Thoughts of a Common Man

We’ve heard a whole lot of calls for unity over the last couple of weeks. Mostly by the GOP. Because they were involved in the planning of the insurrection. I honestly don’t get it. People lost their lives on January 6th. Some of the people who were arrested, after they videotaped each other breaking in, are being released. There were pipe bombs placed at the scene. If they would’ve found Pelosi or Pence that day... ...they would have killed them. I’m also of the opinion that there’s no unity without accountability. There are rules. Rules have to be followed and penalties must be enforced. The thing that gets me is how these guys and gals turn on a dime. Say one thing on Monday and the exact opposite on Wednesday after checking which way the wind is blowing. And I’m not quite sure why guns are needed on the floor of Congress. One congressman threatening another is also something that should be frowned upon. I’ve purposely moved away from politics. I don’t want it in my life anymore, bu...

Some weeks it feels like it takes a month for Friday to arrive. It certainly felt that way this week. I started the work week on Sunday so I was pretty wiped out by mid-week. Struggled to catch up on sleep, battled the frigid 🥶 cold and survived a couple of zoom calls and a literal fistfight on one of the jobs. Mid-way through the day I was hit by a stray thought: “There’s a new Denzel movie!” That helped. Had a second stray thought: “I should make macaroni salad.” I make good macaroni salad. It teamed up perfect with roast beef sandwiches. By 9 p.m., I was watching the movie with a belly full... ...and I was relaxed for the first time all week.  The cat on top of the couch behind me. The dog at my feet. The idea that I could stay in bed a little longer was a comforting thought. 48 hours of peace. I considered all the Friday’s when I would hit happy hour, and then go out on Saturday night, and maybe even again on Sunday. No such aspirations anymore. Now it’s about resting. “No dra...

So, the Bills lost. And the further you go in a season the more it hurts the fans. “I’m not worried about Kansas City at all,” my wife said on Saturday before the game. I was dropping Sam off at work that day. “Kelce is a problem,” I said. “Edmunds has that covered,” Sam said. Turns out they were both really wrong. And as they fell way behind and the end was at hand, I texted the boys. “They picked a bad day to play lousy. No shame.” No one answered me. What’s funny about the Super Bowl matchup is that each week since about mid-season I’ve asked Sam what he would say if Brady was dancing in the confetti at the end. “No chance that will ever happen”, gave way to: “Brees will beat him.” To “No way they beat Rodgers in Lambeau.” “Now what?” I asked Sam. “I hope Brady does win,” he said. “I hate the Chiefs.” And that’s the way sports goes. I push buttons rooting for Brady in Buffalo. Not sure why other than it’s fun! And I admire the work ethic and besides... ...half the league is filled w...

I try to pack light when I’m on the road.  It makes for some odd-looking outfits. Now, I usually travel in sweatpants and a tee-shirt because they crank the heat up so high in the plane that I feel as if I’m in a sauna. But I also wear my work boots because if I packed them my bag is too heavy. I pack just a pair of slip-on shoes. Also, since it was just a two-day trip, I only packed one pair of jeans. That’s the scenario. I didn’t count on the mud. On Monday, I walked the job sites and I got absolutely filthy.  There was mud caked everywhere, and since I didn’t have a towel or anything to clean my hands, I just kept wiping them on my hoodie or my jeans. Monday evening at the hotel, I had a decision to make. I could run out and buy a new pair of jeans or I could just make it through... ...absolutely filthy. I’ve never been what one might call a snappy dresser. In my defense, I was just heading back out into the mud. So, I started Tuesday... ...filthy. Then I went to a horribly...

Life can grind you down. There are a lot of days when you feel like you’re doing things that you don’t want to do for people you may not even particularly like. Too much of it and you’re on the search for a way to bring a little excitement back into your days. Usually that excitement can be in the form of things that allow you to self-destruct. I’ve always had to travel a bit for work. The act of traveling sucks - it’s tiring. Yet, I’ve always felt refreshed, mentally, after a couple days away because I’m usually spending a lot of time in my own head, and I’m good at talking myself into being positive about all sorts of things. The road doesn’t hide much though because no matter how hard you try, you can’t outrun yourself. So, there I was, driving through Kansas, looking for cattle and the cowboys who chase it around. Every look around has a red, or brown hue to it, and there ain’t much there. Heard a news item about “food deserts” in the area... ...there are no stores where people mig...

