What a Nightmare!

I started out about an hour before Rocky's appointment.  I should have given him a couple of Benadryl tabs, and in fact, the vet asked me to do so before his next nail clip.  The walk is about 1-1/3 miles, at least, and he was still going strong when we arrived.  After fighting with Rocky trying to hold him to an easy walk, plus the worst streets and walk lanes in the city, I was whipped when we arrived.  The walk back home was just as bad.  Why in the world can't he just walk normally, in a straight line, with his head up!  Now he is ready for a nap.  The thought of pouring myself a drink with a stiff shot of something sounds enticing, but it doesn't sound good in the morning, lol.

I really don't have anything else to say, and hope the rest of my day is uneventful.

Happy Friday, or T.G.I.F.!


 

Walk, walk, walk!

I saw the cardiologist yesterday, and she doesn't need to see me again until next year.  That makes me so happy, because I hate these quarterly and bi-annual visits that don't amount to a hill of beans!  She did stress that I need to walk.  I told her I walk my dog but sometimes get so aggravated with him I turn around and come back home.  Her answer was that I should bring the dog back home and then do my walk!  I walked with Rocky for a little over a mile this morning, and will try to do another mile later in the day.  Tomorrow I'm going to take him to the vet which is close to a mile and a half, and then the return trip will give me 3 miles for the day.  I bet he will sleep for the rest of the day!  Who knows, I might do the same :-)
 
I need to get busy and do some cooking.  I have lots of fresh produce that I have plans for and sure don't want good food to go to waste, although it's really hard for me to get my act together.

I'll be back soon.

 

New Baby

Jeannie drove me to my appointment with the cardiologist this morning, and then to the hospital where we visited with Erica, Joe, and their new son who they named Joren.  The baby is so beautiful and reminds me very much of Joe when he was born.  Joe was a redhead though, and while Joren sure has a lot of hair I didn't see red tints in it.  He was wrapped up and sleeping throughout our entire visit.  He had been circumcised this morning so was probably still sedated.  They were leaving the hospital to go home early in the afternoon, which is pretty good for a C-section after just 2 days.   Erica certainly looks great, especially considering the surgery just 2 days ago!

The cardiologist told me I only need to come back in a year, so I've made an appointment for early Feb. 2021!  She told me I need to walk every day, and I think she means a mile or more to begin with.  So I've made up my mind that I will walk Rocky up to the nearest shopping area, about a mile and a third (one way), and get his nails clipped at the vet.  (That will be slightly over 2-1/2 miles).  I hope I can do it tomorrow morning, and will call the vet 1st thing to see if they can get him in.  I also think I am going to buy a 2-wheeled cart - like the ones the women used to roll to the grocery store back in the old days.  I remember my mother walking everywhere with that cart, but can't remember if she pushed it or pulled it behind her.  It will be good for Rocky and for me to get more exercise.  When I lived in the mobile home park, we often walked way more than a mile a day, especially considering I took him for a long stroll at least twice a day, usually more than that.  I think I will feel better and the cart will give me some stability.  I now use my hiking stick when I walk him, but it's difficult to manage the leash and the stick.  I'm sure I will feel more stable pushing the cart.

I was up early and didn't get a nap this afternoon, so I hope to get to sleep early tonight. 

Pleasant dreams.

If I Ever Wanted a Roomba.....

I just re-read a post from the late blogger, Rod Ivers.  This post has me in stitches, and I can only imagine how he felt, as well as poor Biscuit's shame.  I'm still laughing about Rod's account of the Roomba incident - 

http://retiredrod.blogspot.com/2014/03/roomba.html


I am at my wit's end with trying to walk Rocky.  After watching numerous youtube videos on the subject, I decided to try the prong collar again.  I have one but cannot find it anywhere, so I ordered a new one and hope it comes today.  He seems to be gaining weight, which is no doubt due to a lack of exercise and too many treats.  I try to walk him but am so frustrated and angry by the time we've gone less than a block, I just turn around and come back home.  When he pulls constantly on the leash I can feel it in my back and hips, leg, and arm.  I'm stressing muscles to hold him back, and no amount of verbal correction seems to change his behavior.  He returns to a good and normal walk when we are almost back to our driveway.  And then the little scamp has the nerve to think I should give him a treat!  By the way, I have a collar that has a vibration feature, but that doesn't seem to affect him.  I don't use the shock option although I've sure been tempted.

