Twas the best of times.  Twas the worst of times.  Regardless, 2006 has about seven hours left in it, and I’ll just focus on moving forward.  No resolutions, because I’d probably lose the list, but with some goals carried forward.

Happy New Years to all of you, with best wishes for a wonderful 2007 for you and yours.

Just got a funny look for suggesting we give our gently-used Christmas tree directly to a poor family rather than taking it to one of the city’s ‘official’ recycling centers.

Great to see the 501st Legion will be marching in this year’s Rose Parade, led by the Sith Lord himself, though I am a bit curious whether they fully accept this year’s theme of Our Good Nature.  Never really thought of stormtroopers as live-and-let-live types.  Since they’re actually just cool geeky fans they’re probably all right though.  Maybe they can even do a float next year.  Artoo Detoo with highlights of blue mums?  A helium-filled Death Star covered in a depressing grey moss and bark mixture?  I’m all for expanding traditions, but this is still the Rose Parade, and some traditions are important.

If I put chrome rims on Nissantruck will it go faster?

If I put on bike shorts can I be competitive in the Tour d’ France?

If they spend $125 million on a courthouse at Guantanamo will the trials tribunals be fair?

Somewhat conflicted over the fact that with five days to go in 2006, I finally scored in Nala’s Death Pool.  I didn’t want to be shut out, but normally being one of my picks in any death pool guarantees the nominee an incredibly long life.  I’m sorry to hear Mr. Ford has broken that streak.  Currently rethinking my plan to vote for myself next year just to make certain the cancer thingee stays dead.

So much easier to take down the holiday banners here than to actually clean the holiday detritus from around the condo.  I like living virtually.

Hope y’all are making the most of the season.  White Christmas for some, pre-dawn sand between the toes for others.  Whatever works for you.

L.A. Times has a nice photo of Santa unwinding before the big day in my hometown of Huntington Beach.

Things I don’t want, like a cold, are here. 

Things I do want, like checks from clients and packages from anyone, are ‘in the mail’ aren’t here. 

At least that dreadful trend of shorter days is finally over and for the next six months each day will bring more sunshine than the previous. 

[O]ne of them did an X-rated dance in stiletto heels with a giant stuffed dog, because it was the right thing to do for the children of San Francisco.…

The strip club manager said the dancers’ combined efforts were expected to total $15,000. Most of it was coming from $10s and $20s slipped into various crevices.

Hopefully the Salvation Army won’t be abandoning their traditional black kettles in favor of sticking pocket change into some bell-ringing Santa’s nooks and crannies, but gotta applaud (loudly, with lots of hoots) any group that can and did raise $15,000 in charitable contributions in an evening.