So Happy New Year everyone, even though it’s not yet the New Year for everyone in flyover country.

Well, I guess that’s a little uncalled for but I just saw Bill and Hillary Clinton dancing on television. Was that for real?

So please forgive the crankiness but the last time our country was treated to a glimpse of the Clintons dancing we had to endure that tacky Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment and Clinton kept the United States government busy dealing with his personal peccadilloes while bin Laden and company were spinning their evil webs of terror.

It’s bad enough that Obama keeps baring his chest out in Hawaii while multiple rockets are being fired into Israel every day. The president elect declined to comment on whether he supports the Israeli pushback against Hamas but quickly put out a statement condemning Gov. Blagojevich’s appointment of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Hmm. Midwestern Democrat peace is more important to Obama than mideast peace?

Anyway, we always have a nice New Years Eve celebration here that could compete nicely with all the folderol that goes on in Times Square.

We drove up to Rogers, Arkansas today to see the sights. We bought some books at the keen, Barnes and Noble. Then we ate Zydeco Chicken at Copelands.

We took Minnie the dog outside for a walk.

We watched LSU stomp Georgia Tech.

Boy! Howdy! It’s 2009! Well, it is for those of us in the Central Standard Time Zone. It’s probably not yet the witching hour for California or Hawaii or for Alaska or for Gov. Sarah Palin. (I hope it’s a really Happy New Year for Gov. Sarah Palin.)

We toasted to the New Year. We had already used our Champagne for mimosas on Christmas morning so we used diet coke. It sufficed and I think it was an appropriate and sober way to approach 2009.

I’m hearing a lot of firecrackers outside! Inside the city limits! Will the police be called? Not by me!

As for 2008, while it was a horrible year for many in our country (and for some of our dear friends personally) for us there were some happy and wonderful things that did occur.

January, 2008 brought us our wonderful grandson, Noah.

March, 2008 we survived a bad hailstorm which hit our area and left some of our family members with damage to cars, houses and roofs. It gave us all a big scare and reminded us of our powerlessness when it comes to weather events. I consider this a good thing because we survived an assault by nature and now it’s merely a distant memory.

December, 2008, our daughter completed her lawschool studies and is studying to take the bar exam in February.

We ended 2008 still employed, still healthy and enjoying the blessings of freedom.

Things to look forward to in 2009?

The birth of our first granddaughter in March. What more do we need?

Happy New Year to all.

And yes, I wish a Happy, New Year to all on the East Coast.