Random New Year's Thoughts

• I'll give the Daily News credit. That's a great cover. (I had been completely oblivious to that famous photo having been taken in Times Square.)
• No matter what, I always wake up at 5:00 a.m. Weird.
• 2010 was uh, eventful: Began the year with an absolute dream vacation in a remote part of Costa Rica, got engaged and married within less than three weeks in between, had that marriage in a Las Vegas, went to Jamaica, hiked Palo Duro Canyon, completely revamped my house for two kids,  completely changed my lifestyle, sat in a school drop off line for the first time in my life, sat on a curb waiting for a school bus for the first time in my life, ran two half marathons, lost 20 pounds (stress?),  and bought two cars.
• Found myself actually thinking, despite the boatload of new responsibilities and pressure, that I don't want my life to change. 
• One year ago today, we checked into a hotel late at night in San Jose, Costa Rica as I looked down at my wallet to realize I had only $50, no debit card, and the only credit card I owned had been left in a restaurant at DFW Airport. That created a minor, no major, internal panic. 
• I learned that someone could deposit cash into my bank account in Decatur and that the updated balance would immediately  be recognized at the only ATM in a jungle town in another country.
• OK, I drank one of those Five Hour Energy drinks last night. Oh, my. W.I.R.E.D.
• TCU has won so much that I'm inclined to root against them this afternoon.
• The 2nd Grader in the house had a friend over last night while the older kid spent the night elsewhere. I was working with "friendship bracelets" at 10:00 p.m.
• Did Channel 8's local coverage at Victory Park trump Dick Clark? Couldn't find him. (But, man, Gordon Keith is funny, although Pete Delkus and Dale Hansen together is pure TV Anthrax to me.)
• I must be getting old, because MTV's coverage bordered on obscene. 
• I think I'm going to sit Mrs. LL down today to plan our year. 
• I've gotten weird by buying crazy stuff at the grocery store on holidays. Yesterday I bought a shrimp platter and a huge (and elaborate) bean dip platter for no reason. Right before midnight, with hardly any of it gone, Mrs. LL (somehow) managed to cause the bean dip platter to land upside down on kitchen floor. I've never picked up food with a dust pan before.
• No matter how hard I try, I can't get her to laugh at the British The Office.
• 2011. Man, that doomsday 2012 guy must be getting giddy.