Going from Guy Lombardo to Justin Bieber: Happy New Year, 2012!

There's a wind advisory out for my part of Minnesota tonight: 30 to 35 mph with gusts to around 50 mph. Judging from the sizzling sound I hear on the north and west walls of the house, there's occasional sleet coming down, too. Or maybe really hard snowflakes. Or freezing rain, or something else.

I watched the Waterford crystal ball drop over New York City's Times Square, about 20 minutes ago. On television, of course: I'd just as soon not stand outside for hours, this time of year. Not even in comparatively temperate places like New York City.

It's officially 2012 on the east coast now. Here in Minnesota, we've got about 40 minutes of 2011 left, as midnight sweeps across our part of the globe.

New Year's Eve on television used to be mostly about dance bands like Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians. And the big parties.

America has changed a lot since I was a teenager. The music's different, the faces on television aren't the same, and the culture's changed. I'm not happy about every change that happened. But my memory is pretty good: and I remember what 'the good old days' were like. Even if I could, I'd never want to go back.

Happy New Year, 2012!

Related posts:

• "2009: This Year Was Not Boring"
  (December 31, 2009)
• "Tuesday: New Year's Day"
  (January 2, 2008)
• "Monday: New Year's Eve"
  (January 1, 2008)
• "Sunday: Countdown to New Year's Eve"
  (December 30, 2007)
• "Friday: Countdown to the New Year"
  (December 29, 2007)

2009: This Year Was Not Boring

I've started the year-end review of records and see that there's a reason why I haven't kept up with some projects and pastimes: and feel frazzled. Here's a brief recap.

Head-On Crash and Sprained Bodies

In January, my wife and #3 daughter were in a head-on car accident just outside Osakis, about 10 miles up the road. They were headed south, another car blew through a stop sign (according to the police report) at the end of an Interstate off-ramp, made wide, fast right turn into my family's van. Snow on the road didn't help.

Happily, the folks in the other car weren't hurt.

My wife and #3 daughter came out with whiplash, what I'll call 'sprained bodies,' and - in the case of my daughter - a broken wrist. That was a bit rough, since #3 daughter is a writer and guitarist. My wife was able to climb a flight of stairs by the end of the month.

Daughter's Wedding

As soon as my wife was able to move around, she started getting things ready for #2 daughter's wedding. That happened in September. And involved making the wedding dress. Those things take more attention than hemming sheets. Happily, my wife is a better seamstress than she lets on - and isn't the sort of person to let a head-on collision stop her.

#2 daughter made the veil, and September 5th she married my new son-in-law.

Thought I Might Lose a Son-In-Law

Then her new husband got "dreadfully sick" as my family's Christmas letter put it. He wasn't able to eat for about a week. What made it scarier was that doctors could tell that he was sick - but couldn't figure out why. Eventually, we celebrated his eating a large chuck of watermelon.

My Father Died

Then my father's health started deteriorating faster.

About a week after I knew that, God willing, I'd keep my new son-in-law for a few more years, at least, my father died.

He's been cremated, as was my mother. Their ashes were mixed, then put in two urns. I buried one in the Red River Valley of the North, near my mother's birthplace,the other in northern Illinois, near my father's. Actually, #3 daughter and her husband, and quite a few other people did most of the work - but at least I was there.

Other Than That - - -

Aside from that, though, not much has happened.

Tuesday: New Year's Day

This household is now cousin/niece-free. The last one left this evening, taking her Gamecube with her. By then, our son had looked up what Gamecubes cost, on amazon.com. We aren't getting one: which is too bad, since I'd enjoy playing with it, too.

It's been a cold day. The news says that this is the coldest New Year's Day in the Twin Cities in at least nine years. Tonight, as I started writing this, it was -4 F (-20 C). Distinctly chilly.

The family went to church at noon, met #1 daughter there, came back with her, talked, laughed (the young ladies, mostly, in the north room), and made some music (same group, in the same place). The father of one of the cousin/nieces came to collect her. He, my wife, and #2 daughter talked in the kitchen while she was getting her stuff together.

It's been a good day.

Monday: New Year's Eve

This morning, I got my first blood-sugar meter, and was shown how to use it. The process is quite straightforward, and much less uncomfortable than I expected. In fact, in a few days I should be skilled enough to call myself finger-prickin' good.

I phoned my father, had a short talk about #2 daughter and my coming to see him. Next, I phoned a company about an affiliate program they're running. After getting some good news, I said to my wife, "someday, I'm going to be rich and famous." Without looking up from the dishwasher rack, she asked, "do I laugh now, or later?"

The fact is, I'd settle for 'moderately well off and not entirely anonymous.'

