Took a bit of a break for the holidays, and now I’m getting into the groove of the new year.

2010. It’s a mathematically agreeable number, the first two digits being evenly divisible by the second two. It’s also a symbolically strong one—it comprises the iconic number “10,” and marks the beginning of the still-relatively-new millennium’s second decade.

But how do you say it? Two thousand ten? Twenty-ten? Results of an informal poll of friends and family indicate the latter is preferred by most. And while I agree it is shorter and snappier, I find myself saying “two thousand ten” more often than not. (Yet still writing 2009 on checks. Go figure.) As the year goes on, I’ll probably jump on the quicker, hipper, “twenty-ten” bandwagon. But for now, I like the lingering, slow cadence of “two thousand ten.” It adds length to a year I know is going to fly by.