This is my 600th blog post.

There is a kind of lull in the national news now that the post election fingerpointing has died down. The Repubs had a couple of weeks of blaming John McCain, then Sarah Palin, and laying out future plans for them. The pundits had lists for Barack Obama, who to appoint, what to do first, etc. Luckily Obama seems to be pretty much ignoring them and making his own way. Palin has wandered back to the obscurity of Alaska with no hope of appointing herself to the Senate, and McCain has gone underground, "poof", vanished.

Now we have the wait to see if the House that Bush built will fall over before the Obama family can move into the Whitehouse and start proping things up. Some say we won't make it. I see that our State School Superintendendant has declared personal bankruptcy. And she just gave away 1 million dollars that she won on the game show, Are you smarter than a 5th grader. She is. But apparently needs a good accountant.

I like the sound of an acoustic guitar. This sound was the rage in the late 60's and early 70's but it keeps making comebacks.

I enjoy getting out and walking the dog and go between 3 miles and 5 miles a day. However, it has been so cold lately. Ugh. How can it be 16 one day and 17 the next day in November in Georgia. That would be brutal on a peak in NC or TN, but is ridiculous on the coastal plain of Georgia. We've already had more freezes this year than we have had throughout the entire winter in some years. And winter doesn't start for a month. I have a system though and do not get cold--Two pair of socks in heavy shoes, flannel longjohns and jeans, a long sleeved T, a collared shirt, a cotton hoodie, hood up, ear muffs, wraparound sunglasses, down coat zipped up tight around my neck, and a baseball cap. I do not get cold on a halfhour walk at 16 degrees.

I have a birthday coming up this week and it is nice to reflect. I wish that the boom 90's had continued through the "oughts" but that 12% annual return from the stock market which was seen in the 20th century has evaporated. In fact the stats for the last 100 years don't look so hot right now. If there is a bounce, perhaps things will work out okay for retirement. No bounce? I don't know what we'll do. Find a new job amid 10% unemployment? Let's hope for a bounce, not a cliff. But for now, we have a nice life.

We visited with Mrs. G's roommates from college and another old friend last night for three hours at supper and had a lovely time. They all looked good. Unfortunately the friend has lost his wife this year, and the husband of a roomie is here in town for a heart procedure at Piedmont Hospital. No worries they say. Old friends are a nice reward for living a long time.