Getting the drug dealers cleared out next door seems like a good omen for the start of the new year.  You can’t imagine all the huge crap (as well as people) coming out of that one small house.  The woods down the street are now lined with ruined sofas, furniture, mattress, boxspring, probably the kitchen sink.  Not to mention all the plastic bottles they threw out in the woods.  I guess that’s how they take out the trash in Tennessee.  No doubt the squatters will set up shop down there now.  But at least they’re no longer performing lewd acts in our faces or on our lawn, or smuggling in assault weapons.  The joys of redneck “culture”.

On a sadder note, Misu the cat is strangely sick today.  I can’t figure out what caused it.  When I was suddenly, mysteriously very sick recently, she stayed glued to me the whole time, knowing something was wrong.  So after I cleaned up after her, I wrapped her up on my bed, where I can keep an eye on her.  I even did what my son did for me that time–I read her my favorite “Frog and Toad” story, by Arnold Lobel.  I think it’s medicinal.