Just another routine day:  the cat and I got up at 0325.  He seemed to be a little slower than usual going down the stairs this morning.  Look who's talking.  I dished up his 1/2 can, small can, of cat food, reheated my coffee in the microwave, creamed and sugared it and went to do a quick status report on FB.  It's now 0400, so it's out to the gym for strength training then back to the house to put on some warmer duds for a 2 mile walk at -3.8 degrees F.  Bracing!  That's all I've got to say about that; bracing.  Twenty minutes now since I returned to the heat of the house and my thighs are still thawing with that tingly feeling you get.
All in all, nothing special.  I am on call tonight.


Photo by Larry E. Walton:  http://www.panoramio.com/photo/18776308

1956: Elvis makes his first TV appearance
A young singer named Elvis Presley made his first television appearance on this day in 1956.  Presley, who would later be dubbed the King of Rock 'n' Roll, sang "Heartbreak Hotel" on the TV musical-variety program, Stage Show.  The song became an instant hit.  Elvis would appear on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town later that year, catapulting Elvis to a hip-shaking cultural phenomenon.

Wordless Wednesday

CRNA Week 2011

Hi, My name is rel, I'm a nurse anesthetist and I'm going to take care of your anesthesia needs today during your surgery.

I've been doing this job of administering anesthesia since 1972, and there has never been a day I didn't look forward to coming to work and doing my job.

In 1999 my professional organization, AANA, put forth the idea of celebrating Nurse anesthetists and picked the last full week of January each year since to bring to public awareness the role we play in the overall scheme of things in operating rooms all over America.  2011 marks the 12th National Nurse Anesthetists Week.


Although we utilize our knowledge and technical skills in every area of medical practice; outpatient clinics, Dr.'s offices, oscopy suites, as well as ICUs, ERs, and regular hospital wards, it's in operating rooms that you are most likely to encounter us.

Even though, in many, if not all rural areas, we, the nurse anesthetist ply our trade independently,  that is to say, without supervision by a physician trained in anesthesiology,  but as with all areas of medicine and surgery today the patients care is a collaborative effort between different health care professionals.  This collaborative effort allows us to evaluate the scenario you present to us and to then devise the plan of anesthesia to give you the best chance for a safe and satisfactory surgery.

Nurse anesthetists have been administering anesthetics for 150 years.  That's a lot of practice, and numerous studies show that we do it with an excellence.  Our record of safety is unmatched.

So if you are greeted by a person who says, hi, I'm a nurse anesthetist and I'm going to care for you today, consider yourself fortunate with the knowledge that you will get the best care you can get.

Sub-Zero days

It was cold here this morning; bone shatteringly cold.  The indoor/outdoor thermometer read minus 13 below zero, but my Droid phone read minus 24 degrees below zero for our village.  I'm inclined to believe my Droid since the area around us for a 50 mile radius had minus 25 to minus 30 readings.

We've suspected in the past that the south east presentation of our house, situated midway down the steep slope to the bay, was a micro climate; we get frost last compared to all other places in the village and the temp in winter is usually warmer than other homes nearby.  Not that minus 13 is warm, but 10 degrees above the neighbors.

Anyway, for all that, we had one night of subzero temps.  Schools were closed so the walkers wouldn't be exposed to these temps, and the buses with diesel engines were not running normally.  Tonight into tomorrow is forcast to be increasingly milder with he addition of a few inches of snow.

Why, in an area tauted for it's winter hardships and the hardiness of it's residents, does a frigid airmass such as this one, lasting one day, make headlines all the way up to the national news?  Well, because mild winters have become the norm over the past 30+ years in this part of the country.  If you are of a certain age and remember the winters of the 20s and 30s, and the mid 60s through the mid 70s, you will remember winters where for 2 weeks straight in January the thermometer never got above 0 during the day and routinely dropped to 20 and 30 below at night.  The river froze solidfor its entire 1 mile width and folks routinely walked and even drove cars across the river between Morristown, NY and Brockville, Ontario, Canada.  In the 20s and 30s there was a daily mail run between these two communities, and a road marked out for walkers.

