Posted by
AudiR10TDI on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:58:13 AM
December 30, 2008 -- I am glad to see the back of 2008. It was a year that did not treat me or my family kindly and I bid it farewell without a backward glance. It started going wrong when Champ Cars "sold out" to the evil Tony George in January, proceeded through my computer hard drive crashing in the fifth hour of the 12 hours of Sebring, and of course it was the year my beloved Daddy went off to heaven to join his Mama and those brothers of his who have already gone before.
Christmas was better than we thought it would be, to the secret relief of all, though it would have been a good idea if those with children had not pretended it was just like every other Christmas and scheduled fewer parties ... and that birthday party for the adorable baby who turned 1 year old that included mainly her Arab family members who spoke not a single word to us of Jewish descent the entire evening while we few who actually turned out (we didn't realize they'd outnumber us) tried to carry on as if they, too were not there ... this was not the time for that either.
Nevertheless it was a relief to see that Mama is settling into her new place and Senior Living is just what she needs at this time in her life. The people in her new place are helpful and friendly and she has already joined a Bible study group which I think is a good sign. Mama has never lived alone; she went straight from her Mama's home to her husband's home 62 years ago. This is going to take some getting used to for her and will also need some gentle prodding from those who are too young or too liberated to realize the vast gulf between her generation and ours in this regard. The sisters are suffering their changes-of-life as well; one full time housewife is coping with a newly-retired husband suddenly underfoot all day; one is in a staring contest with her present husband to see who will blink and move out of the house before the other one has to institute any kind of proceedings; one is developing those "ills and pills" that come with old age and making Dylan Thomas' 'rage against the dying of the light' look like the Hallelujah Chorus. And here am I in a country crumbling like wet cardboard while frantically pretending that it's still 1971 and if they just ignore everything it will all sort itself out or Ottawa Will Do Something and anyway bad things only happen to Americans who incidentally we depend on to protect our quivering heinies as we hide under our beds with our fingers in our ears ...
But hey, this miserable year is nearly over and from the look of things, the Eschaton is near and that is certainly something to look forward to although I pray I'll see it all from a secure location as the Obamanation takes the reins and his False Prophet emerges from under the bus to stand at his side ... but in any event, as the rabbi said in "Fiddler on the Roof" although this is a good time for Messiah to return, we may have to wait for Him somewhere else. I would advise you to keep your lamps filled with oil, your wicks trimmed, and some matches near to hand, as it could be any minute now. Oh, and stay awake.
May 2009 be the year of decision in many hearts, as people wake up and smell the burning rubber and don't mistake the signs ... then whatever happens in 2009 the world will be saved.
And may 2009 be the year Tony George goes finally, gloriously, bankrupt and takes the IRL with him.
So there.