Celebrations

We had dinner at Bourbon Steak in Georgetown this past weekend to help a friend celebrate 4-0. The latest in a series of birthday celebrations for those born in 1974.

I have a little time to go before that particular milestone. Though I think I remember these guys turning 30. Or 26. And they remember each other turning 21. And here they are, friends so man years later, really a half of a lifetime later.

I am a little uneasy as this year starts. I don't know why. I don't feel particularly happy or content, but I'm not necessarily unhappy. It's an odd thing, I think. To just feel at the edge, and not entirely comfortable. Maybe there's a sense of groundhogs day, and maybe I'm just waiting for that family development I want and don't talk about.

There will be other steak dinners and other celebrations. And other field trips to what used to be the Brickskeller. How much time have we spent there over the years?

But where I am at, at 37 going on 38, I am not sure.

Bye Bye Polar Vortex

I really hate winter, and anything associated with deep freezes, lots of snow, frozen pipes, and bursts. So good riddance to the single digit temperatures, negative windchill, and ice of the last week. I am already ready for Spring, which is by far the best season. Flowers, longer days, blue skies, cherry blossoms, and increased warmth gets my two thumbs up. Maybe if it gets to 120 degrees again, maybe I will think differently. But not after this week, and the grief and Russia sickness it has brought.

Good riddance, polar vortex. Won't want to see you again.

Random Musings on a Slow Friday

1. It is so damn cold out. I hate cold > summer sweltering.
2. No idea who the next Lions coach would be, but man, would it be awesome if it could be Tony Dungy.
3. Rooting for Denver, then Cincinnati in the Super Bowl. Then New Orleans.
4. I've seen two decent movies this holiday season, American Hustle and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I think that is two more than I've saw last holiday.
5. The Unwinding by George Packer is sort of a continuation of the Charles Murray superzip theme, where elites and wealthy are stratified away from those of the main. There was a comment on a cnn.com article about what to do with winter air travel delays, and the comment questioned why CNN was devoting so much time to this. Very few travel by air, very few fly, and the media elites just don't get that. I guess I fly frequently, though not as frequently as that 1% elite do. But air travel is second nature. And for most, it is not. Packer's great flaw is not paying attention to the family dysfunction, what happens when the nuclear family unwinds and nothing is left. But a fascinating read thus far.
6. I wish the Red Wings could have won the Winter Classic. Though at least the Spartans won the Rose Bowl.
7. I'm not sure if Kim Jong Un really let his uncle be eaten alive by starving dogs, but the fact that we think it could be true says it all about that regime, no?
8. Best wishes for Detroit's new mayor. At least he isn't already serve to divide his constituents.
9. "White Winter Hymnal" is appropriate for today. Has it been a week since South Padre and Dirty Al's?
10. This day has been unceasingly slow.

This is the New Year

2014 is about 40 hours old, and I'm still processing the last ten days of 2013. More so than previous years, the holidays flew by. Maybe it was the shortened period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe it was just not being at home, with less time off between Texas and New Year's. Maybe because I was yearning for it to be over. There was some great break time on the Island, and some needed family time. But it was chaotic and not particularly restful. There was less chilling and reading and not even one opportunity for a blissful walk around the mall, picking up cheap lotions and calendars. It was always a whirlwind, which I guess sums up 2013.

I don't know what this year will bring. I mean, I know what I would like it to bring. But I hope it brings peace, love, quiet, and family time. Anything more is just a bonus.

This Year

Been a long year. Fantasy season comes and goes. Two new nephews, born six months apart. Five year anniversary to Jamaica. Trips to Minnesota and California and NC and Colorado and Florida and Texas and Chicago and New York and Atlanta New Hampshire and Ohio and New Orleans and Richmond and New Mexico and Michigan and Charlottesville and Montana. 16 states flown to? Four weddings. And I'm probably forgetting a few places. The Tigers blowing it again. A mini high school reunion. Friends visiting in DC. 40th birthday gatherings. The National concert. Fake snow blizzards. Tantrums. German and Swedish parties. Lots of fire and lots of rain.

And it has been a year,  has it now. Another year, survived. Another year, another week, another day by day. Another hour. Less than two weeks remain.