I remember when in 1975 we moved to the village and the subzero temps were so frigid and lasted so long that the water main on Morris street froze up and the year before I ran for mayor half of Main Street's water main froze.  Septic systems failed due to leach fields freezing.  I was raising chickens and rabbits in an unheated garage without running water and it was imperative for me to change the water containers, for the animals, because they froze so quickly.  It was routine to change the waterers 3 to 4 times a day or more.

The schools didn't close, the buses ran and winter festivals with broom ball on the bay were anticipated recreation activities every February as well as fishing derbies.  Pick-up ice hockey games, on the bay,  were as common as pick-up baseball games in the park in the summer.   There were sleigh rides on real snow with real horse drawn sleighs and hot chocolate in old one room school houses heated with a pot bellied wood stove.  Yes that was in the 1970s.  We weren't cowed by the weather but rather found ways to make it our own and enjoy it.  There was a, some would say perverse, pride in facing the  hardships of winter and prevailing over them if not outright embracing them.

Who among us, who survived Ice Storm '98,  think one day of suzero weather is a major news story.

But for the last 35 years, winters, overall, here have become milder and milder and we've become soft and so when we get one day of subzero temps it takes on the news worthiness of a weather catastrophe.

Get over it!

Magpie # 49

photo provided by Tess Kincaide

There  were three girls from Menlo
Who went skating at thirty below,
With multiple layers and long wooly hose.
Perfectly coiffed, faces touched with a rose;
Impishly waiting for Larry, Curly, and Moe.

Colonoscopy

Last night's supper and this morning's breakfast.

Tastes like Lemoncello with salt, too much salt, added to it.  And the after effects are much different.

 For the second time in, oh, let's say 7 or 8 years, I'm going to have a colonoscopy procedure.  I'm not keen on this, but  I don't have any major trepidation concerning this event either.  It's just that I don't enjoy invasive medical procedures.  The only reason I'm subjecting myself to this for a second time, (the first was normal) is because of a family history of GI cancers.  Granted these occurred mostly a generation removed, however, my uncle (father's brother) did die from colon cancer. So a distasteful prep and a embarrassing procedure are really a small price to pay for early detection and peace of mind.  My paternal grandfather and a 12 year old uncle succumbed to stomach cancer.

I'll get to sample some of my own wares.  Propofol (yup, the Micheal Jackson drug) is my stock and trade.  I remember waking up after my first experience with it and it was actually quite pleasant; a miniature euphoria, if you will.

The common advice from the medical community is to have your first colonoscopy screen at age fifty and perhaps sooner if there is a strong family history.  I didn't have my first until I was 56 or 57, I've forgotten exactly, but a little story will give a glimpse into the ir-rational thinking that is fairly common.  Well at least for me.

One of my co-workers at my last place of employment is the same age as me and at age fifty, at his physicians prodding, he had his first colonoscopy.  I'm just 2 months older than this fellow so a few days after his procedure he asked me when I was going to have mine.  I said: "we're the same age, grew up in the same town, went to the same high school together, ate similar diets, dated the same girls (although not at the same time), and work in the same profession at the same hospital, it seems to me that since yours was normal it stands to reason mine would be too, so why have it done ?"

He repeated at 55 and it being normal I proffered the same argument.  But as my 58th birthday approached I decided a less cavalier thought process should take over and went ahead and had the procedure performed and when it showed a normal result.  I, of course, said to my friend; see I told you so.

Why was closing in on 58 so important in my decision?  My dad was 58 when he died of a heart attack, his brother was 58 when he died of bowel cancer, his dad was 58 when he died of stomach cancer.  Enough said.

The neighbors dog started barking at 0030.

He's still barking now at 0500!

Incessant.......

Rude!

Having been on call last night, I left work as early as was practical relative to the need.  Noon or there-abouts I exited the hospital to a greeting of freezing drizzle.  Resigning myself to a longer than usual trek home, off I set.  Once out on the highway, the windshield began freezing over as the defrost was not up to speed yet.  The road was bare but beginning to slush up.  Soon enough, and with the assistance of the windshield washer fluid, I was trucking along at between 50 and 55 mph.

"Not as bad as I thought," thought I.

In short order the line of traffic was getting slower and slower and soon I caught sight, up ahead, of one of those wide load rigs transporting those towering windmill bases.  There were no cowboys in this long snaking line and the road was becoming more and more slush covered so we were all constrained to our relative positions in the trail of vehicles.  Thirty was the top speed attained ever and as such left more opportunity to peruse the road side.

