As expected, I didn’t make it to midnight last night. Didn’t even try – I went to bed at about 9:30. Midnight is right in the middle of my first 3-hour sleep cycle, befor I get up to take a leak at 1:00, so I really didn’t want to be awake for it. Besides, I’ve seen the ball drop before and it’s really not that big a thrill. Plus Ryan Seacrest is no Dick Clark (I actually have no idea who Ryan Seacrest is – I’ve heard the name but have no idea what he’s “famous” for. Is he one of these American Idol made up celebrity things). And I rarely have a clue who these so-called music acts they have on are. Not that I was a big fan of Guy Lombardo, either.

Anyhow, I guess this is the official end of the holiday season. Thank goodness ML King day is coming soon – I already need a day off. I mean, other than today and tomorrow.

Between the warmish weather, fox piss/cayenne pepper spray, and bags of balsam oil, we hadn’t seen any mice around here for a while. But with the return of the cold weather, we got two yesterday and two more this morning. It’s my hope that the stinky bags (actually, they smell pretty good – the fox piss, not so much. Much better to spray that outside and god help you if the wind shifts ‘cuz that stuff will burn your lungs and make you want to puke) are driving any interlopers toward the one spot where I have traps and that they’re staying out of everything else.

I’m not, by nature, a bloodthirsty individual and would really rather not kill them. I’ve tried to make it clear that I would prefer they stay away, but sometimes it feel like I’m Leiningen and they’re the ants. Next thing you know I’ll be digging a moat and filling it with gasoline.

I’m not one for setting New Year’s resolutions (because I know myself all too well), but this year I have outlined what I hope are easy to attain “goals” for myself, mostly because I think I’m at the point where if I don’t change something, I’m looking at a much shorter lifespan. And in the event that the Republicans don’t completely fuck up my retirement plans, I’d like to live long enough to collect my pension and Social Security. So I guess I’ll see how I do over the long haul.

Oh well, time for some more coffee and then I can put my replacement water heater timer in (goal #1 – I told ya I’m going for the low-hanging fruit).

Enjoy the parades. And the bowl games (they still have those, right?).