My beautiful wife wrote the directions down for me.  I was ready to leap into the 2000’s by attempting to watch television on my phone on the airplane! I don’t have the patience for any of the sign-in crap so I normally just put on a Bruce record and sleep. But the games were on! On the first leg of the journey I set it up. I followed the directions and actually did it! I watched Brady throw 3 touchdown passes in the first half. It was great fun! Had my layover where I charged my phone and got ready for the Bills game. They loaded us all up and sat us at the gate for a half an hour.  The plane was packed with Chiefs fans as we were headed to Kansas City. I told the guy across the aisle that I was from Buffalo. “Should be a good game,” I said. “I’m thinking blowout,” he responded. The guy beside me was also a Chiefs fan, but he wasn’t so cocky. He spoke well of Allen and the Bills O. I tried to sign in. Nothing. Started to panic. The guy next to me signed in and the end of the ...

I was late to the party. In a casual conversation about politics a buddy of mine told me that I had to watch the old series, Newsroom with Jeff Daniels. I’m a huge Jeff Daniels fan and I had seen the famous clip of the show where he answers the question on what makes America the greatest nation in the world. I was a tad worried about how political that either Kathy or I would go to be entertained, but man, we tore through the series. It was great - Sorkin is a great writer and Daniels is a terrific actor.  All of it was brilliant... ...but there was a huge moment when I grew sad. I went to school to be one of the journalists in that room, and while things worked out well, I loved the idea of truth, justice and the American way when I was an idealistic kid. I’m sad that the world didn’t turn out to be the place I thought it was. The way that some people get their news is sad. We have people out there, right now, who believe that there is a huge pedophile ring that runs through Holly...

About a month and a half ago I picked the Bills as the winner of this year’s Super Bowl. Am I sticking with it? Tompa against Green Bay first! My boys are not Tom Brady fans and I continue to beat that horse into the ground. “If somehow Brady is dancing in the confetti at the end of the year will you admit he’s the 🐐?” I asked Sam. “He won’t be,” Sam answered. “He’s got a shot.” “I might admit it,” Sam said, “But I won’t be happy about it.” Tampa isn’t favored as they’re going into Green Bay and playing in the cold against Rodgers, who is playing great. The smart money says Green Bay. It’ll be close.  I think Tom has his hands on the ball and is in position to win with less than two minutes left. Tampa 27 Green Bay 24 Now, the Bills-Chiefs. Won’t be easy for Buffalo. Mahommes is tough to defend. Andy Reid is smart. But I keep thinking about that 1996 Yankees team. I KNEW they’d win it all before anyone else did. This Bills team won’t go in scared. They’ll play smart and score on K...

Felt a clear twinge of sadness when I heard that Henry Aaron passed away. Henry was the first baseball player I ever idolized. He was behind only Wilt as the first athlete ever, and like Wilt, he was larger than life to a 9-year-old boy. I tell this story a lot because it’s part of the man I’ve become. I wanted to buy a book about Henry Aaron as he chased down Babe Ruth. The book was a biography, “Hammerin’ Hank”.  I had to have it! Problem was that it was $4.00 and it was in a shop in Largo, Florida. I had to save the money to get it, and it took almost a month. But finally! I had the cabbage needed. Mom drove me down to the shop and I grabbed the book and ran to the counter. Largo, Florida - 1974. The man behind the counter asked my mother a pointed question. “Why are you letting your kid by a book about a n*****er?” I had never heard that word before and I was confused as to why it angered my mother so much. I’d also never heard her utter the word that she responded with. “Put t...

The first call I got on Thursday was to see if it was too dangerous for my roofing contractor to work. “It’s a metal roof! It’s slick!” “Okay,” I said, groggily (the call was at 6:15). “What do you want me to do?” “Can you go up and evaluate it?” Perfect! Just the sort of thing a 56-year-old man wants to do before the freaking sun comes up. The job wasn’t too far from my home so at about ten minutes to seven I was approaching the roof where 6 guys stood on the ground below, hoping I was their ticket home. The wind was howling and the first step out of the car froze my ample forehead. “Son of a bitch!” I yelled and they all laughed. “It’s brutal up there,” the first guy said. “Be careful coming off the ladder, seriously, it’s dangerous.” “All right, get away from me.” I went straight up the ladder as my fan club made catcalls from below. I never worry about ascending or descending a ladder. I’ve been doing it since I was 17 years old. I’m also fairly adept at moving in ice and snow as I...

