The new year is almost upon us, to me (Mary Kay), a unique time, because people are looking back and forward at the same time (not like Regan in The Exorcist, but in a more reflective way). One sign that the year is ending is all the lists — the top 10, 20, 50, 100 (you name it) whatevers (again, you name it: songs, celebrities gone wild, photos, news stories and so on). Please note that the number of the top stuff usually ends in “0″ or occasionally “5,” but never an odd number like 17 or 53 and not banal stuff like toads, as in “The Top 81 Toads of 2006.”

Sometimes I like to stand up when I write. You may think this a bit odd, and maybe it is, but sometimes it just feels good. Then I started thinking about the word “up.” It’s a nice word with lots of upbeat (see what I mean?) connotations. Just think about: up someone’s alley, ups and downs (up being the “good” thing), up and coming and up close and personal – among many other happy phrases. Even Bugs Bunny, a happy character to say the least, uses as his signature phrase, “What’s Up, Doc?”!