10 things that 2004 brought into my life, in random order

Rhythm & Motion Dance Center: Their dance workout program is both fun and exhausting, and they don't laugh at you when you trip over yourself. The friends you meet in class and the center's occasional recitals are an added bonus.

"The Dog Whisperer": The downside of me getting digital cable is that I've been reading less, but the upside is my discovery of "The Dog Whisperer," a.k.a the best show on television. Cesar Millan is a dog psychologist (not a crackpot pet psychic), a genius and a hero. Watch in amazement as he rehabilitates rabid rottweilers, snapping schnauzers and unruly bulldogs with his gentle authority. The secret of Cesar's method is that he's really training the dog's owners. I predict a jump to network TV and an "Oprah" appearance in 2005.