2017: 2016 Redux

I’ve had a sinus infection for a full week.  Obviously, the illness has kept me indoors the entire time, save for a trip to my physician who gave me the antibiotics I need to knock it out of my system.  This also precluded our annual Christmas Day dinner out at a local Asian buffet or some similar variation. In short, the holidays were ruined between my health and the extreme cold sub-freezing temperatures here on the east coast.

Brrrr!    Brrrr and humbug!

Despite all this, I take computer keyboard in hand to note the state of life on the last day of the year.  I researched my blog entry from a year ago when I generally dumped on 2016 as the worst year ever (GTFOoH 2016).  At that time, I looked ahead to 2017 and I didn’t like what I saw coming.  Now looking back, I can safely state that the events of 2017 did not disappoint me: it was all as horrible as I imagined it…and then some.

It was the worst year for my health in 10 years.  Heart trouble in June, prostate surgery in August, and now the lingering arthritis has limited my ability to do even the most menial of tasks since September.  I was scheduled to have a cortisone shot in my hip a few days ago, which promised to alleviate my arthritis problem.  Alas, the medications for my sinus infection would have adverse complications for my injection…so now the injection has been postponed for the next available appointment on 1/29/18.

Damn me! I can’t even get sick without messing something else up! 

Warrior Queen, who has been watching my struggle the last few months and subsequently listening to my rather loud at times groans of pain, was not happy to hear this news.  As our dear late friend Janey might say, Warrior Queen is not smiling.

Oh, enough about me.  Let’s look at the world.  Ugh!  On second thought….

Our reputation in the international community has taken an enormous hit thanks in part to the selfish “America First” attitude adopted by the current regime.  Our long-time adversaries are now making credible inroads in foreign relations and the global economics, while we sit on the side and watch.  We used to be the ones on top, we were the respected nation that other countries could count on to do the right thing.  Alas, not now at the end of 2017.

Despite this feeling of despair, we should note a sliver of hope on the horizon.  Mid-term Congressional elections happen in 2018 and historically the party in the White House loses control of the legislature in the mid-term elections.  Progressives have already seen the tide turning in Virginia and Alabama.  Also, there seems to be a renewed push among those under-represented in Congress (read: females) to step forward and run for seats in the traditionally patriarchal dominated culture.   

Welcome ladies!  I hope your revolt will change the inside the Beltway mentality which has kept us all back for far too long.

There is also the more direct threat of change from the Mueller investigation.  So far it has borne some fruit and promises more to come.  El Presidente’s administration is giving every sign of looking guilty of something despicable in the 2016 elections.  Sad to say our country may have to endure another painful round of impeachment proceedings before it is over.

So be it!  We survived that once, twice and we will survive again. 

So long 2017!  Time to retire with your evil twin 2016.  And please, 2018, please be kind to us…

(Thank you for reading and Happy New Year to all!)