I spent most of the day on Wednesday driving around, listening to the news from D.C. It started with the departure, to ‘My Way’ by Sinatra. Frank must’ve rolled in his grave. I’m reminded of a tweet that said: “Sinatra would’ve hated Trump.” Nancy Sinatra responded: “He DID hate him!” So, that’s what I thought about as he mercifully left. Then it was on to the inauguration and it felt more like a new year than what happened in January 1st. The executive orders were flying by late evening. America rejoined the Paris Climate Accord. America rejoined the World Health Organization. A Covid plan was developed and masks were made mandatory on Federal properties. There was a press briefing where questions were asked and answered without snark and falsehoods. Then my favorite part of the day: President Biden met his staff and he greeted them with a message that said (paraphrasing) “If you treat anyone rudely, or don’t respect them, and I hear it, I’ll fire you. We need to respect one another a...

It feels that Trump has been gone ever since he tried to get the entire Democracy overturned. He’s not allowed on social media. He’s sitting in the White House sulking... ...and of course, the pardons were ridiculous... ...his goodbye discussions even worse. At noon today, he’s gone. His name is mud. He has financial and criminal troubles.  I’m thinking the next few years of his life will be one court case after another. Hoping he loses all of them. And that he has no platform to spread his hate... ...because that’s the real shame of the last five years. Way too much hate, and he did his best to make it all worse. I watched Joe Biden talk in Delaware before he headed to D.C. The new president cried because he was speaking about the love of his family and the loss of his first wife and his boy. He cried because he cares and he feels and compassion and empathy aren’t foreign to him. Caring about loss and feeling pain are human emotions. I’ll be happy to see dogs in the White House. H...

The first text came in around 9:30 last night. It was from Sam. “It won’t be easy,” he wrote, “but the Bills can win next week.” I laughed. “Dude, it’s going to be your every thought for the entire week.” “I know!” He said. Jake was next. “Can you imagine the Bills against Tampa? Who will you root for?” “Brady has already had a great year,” I said. “He doesn’t need another ring.” The text exchange with Jake went on for awhile. I’m pretty sure there will be plenty more. I watched most of two of the games, and checked in on the other two. The sport is maddening to me in that it is reffed differently from game to game. In some games, there are zero penalties. In others, a hand check is a 38-yard pass interference. None of the announcers, or former refs know what is a catch or a fumble. But here we are and I think that the 4 best teams are there. All the quarterbacks are good. All the coaches are good. The stories are good... ...and the Bills are there. “You know what’s tough about this,” ...

I stopped at McDonald’s the other day. I hate stopping there, but had no time to find anything else. I ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, medium fry and a large coke. It was nearly $12.00  I gasped when I saw the receipt. The kid who handed it to me would have to work nearly two hours to by himself lunch at the same restaurant.  I see guys working construction at the food truck. Coffee and a couple of donuts runs them about $7.00 Gas prices are way higher than they were back when the minimum wage was set at $7.25 an hour back about 30 years ago. Jeff Bezos?? He makes $4 million dollars an hour. CEO’s make hundreds of times more than their lowest wage employee. And I am not an economic expert but it galls me to the end of my nerves when people who are making barely living wages start in on degrading the very people who are making starve wages. “$15.00 an hour for minimum wage jobs?? That’s crazy!” What is it that makes some people want to see others suffer? Back in 1983, I ...

I’m on record - over a month ago - as saying the Bills were going to win the Super Bowl. Only two more wins to go. It’s just too weird a year for them to NOT win it. And the game started brutally enough. The first half was snooze-worthy. 3-3 at the half. But the Bills came out hot and got a 101-yard interception return. Can’t imagine running 101-yards anymore! Get the oxygen! The city is going nuts. The kids are going absolutely ballistic. And next week? If Kansas City wins... ...I’ll be there. Well, late. I’ll be in the air when the game starts.  Hopefully, I will get to watch the second half.  For a chance to go to the Super Bowl. 25-years later. Weird. 2020, huh? And same old song and dance about talking about Buffalo. Chicken wings, snow, and circling the wagons. Weird... ...but exciting... ... that’s all you can ask for in this crazy, mixed-up, strange year.