I have agreed with a gardener who came to visit me yesterday, to have him come and cut the grass twice a month, beginning the 15th of Feb. plus the end of Feb.  If I'm happy with the service I will continue twice a month.  This yard is just too much for me and it will be nice to have it looking better than it is now.  My landlady pays for the water, so I need to confirm with her if she wants me to water throughout the summer.  Now I will have to go out and pick up all the balls and dog toys, and all the apples that drop from the tree in the back corner of the yard.  The apples don't taste very good, so last summer I picked up bags of them and put them in green waste.  The trees desperately need to be trimmed, but it's not my call.  It's a shame because there is another fruit tree on the opposite corner, but I don't have a clue what the fruit is called.  Also a blackberry vine that is so deadly with all its thorns, I just cut it into small pieces and throw it in the green waste.   Maybe for a little extra now and then I could get the gardener to prune the fruit trees, although the apple tree is probably too overgrown to deal with.  In these days of higher food prices, it's a shame to have fruit trees that don't produce anything edible.  I would love to make some apple pies, and maybe even a blackberry pie one of these days. 

After a bit of rain the sun is out, and it's time for me to go meet my granddaughter .

Test

This is a test.  My granddaughters, Autumn and Arianna, sent me drawings via my new printer.  They came through beautifully, and now I want to see how they post to my blog.

I have these pictures on the front of the fridge so I can smile every time I pass by them.   (If you click on one of the pictures they  will be slightly enlarged .)

I will post later, and will be able to tell you if I have a new grandson or a granddaughter!  Please keep your finger's crossed.  This is Erica's fourth Caesarean Section.

Wow! Was I wrong!

I am going to LOVE the new printer!  I've used it twice this morning and it works like a dream.  Of course, so far I have just printed a simple page - and have yet to do anything like fax or scan.  I think with help from Donald I can do it all.

I'm waiting on the dishwasher delivery and install.  This is ruining my day because I lost a chance to go to Ace Hardware, for which I think I have a mile-long list!  Jeannie is going to pick up air filters for me, since I learned my filter is really filthy!  I am getting a 4-pack and will change the filter faithfully from now on.  But I still need to visit the store and do some shopping myself.  I could try to walk it one of these days, but it is probably a mile and a half from home.  That would be a good walk, but then I would have to walk back, and carry my purchases as well.

I just wrote something on my wall calendar and note that today begins the "Year of the Rat".  It is so tempting to make a political comment here! 

What a dreary looking day it is - the sun pops out once in a while for a few minutes, then goes back into the clouds.  It's not super chilly - the weather is just drab and grey. 

Tomorrow I will know if I have a new grandson or granddaughter.  Joe and his partner chose to not find out the sex of the baby until he or she is born.  I like that idea - I didn't know what any of mine were going to be; back in the old days you got what you got, and you loved. it.  He or she will be born by C-Section.

 I'll probably be back tomorrow - enjoy the weekend.

Sunny Days are a joy!

Especially when you've had so many chilly days.  I doubt if spring is actually here yet, but it feels like it's close.

I have a question for any of you gardeners who have grown peas.  It seems like it's been ages since I planted the seeds, and I have some really nice plants with lots of blossoms and curly tendrils.  They are so pretty, but I don't yet see anything that looks like a pod!  Will the pod eventually appear where the blossoms are?  I have never done this before.  I'm anxious to start planting my tomato seeds to set out in about 2 months.  I think I'll plant the squash seeds directly into the ground as they seemed to do well that way last year.

Donald came over and helped me set up a new printer.  My heart is sinking because I know I'm going to have problems.  My old printer is a Brother - straight printer, no bells & whistles - which is really all I need.  The new one, HP, has so many settings and features I will never be able to remember them all and use them correctly.  I don't know why easy,  simple, and straightforward are such no-no's when it comes to technology. It will be nice to have the capability to scan, print in color, etc., but I could do without all those extras.  I think my generation is totally forgotten when products are designed.  I hope I can manage to use the new printer enough to become comfortable with it.

I'm ready to enjoy the weekend, although one day is like any other in my current life!  Thank goodnes I have Rocky because he brightens up my day - usually!  Hope you have a good weekend too.


