The wintry mix having gone through, it left the trees with a frosting of snow.
Add the stream flowing through, and it made for a lovely scene, a delightful setting for a walk along the trail.
Except …
… It wasn’t a trail at all. It was about 15 feet away from where I had parked to play pickleball.
The precipitation that had made the branches and the stream so picturesque also left patches of water on the asphalt that were either puddles or clever cover for craters.
And the other people were not fellow trail-goers on a pleasant Saturday morning, but mostly parents shuttling their kids to morning basketball. The uniform many were wearing had me wondering whether what they were wearing with their puffy coats were leggings or yoga pants, and what the difference is.
I actually looked this up. In so doing, I also learned that it’s OK to wear yoga pants in public, which is good, because otherwise there would have been a lot of fashion criminals out there.
“Holidays are brighter in Southern California.”
Yes, Omni Hotels & Resorts, I’m sure they are, but the holidays aren’t the problem.
Sure, the weather’s usually a lot better in Los Angeles — and beyond the weather, I see cities like London decorated for Christmas and think how cool it would be to be there — but there’s a lot to enjoy here.
We got to see Christmas lights with Mix and his family, went on a bunch of adventures, enjoyed all of our pre-Christmas activities, spent Christmas Eve with Suzi’s parents and Christmas with my family after two years of not being able to for non-COVID reasons.
So yeah, the period of to New Year’s is fine.
It’s now that I can’t stand.
After the holidays, life goes back to … “normal.” The weather’s not great, and everything interesting is at least a month away. If it weren’t for Suzi’s birthday at the end of the month, I’m not sure there would be anything redeeming from Jan. 2 on.
Now is when I’d like to be in Southern California, or New York, or London, or Toronto, or Philadelphia, or Switzerland … or anywhere else, really. (Maybe not Sheboygan, although Savannah enjoyed it.)
Or at least know I was going soon. At least there would be something to look forward to. (Vee has the right idea.)
Since we last saw each other …
As someone who doesn’t like swimming in water under 80 degrees, the appeal of a polar plunge is lost on me.
There are some people Bruce has no … let’s call it time … for.
Why is this? Movies? General stupid confidence? I don’t get it.
Vanessa wonders about the life she could have had.
Mari thinks we’re going about something all wrong.
There’s a lot going on here.
Truth.
Betsy’s back on her feet.
I can think of worse ways to ring in a new year.
I’m reading “The Last Resort” by Sarah Stodola. I love beaches, but apparently beach resorts pretty much ruin everything.
Speaking of books, it appears that Renata has some book news.
Shirley may have found the magic pill.
Graham has a small, quiet list of resolutions.
Austin tells us how Aaron and Holly rang in 2023.
Aaron actually had a pretty good 2022.
Becky sets her goals.
Great, there’s a thought I need for breakfast.
A Silly Place 
Thanks for sharing, Bill! So excited for the book to be finished 💃🏻🎉
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So fun that you bring the highlights to us, Bill. 🙂 How is your foot feeling after pickle ball these days? I highly doubt those people would feel so confident about landing a plane in the actual heat of the moment.
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It basically hurts to walk the next day!
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😦
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LOL. Those people who think they could safely land a plane in an emergency are the same people who can’t figure out how to navigate a roundabout.
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I dated a pilot and we would often times take a small 2-4 seater planes (usually a Cessna) to local airports just because we could. I, on a handful of occasions, flew the plane. Never did I land the plane, but watched intently thinking, “If ever I was put in a situation, would I be able to land safely?” My answer: in a small aircraft, probably. In a large passenger aircraft that is mostly computer automated… let’s just say I would probably have a slight advantage over others, but I don’t think the outcome would be a good one.
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