My Effin' Life

 We are approaching the end of yet another year. As I get older, I become more thankful for another precious trip around the sun. I know time is temporary and we all need to enjoy every moment. So easy to say, so difficult to do. But I try.

I finished yet another book. My Effin' Life by Geddy Lee, one of the co-founders of the band Rush. Now, full disclosure here, I fell in love with Rush when I was 13 or 14 and I have followed them ever since. Their music was so influential on me that I named my only son after the band's drummer, Neil Peart. In my opinion, I believe Peart to be the greatest drummer of all time. And no, I'm not forgetting about the great Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Chick Webb, Louis Bellson... or even Jeff Porcaro and, of course, John Bonham. 

I recently was reading an argument about the greatest rock drummer of all time and, as usual, it came down to Neil Peart and John Bonham. Someone said Peart could do what Bonham could do, but it is doubtful Bonham could do what Peart did. That was pretty profound statement to me, and it sealed the deal.

Anway, back to My Effin' Life. The book was -- trying to find the right adjective -- delightful. It was written in a very casual manner, almost as if Geddy was writing an email or text to you. He takes you on an engaging journey from his earliest memories, and includes a somber chapter about his parents' nightmarish experience in concentration camps during the Holocaust. The book is full of highs and lows, joys and sadnesses. He's lived quite an effin' life. 

~

I was looking back on my posts this year. Ten posts in total, seven were since November 1st. Most of those entries were about books and music. What a surprise. My New Years resolution will be to blog more. After all, it is nice to see what happened during the year because my memory is frequently a blur.

We had our own private little Christmas on Saturday morning (23rd) before heading to my in-law's cabin on Pierz Lake. This was the first Christmas in my life where I was awoken during the night because of rain pelting the roof. The year 2023 was most definitely the Rainy and Foggy Christmas (just like the song, "then one foggy Christmas Eve"), as it poured rained from December 23 through Christmas Day and not a lick of snow on the ground. Speaking of, if that pummeling rain had been snow, we probably would not have gotten together for Christmas because the roads would not have been passable.

Lookin' out my backyard, 30 December 2023

I had taken in my rain gauge in October so it wouldn't freeze and break, so I can't say how much rain we actually got, but all that water had a chance to evaporate (thanks to "warm" temperatures) before anything had the chance to freeze. We would've been in major trouble if it had -- downed power lines, downed trees, not to mention sheer ice on roads and sidewalks. Yeah, it could've been bad. Luck was on our side this time. 

I have no plans to see in the new year. Staying home and watching football on the tube sounds magical. The coming week and month will be full of activity and I will try to document it here as a record for myself (I get motivated to document after reading a good memoir). It will be February before I know it... and I believe this is a leap year, so we get a bonus day to 2024.