2013- Thumbs Up, Or Down?

2013 is gone, but before we wave goodbye for the last time, what was it like for you? O'Reilly did a poll, 'Was 2013 Good or Bad?' 13% said good, 87% said bad. Wow. Not a scientific poll (are any of them?), but a dismal response, I suppose it mostly reflects the Great Recession, the economic doldrums that just don't seem to stop.

2013 for me? Good. We finished our '50 States in 50 Weeks' tour (The book is coming out soon! '50 States in 50 Weeks: Easy Rider Revisited.'), and spent the second half of the year living in a resort town, Brian Head, Utah. The trip was a fulfillment of a 47 year old dream, a once in a lifetime event.

Due to the Adventure, Quilter Girl and I enjoyed two good years in a row, a welcome respite from four or more horrible years of closing businesses and suffering business losses in Arizona,Nevada, and setbacks in California.

Next year? Should be good. It's back to work for me, helping my son Tim in our venture, 'Parsons Rocks.' I've been a silent partner, but will be getting active. Perhaps I won't be poor any more, and ineligible for food stamps. I like to work and am looking forward to it.

                                                          A little product placement there.
I have moments of sleep deprivation and got up at two this morning. I saw stars through the window, so I dressed warmly (15-20 degrees) and walked outside. With little ambient light, the stars were an impressive display, diamonds on velvet, a nice change from Vegas, where few can be seen due to the lights of the Strip. I thought of the psalmist who wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of the Lord." He must have seen a marvelous display, with almost no ambient light, a few thousand years ago. The night sky helped me keep things in perspective.

Happy New Year, I hope 2014 is a good one for you.