I usually start off each year by saying “good riddance” to the last one. Instead of focusing on the possibilities of the brand new year, and feeling all sentimental about the passing of time and such, I prefer to thumb my nose (and other assorted gestures), at the ending year.

I had quite enough of 2021, which brought with it, not the bluebird of happiness, but the grumpy bird pictured right. 2021 will go away and be replaced with 2022, who hopefully has a friendlier sidekick. I will try to be hopeful.

Maybe I am more upbeat than usual because I will be kissing off 2021 with my very best friend. We have lived all our lives across the country from each other (except for that one wild and crazy year we were college roommates). Before husbands and children, careers, and households to run, we got together in the summers and could be just “us”. In the winter months, we wrote letters back and forth and called each other – after 10 pm or before 8 am because it was much cheaper. Then we decided that it would be less telephone bill and only a little more postage if we used cassette tapes as our mode of conversation.

We never ran out of something to tell one another. Ever. Then, husbands and kids came along and get togethers were not “just us” anymore.

This brings me back to saying bye to 2021 and hello to 2022. We are flying out and meeting in the middle of the country to Harlingen, Texas, where we will rent a car and drive one hour plus minutes to South Padre Island and the Hilton Hotel on the beach. We will have a full 4-days of “just us.” I am SO excited.

Note: The following few posts will be like diary entries of our adventures. No names of hotels, restaurants, or tourist attractions will be changed to protect anyone…

TTFN

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