Wednesday, January 1, 2020

And so we start...





"So Happy New Year to all folks! I hope you did not might a wee bit of tongue in cheek this morning. I made a resolution to not do as much of that in 2020, but I guess I broke that resolution also!" 


The new year is barely a few hours old now, and already stuff is happening. Minneapolis has it's first homicide (look out Chicago - here we come!) We have an international incident brewing in Iraq with our arch enemies, the Iranians. Maybe we should give the Iranians some more money - could that mollify them?

The Gophers are going to be in very unfamiliar territory today, when we play a "bowl experienced" Auburn team at the Outback Bowl. And on Sunday, our "one and done" playoff Vikings, travel down to the Big Easy to take on one of the classiest and most proficient quarterbacks in the NFL - Drew Brees. And if we do make it out of NO with a win, the road ahead gets even choppier.

Social Security checks will be pennies larger due to another parsimonious cost of living adjustment. Most seniors just shrug their shoulders at this extra money. One said it was smaller than fly poop in the pepper - whatever that means. On the plus side however, the DOD got a much deserved increase to make up for years of nothingness they received in past fiscal years. This President said this will not be an orphan type of raise - he wants to see many more of them. Most who have had to live on a service level paycheck, agree with the President.

One of the questions which I keep hear coming up, is will this be the year our "cold" civil war becomes hotter? I see two flash points. The first of course, is this sham impeachment. There are literally millions of Trump supporters who will NOT allow this President to get railroaded out of town. You can fill in the blanks on that one. The other of course, is what is happening in Virginia. This is a classic case of Constitution versus a power grab. Will the local sheriffs obey the unlawful commands of the Governor, or the Constitution which they swore to uphold? No matter how this one plays out, it will be one for the history books.

The ball has dropped, sloppy kisses exchanged, and some brand new resolutions already broken. The cheap campaign has been chugged at midnight, and tons of seafood has been consumed during New Year's Eve dinners. Many of the male species (and some female), will plop their hungover bodies on sofas in front of TV sets today, to watch hours of college football, many of the teams they know nothing about. Then in a few hours, comes tomorrow. And what will the morrow bring?

Many for those who are still working, back to work. For those who want to use some vacation time to spend more time with the family, the party goes on. Outside, the landscape is white and frozen, and the prospect of three or four more months of living in this freezer, is about enough to confine most of us to bed rest. The good news? Just when it looks like the ground is ready to thaw in mid April, our confiscatory taxes are due. Oh, joy.

Some people from this frozen waste land are either snow birds, or are about to become some. Texas, Arizona, Florida, and yes, even California - are all looking pretty darn good right now. Those who decide to tough it out, will snowmobile, ski, snowshoe, or play indoor parlor games. Catching up on reading is also a good option. 

One final thing. Those of us up in this climate who love the 23.5 degree tilt the Earth gives us in June and July - now is the time to pay the piper. This is the ying to the yang. Short cold days, and long colder nights. But be of good cheer folks. The days are starting to get longer again (barely), and in a few months, we will be thinking there is no place like home. 

So Happy New Year to all folks! I hope you did not might a wee bit of tongue in cheek this morning. I made a resolution to not do as much of that in 2020, but I guess I broke that resolution also! 


No comments:

Post a Comment