Good Sunday morning Paul, Frankie, Thad, Gary, and RM!
Gary, actually we've been socked in with the bad weather since Tuesday, with lots of rain, clouds, and wind. And I woke up this morning to see that my 15 foot cashew tree had been toppled by last night's storms, for the second time. It first happened last year when hurricane Ian blew it down. It's supposed to finally clear up later in the day, but it's supposed to get cold tonight, with lows in the 50s and highs around 70, but still breezy, which means a wind chill. But the temps aren't supposed to rise that much later in the week, which is different from the usual quick rebound back up into the 80s we typically see right after a cold snap.
I got my Christmas cards sent out, mostly to my ex, friends I knew when I lived in Tampa, and cousins scattered all over. As for receiving them, so far I've got 0 cards in the mail, 1 email card, and 1 handed to me at the Genealogical Society where I volunteer. As for what I'll do on Christmas, I don't know yet. I have no family or close friends nearby, and it might just come down to whether the neighbors across the street or the Venezuelan lady from the Senior Center invite me over. I'm good with whatever happens.
You're generally right that I don't care about what happens to FSU, though I have to admit being somewhat puzzled that they weren't invited to the big dance with a perfect record. To tell you the truth, I was preparing for my trip to my friend's birthday party north of Tampa that weekend, so I didn't hear anything until they announced the finalists on NPR news headlines while I was driving up Sunday. They just announced the teams, which required me to try to glean the results of about 6 games played the day before in an instant.
Thad, I envy you taking those trips all over the country, and it sounds like you had a good time. That makes me think I should plan a couple of trips next year, while I'm still fairly young and healthy, and I can afford to do it. I have some cousins that are getting older, and the time may come when I can't travel or they're no longer around.