I finished a bulletin I edit for the local Knights of Columbus, and dropped it off at Main Street Press a little after noon. Then, I drove up to Little Falls to drop off a violin bow for repairs. I got back in time to buy batteries before supper.

We had two daughters, our son, and two nieces/cousins here this evening. The new cousin (from our kids' point of view) came with her dad. The balance of her family is back at their home while she and her dad visit the Sauk Centre grandpa.

Our young ladies and the cousins had a good, and only moderately noisy, evening. The new cousin's dad, one of my brothers-in-law, showed up later, with a DVD.

He's justifiably pleased with a new room on his house. The job got done a few months ago. To save money, he raised the roof on the south part of his house, put in the room, then replaced the roof.

It makes sense, since if he had replaced the roof and the ceiling under it, he'd have had to do a very expensive bit of remodeling. Building codes are fine things, but I sometimes question the wisdom of their details.

The crane he rented had a lifting capacity of 73 tons. That's overkill for lifting a 9,000 pound roof, but it was the only one available. The crane operator, I'm told, was really good. I believe it. That roof came up very smoothly, got set gently down on a pair of cinder-block walls. The crane and its support trailer weren't as gentle on the driveway, I'm told.

The job started at about 8:30. The second floor walls had to be up and the roof bak by noon, since that's when the crane was leaving. Having the walls built ahead of time helped. Not the whole wall: just the framing.

At $335/hr, my brother-in-law didn't want the thing around any longer than necessary, anyway. He had a good way of encouraging the crew to make good use of time: he said they wouldn't eat until the roof was back on.

At least one of my other brothers-in-law was on the crew, plus more of the extended family. My father-in-law was there, too. After the roof was back in its new place, they got the walls sheathed: with sheeting over the windows. The windows were delayed, and didn't arrive until the next day.

That's a lot about a job I only saw on a television screen: but I was impressed by what I saw. And, my brother-in-law's enthusiasm was contagious.

I stayed up to see the ball go down in Times Square, New York. #2 daughter stayed with me. The remainder of the young ladies were watching a movie: one of them had a laptop.

Information technology has come a long way. I remember when television was black and white, and electric typewriters were cutting-edge technology.

Sunday: Countdown to New Year's Eve

Another Sunday is almost over. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I have big plans: I'm going to watch the ball go down in Times Square. On television. I enjoy watching the crowd of people who come every year to celebrate the passing of another 365-and-a-fraction days.

I grilled lunch: six burger patties today, since we had a guest and #1 daughter visiting after church. I'm pleased to report that I grilled the burgers, without incinerating them - without supervision. I'm learning.

Our guest is dividing her time between here and the Sauk Centre Grandpa's home. #2 daughter joined her, for a while at least, this afternoon.

#3 daughter and our son spent part of the afternoon, playing a Leggo Star Wars game on the Game Cube that their cousin brought. #3 daughter said she was surprised to be playing a video game. She also said, "this is really, really, hard." While she was playing, our son sat beside her on the living room couch, giving advice.

After supper, the kids set up the Game Cube with a Karaoke game. Our son did a creditable job on one of the sing-alongs.

Then, chores being more-or-less done, everyone except me went to Soo Bahk Do. I've been getting a little work done while the house is quiet.

Friday: Countdown to the New Year

My wife, #2 daughter, #3 daughter, and our son, were over at the Sauk Centre grandpa's store this morning, minding the shop. They got back earlier than I expected, around noon.

I found out that a selection of nieces will be showing up to spend New Year's Eve, at least, with #2 daughter and #3 daughter. This was the first I'd heard of the plan.

With some help from our son, and the three daughters, I got set up with a "Yahoo!" account, complete with email. #1 daughter has been reminding me regularly about the virtues of having such a thing. Mainly, I understand, she wants me to be able to send and receive large graphic files via Yahoo! Messenger. I'll also enjoy the animated, and noisy, emoticons.

I drove #1 daughter back to her place in Alexandria this afternoon. I enjoyed having another twenty minutes - more like a half hour - to talk with her. That leaves two daughters and our son at home: still enough to keep things lively.

While in the big town (about 8,000 people: twice the size of Sauk Centre), I went to Menard's and checked out some items for my wife. Thanks to a digital camera, I'll be able to show her what I found. Sure beats trying to describe what hardware and vinyl look like.

Hoarfrost covered trees and quite a few other surfaces outside today. I snapped a few photos: but haven't checked out what they look like yet. I enjoy days when branches are covered in frost: ideally, with a clear blue sky to set them off. Today was overcast, which is also okay. Streets and roads took on a sort of fairyland look.

A scanned in #2 daughter's college ID this evening, and cut the image down to size. She needs a two-sided image, to get a student discount with an online service.

And, as usual, our son and I read comics and sang before bedtime. Life is good.