it’s the end of the year, and I know it. I think I feel fine, but at my age, who’s to say what’s lurking right around the corner. I guess time will tell, but that does not alleviate my year end concerns.
I find myself in a rather introspective mood in dealing with my bout of neoannophobia, or fear of the new year. Fueling my thoughts were the Grateful Dead, specifically a live version of Ramble On Rose which was recorded at Winterland during the final show at the legendary venue before it closed on December 31, 1978, to make room for condos and a Burger King.
I am not sure what led me to listen to Rose, as it is not a song I listen to often, and frankly, I am not much of a Deadhead. I, however, realize that the lyrics are damn near perfect for year-end phobia driven musings, as I was trying to get mentally prepared to enter 2024. So perfect, that I had to replay Rose several times, thereby extending my retrospection.
Somewhat predictably, my curiosity about Winterland did not stop with Rose, and I somehow ended up listening to The Band, another group I do not listen to often. Now the The Last Waltz concert, with its bluesy, Americana feel, downloaded in lossless audio, is playing on my KEF wireless speakers, as I tap the keys on my keyboard and ruminate about 2023.
At 68, soon to be 69, I have yet to bow to the realities of my exalted age, but I am standing somewhat less vertically than ever before. I spent 2023 working, though at a lesser rate. I am still running my fractional CFO consulting business and enjoying it. I spent 2023 working out, averaging between five and six workout days per week, focusing on maintaining muscle mass, balance and flexibility so I can still get off the toilet and walk without assistance. So far, it’s working, as I ran about two miles on my tread this morning without falling off. I’ll have to see what happens in 2024.
A couple of highlights of 2023 included the 50-year anniversary of the night Pam and I attended our Senior Prom and 2023 also included the night we attended our 50th high school reunion. The former passed without too much fanfare and the latter was a hoot. The biggest issue I had there was reading name tags, as the font in which the names were printed was tiny and headshots from 50 years ago were not too useful in helping me recognize the faces of the people at which I was peering.
Our kids and grandkids are doing well, and we get to see them often, as we all still live in LA.
After a whole Covid pandemic full of procrastination, Pam and I decided 2023 was the year to bite the bullet and do most of the maintenance on our house that we had been deferring, including redoing our 90+ year old front hardscape and driveway, redoing our 20+ year old kitchen, replacing our rotting 90+ year old living room windows and repainting the outside of our house. Yeah, it cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it, even though we had to pay twice to have the outside painted, as we hated the first color we chose. We had no choice, as Pam thought it looked like baby diarrhea. Sadly, she was not wrong. We have a few more things to do, but I am pretty sure they can wait. If they can’t, we sure can, possibly until 2025.
So much for the highlights of 2023. Unfortunately, there are a couple of lowlights that portend a tumultuous 2024. The cork-like buoyancy of Donald Trump continues to cast a pall over 2024 and calls into question the mental state that exists in our country. The abject assininity of the Progressive Left continues to demonstrate just how much we have to fear from them as well. Now that I am on Medicare, I have to endure the infamous donut hole in my health care coverage. Unfortunately, I have to endure it in politics, too, as none of my candidates will ever get their party’s nomination. Which of course, leaves me wondering if I will ever collect my social security, something I may have foolishly been deferring for the past couple of years.
Of course, I dread 2024 for a couple of other reasons, not the least of which is the splintering of the Pac 12, a conference I have followed since the 1960s, and it makes me feel like my splintering is destined to be right behind it. Additionally, Pam is retiring in mid-2024, which will be great for her, so Iam happy about that. I still have to come to grips with how I want to spend my quality time remaining, and while that is weighing on me, I can put it off for now. Of course, I have yet to identify any New Year resolutions I want to make for 2024.
As I listen to The Last Waltz playing on my KEFs, Neil Young just sat-in with The Band for a version of Helpless. Seems sort of fitting.
Happy New Year!?