So, on Friday morning, I made a conscious decision to emerge from bed in a better mood.  Someone once mentioned that you can actually choose your mood for the day. I was going to choose to be happy! I told Paris and Miller all about my plan as the alarm sounded at 5:44 a.m. Needed to make it work. So I considered the plan. 1). No immediate Twitter so I didn’t see the sad news stories. 2). Consider the tasks for the day. I had a full day with a lot of driving so: 3). Music and funny stuff (Kim sent me a good podcast - the plan was to laugh through that and then go to the good old rock and roll. 4). Think through writing stuff as I drove. Sounds like a better plan than worrying about a pandemic or a potential civil war. Off I went! All dressed, I turned on the coffee, and started my car after letting Paris and Miller outside. I whistled as I did it. Sipped my coffee as I watched my pets move about the back yard. Time to go! Opened the back door and Paris ran in and gave me a great gr...

I noticed yesterday morning that I’m waking up annoyed. Like every morning. Now, the problem with that is that all of my life I’ve jumped out of bed as if I were being shot from a cannon. Up and out!  Seize the day!!  Definitely not lately. And the thing is, it’s taking me three or four hours to snap out of it. “How’s it going?” A longtime work acquaintance asked. “I don’t know, man. I’ve been in a funk.” “Gee,” he said. “I wonder why. Is it the pandemic that doesn’t go away, or the threat of a civil war?” I laughed. “Or maybe it’s the cold, or the tragic accidents that you’ve had to investigate.” Four real good reasons. “This too shall pass,” he said. “That’s what my Grandma always said.” “You think?” I asked. “No!” He yelled. “Everything sucks!” I laughed. Was out of my funk for Thursday. But, he had a point. It seems that when my eyes open the sudden realization of it all begins. People I know and love are on the other side of the political gulf. There have been a number wh...

I wasn’t a Michael Jordan fan in the 1990’s. Back then I would argue anyone that Bird was a better shooter, better passer and better rebounder. And he was so popular and won so much... ...I didn’t like him. In fact, I held a grudge. I wouldn’t even watch “The Last Dance” when it was originally on. “Wilt was the greatest. Or Bird was the best.” Anyone but Mike. Kathy actually wanted to watch it. “All right, but I’m telling you, I don’t like him.” We haven’t finished it yet... ...but I like him now. His drive was simply incredible. His ability to focus. His leadership.  I now admire all of it. And he seems to be a decent man. I fell for all of the media stories. The gambling. The death of his Dad.  Those stories were well-documented and none of them painted Jordan in a great light. I ate all of it up back then. I kind of regret it now. I wish I would’ve enjoyed it a little instead of constantly rooting against him. I wish I could’ve seen him play in person. In any regard, a lot ...

What we know about the miserable week that was.  I really wish I had any other thing to talk about, but this is truly a historic week. How many times during the last four years did I think, “Well, the G.O.P. has to stand up now. They aren’t going to let him take down their entire party.” It appears they are. Moscow Mitch finally relented, and said that he believes that the impeachment is a grand idea.  Liz Cheney actually strongly condemned Trump and screamed for all to do their job and direct the country. A number of house Republicans have certainly voiced that they’re done. Yet, Pence, Jim Jordan, Nunes, Rubio, Graham, Tubberville and others... ...are trying to stop it all. They will be remembered as traitors. I say that with confidence because the insurrection story is going to get a lot worse. One of the leaders of it all, who was arrested, was singing. He explained that it was all coordinated through at least three senators. Read that again. Members of the senate attacked...

Miller was a hot mess. It started on Sunday night. He usually goes up to bed when I do and he sleeps in my office chair. It started off exactly that way, but twenty minutes later, he jumped out of the chair and ran downstairs. He screams. Sounds like a siren. 🚨  I was just falling to sleep when the siren went off. I heard him screaming downstairs. Ah well. The 🚨 went off 3 more times in the middle of the night: At 2:24, again at 4:10 and the third time at 5:18. I wanted to strangle him. And the thing about a cat is that they don’t NEED anything! Their food is there! Their bathroom is open! They don’t have to go outside!  We needed to have a heart-to-heart. Screaming in the middle of the night wasn’t going to work for me, but first I had to go to work. Was tired all morning. Swung by the house at lunch.  Guess who was at the door? Screaming at me. Returned to the home in the late afternoon.  “Miller went off when you left,” Kathy said. “He’s pissed.” Jake passed me ...

