What a Year!

It has been an incredible year on all fronts...  In 2013 we have had record fires, floods, and typhoons. A host of heroes have passed away, sports records have been broken, and there have been more multiple killings than I really want to contemplate.
   The big news in Boulder was what folks are now calling "The 1,000 Year Flood" in September.  Luckily, both my apartment and my sister's home (where I was staying) weathered the rain and flooding without damage -and, in both cases, it was plain old luck that helped me escape.   I am here, safe and sound, via the love and blessings of friends, family, and my two cats, Leofgifu Glyndwr (Lovey) and Zephraim Cenedi (Nedi).  Without their love and forbearance, I wouldn't be around.
   Over this past week end, the big racing news was from Australia - again, about troubled BC3 Thoroughbreds.  Jimmy, the registered, but un-named, half brother of Champion Mare Black Caviar, was put down due to chronic pain from laminitis.  The colt was purchased as a yearling by BC3 Thoroughbreds for a record $5 million from Inglis Bloodstock.  Inglis has never received payment for the colt.  Quite a few people have stepped forward with papers, claiming a share of Jimmy, and/or his insurance.  However, it seems that Bill Vlahos never filed the ownership papers, and, seemingly, just pocketed the money that the "co-owners" had given him.  ** I am very happy that Jimmy is no longer suffering the intense pain of laminitis, and have no problem with him being put down to stop his suffering. ** But I do feel sorry for the people who have been taken in by BC3 Thoroughbreds and all it's shell company connections.  It's a very sad comment on the state of our society, and on the nature of Bill Vlahos.  Vlahos did not appear at a court hearing last week, stating that he was destitute, bankrupt, and could not afford to travel from his home to Melbourne for the law proceedings.
   At least the Mayo Clinic was able to say that brother-in-law Kent has a type of small cell carcinoma that generally reacts well to radiation therapy.  Kent is home from the hospital in Rapid City, and will have his third radiation treatment this week, on an out-patient basis.  "There's no man like a Snow man!"
   And, today, the last day of 2013, brings beautiful blue skies to Boulder, with an anticipated high of 55 degrees.  At 8 a.m. today, it was 30 degrees in Boulder, and 0 degrees in Gunnison.  And our forecasters say that we will probably get "a shot" of snow on New Year's Day morning, between 5 and 7 a.m.  We'll see.  I plan on staying in and reading tonight.  Tomorrow I want to watch the Rose Bowl Parade on HGTV without commercial interruption, and then I plan on seeing the South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Wisconsin Badgers on ABC.  (Sigh, no Gator bowl game this year...)  But - Tim Tebow has been hired as a NCAA football analyst by ESPN, for this years BCS Championship game, and then to follow up with the new SEC Network in August!  Yippee!!  (But I'd much rather see Tim play!)

Things

Well, we have a cold front pushing in from the north, and it's playing hell with my sinuses.  Then, I decided I wanted baked Popcorn Chicken and Garlic Breadsticks from Papa John's - but, that I'd walk over and pick them up from the shop after the delivery fiasco on 6 December.  So I double-checked the web order site and verified that the shop was still one block away (they've been talking about moving to another location since September), placed my order for carry-out and walked down the block.  There was a U-Haul truck backed into the space in front of the Papa John's front door - the front door was open, and workmen were gutting the interior.  I looked, shook my head, and walked back home.  Once back inside, I called the shop, and they said they'd deliver to me at no cost - that the website should have been changed yesterday.  I am still awaiting yet another pre-paid delivery.  I is not happy.
  The kits have been enjoying the warm weather - it's been in the low- to mid-60s  and I've gone from nightgown to a T-shirt for sleeping.  We're expecting snow tonight, and the weather person just talked about a light snow on Christmas morning...  That would be great.  The dogs have been having a ball in the mud left by the snow, and a little more would put them in heaven.
  It looks like my brother-in-law is going to travel up to South Dakota and spend several days (or a week or two) with his youngest brother Kent.  There is still no word back from the Mayo Clinic regarding the rapidly growing tumor in Kent's brain.  He has been moved back to rehab, and his Occupational Therapy people are impressed by his will and drive to "get back to normal."  His wife has a tendency to do things for him, rather than having him re-learn how to do things himself, but she is doing much better, after a coaching session with one of the counselors.  As I said, we're still waiting to find out what type of tumor this is, so that plans can get under way for chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy once Kent's skull heals...
  So the family is doing a lot more praying during this holiday season than is usual - and maybe that's for the best.