Monday Musings...

Welcome to the "home-stretch" week of the end-of-year holiday season.
Short and sweet is the order of the day, too.
You do know there are only NINE shopping days left before Christmas (like you're all more concerned with that than the real meaning of the season).
Still, we are a consumer society, and the big push to get you out and buying stuff is commencing.
Our Hooiserland weather will be cooperative to start with. Temps will climb into the upper 40s today with some patchy fog this morning and mostly cloudy skies all day with showers moving in later this afternoon into this evening and tomorrow morning.
So, let's soothe ourselves with a warm cup of our favorite morning beverage and see what has been going on since last we met...
*** First off of the hotplate is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
December 15 - 

Why YES, I WILL have ONE of EACH!

--- Today is NATIONAL CUPCAKE DAY / LEMON CUPCAKE DAY, so I guess one could kill two cupcakes with one bite, as it were.
--- It's also BILL OF RIGHTS DAY, and I'm sure ALL those in D.C. are reading this out loud, so the "libtards" can see how OUR RIGHTS are getting trampled upon by them daily.

We can but hope...and pray on this.
--- And, it's...(drum roll, please)... CAT HERDER'S DAY!

Funny, didn't know cats traveled or were otherwise congregating in "herds"...always though it was a litter, or perhaps even a pack (such as wolves). Who'da thunk that?

So VERY true...and fun.

We've only got ONE cat now, so "herding" becomes a no-brainer.
And the laser-pointer is always nearby...lol.
*** And, as is the case in a city where the number of police officers are woefully BELOW the number we SHOULD have, comes this story about an armed robbery at "an old and familiar place"

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2014/12/15/fwpd-investigates-armed-robbery-at-local-bar/
Seems that the Sports and Spirits Bar at 1723 E. Wayne Street is at the center of more "gun-play".

Some places NEED to be closed down...too much drama.

This time it was an armed robbery that happened this morning around 0100 hrs when police were called to the place.
Sure beats having a patron shooting through the damn windows...I suppose.
Two armed men entered the bar and it's unclear what (if anything) was taken.
Police are still looking for suspects. (usual press release these days)
Moving on...
*** The outgoing senate managed to shove through an 11th hour federal budget, but not without a lot of "extras", and I don't mean that in a good way.
Here's the story link:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/14/senate-vote-on-spending-bill/

Wasting MORE money...!

And here's the skinny on some of the extra items inckluded:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/politics/The--1-1T-bill--School-lunches--light-bulbs--pot-4014475

The "Pork" is STRONG with this senate.

Choose you r pork wisely, young padawan...the dark side beckons, but the Force is with you.
*** Next up,  the Lovely Mrs. Bobby G. is still planning to head out of state tomorrow (in the rain here) to where it's a balmy 73 degrees (and probably raining at her destination).

The ERJ-145 - 50 passenger puddle-jumper of choice

Thing is, she's also fighting some sinus conditions.
That's always fun on an airliner with the changing pressure in the cabin.
Still, I'm looking at a "bachelor pad" of sorts for about a week, while Wifey deals with some family things.
(our remaining cat is also male - boys week in?)
This old "Fortress" will seem a bit bigger (to me)...that's for sure, but I've got time to finish off any last minute holiday prepping.
--- And that reminds me, tonight on the Family Channel is Disney's PREP AND LANDING (both shows back to back) at 8PM.

Love these shows...

It's also showing tomorrow evening on the Disney Channel, so at least Wifey and I get to watch those together.
As for all the other themed movies?
Might have to put them off for a bit and perhaps try to cram them in over the holiday season.
It IS nice to have the yearly favorites on DVD, like Scrooge (the 1951 version), and White Christmas, and even A Christmas Carol (w/ Patrick Stewart)..
Let's not also forget Garfield's Christmas Special...the one cartoon they NEVER show in the state iof Indiana (where the CREATOR of Garfield happens to live and work).
We've stocked up on groceries, so that's not an issue, and I've still plenty of ammo (in case of zombies, mind you),. so that's not a problem either.
I think I'll manage well enough, God willing.
*** Last back to the barn...when we look back at all the Christmases past, I'm sure most of us have many we can recollect with ease.

And of those we recall, I'll bet there were a few "clunkers" in the bunch - those holidays that seem like you were a "Clark Griswold", right?
Those holidays where the harder you try to make it festive, the more you are put upon by life itself.
Still, if it were not for a few bad Christmases here and there, how would we be better able to appreciate the GOOD ones - the ones that stick out in our minds with such clarity, that we might think they happened LAST year, instead of decades past?
That is why we remember the good AND the bad...cannot have one without the other, right?
And, our ability to make even the most banal Christmas seem like something worth enjoying, is like a tribute to US and our ability to come away knowing that every time, our present state is not (nor will ever be) our permanent state, if you get my drift.

Charlie Brown figured it out...with some help.

Christmas has often been called "magical", and in many ways it is.
More importantly, I think it's because we have a higher power at work, and when we know that, lots of things we thought were screwing it all up, really were not, and certainly not to the degree that we assigned to them.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.