A time to look forward and back
So, did everyone survive Amateur Night, er, I mean New Year’s Eve?
Not sure why – perhaps it’s because of a dearth of invitations or simply the ravages of age – but New Year’s doesn’t quite hold the allure it did in the past for partying or getting silly or even getting dressed up and going out.
Feel the same?
But, oddly, it does put me in a bit of a reflective mood, much moreso than, say, a birthday or anniversary or anything like that.
Not a melancholy mood or anything like that, nor a true taking of stock of where I am in life and work and all those things.
I just seem to spend a bit of time thinking about what’s gone on in the past calendar and wondering what might lie ahead.
It’s a fun endeavour at times, often brings a smile, sometimes being a wistful feeling, every now and then it can devolved into a wee tiny bit of sadness.
But I think it’s important that we all slow down a bit last night and today – not because of the banging inside your head or the party favours dangling from the bedside table as a reminder of some zany moments – but just because it’s important to slow down every now and then just to catch your breath and think a bit.
Think about things like …
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Best day, workwise
Has to be the Monday after the London Olympics.
The First Lady Of The Beat, Not Grace Kelly and I (along with our sort of new friends from Finland) at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.
It was a perfect end to a long, tough trip, just sitting in a classic pub catching up and telling stories and averting international incidents.
A great, quiet, nice dinner later that evening with The Mighty Quinn, a rendezvous with everyone else at the Ship Tavern to end the day and it was just about perfect.
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Hey, those of you Of A Certain Vintage.
Remember this guy?
Of all the New Year’s traditions – and I don’t have a lot except a grandmother’s insistence that First Footer be a dark-haired male or the coming year would not be good (google Hogmanay or first-footing if you like) – listening to Guy Lombardo just after the stroke of midnight was pretty cool.
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Best day, family version
Sitting in a golf cart at a nice course in Niagara Falls while Super Son was driving us around on a totally-relaxing two-day father-son getaway that was as relaxing as it sounds.
Not sure Super Son was as interested in the golf as he was handling the cart as a newly-minted driver but it was cool and fun and totally made me feel old.
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The hopes for 2013
No, I don’t do resolutions – they’ve always gone the way of the wind by about Jan. 11 – but this probably is a time to set new goals for the next little while.
Here’s five:
Better parenting.
Less, and eventually no, Fresh Air.
Good stories well told.
Less impatience, more tolerance.
The shedding of some excess poundage and a reduction in those ghastly blood pressure numbers.
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Three things I’m glad I saw
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Three things I hope I see
A playoff game.
Super Son fully licensed and driving me around.
Smiles on the faces of friends.
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And, finally ...
A wish for good health and peace and prosperity and happiness for you all.
If this is time for reflection, it’s time to say thanks for another great year and a plea for one as equally interesting as 2013 unfolds.
I hope this little endeavour continues to grow and prosper and we find some more fun things to do.
As we’ve said countless times, this is like the world’s greatest cocktail party in some cool bar; people of all manner of background and location getting together to entertain and, sometimes, infuriate each other.
Not too many of us know each other, at least in any traditional sense, but we’ve come to know each other at some level, haven’t we? Don’t imagine I could pick too many of you out of crowd (we need to get a super-secret Irregular handshake or sign or something, don’t we?) but I know you’re there and I appreciate it more than you can imagine.
That’s been the blessing of the past years and I hope it continues as the next calendar year unfolds.
A very, very Happy New Year to you all. May 2013 be even better.
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That was some exclamation point to the flopping debate by Batum. I must have missed it first time through the Olympics, but it's my first laugh-out-loud for 2013. May there be better days ahead for all of us.
Posted by: james | January 01, 2013 at 01:59 PM
Great post Doug! Best to you and yours in the New Year! Thanks for the very enjoyable blog and the Guy Lombardo link!
Cheers!
Chris
Blogger's note: Thanks and best wishes to you
Posted by: Chris | January 01, 2013 at 02:49 PM
Happy 2013 to one and all. Being of a certain vintage, I agree that New Year's Eve has lost it's luster. It could have something to do with the fact that I have had to work either Dec. 31 or Jan.1 or both for the past few years. Yes, I'm typing this from work, don't tell anybody;) It has been an enjoyable experience being one of the irregulars even if I do tend to read things a day late. Looking forward with much anticipation.
Jeannette F.
Blogger's note: Your secret's safe with us, Happy New Year
Posted by: Jeannette F. | January 01, 2013 at 03:16 PM
Well, Happy New Year, Doug and Irregulars Everywhere. This greeting comes to you from the very birthplace of Guy Lombardo. And we proudly keep his memory alive with The Guy Lombardo Bridge (traversing our 'own' Thames River), picturesque Lombardo Street, and a plaque located in the entrance of the flagship Labatt Retail Store informing all customers that the house where Guy grew up is across the street. Sadly, the museum celebrating both his music and hydroplaning achievements was closed a few years ago due to some funding issues. But I'm thinking if they put a donation box near that plaque at the Labatt store, we just might get that museum reopened! Thanks for all the great stuff this past year - especially from the London Olympics. Oh, yes...your Basketball Diaries were something special and perhaps your very own bloggy-thingy marathon. In re-reading them today, I'd have to say that by the end of the 4th game, you hung on to sanity and good spelling by sheer bloody-minded determination. Thank you for all you did for us in 2012 and all the best for 2013!
Blogger's note: Happy New Year to you, too
Posted by: Lorie | January 01, 2013 at 03:25 PM
Happy New Year from beautiful Barbados! Still no Raps on TV...
Blogger's note: Happy New Year
Posted by: Mike kovacs | January 01, 2013 at 04:25 PM