A red fox trotted across the highway .  Broad daylight and there it was as nonchalant as could be traveling through and by the populated roadside and homes there-on , probably on it's way to the near-by river for food and drink.

This act set me to thinking along that train of thought so common to us as we get older; "the times they are a changin'"   When I was growing up here in the rural back country of northern NY along the Canadian border I spent a majority of my waking hours out of doors.  And while much of those hours were spent in the urbanity of our small city, population 13,000, there were plenty of occasions to wander off into the nearby wilderness areas, stone quarries and farms.  My growing up years were not devoid of wild life observations.  On more than one occasion I'd come across a porcupine, a skunk or two, and garter snakes.  That was about it unless you count fish.

Now the area has not become less rural, more so perhaps, but in the last 20 years, my exposure to a more varied assortment of wildlife has multiplied: deer in my yard within the village, opossum, fox, skunk, raccoon, bats, birds of every variety; hawks, eagles and turkey vultures as well as spotted adders and assorted rabbits and grouse, even, most recently a black bear.  All in our village yards.  It seems, thus, that wildlife is greatly more prevalent in populated areas now than in the past century when I was a lad.

 The weekend was perfect.
We left the 'burg in the 9 seat twin prop sardine can nearing sunset.  The ride was smooth as silk.

50 minutes after take off, we sighted  Vangogh's Albany municipal airport and landed as lightly as a mosquito on an arm. 

Michelle and Josh were waiting for us and after picking up Di's bag we motored a short ride to the Koto Japanese restaurant for a dinner prepared expertly at the Hitachi bar.  We were an hour early for our reservation,but they had openings for us then so we were seated right away with 5 other folks.  

the entertaining chef served us as quick as a flitting butterfly and everything was delicious, especially the fried rice: sublime. 

Diane and 'chelle had pomatinis and said they were devine. 

The next morning dawned bright and frigid.  While Josh warmed up the chariot for our trip to Home Depot, I shot some pics of the new house.  The place is nicely laid out; warm and inviting and the house is situated in a postcard looking neighborhood.  We spent a portion of the day hanging wall decorations; mostly pictures, paintings etc.

 Our niece, Jessica, who lives nearby came to join us for dinner and after I introduced her to Lemoncello, she decide to spend the night in the other guest bedroom.

Breakfast the next morning was sorely needed by all to off set the logy feeling produced by a combination of wine, sambucca, and lemoncello.

The flight home was a little bumpier but for the hour it took, not bad.  We had to double up passengers from the Massena flight since they were short a plane so the flight was full.  So full, that Di rode in the co-pilot's seat.

 Our daughter and son-in-law live a four hour drive from us.  Although, recently, my wife has discovered that she can fly round trip inexpensively and the trip is less than an hour one way.
The newly weds have purchased and closed on their first home and want to show it off to us, well to me, my wife saw it when they were first looking at it.  And they'd like some help moving in.

It was decided that we'd fly rather than drive, it being winter and all.  Now, I don't enjoy airplanes on the best of occasions but I'm less impressed by these "puddle jumpers."  I've been over-ruled; what's new?  In 2 hours, give or take, I'll be taking the 50 minute kite flight to Albany; wish me luck ;)

We arrive at five and then straight to the Japanese Steakhouse for a Saki resuscitation.  Fortification for tomorrow's moving enterprise.

Magpie 48

Two days ago I extended birthday wishes to Amy, a facebook friend.  Amy was my locum manager for my assignment in Syracuse.  Today she answered me: Amy Hoffer: "Thanks Bob....how's the job?"

As *Cab Calloway sang; "I love to singa......."

I too am an inveterate songster, breaking out in song at the slightest provocation, anytime anywhere.  No matter what quip or comment anyone makes in the course of normal conversation I can come out with a song lyric using those words.  Not a conjured up song, but the lyrics to well known songs.

So.  As I was contemplating how to answer Amy, I thought to myself; how do I feel about my new job and immediately this Al Jolson tune popped to the forefront of my consciousness:

 I'm sitting on top of the world,

Just rolling along

Just rolling along

I'm quitting the blues of the world

Just singing a song
Just singing a song
Glory hallelujah,...........

