The Fire Ant Gazette - A Midland, Texas Blog

Prospero año nuevo!
Category: Kitchen Sink...
Posted Sunday, January 01, 2006 at 11:50 AM [GMT-6]

I've always heard that what you do on New Year's Day is what you'll do all year. If that's true, we in Midland will be adopting postures of about 45° angles, which is what is currently required to walk outside in the awful wind (just checked it: 38 mph, gusting to 46). It's a good day to stay inside and not watch the New Year's Day bowl games that are not on because the pros have a lock on Sundays.

New Year's Eve at nuestra hacienda was uneventful (a euphemism for "crashingly dull"). We stayed in, had the Twilight Zone marathon going on the Sci-Fi Channel as background noise, and read or surfed the evening away. I went to bed shortly after 11:00, but my wife managed to stay up another hour or so (so she claims; I can't corroborate her story). The primary reason for the early turn-in was that we were scheduled to work on the broadcast crew for our church's first worship service this morning, so we were up around 6:30 a.m.

I didn't know what to expect, crowd-wise, but we ended up having a good turnout. Lots more suits and ties than usual, due to the more formal 8:15 service being combined into the 9:40 a.m. "contemporary worship service," where the dress is a lot more casual.

We arrived home an hour earlier than usual, since Sunday School was canceled (for reasons not clear to me) and so I'm posting on a Sunday morning. It's almost a guilty pleasure, like I'm a truant or something.

We've got a prime rib in the oven, a can of black eyed peas ready to hook-up with some bacon and jalapeños, and a pan of Sister Schubert's yeast rolls waiting offer up their lives for our dining pleasure. Eating a home-cooked Sunday lunch is a rare treat, and I'm blessed to have a wife who is willing and able to pull it off with skill and grace.

I have no special goals or resolutions for the new year, or any words of wisdom to share (why should today be different than any other in that regard?). But I do want to wish each of you and your families a very happy, peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2006. I thank you for stopping by here from time-to-time; your very presence is a simultaneous source of encouragement and challenge. May God bless you greatly!

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Comments

Happy New Year you rebel, you.

Dang, that sounds like good eatin' too! I have to make my daughter's birthday dinner... that's right, it's today.

Posted by: Jim at January 1, 2006 12:07 PM

Eric, a joyous and joyful, prosperous and adventurous New Year to you and yours!

Posted by: Jeff at January 1, 2006 01:21 PM

...my daughter's birthday dinner... that's right, it's today.

Jim, that's neat. Setting aside for a later discussion the bitter lifelong disappointment of missing a tax deduction by that much, was she the first baby born in her hometown that year? That's always a big deal, particularly in smaller towns on a slow news day.

Thanks, Jeff. Don't forget to eat your black eyed peas today.

Posted by: Eric at January 1, 2006 01:55 PM

No, we didn't get that distinction. She was born in the afternoon. However, since we lived in Cleveland then and my parents in New Jersey, and since we travelled home from visiting them on New Year's Eve that year, over miles and miles of bumpy Pennsyvlania asphalt and concrete. And further, since we've never been much for staying up on New Year's Eve, there was the feeling of being nudged awake at 12:45am by MLEB (my lovely, expecting bride) with the infamous words: "it's time."

10 years ago today. I guess I'll have to do a post about that now that I think of it. Sorry for taking up so much comment space.

Posted by: Jim at January 1, 2006 02:43 PM

Jim, bumpy asphalt and concrete? ... in Pennsylvania? ... I'm shocked ... shocked and amazed !!!

:-)

Posted by: Jeff at January 1, 2006 03:12 PM

A friend of mine who ought to know used to say that PA would take rejected concrete from pretty much anywhere. I don't know if that's true anymore but it sure seems that way even today.

Yes, shocking I know, but true. Sorry to have rocked your world so early in the new year, Jeff.

:-)

Posted by: Jim at January 1, 2006 03:26 PM

I do hope that we won't be doing what we did on new years day all year - I threw my neck out and cleaned the garage so my year would be truly agonising!!!!

Since I was the first to email you in 2006 and the first to blog 'happy new year' in 2006 (and reply to your comment in that post hehe), I don't feel the need to wish you happy new years again (I'm going to resist the temptation to conform and say it anyway!).

Posted by: Rachel at January 1, 2006 04:16 PM

Aw, c'mon Rachel...go ahead and say it one more time. I can't get enough of that Kiwi accent! ;-)

Sorry to hear about your neck; that no bueno por nada and I hope it gets better soon. OTOH, there are worse habits to cultivate for the new year than garage cleaning...I could use that discipline myself.

Posted by: Eric at January 1, 2006 05:16 PM

Sorry for taking up so much comment space.

As they say in Mexico, mi bytes es su bytes.

[I sure seem to be using a lot of bad Spanish in this post.]

Posted by: Eric at January 1, 2006 05:18 PM

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