Another new year

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

You’d be surprised at the crazy stuff I come up with when I’m writing under deadline pressure (or maybe not). Due to the Christmas holiday, we’ve got to finish this paper six days early. That means I’m writing this on Wednesday, Dec. 19 for publication on Dec. 27. That means I’m writing it before tomorrow’s issue even comes out—it’s not even Christmas, and I’m supposed to be thinking in New Year’s Day mode.

I’ve just come from an excellent dinner of pork chops, conversation, salad and red wine, and I couldn’t be less focused on any holiday.

Frankly, this South Park Christmas episode I’m watching seems as relevant as anything I might have to say. In it, Jesus goes to Iraq to save Santa from some terrorists. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are pretty funny guys. There’s a certain amount of latitude given to those whose entire raison d’etre is to be offensive. I’m envious at times. Occasionally, I’m offensive without even meaning to be. Like now, for instance, I can only assume that some people are going to be offended at having spent the last 30 seconds reading the inane blatherings of some stressed editor.

I’ve got high hopes for next year. This year was kind of a rough one for me—split with my longtime other, divided our lives and all that. But mostly it worked out OK. I saw some real strides made here at the paper, and I think 2008 has potential to be a banner year around here. Long as I and all my friends and associates keep walking the line. That’s pretty much it, isn’t it? Just putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that somewhere down the line, we’re going to get to that place we were wanting to be all along.

I checked out last year’s New Year’s column. In it, I resolved to maintain my weight at 210 pounds, keep working out and eliminate some compromises I’d made in my life. Hmm. It appears I kept all three. I should come up with something harder for 2008.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great new year. And I hope all your honorable resolutions come to pass.