I was surprised that the Bills played as poorly as they did on Saturday. And that’s a weird thing to say because they won a playoff game for the first time since 1995. They spent the last 3 or 4 games going through NFL defenses like they weren’t even there. Decided to switch things up, I guess. So they could allow their fans to suffer heart attacks. The usual garbage NFL product was on full display through most of the second half. Instant replay reviews. Was he in or out? Was it a catch or a fumble. “What do you think?” My beautiful wife asked.  “How the hell do I know? I’ve only been watching the sport for 50 years. How could I know the rules in that short of time?” There were four plays that stood out: 1). One of the guys jumped offsides when the Bills were trying to draw him off sides. Everyone in the stadium and every single person watching knew that the ball wasn’t going to be snapped. Except for one guy who raced across the line, gleefully leaping at his chance to attack Alle...

Accountability is a lost concept. Ted Cruz stood outside on Tuesday and fired up a crowd of “Patriots” yelling, telling them that they needed to fight to get the country back. Rudy Giuliani stated that “trial by combat” was required. Trump incited the crowd. He held back the National Guard. There is footage of them all dancing in glee. Five people are dead. Including a Capitol guard. They attacked our Democracy. They didn’t loot a target store. (For clarification, those who loot Targets must be held accountable as well). Everyone needs to be held accountable. Those who defecated and spread it on the walls of the Capitol. Those who threatened to murder the Vice-President. The guy who swung a fire extinguisher and crushed the skull of that officer. Accountable! I bring this all up because Graham, Cruz, Hawley, Trump, Trump Jr., and every other slug who tried to incite the violence... ...are now calling for unity! Graham wondered if Biden had the courage to stop the impeachment. That’s un...

A soft, cool breeze blew through our home on Thursday morning. I was up early for work. “Johnny’s here,” Kathy said. “And why are you up so early?” “I go to work,” I said. “It’s 6:30. When did he get here?” “Around midnight.” Of course, I wasn’t going to see him until the work day was done, but I went to work happy.  Sam and Jake love visiting with their cousin, and Sam and John are an awful lot like Me and Jeff. We decided on pizza for dinner. John would join me in eating pizza with anchovies and onions.  “Johnny, come here!” I called. “Pick up the pizzas and groceries.”  I handed him the money he needed. They were back quickly but had grabbed extra food and John handed me the groceries and my money back. “What’s going on?” I asked. “I paid for it,” John said. “No!” Sam called from the other room. “He had MY credit card!” Yeah. John’s Dad did that to me every single chance he got. We had dinner on Friday and talked about the Bills game. He stopped out to see my Mom and m...

It’s just sad. Mitch McConnell and Lyndsy Graham and 7 others resigning their allegiance. It’s too late. They can’t save face. Pence was reportedly considering the 25th Amendment to save the nation from an unstable president. The story is that he doesn’t want to do it because he is worried about his 2024 presidential chances. For real? It was all anyone was talking about, of course, and it’s all so disconcerting. People who were dead set against looting and tearing down of monuments in the summer now justify Wednesday’s riot by saying, “Well, they did it.” If you’re against it. You’re against it!  Justifying it by saying, “He did it first!” Seems a tad sad. And maybe I’m wrong but I just find it horrific that it was our Capitol building that was breached. “The flag flying over the courthouse means certain things are set in stone. Who we are and what we’ll do and what we won’t.” That flag stands for something. Those who attacked the Capitol Building tossed the red, white and blue as...

The people storming the Capital were in horror watching someone kneel during the National Anthem. This afternoon these cowardly, self-proclaimed American “Patriots” attacked our Democracy. I felt a lot of the same emotions that I felt on the morning of 9/11. This might be worse. This is an orchestrated uprising, much as one you might see in a third-world nation. This is exactly what Trump wanted. He started complaining about how unfair the election would be about 18 months before the first vote was cast. He got beat. Badly. He’s had no intention of ever doing the job. His performance was less than abysmal, from day one.  Admittedly I never cared for him.  I worked for a company back in 1988 that he nearly bankrupted because he paid 10% of a huge bill and told the owners to sue him. He’s an abomination as a human being. And I believe, a Russian asset. I said that as far back as 2015. And I watched the horror unfold. What do you think the mood is like at the Kremlin now? They ar...

Members of the Trump cult are descending on Washington. The move started yesterday and I saw the rally in Georgia. Many have already arrived in D.C. I saw a man dressed as Captain America. (Not kidding). And that’s one thing I just never understood. I can’t imagine wearing a cap or shirt of any politician. I also think it’s a desecration of the flag if you’re wearing it as underwear. Ah well. Pence can’t change the certified elector votes. He’s purely ceremonial. Think of it this way: Biden was V.P. who was there to certify the last election in favor of Trump. He wanted Clinton to win. Could he have not certified it as the state electors had voted? Of course not! There’s no standing. Hopefully there’s no violence today. As for those in congress who are trying to pretend that the election was unfair so that they can curry favor with the cult: Shameful. Two weeks from today, Biden will be named President. I’m hoping that we don’t look back on January 6th as a tragic day. CNN Reporter: “S...

