Quick year in review thing

I know it's still 9 days until the end of the year but I figure not a lot is going to happen between now and then. I feel pretty safe doing a quick year in review today.

This past year has been an interesting year for me.

In no particular order, here are some of my "events":

My daughter started her new educational venture at Iowa State University - College of Veterinarian Medicine. I anticipate that in four years, I will no longer have any vet bills. Until then, I will have airfare bills up the wahzoo....

My youngest son graduated from Keene State College and the college immediately offered him a job. He quickly accepted the job and almost immediately discovered that adulthood is way better than childhood. I'm sure tht will wear off but right now, he seems pretty damned happy to be 22 years old, gainfully employed and living large in a nice apartment in Keene, NH

My eldest son and his wife settled into their new home and he just recently got to use his new snowblower. This, in his own words, made him feel manly and very adult-like. I informed him that his snowblower in no way compares to The Beast. Then I grunted at him like Tim Allen.

With the help of my cousin, I achieved one of my life-long goals by learning to fly and getting my private pilots license. If you see a small aircraft passing overhead, look up and wave - it might be me. And even if it's not me, you can imagine it is and wave.

I lost my job of 30+ years and quickly discovered how much better I felt not being there. Turns out that place was killing me slowly and now I feel like a kid again... ...if I was a old bald kid with a beer gut and knees that crack when I move.

Since I was no longer spending 10-12 hours a day in a stress-filled environment, I was able to lose more than 20 pounds without even really trying. Imagine what I could do if I tried. I'd be one of those skinny old guys you see riding around on one of those giant tricycles.

I discovered that I could remove three bolts from a section of my back fence, swing that small section of fence out of the way and use my lawn tractor to mow my back yard. This was after spending the last four years using my push mower back there because my 48" lawn tractor wouldn't fit through the 46" gate.

All-in-all, not a bad year. Other than being unemployed for most of it, which kind of sucks, I've got no complaints.

I hope all of you had an equally good 2016.

⧫

I was in a Walmart in Palmer today and there was a Monson cop wandering around doing some grocery shopping. He was in full uniform but he was obviously in full husband mode, staring a shopping list that his wife had probably put together for him, trying to decipher those items that made no sense to him.

The thing is, people kept staring at him and avoiding him like he was going to lock them up if they blocked his view of the instant pudding or something.

Trust me folks, he's not going to lock you up. As a matter of fact, he's more likely to help you load your groceries into your car than he is to go all One Adam 12 one you.

Lighten up people.

⧫

You might like clicking on these links:

• Here's a safety tip from your old Uncle Steve: If your Uber driver looks like this guy, don't get in the car.



• Key phrase in this story: "It just kind of took the edge off of him."



• It's the old, "I have no idea who owns that meth!" defense.



• Trust me folks, stay the hell out of Chuck E. Cheese.