We're buttering the cats in the kitchen and growing grass in the bedroom, resolving to lose the 30 extra pounds, and wondering how many more times we'll put 1998 instead of 1999 on checks.
My husband claims he's now a kept man. I'm glad Sacajawea will be on the new dollar. There's another 8,000, plus or minus, pieces of legislation to be dealt with in the coming months.
Looking back. Looking ahead. It's that time of year.
Back through 1998. Forward through 1999 to the millennium. With three "n's". Or, is it "ns". How do you make "n" plural?
The beginning of a new year. A mixture of sadness and joy and change.
Missing my mother, after more than 90 years with her.
But looking forward to a new family, as my son and his fiancee plan their wedding. (Remembering that Jeff Glaze takes credit for introducing them, when they both worked at Decorated Products one summer seven years ago.)
Congratulations, Chris and Jen. It's about time.
Grateful that we love her parents, too, who share our anniversary date.
Remembering 1998 as the year our daughter, Cathy, who now prefers to be called The, and her husband, Jonathan, both passed their architectural certification tests. (The. That's pronounced sort of in a churchly way, like Thee, but with a soft "th". Not like "the", like going to "the" store.)
And. of course, changes at WNNZ.
We've gone the way of many locally owned businesses, including car dealers, banks, gas stations and donut shops. Since the FCC changed the rules, allowing companies to own many, even hundreds, of radio stations, the trend in the broadcast industry is toward consolidation.
Clear Channel, a mega-broadcaster which owns more than 200 radio stations, has purchased our station.
So Curt and I are off the air after two decades in the market. Curt, after more than 40 years in broadcasting, having started in Holyoke as a teenager, continued his career through college and even the Air Force, into the corporate world, and back to New England.
Twenty years. Actually, twenty and a half years. We bought the station in 1978. And we have many, many memories if we ever start missing the broadcast world.
Back to my beginning, some 351 words ago.
Sacajawea came through the city of my birth almost 200 years ago, and I was always fascinated by her story. Leading the Lewis and Clark expedition up the Missouri River, where the first, and perhaps only, member of the expedition died on the shores of Sioux City. Sgt. Floyd. There's still a monument there marking the site.
The butter and grass? For Cobi, Cali, Cash and Carry. We read that putting a dab of soft butter on each cat, so they lick it off, prevents them from, well, throwing up. Which they often did. On the white rug. Never on the tile. Butter works.
And the grass is for them, too. To chew. They love it. Cosmic Grass, it says on the bag. Not that cats can read.
I guess they're in for another year, too.
Another year.
The legislative year begins Wednesday, with the swearing in of Senators and Representatives, election of House Speaker and Senate President, continuing through the swearing in of Governor Paul Cellucci and Lt. Governor Jane Swift on Thursday, the inaugural ball, and a western Massachusetts celebration at The Red Lion in Stockbridge on Friday.
And then the work begins again, for the new, two year session. Let me know what you expect, what you want to know, how I can help you.
Because I have only two resolutions this year. To do the best I can for you, my constituents.
And, to get rid of those extra 30.