Happy New Year

A day late and a dollar short, but better late than never. Ron and I went to the Blue Water Bistro in Coxsackie for dinner New Year's Eve. It's a bit pricey but well worth it. The food is wonderful. The restaurant is in a restored building in historic Coxsackie with the original tin ceiling and warm wood floors. Unfortunately the ambiance makes it difficult to carry on a conversation when the place is full because the noise bounces off all the hard surfaces.

New Year's Day we went shopping. I remember when a child that January 1st was almost as big a holiday as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Certainly it was a time for the family to get together and have yet another big dinner. That was then; this is now. Malls are open, though they close at 6 PM. We went to Coloine Center to exchange a couple of presents and then to Crossgates so I could buy my new iPod Nano. My iPod classic died. I'm sure it's the battery, which is 4 years old. Battery replacement, which has to be done at the factory, is about $100. The Nano costs $149 and is a quarter of the size and weight. I love it!!

Friday was an Ember day. Though I keep on trying, it appers she no longer takes naps. ::BIG SIGH:: I do put her in her bedroom for an hour, but she's out 3 or 4 times to go potty (yah, right), get a drink, or tell me something "Vewy important Gramma."

Ron is sick with a terrible cold. It quickly went from head to chest, and I got worried about bronchitis or pneumonia. At his age, illnesses like that can come on quickly, often with hospitalization necessary. Thankfully he turned the corner late yesterday and today is a bit more better. He's still coughing, hacking and wheezing, but not as much.

All the Christmas stuff is down and put away, with the exception of the tree. It's nekkid... LOL... but still in the stand. I'm hoping Ron is well enough in the next couple of days to take care of it. If not, I'll do it, but the arthritis in my hands makes a task like that extremely difficult and horribly painful.

We were both slugs today. I did vacuum and dust a little, but I never showered or got dressed, and about 2 o'clock, we both took naps.

Weather - New Year's Eve and Day were very very cold and there was new snow when we went to dinner on New Year's Eve. It was also incredibly windy, which make it colder. The wind died down Friday into Saturday and today was pretty nice -- temps in lower 30s and sunny -- but I never went out. :--)

Exercise - I've been treadmilling almost every day. Not for 30 or 40 minutes at a time, but doing 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there.

Life Lessons - I've told Ron many times since we married that we need to change the way we live so that I can handle more responsibility if he's laid up. His being sick this week was a prime example of why it's necessary. For instance, we're almost out of rock salt in the tiny bucket he keeps near the back door, and it's supposed to sleet and freeze rain tonight. He has 50 pounds in the back garage, but I can't carry 50 pounds nor can I even get to the back garage because the mid third of the driveway is so icy, I can't walk on it. I haven't even put my car away in the front garage in 5 days! And Ron is too sick to go out. I told him we may be here until spring.