New Year's Eve 2012

Random thoughts as 2012 has but hours to go on the East Coast of the United States...

• Goodbye and good riddance.  This has not been one of my favorite years, with burglary, death, and generally depressing things far too commonplace.
• On the other hand, I am enjoying the new job I got, officially, last January.  And...let's see, there should be something else good here...  (Editor, please add something warm and cheery here...thanks!)
• In 2013 we have a Disney Cruise to look forward to.  I've already got seven books piled up on my reading table, ready to go with us.  I plan to sit.  Yes, I will explore places I've never seen before, but I also plan to just...ahhh...
• Last night we were up late; tonight we're up late; by 6:45am Wednesday the boy needs to be rested and out the door for school to resume.  Who came up with this schedule?
• The older I get, the less New Year's means to me.  Or, perhaps more accurately, the more melancholy I get about the whole turning-the-calendar exercise.  As Lou commented recently, each year it's getting harder and harder to pretend I still have half my life or more in front of me.
• Who had the idea to make shrimp a part of New Year's Eve?  Is it because they used to be so fancy and decadent?  On the same rant: why did the Pennsylvania Dutch decide it had to be pork served on New Year's Day?  Apart from some bacon at breakfast tomorrow I don't plan a giant pork menu.
• Say what you will, I still miss Pat Summerall calling the Cotton Bowl games...that was always something that meant "New Year's" to me.  Somehow I don't miss Dick Clark quite the same.  Guess if I were part of the "Bandstand" generation it might have meant more.

Whatever 2013 holds, may it be a better and brighter year for us all, and may God preserve us all until we can bid it farewell also.