Welcome 2008

This year could just possibly be better than the last two, as I've completed the second phase of the application/hiring process to teach again. I will be scheduled for training very soon. I'm very happy about this turn of events, as it will give me more to do, and it will help us eventually leave this snow-bound hell hole. If my wife's health can be maintained, possibly improved, we could get out of debt relatively soon and move one last time.

One of the things that came out of all this recent uncertainty is that one's life is certainly more easily managed if one has hope, something to look forward to, something to plan for. Now that I'll be working again, I again have that hope. I very grateful for this opportunity at my age. And I'm truly pleased to help remove some of the burden from my wife's shoulders. Her doctor's visit last Friday kept her off work for at least another week, but she's slowly coming around. So, even if she has to work less (if the company will allow it), I'll have income to make up for it.

Don't let anybody every tell you that age doesn't make everything in your life more difficult. It does, and nobody understands that until he or she experiences it. It's like the constant pain I've carried since my spinal surgery. Nobody understands constant pain until it hits him or her. I'm grateful that it's under control now, managed by medication.

Since this is an eclectic commentary about the arrival of 2008, I have to comment on all the bowl games that college football teams participate after the regular season. There are now 31 of them, and many of them are between teams that won only half their games. When I was younger, a bowl game was a reward for a good season but not any more, and I'm sure it's all about money, money from television. There was a time when there were only 5 bowl games. It's obvious that with so few games, each one meant something, as only the best teams were selected. I've watched very few on tv in the last few years because they're meaningless games between mediocre teams., If you're a real sports fan, you know exactly what I mean.

Probably the most wonderful Christmas gift that we received this year was a $100.00 gift certificate from Manny's Steak House, given to us by my son and his wife. I may have mentioned it before, but there's such a fantastic meal to look forward to that I had to mention it again. I'm going to alter my habit and order a rib eye this time, medium. And with the exquisite mashed potatoes that are served there, I look forward to being a pig again for a very brief time. I probably won't have another steak again for at least 6 months, but I'm going to enjoy this indulgence and certainly think of my son as I chew the tender fare served at Manny's.

I don't make New Year's resolutions any more. Hell, I never kept them more than a week or two anyway. But I am going to try to keep looking forward, anticipating, planning, living each day as it comes and letting life unfold as it will. And if I keep a better attitude, I'm sure I'll post more enjoyable blogs. I'm certainly going to give it a try.

Again, Happy New Year.