I'm NOT going to say Happy New Year.

 This year has started far more insane than the last. As I've said, I don't write about politics and current events because I have a Clippy living in my brain since the Bush administration.  Remember when we thought he was the worst president ever? We were so innocent. 

 So, it's a new year, and it's going to be far too interesting. Ours did start off well on a family level: 

I've joked that my daughter's fiance/baby daddy has needed a nickname and was calling him Future Son In Law (FSIL). I can now officially drop the F. They quietly went to the courthouse and got married on New Year's Eve. No muss, no fuss, and her wedding ring is lovely. They joked about betting how long it would take The Kid to notice they were wearing rings. She spotted the diamond band on her mom's finger pretty quickly, it's not gaudy but an elegant band of quality diamonds, but somehow didn't connect it to getting married and thought it was an engagement ring. She didn't notice her new stepdad was also wearing a wedding band. As my daughter joked, "Nobody notices the supporting players." 

 We went to Animal Kingdom a few days later and I treated them to lunch at Tiffins.  I've walked past it forever, never had a reason to eat there. It's a signature dining (read: fancy/pricey) sit down restaurant, and this certainly was a reason to do it.

 It was very nice, the food was good, the atmosphere was quiet and classy, you completely forget you're in a theme park. I liked it, but to be honest, I didn't love it as much as I'd expected. I kinda wished we'd bugged out of the park to go to Boma. But Boma is a buffet, and as a special occasion restaurant Tiffins was the appropriate choice. It's unfussy and spacious, the art is all about the countries Animal Kingdom's imagineers visited when planning and designing the park. Even the Little Prince enjoyed it, he studied the art on the walls and ate his lunch and was his amazingly cool little self, as always. 

So, they're married and I'm very happy, and no, I'm not even a little sad that they didn't have a "real" wedding. I've done the Mother of the Bride thing twice, once for each kid, and they were not grand productions but were lovely, beautiful, magical weddings. Her marriage, not so much. She's now married to a man worthy of her, they're two mature, successful professionals, they're crazy about each other, and he's just a really great guy all around. And The Kid totally won the stepfather lottery, and I think she knows it. 

Son in Law thanked me for lunch as we were leaving the restaurant, and I said "Hey, that was so much nicer than doing all that mother of the bride crap!" and he said, "Hey, I guess I'm the one who should say you're welcome!" And we all laughed and went to visit the gorillas and eat ice cream, and it was just a fun end to the holidays.  

So, that was a bright start in this fresh hell that is 2026.  

Me? I am still trying to figure out when I might dare to retire, given the wild instability we're heading into. Getting stuff in Ye Olde Condo fixed is in process. I replaced my hated fridge, all hail Costco, and while the old one was still functioning, I've noticed my fresh produce stays fresh a hell of a lot longer now. I'm still waiting for the window installation to be scheduled. I think it'll be before the end of the month, because they did reach out for something for the county permit this week. I anticipate new windows by the end of January. 

I'm on a mission to simplify my life, get rid of things I've held onto from a sense of obligation. I have never used my mother's china and flatware, my kids don't want it/have room for it, it just takes up space, so this week I'm reaching out to an antiques dealer to see if there's any interest.  I am not going to haul other people's stuff into my old age, passing the burden of stuff onto the next generation.  

I'm going to hire that lovely young man who cleaned out the garage at the house last summer to work his magic on my garage, including dismantling the entirely useless "workbench" the original owner had installed, which has lousy storage and no power source. After he's done I'll give it a real cleaning, Costco will supply sensible shelving and maybe a wee garage freezer, and that'll be off the long neglected project list. 

This year will be all about practicality and making my home comfortable and a reflection of ME.  

Way back when this insanity first hit, someone I can't remember now offered very wise advice: When everything seems insane and overwhelming, go small. Clean a closet. Scrub the tile grout. Water the plants. Give yourself small victories you can look at and feel good about. Yes, we're living in insanity, but my closets will be marvels of organization, and it's lovely to sleep with the windows open on a cool night.