What Happened...?

What happened to respect?

What happened to decency?

What happened to honor?

What happened to tolerance? 

What happened to democracy, and the office of the President?

What the hell has happened to us?

Happy New Year 2021

The consensus seems to be good riddance to 2020 and that 2021 will be much better.  It's a nice thought, but I think it will be more of the same until we can get a majority of people vaccinated and work through the details of getting back to some sort of normality.  Going back to the office, dining out, having drinks at the bar and gathering with friends and family will likely not return to any semblance of normal until late in the year, or possibly 2022, I fear.

More important is that there is now actual hope for a vaccinated end to this pandemic.  Hang on to that, encourage it, do your part when called upon and let's work toward that future and it will come to be.  I believe that because I have to.  How about you? 

Happy New Year to you all.  The ones I read, the ones I love, all my friends and all of you who take the time to read me.  Whether you comment or not, I can see you're there.  Thank you.

Snowy Firepit

Yesterday morning Google Photos reminded me that indeed I did have a firepit after Christmas on that date last year, but for some reason I never posted about it.  So I checked the weather and the winds were light and the temperatures moderate (just above freezing) but there was snow that would be starting later in the afternoon.  Never mind the snow, I was going for it and having a fire!

I'm glad I did as it was actually pretty ideal outside for a late season fire.  After a couple hours the snow came, so I let the fire die down as I stood around it, poking at it now and again, sometimes while listening to music.  I had to take my chair inside the garage as the snow was getting it wet.  It was so very peaceful getting snowed on and watching the flames.

The snow was sticking to the ground by the time I went in, and we got about 2 inches over the next few hours to blanket everything once again.  But this is nothing, really.  We already have a Winter Storm Warning for Tuesday/Wednesday that they say to expect 6-8 more inches, but we'll see.

Below is a one minute video from yesterday afternoon, link here for email readers.  Get comfortable, take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then watch the video and maybe you'll feel some of the peace I felt while out there yesterday.  Here's sending some peace your way.

Merry Christmas 2020

Yes, it's been a bad year.  Lockdowns, masks, sickness and death.  But we made it this far and there is hope with the new vaccines, but that doesn't help us yet this holiday season.  A basketball game on TV and a Zoom call with immediate family is pretty much all we have planned today.  My wife will see her dad, but that's not unusual as she's pretty much his full time caretaker these days.  Almost all our snow has melted so it's not even a white Christmas this year.  But we must to try to stay positive, and I do have hope for a vaccinated future.  It will take time and there will be more challenges yet, but we'll get there.

Wherever you are, I hope you're making the best of things today.  Merry Christmas, everyone.