New Year's Eve, 2013

It is less than an hour away from the beginning of 2014.

2013 has been a really interesting year, for many reasons.

Phyllis and I are a year older, and neither of us likes that fact all that much.

Like many others, we have been affected by births, marriages, and deaths (in no particular order of precedence.)  We have acquired a new son-in-law with whom we are well pleased. We have experienced highs and lows, and on balance the highs won out!

I am going to try very hard to avoid political polemic here - there's plenty of time for that, and there have not been any significant changes in the political environment since 2012 ended.

Phyllis and I still work and I find that I am not ready to retire any time soon,  I still enjoy what I do, and although there has been upheaval where I work, the future looks interesting, and there are things coming of which I would like to be a part.  Also, I have a motorcycle that would like to get paid off, and several ongoing computer projects that need funded and finished.

Commuting has been a bigger PITA in 2013 than it was in 2012 - the traffic is worse, and the drivers seem to be less interested in smoothing the flow and more interested in getting in front of me no matter who gets endangered in the process.  Still, I had a lot of days that I could ride my mototrcycle, so it wasn't totally unpleasant.

I managed to drop my big motorcycle on my right leg and break it, which upset me greatly and did nothing for my normally placid demeanor - and while I was off with the leg broken an ulcer that I never knew I had perforated, giving me the opportunity to meet a particularly fine bariatric surgeon who repaired the hole in my gut without opening it up all that much, although he also restricted my diet, my coffee intake and a couple of other things I hope will get undone sometime in the near future.  The leg has healed, my wife did not require that I get rid of any motorcycle, although she did suggest I get one not quite so heavy if I was going to continue to ride.  So I bought a rather nice Moto Guzzi 1100, and retired the Suzuki 1500 with the intent of selling it when biking weather returns. As far as I can tell, there's no problem in my gut (although I have to have it scoped before the surgeon will tell me that I'm good to go.)

We have had a family mending - the father of one of my grandchildren married the mother of that grandchild yielding a complete family, and Phyllis and I are well pleased with this outcome - the new son-in-law is a Good Person - a hard worker who loves his wife and son, and will do well by them.  We are proud of all of them.

I was privileged to travel to Las Vegas to attend the wedding of the child of one of my favorite cousins - and to spend time with many of our West Coast relatives, with whom we do not get to gather as often as we might wish.  A great time was had by all, although I learned that Las Vegas is not a really great place for me personally, since my knees are not all I could wish,  and while on a map Las Vegas looks small, the actual fact is that I have lived in towns smaller than Caesar's Palace - and it is possible to walk for 40 minutes inside Caesar's Palace and never see the outside.

I have been to Las Vegas before - 40 years ago, in 1973.  It has changed.

But it was interesting, and I did get to meet someone I have 'known' for several years but never actually met - and it proved to be a fun day and evening, and well worth the time - and these folks supplied me with a unique pleasure I have never had before - I got to view a movie from the Owner's Box - really a great way to go!

I have no resolutions for 2014.  It will be interesting, exciting, and probably at times maddening, but we'll get through it and in another year I'll sit here in this same place, waiting for the ball to drop and wondering if I am making sense.

Many people have influenced me, helped me, lectured me, delayed me and otherwise affected me on the way to this evening, and I am thankful for all of them, for they are all now a part of who and what I am.

I am particularly thankful for my patient and loving wife and kids, my extended family of so many cousins that have been there for all the years I have lived, as well as the friends throughout the years who have helped me to be who I am.  A special thank you to some special ladies who have been part of my life over the years - my world would have been a far poorer place without you.

2014 is here, 2013 is gone - Happy New Year, all who read this - and all who do not read this.

Life is a great place to be.