Good Riddance To 2016!

Above, a drummer at the 2014 oshogatsu in Little Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

2016 is not what I would call a good year. Not even a mediocre one either. Thank goodness it ends tonight.

While there were some exceptions to such a lousy year, overall, I would not wish to have a repeat.

It stared off with the passing of my Aunt Rose and then the turmoil with whom my "honorary sister" refers to as "The Unworthy One". There are some residual things that have to be resolved from one of the legal skirmishes (not of my doing or choosing). But that will be taken care of once some paperwork is received. (Interestingly, had the year gone smoothly with "The Unworthy One", we would be celebrating New Year's in New York's Times Square. Oh, well.)

But, things are looking brighter these days. The three-week trip to Metropolis, Illinois was a very enjoyable and a great recharging of mind and spirit. I don't know if I would want to do another three-week trip, but I did get to see and do a lot of things.

I have not made any travel plans as yet for 2017, except for the spring clamp-out with Platrix Chapter Number 2 of E Clampus Vitus in April. I am debating on going to the upcoming RV show in Quartzsite, Arizona. If I do, I will probably be dry camping in the Bureau of Land Management lands near the show site along with hundreds of others.

I am getting an urge to travel up the California coast and explore around northern California from the coastal redwoods to the northeastern areas of the Mother Lode. That will come when the weather gets warmer.

Also, before anything else, I will be getting the updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan finished and to the publisher in 2017. I just have to discipline myself to do it.

Above, New Year's Eve at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

This will be a much more mellow New Year's. Last year, we were in Las Vegas, which had some forebodings of things to come. I may go to Little Tokyo's Oshogatsu festival tomorrow near downtown Los Angeles. It's been three years since I last went to it.

Happy New Year, everyone!