 

Delivery Problems

I have been having delivery problems the whole month of January,  but especially in the last week.  Things I'm expecting in the mail aren't arriving, and in fact, days go by with nothing at all in my mailbox.  I put an outgoing piece of mail in the box earlier this week and even saw the mail truck pass by without taking the mail - the flag was up so he had to see it.  The same applies to Fed Ex deliveries - I'm informed that I should be receiving a package on a certain date, and days go by without it arriving.  Maybe something in the stars is botching things up this month.  I've been waiting for several days for a printer I ordered, and I've been assured it will come today.  Yesterday the company had the nerve to ask me to rate the product, ordering process, delivery, etc.  You can bet I gave them an earful!

I had a quick visit with the dentist this morning who agreed that all is well after the extraction of the molar.  I'm set up to have some small cavities removed, which I dread and which will take longer than the simple extraction.  I'm still waiting on my ID card for the new dental insurance coverage.

I'll end with something on a "lighter" note today.  This morning I must have poured water into the coffee maker before I went to the dentist.  When I returned I was eager to have my coffee; I poured the usual amount of water into the coffee maker, and then ground the usual amount of coffee beans.  As it was dripping I could see what I had done and that the coffee was going to be half strength which is pretty weak.  After the drip process was complete, I poured a cup of coffee through the grounds again, which seemed to make no difference.  It was fairly weak but tolerable.  I normally make myself 3 standard size mugs of coffee but today I ended up with 6.   I'm looking forward to my regular brew tomorrow morning!

 Have a good day out there.  The sun is shining so far this morning, and I would love to see 2 or 3 straight days of sunny weather.  May your days be sunny and bright!  (Oh wait, isn't that part of a Christmas song?)

Don't you hate waiting!

I have been waiting all day long for the new  dishwasher to arrive.  It's after 6 pm and I'm still waiting, which really burns me up.  I doubt that I would have gone anywhere but I would have walked Rocky for a few minutes.  I'm sure dishwasher installers don't take the Martin Luther King holiday!   Jeannie called and found out the installer will be out next Saturday, ruining my weekend.

Speaking of MLK, I once had to go to Atlanta for my work, and arrived on the weekend.  I visited several historical sites, and took a Grey Line bus tour around the city.  Mostly they drove past old mansions, but the highlight for me was that last part of the trip which went past the house where MLK was born, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where his father, and then he himself, was pastor, and the last stop was the MLK memorial.  The bus pulled up in front of the building and the driver announced there would be a 15 minute stop.  I was the only person who got off the bus, and the entire 14 minutes I was inside I considered the fact that they could leave early and "forget" me.  I went through the place pretty quickly, with the highlight being a beautiful grave site of Dr. King behind the building.  I did make it back to the bus in time, and everyone's eyes were downcast and no one looked at me when I re-boarded.  

On another trip across country I drove the southern route and went through Birmingham and on to Selma, Alabama.  It was very early in the morning so it was pretty quiet.  I was surprised at Selma, where it seemed like all the housing was empty and boarded up, and just nothing going on.  A sad place.

Rocky just went out so I got myself a handful of snacks.  I wasn't even back to the couch when he was on the deck and barking to come in.  He shared my snacks and then wanted to go out again. 

I went to Costco with Jeannie yesterday and was stunned at how many things I normally buy were not available, as well as the rise in the price of nearly everything.  The only product that seemed to stay the same as the previous week was Cheerios!  I think I spent less than I have in a long time.
 
Enough for now - I hope to be back tomorrow.

Getting out for a while

I'm waiting on Jeannie to go to Costco, and my list grows by the minute.  The cost of grocery items is going up so fast and I plan to stock up on what I can.  Another thing I'm planning to get is some shrimp.  I can't afford the great big kind, so the small, Pacific wild caught ones will do.  I have this craving for shrimp and grits, and already bought the grits from my local grocery store.  I couldn't afford the shrimp at their prices, so I'll see what Costco has to offer.

I took Rocky for a decent walk today and it must have tired him out a little bit, but he is sticking close to me like glue!  He knows I'm going to go out without him.  I usually bring something good back to him, although the last few times I've been to Costco they don't seem to have as much in the way of dog treats or toys.

