Starbucks has left the building (Fox River Mall). They only lasted one year. A slow economy spares no one.
Your Mom and I celebrated New Year's Eve by attending the movie Valkyrie (?) with Tom Cruise. He leads a group attempting to assasinate Hitler. Obviously he fails. It was an elaborate plan. I kept thinking that they should have befriended a radical terrorist, strap a few bombs to his body and have him walk right into Hitler's headquarters. Kaboom! That is simple as it gets. Of course you need a willing radical terrorist.
My Grandma Myrna was born on this date (Jan.2,1901). I bet her folks were upset. One day earlier and she might have qualified for the gift celebration heaped on the first baby of the new year. Or she might have been born on Dec.31 and her folks could have taken a Federal Tax Deduction for her. Wait, in 1901 there was no Federal Tax. Now taxes ranges all the way up to 50% of income. We've come a long way baby.
Now the good stuff. The days are getting longer. If we can survive the next 30 days, the sun will begin to feel good again.
Tomorrow is a rescheduled Christmas. Even though it is a really late celebration by "executive decision' because of weather, the people are the same, the renewal of family is great and I understand that Santa even came down the chimney.
One last comment. The New York Press has turned on Brett Favre. Now he has to have minor surgery on his shoulder and then he goes into his Kiln, Mississippi Compound to contemplate whether he wants to play again. Same song, different verse. My prediction is Brett Favre will finally retire. It is not fun being disliked. New York can be brutal.
See you soon!
Love,
Dad