2005 is here???

How strange it is. 2004 went by pretty fast. When I had to write a date down somewhere, I think I was still accidentally writing 2004 as late as Halloween! And it's five years since that Y2K debacle. Did anyone actually withdraw all their money from their accounts just in case?

It really seems like five quick years. I don't know about you, but ever since 2000, New Year's Eve has meant less and less. It's kind of like those last few Halloweens when you're a kid and you're strating to get a little too old for it. Especially without Dick Clark on ABC, it really wasn't the same.

Every restaurant that serves chicken fingers should spend a couple of hours at the Village Tavern in Carol Stream. Man, they know how to fry up their poultry. I went there Friday night and had a chicken platter with fries. They served some seasoned carrots with it, I guess that's so we feel less guilty about what we're eating. One thing bothered me there. I got there at 5:50. Every hour from 6 p.m. on, they had a 10, 9, 8 countdown and then they blew those noisemakers and sang that painful Auld Lang Syne song. You know, the first time I heard that I wanted to hit the stereo. The second time I wanted to shoot the stereo. Thankfully, we only have to hear that once a year.

Later, I went to a small bar in Naperville with Armageddes and a few others. The six of us were about half the people in the bar between 9 and 11. A few things to note. One, the compressor on the draft beers didn't work. In other words, no cold draft beers. That's a problem. Second, they had a few TV's. On one, they went from All-Star fear Factor to Jerry Springer. Those are 2 shows that are way more fun to watch with other people, particularly after you've had one or two. Third, we controlled the jukebox. Lots of country and classic rock. I don't remember much of the songs. I know Geddes looked for Soundgarden. My guess is I didn't find any, because otherwise we never would have heard any other artist all night. But they played a lot of Garth Brooks and a little Barry Manilow. The fact that I still know all the words to "Mandy" probably explains (insert your own joke here). But our biggest response had to be for "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." And why not? It just makes you feel good to say that, you know? Thankfully, nobody played Vince Gill... (Insider's joke)

And I must say it is good to have Hogan back home where he belongs. He hasn't changed much in the last month. Basically, I have concluded he wants three things. Three things only. Attention, food, sleep. That's it. Attnetion, food, sleep. Be with me, feed me, let me sleep.

And another new week approaches. Last week of the NFL regular season. Odds are the Jets will be done within 2 weeks, though this Sunday wouldn't exactly shock me. February will be a brutal sports month. Nothing but basketball. I may have to start watching NASCAR, that's how bad things are. Ah well, maybe I'll actually help out around the house for a change...