Welcome to 2014 - A great year!

2014 has arrived, and I am optimistic that it will be a better year than 2013. Not that 2013 was such a bad year, it just wasn’t a great year! It was bad for a few of my friends who lost their job during 2013 and are still unemployed. I hope for their sake that 2014 is better.

The Holiday season came and went without much ado. I miss having the kids here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Peg and I had a turkey dinner at The Golden Acorn Casino. I was good and didn’t overeat – we brought half of our meal home to enjoy on two more occasions! I’m getting to the point in life where I don’t like eating out. Everything is too salty and the portions are big enough for a growing boy. I don’t want to grow bigger – I want to grow smaller! Not to mention the fact that Peggy is a terrific cook!

No special meal for Christmas, but we included a glass of champagne. New Year’s Day brought my favorite traditional meal of pork, sauerkraut and kielbasa. I will never grow tired of that meal! In addition (but on a different day), Costco had a pierogi “road show” where we were able to buy a 3-pound bag of authentic Polish pierogies. It was a one-day-only event and we were there at the right time! Sure, you can get pierogies at the grocery store, but these taste like the ones I enjoyed growing up in Pennsylvania, where they were as common as a hamburger.

Over the 2½ week Christmas vacation from work, I not only enjoyed some extra sleep and relaxation, but I actually got quite a few things done around the ranch for a change. But there will always be things to do.

No New Year’s Eve gig with the band this year. My days as an entertainer are behind me now. But I am always available to help other entertainers and groups perfect their show and their arrangements. Unfortunately, not too many performers want to pay for this service. And then they wonder why nobody hires them back! A few dollars invested in my stage image development services would be a good investment for most of the bands I’ve seen. I haven’t seen that many good bands lately. Maybe they’re out there, and I’m just not getting around enough.

I just finished my 12^th column for CQ Amateur Radio Magazine – one year as a contributing editor! I always wanted to write professionally. I always thought I would have some books published, but this monthly magazine column is OK for now. Once I get better known in the field of ham radio, I’ll try publishing a book or two. I’m also working on a book tentatively titled “Guide for Weekend Teachers” which will hopefully turn out to be a great book for all teachers, not just the weekend warriors!

I’m always anxious to hear from any or all of you, so please feel welcome to share your thoughts. Best wishes for 2014!