Farewell 2016

We live in interesting times. (That's a curse, btw.)

In my last blog (Thanksgiving Day) I thanked God, in advance, for the return of civil discourse to American Politics. Of course a "return" implies that it was ever there in the first place. Let us not forget that only 212 years ago our third Vice President shot and killed our first Secretary of the Treasury in a duel.

In spite of that our political system has survived these two centuries plus. I look forward to being able to discuss politics with those with whom I disagree, particularly those smarter than I am. They should NOT be hard to find.

This is only my third post this year. So much for "back in the swing." I started writing the above intending to post it on December 2nd. I was going somewhere with that, but I guess I ain't gettin' there. I think it was to say that I may be posting more political stuff in the coming year. We'll see. I just hope to continue blogging. I've given up on writing anything worth reading. Even the self-deprecating "humor" is getting old.

Anyway, if I get this thing posted** it will be the Sixth Day of Christmas and the penultimate* day of the year. So 2016: GET OFF MY LAWN!

*Not to be obstreperous, but https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/penultimate.

**Okay, I didn't post it on time, but at least it's still Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving

I don't talk about it much, but I believe in God. I don't try to persuade anyone else because I think God can handle that without me. If He chooses to use me for that purpose I believe I will have as much choice in the matter as Jonah did. I also believe that Faith is one of the greatest of the many gifts that God has given to Man. One aspect of Faith is gratitude for prayers not yet answered.

This year I give thanks for a Nation still united following our election, the orderly transition of power, and the return of civil discourse in American Politics.

I have come to understand that most of the people who disagree with me politically are not evil, neither are they stupid. They may be wrong but on rare occasions I have been too. In the words of Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan: "We always did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point of view"

So eat some turkey, watch some football, and send the kids out on the lawn.

 2012

Volume 5

I posted my first blog entry 4 years ago today. You'd think I would have learned something  by now. Not so much, I guess. Last year I posted my 100th entry, announcing that would be it until after the election, then I thought of something that amused me so I squeezed one more in. I haven't blogged since. I missed Christmas, New Years, Mardi Gras and Easter. Oh well, you can't go back.  

I had an excuse (not a good one, but "HEY.") Then over the last few weeks I thought of several good topics, and promptly forgot them all. I can't even remember what I was going to write when I started this. Gettin' old sucks. (But I've always heard that it beats the alternative.)

So, as I pointed out, this is my 102nd blog post.  When I started working on it at 1:19 AM on 3/20/2016 I read back to the start of my retirement countdown and realized that I had been retired for 399 days 21 minutes and 12 seconds. I decided then that I should post on the 400th day. Then I forgot about it until 11:56 AM 4/21/2016. So much for that.  

I have been retired for 437 days 15 hours 47 minutes and 02 seconds. More than that now. I guess it will just keep getting bigger. And when this posts, at 6:38 PM, I will be starting my 7th decade on the planet. But using the "50 is the new 30" logic from my first blog I'm only 35.4.

I got nothin' else, at least nothin' I can get posted before 6:38. Maybe I can get back in the swing. Oh, well, until then get off my lawn.