Dates Looking Forward. Muted. “He Would Kick His Granny”. Goodbye 2020.
My disdain for darkness at 5:30pm continues. For years we “go dark” when daylight savings time is extinguished and we head into the dark days of winter. I don’t start my daylight savings time countdown until the new year but here are some dates to enlighten all of us:
- Late December – the days gradually start getting longer
- January 3rd – the first 5:30pm sunset
- February 28th – the first 6:00pm sunset
- March 14th – daylight savings time returns
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For 2021 I am definitely hoping that ‘2020’ words like “YOU ARE ON MUTE” are stated less frequently. Though, with respect, there were many Zoom meetings that happened in 2020 where I was hoping most of the participants were temporarily muted. There is not one word that describes 2020. Sucked comes to mind as the year in some ways dragged on and in some ways was a bit of a blur. The words and phrases that do reflect the year: Wuhan. The city of Lombardi. The NBA’s sudden stop. Flattening the curve. Hand sanitizer. Face coverings. Social distancing. Toilet paper. Carol Baskin tigers. Zoom. The MLS’ Orlando tournament. Injecting Clorox. Twitter rage. Bipartisan warfare. SpaceX. Murder hornets. Police on edge. Protests and violence. Andrew Cuomo. TikToc. The California fires. The election. Fraud. Financial markets. The vaccines and Operation Warp Speed. The unbelievable dedication and sacrifice of first responders and health care workers. It has been a year.
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Atlanta United, after a dismal season in a more dismal year, selected their new manager last week. Gabriel (Gabi) Heinze is from Argentina and played for both country and some of the biggest clubs in the world. Let’s hope that he brings the energy and fury to an Atlanta side that could use a dose of fire and emotion. Sir Alex Ferguson, Heinze’s manager at Manchester United, had this to say about Atlanta’s new manager: “ruthless, he would kick his granny. But an absolute winner.” Just my take, but if I was in the Atlanta United player pool, I might want to show up for the January 25 start of training camp very fit and ready to compete.
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Go ahead and say whatever you need to say. “Goodbye and good riddance”. “Go Away”. “Take a hike”. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out”. Yes, I could state a more terse way to tell 2020 goodbye but there may be youngsters taking a look at today’s post. It has BEEN A YEAR. Mystery, puzzlement, illness, sickness, despair and unfortunately death. So many people and businesses put into an unthinkable situation with severe protocols put in place to combat what seems like, to this day, a never-ending battle to confront and defeat an invisible airborne enemy.
On the bright side, due to the pandemic, my daughter and son-in-law escaped Brooklyn, New York and stayed in the Orlando area for many months. The benefit: I spent more time with my daughter in that six-month period than anytime from the day I took her to college in Washington, D.C. For fifteen years I only was able to see her a few times a year, so the six months, under the circumstances, was wonderful.
Thursday night is New Year’s Eve. We should all, with respect and relevance, celebrate that this year of 2020 is over. Do it, but please be safe. Whether you like Bono and U2, this performance of New Years Day, as we head into 2021, seems appropriate. This live version was performed almost 20 years ago at Slane Castle near Dublin, Ireland.
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This is post number 203. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to look at Just My Take. Whether good or bad, I always like your comments and appreciate your ‘take’. g