Winding Down the Year

It's New Year's Eve Eve, and it's frigid in Kansas City here on 12/30/17.  Right now, 4:29PM, it's 9 degrees.  In Omaha where my middle daughter lives, it's 4, and is supposed to get to -18 on New Year's Day in the early AM.  And then you can add the wind chill into that.  I do love Winter, really.

Friend Ernie in Florida, I'm so glad you got your Air Conditioner fixed :-)

I just wanted to do one final post for the year 2017.  It was a good Christmas here for us Bingles [not our real name ;-) ], and most of us will be together again on New Year's Day, when I will attempt a prime rib roast.  Two years ago, best I've ever eaten.  Last year, messed it up royally.  We also have one more gift exchange, tomorrow night with dear friends from college and since.  It's a 'steal-a-gift' (white elephant, dirty Santa, Yankee Swap, whatever you want to call it) and in our version the gift is indeed something desirable, not a piece-o-crapola from the basement.  Fun times.  The host of the gathering ventured into Christmas Comp-ing for the first time this year, and made a wonderful CD of Christmas music for friends and family.  So, with these events upcoming, the holidays are not over yet, just starting to subside.

I spent this afternoon packing away (most of) my Christmas CDs.  Not really "away" - they are in their 12 tubs right next to my computer desk, where they will stay all year unless I seriously remodel the downstairs room (aka the "Elvis Room" - if you want to know, you must ask).

So, as I wind down, a couple of things to share:

• I'll be back, I'm sure, with at least a couple dispatches from Planet Comicon, which is in February this year, earlier than ever before.  I am below the, let's say, 60th percentile of nerdery in the population that attends, but I really do enjoy it.  So I'll be posting a few things, supporting the local artists/authors/etc.
• And, in Christmas music news, I am planning to start a feature here called "Der Bingle's Essentials", highlighting what I think are the absolute best Christmas albums/CDs, and should be part of any Christmas music collection.  Of course, the opinions are strictly my own, your mileage may vary, but I'll be sharing a few thoughts about the ones I think are best.  Some I've had for decades, and some are recent acquisitions.  I hope you enjoy these posts, which will keep the spirit of Christmas flowing at Merry & Bright all year long.

So - with that, I hope your holidays continue to be joyous, and have a Happy New Year!