phyncke

So it is here - 2021. The longest year of our lives is finally over. Am I right? Did 2020 seem to go on forever? Time seemed to stretch a bit and just stopped at certain moments. I think time was playing with us there really. Well finally it is a new year so let's see what this one has in store. Let's get this going!

Today, I did stuff around here. I went for a good long walk first thing - started that out right. The walks are starting to feel good. The first part is a long incline so I get the body pumping and really work it. So I like the challenge of that. The whole round trip walk is about 3 miles so that is a good stretch. It takes me about an hour to do. Not too bad. Today I ran into some succulents on the route. There are some great gardens here in Berkeley, CA so I took a picture of some pretty succulents I saw today. Love these.



And then I came home - cooked a nice breakfast of pancakes and turkey bacon and then got to work on some of my own plants. I have some that I have been meaning to repot for a while so got that done today. A couple of succulents and a fern. I love how they look when they are finally in their new pot. Just so happy. Here is a pic of those. Yay!



So I am doing good today. Getting things done. I really like new year's with all its hope and promise and newness. A shiny new year - let's just see how it goes. I have noticed people are pretty optimistic on social media and things are looking better on there. I do think it will take a while for the pandemic to clear up here in the United States and they need to get on it with the vaccine distribution so we have some things to get going on - but hey - at least we have the vaccine and a new administration to get it out there. I am looking forward to the return of some competency to our government. That will take a while too - so patience will be important.

Anyhoo. Happy New Year to you and hope you are feeling the optimism.

I am getting excited. I am not sure why since there is absolutely nothing to do for New Year's and I never go out for it anyway. I will be staying in and sitting on the couch in my jammies. That is about what I do every night so no big deal. I have lots to watch. I got a ticket to this comedy show - this guy from the East Coast - Bob Marley. He is super funny - he is streaming a comedy show tomorrow night - so I will watch that and call it a night. I never stay up until midnight anyway. I am usually asleep by 10pm. Ho hum. I am excited to put this year to bed and move on to 2021.

I think the beginning of next year is not going to be much better than this year - we have to punt Trump out of the White House and get Biden going on his Presidency. I think a lot of stuff is going to come out about Trump's Presidency when Biden takes over - and we will figure out that Trump was worse than we ever imagined. So I am preparing for those revelations. I mean it is bad now - but just wait and see what happens when competent people start running things again - what will they uncover? Better prepare for that - it won't be pretty.

So today's happening in Congress was not good - Mitch McConnell blocked the additional $2k for the people proving that he cares more about the wealthy and corporations than the average citizen. On the brighter side - things are looking up in Georgia and we might win those Senate seats for the Democrats and Mitch might end up being irrelevant soon. I really hope that happens. The Democrats need the majority in the Senate. Polls are looking good but those are unreliable. So really it is too soon to tell so I am just wishful thinking here.

I took a walk on Piedmont Avenue with my friend J*** and we went on got our favorite burgers at True Burger in Oakland. Delicious. For me the pandemic has been all about the food and this burger really hits it. I also bought some Christmas ornaments at half price. I had been wanting them before Christmas and got them for a steal. Happy about that. Snowflake designed ones made out of paper - very elaborate and very pretty. Put them right on my tree. I am leaving my tree up until after New Year's this year so I can still enjoy it.

Look at me with this long post - I thought I did not have anything to say today. I am sure going on and on. I got no writing done on the story but tomorrow is another day. I did organize all my papers today so got that done. Go me!

Hope you are well whereever you are. Stay safe and healthy. Love to you!

Thank you to elflover59 for the beautiful holiday card. That got here today.

I spent hours this afternoon trying to set up Parallels 7 on my new Mac Pro. This software will allow me to set up a windows environment on that machine. I am doing this so I don't have to purchase expensive software for it and so I can run all my graphics designing programs. Anyways...I got stumped on a password and could not get Windows to transfer to the new machine. Buggaboo! I have no idea what that password is or how to change it to one that I do know. I have a call in to my friend who knows such things and will see how I do tomorrow. This gave me a major headache. Argh.

Hope all is well with you. Things are shaping up for new years and the mellow plan. I have an afternoon party here at my house and an evening plan. Unusual for me as I usually don't have anything to do that night and tend to be more contemplative. I have plans on New Years to go out for a buffet lunch too. Yummeh.

I have started reading the original Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes stories and those are really good. Those were a recent (and reasonable) purchase at the bookstore.

Hope all is well with you and your day was less frustrating than mine. :)

Cheers and to all a good night!

I love the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne and upon closer inspection there are a few versions to this song. Here is the English translation and the link to the Wiki article on this song. As always there is more to something than meets the eye...the original words were by a Scots poet Robert Burns and set to a folk tune.

Link to wiki info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne


Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and days of old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since days of auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS


A fine and happy New Year to all. Ringing out 2010 and in with 2011. I am happy to count you all as friends. Be well, safe and happy.

*hums* oh the weather outside is frightful!

Personally, I find snowfall stunningly beautiful. It has been snowing since last night and if you are in the US and following the news -- all the airports are closed on the East Coast... Manchester, NH (MHT) closed for a little while today but is opening up again this afternoon and flights will start going out. It take a lot to keep the NH folks down. This is a lot of snow, a foot in some places, 18 inches in others. The snow plows have come around about three times and this town is good at snow removal, I tell you.

We will see if I get out tomorrow. I do expect delays but I am thinking I might make it. They have a night shift and will work around the clock on those runways. MHT is a gutsy little airport and better than most. I fly through Vegas and don't expect problems there.

Fun has been had with the family and we even watched ROTK last night. I had to explain everything to my mom with limited success there. She did not really fathom the awesomeness of the Tolkien thing. LOL. Anyhoo.

I hope all of you are well and in recovery from the holidays. On to New Year's...I have no idea what I am doing for that. I am in the mood to stay in this year and sip Baileys. Maybe I will do that. Woot.

Just a little update from the Noreaster here. Cheers.

So on the way to Washington, I bought an issue of Real Simple magazine. It had a lot of things that I really liked in it but one of its new year's things to ponder was the very simple question to answer:


What will you do differently in 2010?


So I throw this out to the friends list and if you want to re-post and consider this as a New Year's meme, that would be kind of fun. I will do my answer's behind the cut. I have been thinking and considering things and this is a little bit of a turn on the resolutions. It is a bit different as resolutions are something you end up breaking and this way of looking at things is a bit more transformative...

So positivity for 2010, here we go!

( What I will do differently in 2010... )

This is my evolving list and I hope that you will decide to share yours on list.

So I was not going to post again but this was too good a meme to pass up. Forget who had it. It was a comment on someone's journal. It is getting earlier and earlier in the morning here so I may have to head to bed soon. I had coffee at 12:30 am and was drinking Pepsi for an hour before that so I am sober and WIRED. Zing!

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Read the manual. Get your resolution here.

He he he. That is so me. I need to do that. I really do.

Have a good New Year's Day everyone. I am making a nice breakfast and going to buy smutty books if the bookstore is open. La la la.