End Of Another Year, Or More Of The Same?

Welcome to New Year's Eve...such as it may be.
If I seem in a bit of a "terse" mood today, we've been WITHOUT Cable TV since last night around 2305 hrs (for some strange reason).
I guess we should thank Frontier that Internet and phones are still working.
Our Hoosierland weather will be another gray day, with temps barely climbing above freezing...nice way to say "bye" to 2015...if you ask me.
Seems to fit MY particular mood.
So, go grab a cup of your favorite drink and let's see what else is in store for us while the year runs itself out...
*** First off of the cheese tray is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

Charles F. Kettering (1876 - 1958)

"Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress."
This was spoken by Mr. Charles Kettering (yep, he's the Kettering of the SLOAN-KETTERING stuff).
Here's is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering

Now you know where I get this from.

If you're still wondering who he was, let's just say that when you turn the key to your vehicle, it was HIS invention that starts it.
He is responsible for the electric self-starting motor (Cadillac - 1912, I believe)
In fact, if you trace back the history of a company called DELCO, it used to be HIS company before he sold it.
He held 186 patents and was also head of research at General Motors (when it meant something).
It's a good read and tells a nice story about someone not that many people know about in detail.
Moving on...
*** It's time for the last "What the hell happens today, Bob" feature of 2015:
December 31 -
---Today is MAKE UP YOUR MIND DAY

(why bother - something will come along and UNMAKE it)
---It's NEW YEAR'S EVE

(can't wait for the shooting to commence around 11PM)
-- It's also NATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

(gonna need something STRONGER to see this year out with NO TV)
--And it's NO INTERRUPTIONS DAY

(Sorry, Frontier Cable took care of that one)
---It's Also some kinda world peace day and hour of peace...
(whatever bullshit the tree-huggers are touting. Don't have time for that crap)
Get me OUTTA THIS YEAR...!
*** So, I got this gift card for Applebees for Christmas from Wifey's relatives, and didn't know what to do with it.

I suggested  that she take a friend of her mom out to lunch, which she did.
Better to give than receive, right? They both had a good time there.

Wifey also stopped by a place called Wild Birds Unlimited, and came back with some cool earrings, as well as various half-price seed "critters" for our OTHER critters.

Wifey's purchases.

Food for the birds

I also got an Amazon gift card, which I spent online to get a couple things I couldn't seem to find OFF-line, including a Garfield 2016 wall calendar (haven't missed a year since Wifey and I were hitched, as well as some (what else?) Doctor Who books.

The BAD side to this is that Amazon charges all that shipping - usually $3.99 PER ITEM (apparently, they DON'T combine shipping), so even if you get stuff at 50% OFF, you lose most of that savings through their shipping costs.
Helluva way to make money.
*** Speaking of money being made, this Frontier "outage" really pissed me the hell off.

We're forking over $150+ PER MONTH for their service and we get THIS kinda stuff?
At least the service IS better than Comcast, which has become a far cry from it's humble beginnings back in Philly, when it as a GOOD and RELIABLE source of cable TV.

But, what if I lose Internet connectivity?

I suppose we're ALL destined to get our TV service from the INTERNET with streaming channels.
Yeah, that'll work...UNTIL the Internet service craps out, then you got NOTHING, right?

THIS was at least RELIABLE!

I keep saying that monopolies are "bad for your health", and ever since the FREE airwaves went the way of the DODO, and we were FORCED to pay for TV now, we've few choices. It's either some cable outfit, some satellite outfit or Internet streaming.
Each has it's OWN issues, unlike the days when TV problems could be remedied by turning those rabbit ears for better reception.
I SO MISS those days.
If nothing changes from last night, we'll be contacting Frontier and getting credit for all this "dead air" time, that's for sure.
Nothing like NOT being able to see the BALL DROP in Times Square, hmm?
Missing this would be a FIRST for me...and not the kind of "first" that makes me smile.
(there goes watching that Who-Years-Eve marathon on BBC America)
*** Last back to asti-spumante bottle...we're probably going to have to suffer all the gunshots tonight...AGAIN, thanks to the local "natives", that are never at a loss to show us the dregs of human behavior.

Welcome to the Southeast side of Ft. Wayne.

And I would be amazed if the FWPD patrol down here...I never see them around for SOME reason.
In some ways, I can't WAIT to see this craptastic year LEAVE.
The bad part is that a lot OF that "baggage" will follow us all into NEXT YEAR, right?
You just cannot get rid of some of this stuff,

It was akin to a combination of a left hook to the jaw as well as a thousand gnats buzzing around...both ways, it was annoying as hell.
But, we TRY to have some hope amidst all this tumult though, don't we?.
I will not make a resolution for the year, EXCEPT to resolve to NOT make a resolution.

I'm somewhere "in-between"...

I trust all of YOU will have a good New Year (WITH television) and that we can all PRAY for each other, and this nation, because it sorely NEEDS prayer.

Words to LIVE by.

May the new year find us in good health and spirits, courageous, faithful, and hopeful for all the things this past year seemed to lack.
And may we be mindful that whatever befell us, there were others that had it much worse.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.
Have yourselves a very HAPPY NEW YEAR, in keeping with the situation. (as the 1812 Overture plays behind me)
Catch you all NEXT YEAR.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((Editor's UPDATE - 0700 hrs - It would appear that the cable has come BACK ONLINE...so forget all that crap I was ranting about and cross your fingers it STAYS up...LOL))