My Dear Friends,

 

As years pass inexorably by, as they must, if you are like me, your wants and needs become ever simpler.

 

You begin to bargain and make deals, and say, well, if I could just have a nice uninterrupted sleep for eight hours, then I would give up the drinking and womanizing, for example.

 

Some of us refuse to give in. But then, we pay the price.

 

We continue to demand what we demanded when we were young, which, for me, was three girls in a hot tub, each girl a different color, and everyone sloshed on Boone’s Farm Apple wine.

 

 

Sometimes, especially during the holiday seasons, I feel like Marilyn Monroe, basically…SCRUMPTIOUS.

 

At other times, I feel ennui and lack of fulfilment, and as if my last days are being wasted on Dionysian thoughts and pursuits.

 

This year, Santa did not bring me what I really wanted.

 

What I wanted was, in fact, a quiet library of my own, one in which I could sit peacefully reading out-of-date literature, with not a concern for the year 2022.

 

 

Maybe I am being selfish in this wish.

 

Just a dream.

 

Oh Santa, Where Art Thou Now?

 

My Santa, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

=====

 

Not to worry, though, because.... One can always read under a palm tree, on the beach, and be happy as a clam.

 

Just stay in that New York state of mind.

 

Happy New Year, my good friends.

 

I love you.

 

Glob

If you were to ask me my Dickensian Christmas dream, this year, then it would be to move into a beautiful library, such as that pictured above from the UK.

 

There I would sit, read and contemplate, like a hermit, almost totally removed from all human contact, except for one cleaning lady.

 

And, in my dream, this cleaning lady would arrive once each week.

 

She would dust my books, and she might even dust me.

 

There is something to be said for a beautiful library, a haven from this pandemic storm.

 

The above photo I copied on this thread was taken from the NYT article.....     https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/realestate/why-do-people-keep-books.html

 

Maybe you might enjoy this article, too.

 

There is much comforting about being surrounded by books.

 

However, as I do know, no amount of books can compensate for not having a good cleaning, once each week.

As I'm 7000 miles from the wife, the 'video' she sent was received nicely.

12 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

As I'm 7000 miles from the wife, the 'video' she sent was received nicely.

As you are one of the fortunate to actually HAVE a real wife, then one can presume you are enjoying your life, nicely.

 

In your case, absence may not necessarily make the heart grow fonder.

 

Yet, a man should never be separated from his wife for overly long.

 

May you be reunited soon, in spite of the virus, and, when this reunion finally takes place, may there be fireworks.