♫                             
    * I love to sing-a

About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a,

I love to sing-a,
About a sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a,
Anything-a with a swing-a to an "I love you-a,"
I love to, I love to sing!

Give me a song-a
About a son-a gun that went and done her wrong-a.
But keep it clean-a,
With a cottage small-a by a waterfall-a,
Any sob-a that will throb-a to a bluebird's call-a,

I love, I love to sing!

I was born a singin' fool-a,
Lah-de-dah!
Ol' Major Bowes is gonna spot me,
Got through Yale with boula-boula,
Lah-de-dah!
Old microphone's got me!

I love to sing-a,
I love to wake up with the south-a in my mouth-a,
And wave a flag-a,
With a cheer for Uncle Sammy and another for my mammy,
I love to sing!

The swingin'est,
Hot singin'est,
Bell-ringin'est,
Song singin'est
High tootin'est,

Sky tootin'est,

I love to sing!
♫

Oh and since Willow tells us the photo prompt is of old french sheet music, how about:

"

♫♪

"To Francewere returning two grenadiers,

Their Russian captivity leaving...."

 

from a solo I sang to the tune of the Marseillaise in my junior year of high school.

Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods.
He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes.
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends.
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He come down again.



'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.

Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.



Get back, John!

Egg Head's cousin Red Neck's cussin' hippies for their hair.
Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares.
Some folks hate the whites who hate the blacks who hate the clan.
Most of us hate anything that we don't understand.
'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.

Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.

Kris Kristofferson.

One of my numerous calenders for the new year is "This Day in History."
Today's item reminded me of my dad, who, among other things was a gifted singer with an impeccable ear for music; he taught himself to play the trumpet, (Coronet).  He was a regular in the local minstrel shows and musicals.  Growing up in my house was like living with Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett.  Which is why today many of my favorite songs were first heard when sung by dad.  Dean Martin was and is the singer I try to emulate when ever I belt out a song, which is quite often.

In 1928 my dad was 8 years old.  That was the year on this day, the 11th of January,that Bing Crosby recorded "Ol' Man River."

Bing Crosby, one of the most celebrated crooners of all time, recorded the hit song "Ol' Man River" from the musical Showboat with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra .

I have a record in my collection of my father singing "Ol' Man River."  Dad was probably in his late twenties or early thirties then.

Personally I think he did a better job than Bing. ;)

 Handbook 2011

Over the week end, while on call and living at the frat house, my wife emailed me a fwd'd fwd titled; Handbook 2001.  The 39 thoughts and ideas there-in, to me, were cogent and well worth sharing.

Previous posts have mentioned my googlistic addictions and so, wondering where said handbook originated, I did a Google search and low-and-behold; Handbook 2011 is the Catch-Phrase of the new year.  Well it's the catch-phrase for the moment.

To be Cliche, everybody and their brother has a handbook 2011: There's a handbook 2011 for radio communications, college scholarships, an Army weapon systems handbook, and a Federal Civil Rules handbook.  Well as you might guess, there is a 2011 handbook for everything; I couldn't find one for nose picking so perhaps I'll pen one and finally become a published author.

All kidding aside, I think the list worth sharing, and that's saying something, 'cause just like you I get tons of emails that request I forward it along to my friends and usually hit the delete button.  This one I think is worth sharing:

HANDBOOK 2011

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2010
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Last but not the least:


40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about, I just did

 What do you write about when you have nothing to say?

Okay!  That was easy.

Well I mean, you know what I mean, I mean; I've always got something to say, but what do you write when your mind is blah and nothing creative, cute, exciting, clever, or informative jumps to the surface?

It's only 8 days into the new year, the first year in an eon where I made a resolution; one crappy resolution: write something on the blog everyday, and here I am in the waning hours of the day thinking; I got nothin' boss, nothin'.
Hi, my name is rel and I'm a googaholic.  I go to google 100s of times a day.  So I went to Google and asked the question you see as the title of this post.  What did I learn?  Why, surprise, surprise, surprise, I learned that when you have nothing to write about, write.  Write about a news headline, a current event, what you did today, what you're going to do tomorrow.

