Happy New Year!

 And here we go...the end of 2020...mere hours left in this horrific year as I type. I still look back (and even into the near future) and can hardly believe the utter MADNESS of it. And then to top it all off, we just lost Dawn Wells! I mean, can things get ANY WORSE? I DON'T THINK SO! If there was ever MORE of a "Girl Next Door" than Mary Ann, I just don't know who that would be. And she died from Covid I heard...I think the news said she was only 82. These days that's not really that old, especially for women. And now, to just top it all off, we even have the mutated "more contagious" version in the US...2 cases in Colorado and 1 in CA (San Diego). Just what we needed...though as long as the vaccines are effective against it then in the long run it won't be such a big deal (unless you try telling that to those families that are still to lose someone to this evil disease before we knock it out). I've actually been worried for quite some time about a mutated strain that is even more deadly will show up before we kill it (and it can still happen, keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it doesn't).

Anyway, I'll be glad to FINALLY have this year in the rear-view-mirror. Though we as a society will be digging ourselves out of this one maybe forever (and I'm just talking about the monetary cost). We've added a whole bunch of trillions to our national debt that I don't see will ever be repaid, wiped out uncountable small businesses and families, and that's just here in the US. I don't even know how bad it is in other countries...some probably fared better, some worse. And if WE are having problems getting the vaccine into peoples arms HERE, what about the third world countries? We've already distributed tens of millions of doses of the first two, but just a small part of that has actually been given. And then on the news today there was someone who INTENTIONALLY pulled 500 of the Pfizer doses out of cold storage so that they would go bad before they could be used. WTH?? That just blows my mind...there are some seriously deranged people out there! I'd even call that an act of terror...murder even. Out of the 500 people who won't get that vaccine, how many will catch it? One, two, a few? That is just seriously demented. Maybe all this IS a sign of the approaching apocalypse. It certainly feels like we have been swirling down the drain, and lately I think we are indeed picking up speed. 

And so...on a lighter note, one of Jeannies friends posted on FB that she's still trying to decide what to wear to the living room tonight, or if she will even go. I have to say that sweat's and jammies have NEVER seen as much use as this year. There have been days in the last month or so that I shower and get right back into my jammies! I mean, who's gonna see? Who even CARES? Of the countless people working from home this year, what percent even bother to get dressed in 'normal' clothes? I'd bet it's a very small number. 

And speaking of FB, I bit the bullet and opened a new account. I'm still ticked off and floored that someone would go to the trouble to hijack my account (change the password and email so that I can't get in). I mean, WHY?? What is the payoff? I don't get it. And to further infuriate me (yes, that's YOU FB)...when I go to my new account, it shows I still have the other account...you know, the one I can't ACCESS! So there is zero help for me to reclaim MY account, however I can still DELETE it. Does that make sense? If I can DELETE the account, then obviously FB kmows it's MINE...so why can't I get back INTO IT for crying out loud? At least I was able to reclaim my email...I am assuming it was the same person who changed that password...and once I found out who to call, they helped me in minutes to get back into it. If only FB were that caring about us. I quite honestly thought about not opening another account. I mean, if they don't care about us as much as it appears, they why should I give them another account? (and my big question, HOW did someone change my password and email address on my account?) I still can't figure that one out. But if I had to choose between having to make a new email address or a new FB account, then I'll take making a new FB any day and twice on Sunday.

Well...it's time I put my frozen Pizza in the oven, break out the GOOD STUFF egg-nog, and kick back for the evening (like that's somehow different than any of the last 9 months of evenings). I assume we will watch some of Dick Clarks Rockin' New Year (with Ryan Seacrest) and HOPEFULLY stay up till 9pm when the ball drops. That's my big goal for tonight. Tomorrow I have the annual "New Year" mt bike ride with a friend from work. We have a decent forecast (high of 63..I'll take that!) and as long as the winds are low it will be a really nice day.

OK...I have to scoot...just put the pizza in the oven and now it's time to pour some kick-ASS egg-nog (the German Sweet Milk recipe I got from our Italian neighbor lady...it's like ROCKET FUEL, except I think actual rocket fuel isn't as strong) and sip on it all evening long. 

So here's wishing a HAPPY NEW YEAR for all of us! And an end to the madness! Let's get back to just our garden-variety madness, instead of this Heavy Duty Industrial Strength Madness we've had unleashed on us this year.

Later Gators, hope you are safe and have a great start to this New Year!