2013 got off to a
very good start
I managed to stay up until midnight to watch the tape
delayed drop of the ball in Times Square. I listened to the cheesy recording of
Auld Lang Syne that was followed by the band playing ‘New York New York’ as the
mayor was being kissed by a bunch of dancers.
That nearly killed my mood.
I rallied and found my CD with the 48th
Highlanders. Granted, it’s a Canadian regiment but that works for me. I played their
version of Auld Lang Syne on disc. I listened to their version of the song with
pipes and drum and the regimental band.
Twice.
I was satisfied.
Then I played ‘Scotland The Brave.’
I am half Scot so I feel a particular affinity for the
bagpipes and drums.
I was hungry
I saddled up and headed out to Fatburger. As I was
driving, I noticed the temperature display in the MINI drop from the car park
section reading of 59F to 45F when I pulled into the parking lot. That, my friends,
is cold for the beach in Southern California. My local FB was open until 3:00
AM last night or this morning.
Moving on.
I picked up a medium Fatburger with Swiss cheese and
ketchup. It comes with most of the other good stuff like onions, pickles,
lettuce and tomatos. I also picked up some Skinny Fries. I ate at home because it
was warmer and then hopped in my bed and slept until morning.
Morning
I woke up at 7:05 AM.
The power was fading. It wasn’t a power outage. It was
more like low power. The lights were working at about half strength. I was able
to read the paper and complete the Sudoku puzzles today.
Tournament of Roses
Parade
The power came on just before eight when the parade
starts. The beginning is the best part for me.
It almost begins with the Marine Corps Mounted Color
Guard and the Marine Corps Band from Camp Pendleton. The band always plays the
Marine Corps Hymn when it turns off of Orange Grove Boulevard and on to
Colorado Boulevard.
I feel like I am a former marine having severed in the United
State Marine Corp Reserve as an officer after serving on active duty in the Navy.
The rest of the parade was nice.
I thought the Department of Defense’s float honoring the
sixtieth anniversary of the Korean War was particularly wonderful. It is time
to remember the veterans who served and died for freedom. They were ignored or
forgotten for far too long.
It is a shame that we took so long to remember them since
most have passed on.
I wonder if I will live to see some sort of recognition
for those of us who served during that crummy Asian war. It is hard to like your
fellow man when someone spits on you simply because you are wearing the uniform
of the United States Navy. Those who served will always carry the emotional
scars and memories.
The Counter Grill Custom
Built Burgers Hangover Burger
I went to the Counter Grill for lunch today.
Normally, I would have stayed home and watched the
American football on television. The Counter Grill was having a one day special
on its Hangover Burger so I decided to try one.
The Hangover Burger is a third pound of ground beef, plus
a fried egg, Black Forest ham, sweet potato hash, American cheese, tomato, baby
spinach, and hollandaise sauce on an English muffin.
The only trouble was my local Counter Grill didn’t have any
hollandaise sauce. The Counter was nice and gave me some honey mustard sauce
instead. It turned out just fine. I was watching the Capital One Bowl and the
Outback Bowl on the bar big screens while I waited for my burger to be prepared.
I celebrated South Carolina’s win over Michigan [the Princess earned her MBA at
South Carolina] and Georgia’s win over Nebraska [the Princess recruits there]
with a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
The server asked, “Would you like some chocolate or
caramel sauce on the ice cream?”
“Both would be very nice.”
I clearly overate
today. The rest of the year will be much better. I went to the market yesterday
and picked up four frozen meals. Three of the four meals were chicken or
turkey. See, I can eat healthy when I want to do so.
Then, I rested
I enjoyed a two hour nap when I got home from The Counter
Grill. After I woke, I read some of my books that I received for Christmas.
Be well and stay happy.
