Dear Readers:

Merry Christmas.

You see, while you may think Christmas is tomorrow, it is actually today to me. This is the day my son will be waking me up about an hour before sunrise – and three hours before I’ll genuinely be awake in any true sense of the word – to open presents (I hope the deli across the street has a fresh pot of coffee ready for me). This is the day of playing video games and Nerf gun battles all day long. This is the day of the home-cooked family dinner and playing Christmas songs from the Hyundai Hipsters.

Tomorrow is the day of Netflix and Chinese takeout.

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you have an excellent Christmas. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, then I hope you have a really excellent Saturday. Happy Saturday!

Also: you’re awesome. I’ve said that before, but it bears repeating. You’re great people, plus you clearly have excellent taste in hyper-local web sites. You really are the ones that make this fun for me. On that, I think I can also speak for Nick, Stephanie, Joanna, and Arturo, who have made some excellent contributions to this site over the past year. Actually, those four have also made this fun for me. They’ve helped make this site better than I could ever do on my own. Thanks to you four. You’re awesome, too.

We’re all taking the week off from blogging here, so Happy New Year, too! Have some fun next week. Go to a cool NYE party or something. And be sure to come back here on Monday, January 3, because 2011 is going to be a great year for all of us.

AVP didn’t return to Coney this summer, but Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Show did. South Brooklyn had no express train to and from (plus sucky service).  Rats! Animal Planet came to Brighton Beach and Happy Hour too! Wrestling in MCU Park, Biologists working with the federal Agriculture Department killed Prospect Park’s geese with lethal doses of carbon dioxide. Chestnut Wins with 54 Hot Dogs. Brooklyn is boiling!!! …Tough to remember a day that did not hit 90 in July 2010. The Cyclones made to the league championship, MTA Fare hikes, KamaSutra opened in Sheepshead Bay.  Two synagogues filed suit against the city and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz believing the popular Seaside Summer Concert Series at Asser Levy Park is too loud. The wonder wheel was built in 1920 celebrated it’s 90th birthday.  Feeling poorer? The median income in Brooklyn is at $43,166 compared to the citywide median of $50,033. Miss Brooklyn crowned, Christina Moore.  Shoot the Freak, Ruby’s bar, Coney Island Souvenirs, Gyro Corner, Beer Garden, Cha Cha’s, Pio Pio Rico, Growhouse and Paul’s Daughter were informed that their leases would not be renewed as the leases expired at midnight October 31. A new study on New York City and drinking booze has stated an increase – The top drinking neighborhoods in Brooklyn are  Bay Ridge and Greenpoint. Mayor Bloomberg went comic stated “Greatest mayor of all time.

Rumored celebrity hookups/breakups in 2010. Brian Hedden and “I did it all for the nookie” Snooki Nicole Polizzi, Nick Silver and Heidi Montag, Robert Segarra and Kim Kardashian, Bronx Cheer Andy and Cougar Linda Hogan, Disco Dan and Octomom Nadya Suleman, Dave Gold and Sarah Palin, BK Southie readers Tim Higgins and Fred Nesta.

Don’t drink and drive this Holiday Season! Cool Cat loves a good holiday party but he is smart…be like him. Take the subway, ride the bus, use a taxi, like Dave Gold call a limo service.  You the Man, Ciroc Vodka and E! Entertainment are making it easy to get home safe by giving away 2,000 free $25 cab rides to use anywhere in the 5 boroughs. The cards can be used in yellow cabs and participating livery car services, or to buy rides on MTA, PATH, and NJ Transit. Taxi cards will be distributed at events throughout New York City on December 11, 17 and 31. For more information, visit www.cirocvodka.com or www.eonline.com.  New Yorkers can also visit www.youthemannyc.org to find out when and where cards will be distributed.

Cool cat picture courtesy of Katrina at Cheezburger Network and more cat photos available at Cheezburger Network http://icanhascheezburger.com/