North Korea News

So Kim Jong Un executed his uncle. Not a big surprise to anyone who follows/cares what's going on in the country that is holocausting its own citizens.

One big question is whether Kim acted out of strength, consolidating the power he has amassed over the past two years, or out of fear that his uncle was building a rival force inside the regime.

Kim already removed the country's top general last year, Cha noted. By taking down Jang, he's axed a powerful figure from the country's dominant Workers' Party.

"It makes you wonder: If he's consolidating his power, what is he building it around?" Cha said. "He's basically attacking the two most important institutions in North Korea, which is the party and the military."

He is a mad man, and you can never taken anything he utters at face value. He's young, entitled, and entrenched in a government that is Soviet-esque in its treatment of dissidents or mere mild threats to the ruling party. Any state that will deliberately starve its own citizens to to increase its own limited largesse cannot be trusted. And this move is meant not to just consolidate power but to inspire greater fear amongst anyone in either the party or the military who might think of a challenge.

The world is watching.

Best TV of the Year

I guess it is not too early for my favorite TV of the year...my thoughts:

House of Cards: Insanely addictive and binge-worthy, and I can hardly wait for the new season on February 14.

Mad Men: Because of that final Hersheys episode. Not the weak LSD inspired ones.

Nashville: Because of the music. And its soapiness.

General Hospital: Because of all of the comebacks, capped off by Robin returning to Patrick. Happy 50th, and many more!

Arrested Development: Because of its ambitious return, and it was a worthy comeback, even though it never be what it was because its development was truly arrested by Fox.

Big Bang Theory: Because of its heart, and Penny and Leonard, and Sheldon and Amy. Shamey. And Bernadette and Howard. And Raj. Loveable Raj.

How I Met Your Mother: This last season is sucking it up, but I am watching just to see the payoff in the end.

Downton Abbey: Even though I cannot forgive them for murdering Matthew. And I still cannot bring myself to watch that episode.

And for the shows I have yet to watch...Orange is the New Black and the Americans and Breaking Bad. Maybe I will get to all of these in 2014? And Scandal, too.

Escape from North Korea

I'm planning to go to a screening and discussion for this new documentary on North Korea after work. With all of the news lately, with Merrill Newman's detainment, new satellite images of North Korea's prison system, and Kim Jong Un's cutting off of his uncle, I think it will be a very timely discussion.

Everyone is Starting Something New

Loved this Onion piece:

“Our results indicate that those around you are all turning a new leaf, moving forward to face a fresh challenge, and embarking on periods of immense personal and professional growth, while you on the other hand are in a phase of total stagnation, if not regression,” said head researcher Dr. James Messemer, adding that the data also suggests that everyone sees the clear contrast between those who are really blossoming by moving on to meet a new opportunity and you, an individual perceived as being stuck in a rut, left behind, or simply someone who has already reached their potential. “Our study proves that, unlike yourself, all of your peers are enriching themselves by experiencing the triumphs and failures associated with any new personal journey, a journey that will ultimately be looked back upon as the most fulfilling part of these individuals’ lives. Meanwhile, you remain trapped in a state of perpetual—well, our researchers would have to call it ennui, as there is really no other word for it.”

I certainly feel that is true, sometimes. Like is this what my life will be like every day from now on? Work, go home, maybe go running or to yoga, maybe a reception where I grow older and everyone else is the same age? I guess it is some kind of "ennui."

I hope my chances of changing this are more than 7%, though....

Thanksgiving Memories 2013

1. J's obsession with his little cousin C. OMG when he kissed his photo on the iPhone...
2. J's cheating at Candy Land and subsequent tantrum. Like father, like son...
3. J's incessant photobombing.
4. Hearing the story of J's paper purses for his kindergarten classmates.
5. JR's cute, sweet smile. So cute...
6. Lunch with mom at Panera and looking at houseware items.
7. My mini-HS reunion. Feels like yesterday.
8. C's big boy outfits. And is he ever a big kid!
9. Kicking as$ at fantasy football with my record 230 point win. And victories by the Lions and Cowboys, a first.
10. Playing blocks and building a village with J.
11. That absolutely amazing Auburn-Alabama finish. 
12. All of boys playing in the basement playroom.
13. Talking with dad on the way from the airport.

So many great memories...