us all proud by infiltrating a right-wing rally in Olympia, Wash. as a folk singer. In his song, he sang about injecting various people with the “Wuhan flu” including kids and Dr. Fauci and chopping up people who wear masks “like the Saudis do” and locking Hillary Clinton up “like we used to do”. It went on and on until the crowd turned on him. I was hoping that this was a set-up for a second season of “Who is America?”,but it wasn’t.

What it was for was the second Borat movie, titled Borat Subsequent Moviefilm which I thought was brilliant and came at the right time for our country. It was very funny and I like how much it tarnished Rudy Giuliani and showed him as the creep he truly is. It didn’t surprise me about his behavior whatsoever and I’m glad it was brought to light by Baron Cohen and his comedic genius. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

7. The COVID-19 vaccine

Many didn’t think we would get one before year’s end,but we did and it will be available soon. A vaccine (actually multiple vaccines) for this god awful virus we have been cursed with living with has been developed and the distribution process is underway as of press time. Although it’s healthcare workers that are getting it first, I do know two people who have received the vaccine and are doing well. I absolutely will get the vaccine as soon as I am able because I believe in science and that this will work. Besides, I have put worse things in my body than what the vaccine has in it. I think if you’re up for it, get it. I think it’s how we get out of this mess once and for all!

6. The country coming together because of Tiger King

My friend Josue suggested we put this on the list and I am happy to oblige because this really did bring people together. I will say,though,I didn’t watch this because I wasn’t very interested in seeing it. But I did see posts about it all over social media and recognize how much people enjoyed the series.

I think it was great to see people talking about the show because it gave us as an audience something to talk about rather than who we like or don’t like for President or why we hate being inside our homes all the time and stuff like that. Tiger King did that for this country and was the first series I saw people get excited about like this in a long time about a show and that made me happy to see that.

5. The return of the McRib

A lot of food items left the menu boards of many fast food places,but one favorite limited time item came back for its limited run, the McDonald’s McRib.

This was the first time since 2012 that it made a comeback nationwide, and honestly,it was much needed. Sure, some people don’t like it or don’t know what’s in it, but I for one welcomed it back with open arms. I have no idea what it is and I don’t really care, I just wanted a familiar friend back in my life since many of mine never text or call me anymore and if it had to be anybody, it was the McRib.

It is still available as of the time of this writing,so if you want one,go get one!

4. Soup for My Family

Donald Trump has said a lot of stupid stuff in his time in office, but one stupid thing he said made me laugh profusely and it was so good that it had to make this list. 

During a speech on Jul. 31, Trump was talking about how protesters were armed with cans of soup to throw at police in a bag in lieu of a brick because bricks were “too heavy” and a can of soup had “force”. Then, upon getting caught, the protesters would say “No, this is just soup for my family!”. 

When this was discovered weeks later, it was being talked about everywhere. Trending on Twitter was #Soup and #SoupForMyFamily. People were taking pictures of soup aisles in grocery stores and saying they were arming themselves for the next protest. It was one of the better things to come out of Trump’s mouth that was truly hilarious. Absurd? Yes. Hilarious? Fo sho!

3. Prank calls to the Trump National War Room

After the election was over, the Trump campaign set up a voter fraud hotline for people to report instances of voter fraud that they saw which didn’t actually exist. What happened instead was people all over the world prank calling the hotline over and over again and it was hilarious. There were a lot of videos that went up on TikTok and YouTube that were absolutely terrific and well done and have and still are entertaining me today. I only wish I was able to call them myself because I had a lot of material for them. As I said in the Things That Need to Come Back list, if they want to bring this number back just for entertainment purposes, they’re more than welcome to. I think it would be fun! Don’t believe me? Here’s a few clips to change your mind:

2. Essential workers

The real Person of the Year that Time Magazine forgot is the essential workers. From medical workers to people in customer service who have to deal with morons and Karens on a daily basis, these folks are the true heroes who are essential in every sense of the word and that now and after this pandemic ends (if it does) these folks should never be taken for granted. 

Going to work day in and day out under some of the worst conditions for some of them and even putting themselves at risk during these times takes courage and I am appreciative of them and what they do. I hope you are as well!

1. Donald Trump losing the election

The best thing far and away was seeing that Donald Trump will not be getting a second term in office after losing to Joe Biden in the 2020 general election (He did lose,Trump fans,get over it!) and the electoral college 306-232. I want to make this clear,though, I don’t think Biden is going to do much of anything special as President because he represents the status quo and is a symbol of the establishment that is and has been awful and does nothing for you,the people they’re supposed to represent. That having been said,I am relieved that Trump is going to leave office. He wasn’t a very good President, he was a mean person, he had no compassion, he never was presidential in my eyes and never seemed like he really wanted to do the job, he just wanted the title.

Like I said, I don’t think Biden will be making much positive change because of how moderate he is and how much the Democratic Party hates progressive ideas and change,but it is nice to see that his predecessor will be gone. Will he run again? Who knows! I think we should see if he is in prison or even alive by that point.