I would like to end this busy week with a little TCA humor. Tidbits of our insightful conversations are worth sharing, because frankly, they’re kind of weird and kind of funny.  Happy Friday!

• You can’t calibrate a rubber band.
• Is Niagara Falls in Canadia? (Yes, that’s supposed to say Canadia)
• My onion hand is distracting me.
• If we’re going to do this, we can’t expect to get the chickens back.
• I have nut breath.
• You don’t realize how much you use your butt until it hurts.
• Do I sound too gross to go on a date with tonight?
• They should create a stroller for adults…Answer: They have that, it’s called a wheel chair.
• I’ll be over here sleeping with my eyes open.

We’re happy to announce the addition of Laura Farnham to our work family. She has joined us as an account executive, working directly with clients like Huntington Learning Center and Mr. Beams, as well as helping on other key accounts. She’ll also be an important part our new business ventures. Laura brings agency, marketing, and graphic design experience, as well as event planning, media buying, and sales skills.

Laura graduated from West Virginia University where she majored in Journalism. She calls herself an “army brat,” and has lived in 7 different states, as well as Germany. Now she lives in Annapolis, where she is obsessed with things like sushi, WVU football, Bravo TV shows, and Pinterest. Bonus fun fact: Laura is almost half Native American – Tuscarora nation of the Iroquios tribe.

Welcome, Laura. We’re excited to work with you in the coming year.

Well, it’s 2012, folks. As we look back on 2011, aka The Year That Whizzed By, some of us at TCA wanted to share our most favoritest ads of the year with you. Spoiler: Google pretty much wins.

Jocelyn Rimbey, Digital Marketing Manager: If you don’t love Darth Vader Kid, you have a cold, cold heart.

Danielle Ali, Social Media Coordinator: I like this spot for the UK retailer John Lewis because it manages to be clever without being snarky, and touching without being cheesy – a big deal for a holiday ad. John Lewis sales were up £600million this holiday season, so I’d say it was a success.

Darren Easton, Vice President & Creative Director: My favorite print ad. Love it when one can dramatize an ad message so well that is based on a simple fact — which usually lends itself to a mundane execution.

Christina Drews-Leonard, Art Director & SEO Strategist: The Google+ Hangout Ad with the Muppets makes you wish more people were actually using this feature…

Tessa Carroll, Account Coordinator: I’m not sure what it is, whether it’s the relevance of the subject matter or the way it’s so eloquently put together, but the Google Chrome “It Gets Better” spot was definitely my favorite commercial of 2011.

Laura Farnham, Account Executive: What does chucking wood really mean? I like this commercial because its literal and makes me laugh every time… I like the little woodchuck hands too.

Anna Forbes, Account Executive: I don’t just love this because it’s a well executed spot that tells a story and made me super emotional. I love it because the “big bad Google,” was able to turn cold technology into the inspiring notion of how the digital world is part of who we are as people.

What was your favorite ad of 2011? Let us know here or on Twitter – there’s still room for honorable mentions!

From our family to yours.