I was fired up to get back to work. Had plenty to do. But man, the winter is a trying time to get excited. “I’m in a bit of a funk.” I heard that from three different people during the course of the day. And of course, there’s good reason: 1). It’s cold!  I put on my big socks. Started my car early. Layered up. Was still a tad nippley. 2). Dark  It’s dark when you get up. Dark when you get home. The sky is cloudy - big, dark clouds that push down on you. 3). Covid No one wants to hear it. Masks on. There’s vaccine available. We can’t seem to be able to get to it to people (and little pet peeve here - I hate the old “we gotta’ get shots into arms” talk - every announcer uses that phrase!) Virus, masks, social distance, death, lack of ICU beds. Yeah - that’ll get you in a funk! 4). Yankees  They haven’t made a move yet! Let’s go!! Sign DJ!!! 5). No Golf Man, I miss it! I know of at least 3 other guys who are in a no-golf funk. 6). Political Fights It just keeps going and go...

Back in March, a whole bunch of people were told to stay home, and many lost their jobs. ‘We can get through this together’ was the rallying cry.  Problem being, the government bailed. I have read a bunch of stories about men and women being arrested for stealing food. Food lines are stretched for miles and miles. And in the most amazing of all things, people who have a tiny bit of money are looking down upon those who can’t pay their bills or keep their lights on. There have been two “care” packages from the government. A lot of the money in those bills... ...has gone to people who don’t need it. Rich people scooped it up. Employers who laid off their employees room a chunk. Churches. Airlines. Very little went to the people who need it to survive. And $600? A bag of groceries - one bag - runs about $50 at the cheapest of all stores. Prices are higher. And the mail has been slowed to a crawl!! A letter that I mailed on December 8th to pay a bill still has not been received and ent...

It certainly would be nice to believe that things will somehow even out here in 2021, but chaos continues to reign. Sedition is a big word. It is a word that hasn’t been used in this country in hundreds of years. I don’t quite grasp what might be accomplished via the stunt that the GOP is planning for Wednesday. The election results have been certified. The votes were counted and recounted and the process has played out. There were 61 court challenges. 60 have been tossed as they have zero basis. But during the playing out of the process, there has been a lot of disinformation presented and there’s a great gift afoot: “Send me money and we will fight this rigged election!” My patience for speaking about politics is gone. I have no desire to argue about it with those who believe nonsense because it fits a narrative. The dilemma is easy to explain. Those who are standing beside Trump as he rails nonsensical about fraud that hasn’t been established or even actually brought to the table, a...

The New Year started with me waiting to see if the boys could manage to clean up the room they were hanging out in and making sure the pets were in bed. Stayed up until after the ball dropped, although I watched a show where they didn’t bother to count it down. “I’m being told it’s after midnight,” the anchor said.  They handed him a flue of champagne and he said, “I got a drink here. Not sure what it is. Then he promptly knocked it off the corner of his desk, and missed the countdown.” Perfect. We didn’t do much. Cleaned up a little and hit the pandemic agenda. One show after another. “Are you still watching?” Popped up twice. Deep breaths on everything. Monitored the news a little... ...nonsense. I’ll work on doing a little bit of something over the next two days. The Bills playoff tickets are all accounted for. Maybe it’ll all work out, and people will attend the game and avoid illness. I’ll be here. Watching the rest of Netflix.

I’ve always seen New Year’s Day as a day of reflection. It’s just a day, of course, but I’m not the only one who thinks, “Okay, here we go!” As well-chronicled, 2020 was a unmitigated disaster for a lot of people, but we did survive. A whole bunch of people didn’t. That’s goal one: Stay hard, hungry and alive. What else? Wasted energy. I’m tired of wasting time with discussions with people who are never going to change their mind. In 20 days, the news will just be the news again and not a daily soap opera.  I hope. And maybe there will be a return to some of the old routines if we are able to get people vaccinated and healthy. I’ve been writing a lot. I don’t know why that won’t continue. The Bills are going to win playoff games. The Yankees will be World Series contenders. Hoping Bruce gets back on the road and we can spend some time having three hours of absolute fun - 5 or 6 times - in cities all over the place. I wish health and happiness for my friends and my family. Time is t...