I was out in the back yard with Rocky today cleaning up after him, and played a bit of soccer with him.  A while back I bought him a small kids' size basketball, which he "plays" soccer with.  I'll have to say he is good - I can't seem to get the ball past him!  All in all, I hope he is a bit tired out and won't be so heartbroken to be left alone.  I realize I don't exercise him enough, but that is probably because I've been feeling so blah lately.  I think it may have had  something to do with the tooth I had pulled, because I'm starting to feel a little bit better now.  Something has been dragging me down, and I hope I can now pull myself up to a reasonably capable old lady :-)  I want to cut the grass in the back yard (mostly weeds), but the lawn mower is in the shed and I doubt I have the strength to start it.  I hate to ask one of the guys to start it because they will feel obligated to cut the grass for me, and I'd like to do it myself even if I can't do it all at once.

Another week in January flew by, and it will be February before we know it.  I want to have my tomato seeds planted by the end of January in hopes they will germinate and grow indoors until I can set them outside in the garden.  I will buy a pkg of styrofoam cups at Costco to plant the seeds in.  I hope I have as good luck as I had last year with the tomatoes.  Getting the garden soil turned over and tilled will be my biggest problem, and I hope I can start that next week.

In spite of all the not-so-good news lately, I'm looking forward to a successful 2020.  Take care, and I'll be back soon.

All Better Now

Thanks to the magic of newer pain killing drugs for dental work, plus a dentist who is an absolute artist at administering the pain killers, I only had an uncomfortable day yesterday.  I'm being very careful when eating, as the extraction site is still tender.  I am going to have some fillings during the next month or two, and I dread that but can't escape it.

The cold weather really bothers me this year.  I think it's because I notice it more as I get older.  But I sure would rather have the cold than our summer heat in Sacramento.  Those of you in the northern states would probably love our 48 degree evenings.

I don't have much to write or comment on since I've been taking it fairly easy after my dental visit.  The dentist called me this morning to see how I was doing, which I remember him doing in the past.  I really appreciate that he asks how I am feeling, and he is an excellent dentist to make it even better. 

I hope to go to bed a little earlier this evening, although I get to watching youtube videos and forget all about the time.  Stay warm folks, and I'll be back soon.

Dental work - yuk!

I had an early appointment and was back home before noon.  I had the molar pulled that has been giving me problems and I just hope I start feeling better soon.  I'm starving but don't think I should eat anything just yet.  Now I need to have some more dental work done - fillings, and I guess I'll bite the bullet and get it taken care of.  I hope I live long enough to get my money's worth from it!

Today the rains started again, after a couple of sunny days.  I don't want to complain but I need to cut the grass in the back yard pretty soon.  I will soon be time to get the garden ready for early spring.  I'm going to start planting tomato seeds and hope I can get them to grow indoors.  I should probably get some grow lights, but when I look at them on the internet they look complicated.  I just want to set a tray under a good fluorescent light, but need to figure out how to do it.  I think it's a job for my son, Steve.

I'm going to stay quiet for the rest of the day, and hope I can figure out something to eat.  I didn't eat breakfast before the dental appointment and am starving!

Have a good day!

Lazy Tuesday

I'm hanging around doing anything I can to avoid calling the dentist and making an appointment!  I wasn't this bad about it when I was younger.  The molar I need to have pulled mostly bothers me at night, and I often have to take 2 Advil to be able to sleep.  I normally avoid Advil or any other medication like the plague as I invariably get side effects.  The only prescription med I use at age 79 is prescription eye drops!    I hope to keep it that way.

I took Rocky for a walk just a while ago and it turned out to be pretty good.  I took a hefty size baggie of treats with me.  Normally he pulls on the leash to go faster than I am comfortable with, and he likes to sniff the flowers along the way.  Today I tried to entice him to walk right and had all those treats as a bribe.  He will do mostly anything for a treat as I've mentioned.  It worked pretty well and we walked a lot longer than usual - I get so fed up with him that I get angry and turn around much sooner.  He wants to be a good dog, but I haven't been consistent enough, and of course he takes advantage when he can.