Politics is always good if you like controversy and you can count on controversy if you express an opinion about politics. Today a United States Congresswoman from Arizona was shot.  Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head along with other aides and people who may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I am appalled to put it mildly.  I don't know the shooter's politics nor his motives, but there is plenty of speculation to go around.  Was this heinous act  in fact politically motivated, that is to say, did the shooter feel the congresswoman to blame for something he thought was wrong and  decide to punish her by taking her life.  WE, collectively, are too quick to point the finger of blame, but in fact it's become common place.  And even now folks are pointing the finger of blame to explain why or partly why the shooter was motivated to target this congresswoman.  That's all I've got yo say about that except this adage passed down from adults to children since the beginning of time:  When you point the finger of blame, just remember, there are three fingers pointing back at yourself.

If my brother was over here visitn', we'd have plenty to talk about.  We never sit around staring at each other, thinking; I got nothing to say.

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr., and I went to different schools together.
Known by many as John Denver; (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997)
This morning, while doing my exercises, I put an LP album of his greatest hits on my Victrola.  Listening to songs that have long been favorites of mine and listened to 100s of times, I reflected on the life of such a talented human being and his early demise:

What dreams and goals of his went unrealized because he died when he did?

 The "news" like sports draws only as much interest as it relates to the direct impact on our lives; our comfort zone/income.

Say what?

Through-out their growing up years, my, now adult, children played various sports.  I attended a fair number of their contests and came to the realization that the umpires/referee's decisions were  accurate only if made in favor of my kid's teams.  Amazingly, during some tournament action I would be watching two teams play that one of which was not ours;  the level of referee accurateness improved greatly!

So it is with the news.  I try to stay abreast of current events by reading at least one but often 2 or three newspapers everyday.  In addition I, most evenings,  watch a network news program, and on occasion watch CNN and Fox.  Unfortunately, they tend to raise my level of cynicism and reinforce my beliefs that humanoids are incapable of learning from the past and therefore are doomed to repeat, endlessly, the same faux pas 'til the end of their time.

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience."

- George Bernard Shaw

In any event, I try to take a view of detached interest to the news unless, however, it threatens to disrupt my status quo.

Now you want to know what incident in the news has upset my apple-cart enough to write something about it.
Sorry, just reflecting on my disinterest in most headlines today.

Magpie # 47

AKIMBO

His thoughts akimbo

Intertwined;

Reality, imagination.

Unwilling to disengage

What's real

The phone rang, I'd only been up for a few minutes.
"Rel, pick-up, it's Gloria."

Gloria, currently the town historian, and I go way back; she was a village trustee when I was mayor and we both served more than one term on the on the Historical Society under Lorraine's directorship..  She's 87 going on 60.  Full of wit and wisdom and dedicated to keeping our town on the map.

She called because she wanted to meet me at the village windmill to take some pictures for possible postcards.  It being 1630 or there-abouts, I knew I'd better hurry or we'd be taking night shots.

We received 3-4" of fresh fluffy snow this afternoon while I was catching up on my sleep after working all night, and so hadn't eye balled the picturesque landscape outside our door.  Gloria had and decided that it was as good a time as any to get some pics of the windmill in it Christmas finery,  Although the lights don't show up too brightly they are visible.

© Postcard published by R.E. LaRock Photographic service

Photographs by R.E. LaRock
STONE WINDMILL located in Chapman Village Park, Morristown, N.Y.. Built in 1825 by Scottish millwright, Hugh McConnell. Never completed because of his drowning in 1826. The stone building has been used as a jail and a WWII air warning post. Currently listed on the National Register.

Many moons ago, on a crisp early fall morning I captured a picture of our landmark windmill on film,and had a postcard produced.  Since that time, Gloria spear headed a fund raiser, for maintenance of the windmill, where in folks could buy a slat on the soon to be erected facsimile wind vanes.

Gloria thinks it's time to update our cache of village photos and get some new postcards; much easier in today's digital age. 

It's cold again, the outside temps and the coffee.  I like cold coffee, in fact I sip a cup throughout the day so most of it is drunk cold.

We had a mini thaw over the New Year weekend.  all the snow melted.  Today we start winter all over again; just like some New Year resolutions.

Me, I like the change of seasons, and the changes within the seasons; keeps complacency at bay, keeps your mind agile, ready for whatever the new day throws at ya.

