January 2009

Everyone keeps talking about how historical this moment is – that America has elected a black President. I guess it means a lot to people who are older and lived through the days of racial discrimination, but to be honest with you, race has not been a big deal to me. I have always had black friends in school and on my Little League teams and I work with a lot of black guys and black women and a few asian women too. I don’t think of them as ethnic. I think of them as friends or co-workers or team mates or whatever. It seems strange to me that people are making such a big deal of this President being black. I don’t think it should matter what color his skin is. I hope that is the right way to look at it and that I’m not proven naive or wrong later on.

Don’t know what it is about the Willie Nelson songs, but it is like he was thinking of me when he wrote some of them. They sound so much like what I’m living – it is freaky.

I’ve been a fan since I was a little kid. My mom used to play Willie Nelson tapes in the car when she drove us around on her errands. I know the words to every song he has ever sung. And I never get tired of them.

We had enough snow last night that all the schools have canceled class today. I decided to take a sick day and stay home, too. I think I am getting strep throat or something, and I just couldn’t get up this morning when the alarm rang. With no school, the office will be half empty as all kinds of secretaries and clerks needing to stay home with their kids. So I doubt anyone will even miss me today.

The kids across the street made themselves a couple of igloo forts and stored up a bunch of snowballs. The igloos weren’t very tall and didn’t offer much protection, the snowballs fell apart as they threw them, so they didn’t need much protection. It was kind of fun watching from the kitchen window as they ran around the yard pegging each other. Reminded me of being a kid and all the fights with my brother.

Last night we gathered at my brother’s house and had a private little party to welcome in the New Year. Everyone was married or engaged – except me. I didn’t want to bring a date because sometimes that sends the wrong message about getting serious when all you want is a casual thing or it’s too early in the relationship because you just started dating and all.

I have to admit that I did drink a little too much Jack and then had a glass of champagne at midnight with everyone, so this morning was a hangover from Hell. I took too Digel tablets and two aspirins and I hope that pancakes with lots of butter will take the rest of the hangover away. Let’s hope.