We are getting a break in the rain today and I need to use the weed eater to trim back some ugly patches of crabgrass and weeds.  The rain makes everything grow so fast, and I'm trying to not complain because we won't have much, if any, rain after March.  Nothing seems to have produced results in my fall garden.  I have several pea plants that keep growing and have flowers, but haven't seen anything that looks like a pea pod.  I give up and plan to stick to things I can grow easily - tomatoes, for one.  I have several varieties I'm ready to start from seed indoors within the next week or two.  I'll also grow squash again, but will try to not plant more than I can eat.  You may remember that last year I ate squash every single day throughout the entire growing season.  That is because I don't like it after it's been frozen, and prefer it raw or just lightly sauteed.  I often grated it and mixed it with scrambled eggs.  I have about 6 varieties of tomatoes I'm going to try, and will ask Donald to make tomato sauce with some of them.  I prefer the cherry tomatoes as well as the Roma's as they seem less acidic.

My landlady is having a new dishwasher installed this coming Monday, as the old one is just about done for.  I just hope she doesn't get something too fancy with extra options.  I just want it to wash and dry.  I'm still irritated with the kitchen faucet she had installed, with the 
on/off handle moving forward and backward, instead of left (for hot) and right (for cold).  My daughter has no problem with it but I cuss it every time I want hot water.  Normally I just leave the handle right in the middle so I don't have to figure it out.  The person who came up with the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" really had me in mind.  I was so intuitive and open to new things when I was younger, but I hit a big bump in the road of life when I said, "I'm done!  Just give the same old thing I've used all my life."  I should have to deal with serious problems, right? 

I have a lot of chores to do around the house, but I keep thinking about the jigsaw puzzles waiting for me.  It would be really bad of me to fritter my time away on something fun, rather than doing something in the way of housework.  My halo is getting tarnished and the horns are still very little but growing all the time!

Finish unpacking!

I moved into my duplex about 8 months ago, and would you believe that I have not yet completely unpacked all the boxes.  I've looked in at the contents of some of them to see what kinds of items they contain, but what I really need to do is to finish the unpacking and weeding out of things I no longer need.  That is easier said than done, as any of you who are pack rats such as I am will agree.   To be truthful, I'm sure I moved at least a couple of boxes that had not been unpacked after my move into the mobile home years ago!

I know there are a lot of my readers who live and travel in RV's, as I once did, and have to keep the number of unnecessary items to a minimum.  So I went from being a pack rat years ago, to a fairly well organized RVer also years ago, to being a complete slob in my current life.

I have never minded too much being a complete slob, but as a person ages they start to think of what will happen when their time comes to an end, and who will have to deal with their belongings.  I can see my 4 kids holding things up and exclaiming, "What in the hell was she ever going to do with this???"

Oh well, I'll think about it tomorrow, or maybe next week.  I really need to get things organized so I can get down to something fun - I recently purchased two jigsaw puzzles of 1000 pieces each, and I'm anxious to get started on one of them.  It's going to be a challenge to keep Rocky from chewing the inevitable puzzle pieces that fall on the floor.  I was always an excellent puzzle worker, but with my deteriorating eyesight it will take me a bit more time to complete a 1000 piece puzzle.  I'll try to post photos of my progress, and I sure hope I can make some progress!

I am expecting to have a new dishwasher installed during the coming days.  I'm also going to be visited by the man who supposedly "cleaned" the chimney.  It really didn't need cleaning at all; the first thing the cleaner told me was that  it was in very good condition.  However, since he "cleaned" it, I have experienced smoke pouring out into the room after the log has been burning about 3 hours or more.  So you can understand how I get a little testy when someone asks me if I opened the vent.  If I didn't open it, it would certainly not take 3 hours to start smoking!  Unfortunately I don't have much confidence that the same cleaner is going to be able to fix the problem. 

I just have to share this with someone.  It is an excerpt from an obituary posted in the Sunday paper today:

The obit reads (in part):  "Our beloved sister, daughter, aunt, and friend, Syd, was born Nov. .., 19.., and passed away suddenly on Dec, .., 2019.  She had always planned to pass away one day, peacefully in the arms of Tom Selleck, but as we all know, "sh*t happens".

This obit made my day and I have been smiling ever since.  Rest in peace, Syd.

Funny Dog!

There is always something to laugh about when you have a dog.  As you probably know, I have a 19 month old black labrador. retriever, hardly what you would all a guard dog.  But he has a scary bark sometimes.   He was out in the back yard this morning and started to bark ferociously at something I couldn't see.   I tried to call him back in as I didn't think there was anything to worry about.  Finally I called to him, "Come back and get a treat!   That brat immediately stopped barking, turned around, and ran for the back door!  Of course I gave him a good treat but was laughing as I did it.

