I’m often reminded of how good life can be. Here is a shot from the local Target parking lot. Mountains, snow on the mountains, sunshine. Life is beautiful.
J.P.
Maintain Momentum.
I shared an idea on social media yesterday. Since Betty White was such an animal lover, let’s start 2022 on a positive note and keep her love of animals alive by making a donation or volunteering with a local animal shelter. When this thought occurred to me, I did some quick searching on the Internet and discovered Pima Animal Care Center, here in Pima County. There are organizations like this all over and I’m sure there’s one in your neighborhood.
Too many of our furry friends need our help or need a home. Make a contribution in memory of Betty White, and let’s keep her love for animals alive.
2022.
It’s 2022 in Mountain Standard Time here in the United States. Happy New Year! Tonight I learned that in Mountain Standard Time we are fed the Central Time Zone delays of Times Square and assorted locals. The ball dropped at 11:00 PM MST. Both Times Square and Miley Cyrus’ Miami celebration lacked exuberance. It felt more obligatory than anything.
I hope everyone that has stopped by has a joyous holiday celebration.
RIP Betty White.
When asked in 2016 what she hoped her legacy would be, Betty White simply said, “I want them to still think kindly of me and maybe make them smile”.
Betty White passed on today at age 99. She was less than a month from her 100th birthday.
She’s been on television for nearly as long as the medium has been around. Originally wanting to be a Forest Ranger, Betty White started on radio and made her way to television and the big screen. Her love of animals made its way to all of her mainstream roles. Her comedic timing was impeccable. Her cheerfulness and love for life made us all a little bit better.
I knew this day would come someday and I knew it would make me sad. I was hoping America’s Grandma would live forever. Rest in peace, dear, sweet lady. You’ll always been a golden girl.
Here’s a clip from Match Game, and it’s classic Betty.
Flight Memory.
I was looking around on Youtube and came across this video my friend Nick had posted. I rode right seat with him on his first flight after getting his Private Pilot Certificate back in 2015 and it was a fun little flight. Nick is a great pilot, had to take a break from it for a bit, but got back into it a while back. I think he’s based in the Capital District now.
I like flying with other pilots. It’s a great way to learn technique and it’s just a lot of fun.
New Year’s Eve.
Today is the last day of 2021. In some places in the world it’s already 2022 and they’re celebrating appropriately. I am off from work, having lunch with a friend, and using the day to gather my thoughts for the New Year. Tonight we shall have a small celebration at home. I am looking forward to it. This will be my first experience of the ball dropping at 10:00 PM.
Classy.
My husband made a reservation for dinner to celebrate our anniversary this past Sunday night. We went to a local eatery we’ve never been to, Commoner & Co on the foothills side of Tucson. It was a wonderful experience.
It’s been a long while since I’ve had a martini, so I ordered their house special vodka martini with a bleu cheese stuffed olive and a pickled something. It was delicious. Earl had another of their special cocktails. Called “The Ultraviolet”, it’s gin based with crème de voilette, lemon and thyme with burlesque bitters. We then both had a well sized meal with an appetizer, salad, pasta course, and main dish. It was both delicious and suitably sized so we could safely drive home after our cocktails.
Social distancing and mask requirements were in effect and the safety measure was appreciated. Earl and I decided it’s been way too long since we’ve had a date night like this, and that’s mostly due to the pandemic. Everything is due to the pandemic. With Omicron flying about with wild abandonment, we probably will continue this “we’re not going out very much” trend into 2022.
I’m happy that we were able to spend our 25th anniversary together in this fashion. I look forward to what the New Year brings but more importantly, I look forward to what being together brings.
Why?
A woman in Culpeper County, Virginia sued a hospital when she contracted COVID-19. She demanded the hospital treat her with Ivermectin and the judge ruled the hospital had to comply with her wishes.
She died five days later.
A man in Pennsylvania was in the hospital for COVID-19 and his wife sued the hospital, demanding he be treated with Ivermectin.
He died the next day.
A man in Olathe, Kansas was in the hospital for COVID-19. The family sued the hospital, forcing doctors to treat the ailing man with Ivermectin.
He’s dead.
I can’t believe I have to say this, but Facebook and Twitter should never be a source of medical information. Heck, they shouldn’t even be a source for news. Listen to science, listen to the doctors, and get vaccinated. You don’t have polio because of vaccines. You don’t have mumps and measles because of vaccines.
Wear a mask and get the vaccine. Please.
Round Up.
The few blogs that are left in my blog roll are doing year round up things and I applaud them for this. I actually applaud them for knowing what year it is; ever since the pandemic started it’s just felt like a really long limbo of nothingness.
I’m still getting used to the fact that we don’t live in Chicago, so that happened this past year. We watched a bunch of television and movies at home. We haven’t been in a movie theatre in nearly two years. I don’t really miss the experience but my husband does.
I’ve gained some weight. We’ll generously spread that over the two year pandemic period. I hope to lose some weight soon but then…. chips and popcorn.
I’ve grown a mustache in 2021. It’s not like the “awesome ‘stache” I had a few years ago, it’s a trim little Sully mustache you’d find on a pilot. I love being a pilot.
Mostly I’ve been weary in 2021. Weary of politics, weary of pandemics, weary of rampant stupidity. I’m want to feel cheery.
In 2022 I’ll try harder at finding the cheery.
Cozy.
I think I startled the family a little bit when I mentioned that while I love our home, I don’t find it super cozy yet. I meant no discontent or disrespect by sharing this with the others as I enjoy our home very much. There’s just a coziness or cuddliness of it that I have found yet.
I think this feeling might be a result of living in the desert. Up until the past couple of days I was still wearing shorts on a regular basis. There are no chestnuts roasting on an open fire or mugs of hot cocoa or vats of chili cooking on the counter. It’d be quite warm if we had a fire in the fireplace (though that appears to be changing later this week).
As a northern boy I’m missing key markers in the year to let me know when it’s time to feel warm and snuggly and cuddly. I’m not complaining mind you, I’m just commenting on the change of atmosphere and how I haven’t quite adapted to it yet.
The forecast for the upcoming weekend mentions snow in the mountains and possibly freezing temperatures here. Perhaps that will make the “cuddly” more recognizable.