Yup it's cold again:  YIPPEE!

 Here we are again: Christmas is done, at least the Santa part is done.  New Years Eve and recovery day are over and we are well on our way to 2012.  Yup, it'll be here before ya know it.  Time to clean up, pack Christmas away and drag everything up to the attic. We'll hold off 'til Thursday, three kings day, before we disassemble the Nativity scene and pack those pieces up to the top most level of the house.

You think I'm kidding about 2012, but how many of you went out the Monday after Christmas to buy discount wrapping paper, ribbon, stickers and decorations for next year at those ridiculously low clearance sales?

We, I say we, but actually Di. does the lions share of the decorating, and this year because we weren't going to be in-house this year most of the decorations stayed in the attic.  My job is to retrieve and replace the boxes to and from the attic (there are no stairs up to the attic), can you say: chin-ups!, at the beginning and end of the season.  Oh, and I get to put out the feed bags for the rodents who think the attic is their private inn with all the comforts there-in provided.  They never complain about the fare so I just keep given it out.  I know, I know, but I'm just a charitable sort of guy.  Some years, most, I put the lights on the tree and play the Christmas Cd's.  I'm real good at stealing peanuts from the home-made peanut brittle while it's cooling, and I can snatch an unfrosted sugar cookie off the tray afore ye can say Jack Robinson.  Ginger bread boys don't stand a chance; I've pilfered them under dark of night from the freezer.  See there?  I do my part.

Onward and upward; got plenty to do before next Christmas; weekend after next we'll take a kite flight to Albany to assist our daughter and her husband move into the new home they just closed on last week or so ago.

Then it's the firemen's banquet at the end of the month, then Michelle's birthday, then Valentines day Then oh darn I've got to quit blogging so I can get ready for next year, it'll be here before you know it.

An off the cuff New Year's Day post

 Another Saturday,  Gee, can you believe it?  These Saturdays sure come around awfully fast these days.  Not as fast as Mondays, certainly, but fast enough.

Sort of like January firsts; they come around pretty fast too.  Every once in awhile though they pop up with a curiosity that makes then stand out a little from the run of the mill New Year's Days.  This year is a case in point: 1-1-11.  4 1s, people, some people, I not being one of them, will take particular note of this numerical curiosity and try to attach some kind of significance or prophecy to it.  For me it's just a cool novelty.  Then again, I was never very good in math.  But the reason for that is that I was programed at an early age to believe that my numerating inability was a genetic deficiency passed down through generations of math dolts.  I now want to let you know that genetic short-comings can be over come.

New Year"s Day is a novelty in and of itself every year.  It acknowledges the passing of time; another 4 seasons have come and gone and more than that, it gives us an excuse to renew our determination to make a better life for ourselves.  Most frequently these thoughts of renewal and change are termed "resolutions", New Year's resolutions to be exact.  They are designed to let us present an aura of mindful behavioral changes.  We'll eat less and exercise more.  We'll read more, write more, argue less, smile more, go to church more often, watch less TV, stop using tobacco, and go on the wagon.  We make these promises to ourselves knowing, in the back of our mind, that come February, March at the latest,we'll fall back into our old habits and wait 'til next New Years to try again.

Would it be better, lets say, that every Monday, we'll renew our resolutions. Make the list small, reasonable and doable and by renewing our pledge every week, come next January first we will have something to celebrate rather than something to resolve.

Another thing that some folks do is to look back over the past year to recall just what they did do/accomplish and a few will even write them down in their blog/journal and say Gee, it was a pretty good year all in all, or say, man next year has got to be better than this past year.  Certainly the dark cloud that hovered over me will pass on this coming year.

Keeping a blog is one way to be able to review the year, especially if one has been faithful to keeping it up.  For those like me it's imperative, 'cause I forget from day to day what I've done let alone what I did 2 months ago.  So this year When I looked back over 2010's blog entries, I was chagrined to see so many empty days: I guess I didn't do much last year.  Well, I know that's not true.  How? Well I just have a feeling in my bones.  Some might call that arthritis, but I prefer to think it's a sign that I did do some thing last year.

This year I'm resolved to make an entry every day for the year.  And on veterans day this year: 11-11-11 I'll mark my progress, if only for novelty sake.

An off the cuff New Year's Day post