Goodbye 2017

Remember at the end of 2016 we were all saying that 2017 had to be better? Well, you see how that turned out. So I'm not going to say that 2018 will be better or even that I hope it will be better. I believe in thinking positive but years have a way of saying, "Oh yeah, I'll show you." But anyway, 2017 wasn't actually all that bad for me personally and if I never watched the news, read the news, or heard anyone talking about the news it probably would have seemed like a pretty good year.

Christmas was nice. I got to spend it with the important people in my life and I got some nice stuff and ate too much. I always look forward to Christmas but I'm always relieved when it's over and I can relax and get back to my normal routine. On the other hand, the coldest weather of the season is often right after Christmas and I really freaking hate cold weather.

I don't make New Year's Resolutions. Resolutions are so formal and you feel guilty when you don't keep them. Why do that to yourself? I do think about things I want to do in the coming year though and it's always pretty much the same. Read more, sew more, see extended family more often (though that one's not entirely up to me) eat less, exercise more, spend less time on Facebook. Actually, this year I did spend less time on Facebook but that was more than offset by spending more time on Twitter.

Sometimes I wish we didn't number the years or keep track of them in any way. They just go by faster and faster the older we get and help to make us notice that we're getting older. I don't even know what it would be like if we didn't number the years. Maybe it's one of those things we have to do whether we like it or not.

The Christmas Song

Why Can't They Make Them Right?

Warning: I'm about to bitch and whine a lot.

It's my perennial complaint: Why can't anyone make house slippers right? We have a choice between slippers that completely cover the foot and have more insulation than most snow boots or little ballet slipper things and other styles that are the right weight and thickness of material but don't cover the entire foot.

In addition to this, sizing is a big problem. You rarely find slippers that come in all the sizes. I wear a size 8 not a size 8-9. There is no such size as 8-9. In order to fit both size 8 and 9 it has to be a size 9, which means it's too big for a size 8 foot. Which means, they don't make slippers in my size.

So what about slipper socks? This is what I would really like - barefoot feeling but warm and non-skid. But here we have similar problems. There are lots of slipper socks or "lounge socks," some that are just socks, some with anti-skid dots. Some of these fit well but many are loose and saggy. Most of them are not really warm enough for cold floors. And the ones that are aloe infused? These usually fit very well but they shed worse than a pair of Persian cats in the summertime until you have washed them half a dozen times.

On the other hand, you have the famed Acorn slipper socks - nice thick wool socks with a leather slipper sole with a thick layer of foam padding. They're nice and a lot of people love them but they don't really work for me. I did have a pair years ago. The thick, padded sole is more than I want. I want something more like the sole on kids' footie pajamas. There's also the same sizing problem mentioned above. They don't come in exact sizing and with the kind of sole they have they really need to. Not to mention that they are ridiculously expensive.

Finally, there are the "muk-luk" socks. I got a pair of these last year. They have exactly the right kind of sole and the sock is a nice thickness but way too loose. The sole on them is a little short for me but it's about a whole inch too wide.

The only solution is to make my own and I am working on it. Which, at this point, means mostly just thinking about it. The problem is finding the right material. I did find a couple of different non-skid sole materials; I'm talking about the tops. I made a polar fleece pair and that didn't work well. It's not stretchy enough. It also makes my feet sweat and then cold. I suppose I just need to learn to knit or crochet.

So... the quest continues.

Not the Usual Carol of the Bells

My philosophy regarding Christmas music is, for the most part, don't mess with it. Do it right. Unfortunately, my notion of "right" is based on an album by the Longines Symphonette that I grew up with that does not exist anymore.

But sometimes I surprise myself. I rather like this non-traditional arrangement, though, to be honest, it doesn't sound very Christmasy to me.

Here's another one. I don't like it as well as the Trans Siberian Orchestra version but it's interesting. In a good way, that is.

I have been pleasantly preoccupied lately so in case I don't get around to posting again in the next couple of weeks, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to you all.

BTW, I have still been spending a lot of time on Twitter. I'm @uppityokie in case anyone wants to catch me there.

Jim Nabors

I almost hate to post this because I don't want this to become primarily a death blog and it seems I post so little else these days but...

I never liked Gomer Pyle. Even as a small child I had a severely low tolerance for... how shall I put this? Let's say, annoyingly unsophisticated characters. To be honest, I hated Gomer Pyle, the TV show and the character. I knew, of course, that Jim Nabors was just an actor playing a character but I didn't put any thought into what he might really be like.

At some point I discovered that he was an incredible singer. I was amazed and delighted. Now I think it's a fairly well known fact and I hope that he will be remembered for his singing at least as much as for that silly TV show.