I'm glad it's Friday, although it really isn't much different for me than any other day of the week. 
I hope you all have a good weekend.

Something new!

I recently ordered a new shower curtain, and it came this morning.  It's already hanging!

Old curtain:

The new one:

 The three labs:

 

This cheers me up, which I certainly need at this time.  It will look better when the folds hang out.  It's always fun to get something new! 

Moving forward

Jan. 6, 2020:
I didn't really want to do it but I took all the decorations off the tree yesterday.  Today, Joe took the tree out to the recycling bin although I need to find someone to cut it down a bit so that it fits into the bin.  I absolutely loved the Christmas tree this year and hated to see it go,  but it was time.

With the alternate rainy days we're having I haven't been able to get out and cut the grass/weeds.  It's starting to look pretty bad, so I may hire someone to come and clean up the yard when the rainy season is over.   It's just too much for me these days.
 
Jan. 7, 2020: 
I didn't get very far yesterday, did I.

Today is a very dreary looking day I just can't think of anything "sunshiny" to say.  I hope tomorrow will be better for us all.  What a way to start the new year.

Not the Best Start

It certainly isn't a great start to the new year, being on the brink of war. I've just written to my congressman and hope there are huge numbers out there who do the same, demanding that we not be drawn into any war with any country.

Things were going along pretty well this morning when my dishwasher decided to not drain the water out.  Fortunately it was on the last rinse and the dishes were clean.

As much as I didn't want a Christmas tree this year, I am reluctant to take it down.  It has given me a lot of pleasure, especially with the lights lit and a log burning in the fireplace every evening.  It has held up amazingly well and even now, the needles feel soft to the touch.  I need to find a box that will hold all the decorations, lights, wreath, etc.

A couple months ago I ordered two jigsaw puzzles of 1000 pcs. each, for my enjoyment.  I think I will start one of them as soon as I take down the Christmas decorations, but worry that Rocky can reach puzzle pieces on the card table.  A week or so ago I had a very large piece of cardboard that would have held the puzzle in place as I worked on it, and could be slid under a bed to keep it safe from certain paws.  I think I put the cardboard out with the recycling and am kicking myself now for not saving it.  I suppose I could move the table and puzzle into the spare bedroom and then just keep the door closed when I'm not working on it.

Since it hasn't rained in several days, I have no excuse to not do some grass trimming and leaf blowing in the back yard.  It is such an overwhelming job I just haven't been able to face it.  I also should try to clean up the garden beds before long.  I'm trying to decide what would be the best way to start tomato seeds indoors.  I've ordered about 5 different varieties of tomatoes; none of my windows receives direct sunlight so I really need some grow lights but they are more expensive than I'd like.  If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them.  I was thinking I could set seed trays on the back deck and then move them indoors at night, although that sounds like a lot of work.  It might be the best idea, although I don't know how Mr. Nosy would react to trays of seedlings on his deck.

Speaking of Mr. Nosy, I am totally amazed at how much control over my life and actions this animal has taken upon himself.   He turned 19 months old at the end of December, and I'm really hoping 24 months will be the magic time he will show some maturity.   But in the meantime I'm constantly laughing at his antics.  At the same time I worry about the separation anxiety he shows, and hope that somehow works out.

I'm waiting on someone to come and look at the dishwasher, and have used that as an excuse to not do much else.  I guess I should get busy.  Hope you all enjoy the weekend.

Welcome 2020!

Jeannie stopped by in the late afternoon yesterday and stayed for a while.  We had a few glasses of champagne and enjoyed chatting, and eventually she had to go home as they were having a few folks over to ring in the New Year.  I had no intentions of going anywhere, so Rocky and I rang in 12 Midnight by ourselves.

I tried to watch the ball drop in Times Square at midnight, EST, but since I was watching it on my computer I couldn't get the usual view that you see on TV.  It was disappointing because I have always enjoyed that scene.

 I had been worried about noise and possibly fireworks upsetting Rocky, but I didn't hear anything, which I thought was a bit unusual but I was glad about it.

I don't understand it, but for some reason I am very hopeful about 2020!  May we all have a good year ahead.  Happy New Year!