First, before the sad news, Happy New Year to everyone and may your woes stay in the past.

Ed and I heard this morning from dear Mallory, the daughter of my ailing ex-boss at the New York Times News Service. He died last night. I had wondered why we didn’t hear from her as she had said that we could all get together again during the Christmas period. Well, her mom wasn’t feeling well either, so that didn’t happen. Then her dad developed a complication from a recent surgery, and apparently that’s what did him in.

There will be a memorial on Sunday and Ed and I will go to that, in Sarasota. His son, who had only three days ago been deployed to Iraq with his National Guard unit, is on his way home. I haven't seen him since he was 12.

Ed is saddened too because he shared with RRB, an intense interest in current events, and world history. They had lengthy conversations whenever we got together. So it is not often that friends from two different sides of a marriage get on so well and I am grateful that we had some good times together and, particularly, that we got together this past Thanksgiving and then the next day, Mallory brought him to our house and we had a lovely time on the patio and I played for them. I shall truly miss him.
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I have a friend who lives down the road from us and her live-in boyfriend of three weeks, who appeared to be a keeper, picked a fight with her the day before the 31st, and hopped on his boat (he had been living on it) and disappeared. Also since her rent is due on the 1st and she was paying for his food (plus doing his laundry), she expected him to kick in. It does have the appearance that he wasn’t willing to pony up and this was his solution. But New Year’s Eve is the most romantic holiday of the year, traditionally, and he canceled out on her after repeated declarations of love. So she was wavering between angry and devastated. I told her to concentrate on angry. I told her he was 46 going on 14 and she didn’t need that. But a third party always talks logic while not feeling the pain, so she has to get to that point all on her own.

A recent date, on seeing the boat gone from her dock, came right over and is consoling her. He is 10 years younger than she is so go for it, girl.

Ed and I were worn out after a trip to a surgery center for a diagnostic test on him and I drove us back (an involved route, 50 minutes, but I did well) because he was woozy from anesthesia, so we didn’t party, and we went to bed early. I’ve seen the ball drop. Next year I’ll watch it.

xx, Teal