Well, here we are at the close of another year, the first for Goodboys Nation weblog. A perfect occasion, BTW, to thank everyone out there for your visits and comments. I hope you’ve enjoyed the variety of stuff that’s been posted here over the past year. Sometimes, serious, sometimes silly, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, but I hope never boring. It’s not always easy to come up with worthy material to post about, but your comments and support have helped make it both fun and worthwhile.

Today I’m heading west and hopefully will find myself back in Gilbert, AZ just in time to raise a glass or two of bubbly with the lovely Mrs. Shank. For a year that started out on such a down note (last New Year’s Day found me at a local veterinarian’s office having our last cat Sparkle [R.I.P.] put down), the year ended up pretty good all around. Of course, our Hawaiian cruise and vacation were a highlight, as was the whole Tiki Bar thing. More than anything, however, having my family and friends in good health and well-being (by and large) was the most important thing. And, being gainfully employed and with a solid roof over our head (even if the A/C and a variety of machines and equipment were on the fritz constantly) puts both my wife and I among the fortunate, fer shure.

The fact that my good friend Rock finally moved back into his Katrina flood-ravaged house two weeks ago makes me feel good.

And knowing it wasn’t a good year for Saddam Hussein ain’t a bad thing, either.

What will 2007 bring? Only God knows. But I sure hope we’re all around to read a similar post next year at this time. Let’s all try to do it again, shall we?

A couple of weeks ago, my parents mentioned that they were having problems with the Dell Dimension 1100 I had given them last Christmas - seems the mouse (the kind with the ball underneath) would start acting up by jumping all over the place and rendering itself completely unusable for, say, 20-30 seconds, then return to usability only to start jumping all over the screen again. There seemed no rhyme nor reason for it, it just happened at random.

My first thought was that the problem was caused by some Microsoft updates I downloaded during my last visit several weeks ago, as the problem hadn’t manifested itself until then. Logical, right? That is, until I restored their computer back to the system syncpoint prior to those updates, only to find the mouse still continuing to behave badly.

* I then checked all system tasks and the performance monitor to see if any system usage was changing when the mouse started its fandango thing. Nothing unusual.

* I then tried plugging the mouse into a different USB port. No good.

* I then checked the Internet to see if any tech sites had any explanations or recommended solutions to this kind of problem. Unfortunately, all the “experts” seemed to say was that it was the mouse that was the problem and to try taking it apart and cleaning it. This was something my dad had already done.

* I then talked to the Dell folks at the booth they occupy at a local mall. They said the same thing, that the mouse obviously needed cleaning. Nevertheless, to be safe, I ordered a replacement optical mouse; they said I’d get it in 5-8 business days.

* I then talked to two local computer service technicians, who also said the problem would be resolved by a through cleaning of the mouse. (Of course, if that didn’t solve the problem, they’d be more than happy to come out for an on-site visit at $39 for the call, and an additional $60 per hour.)

So, my dad and I took the mouse apart and gave its rollers (beneath the ball) a thorough cleaning with a toothpick and put it back together.

Same problem.

Then, lo and behold, what do my parents find in their mail? Just two days after visiting that Dell booth, they find a brand-spanking-new Logitech optical mouse in their house.

Out comes the old mouse, in goes the new mouse into the same USB port. Bingo bango bongo, problem solved!

The moral of the story - when it comes to home PC peripherals, replace first, then ask questions later. Call it frontier justice, computer style.

It feels like a pretty strange week out there, doesn’t it? Christmas is past. It’s not yet New Years. No matter how much you want to put 2006 out with the trash, you can’t, ’cause 2007 just ain’t here yet. There’s no pearls of wisdom I can offer - you just have to grit your teeth and bare the next few days.

Of course, if you’re Saddam, there’s no need to rush things.

Me, I’m gonna try and reschedule and redirect my New Years Eve flight back to AZ so I don’t end up anywhere near Denver.

A strange week.

Accolades are pouring in from all over on the passing of Gerald R. Ford, 38th president of the U.S.A. Hard to find anyone who has anything bad to say about this good and decent man.

I still remember those crazy days of President Nixon’s second term, and remember sitting in my friend Bob Noftle’s funky-cool 1970 Plymouth Satellite (his was plum purple) as we drove towards our usual hang-around haunt at Danvers’ Liberty Tree Mall, listening to the live debate and Congressional vote on Ford as Spiro Agnew’s replacement - a very important vote, as most people figured the way the Watergate scandal was going, whoever became Nixon’s veep was destined to become President one day.

Alot of people disagreed then (and continue to do so today) with Ford’s pardoning of Richard Nixon, but in keeping with the man’s promise to end the nation’s Watergate nightmare, it was the just and proper (if not the most politically and legally expedient) thing to do. Allowing Nixon to be put on trial would have continued the nightmare, created a media circus, and paralyzed Ford’s White House and his desire to get the nation moving forward again. I figure he must have known he was putting his political future at risk by pardoning Nixon, but that’s just the kind of guy Gerald Ford was - a solid, honest, salt-of-the-earth Midwesterner who did what he did because he felt it was the right thing to do at the time.

As a result, I believe history will continue to treat Ford’s presidency kindly. There wasn’t much else - one way or the other - to mark his term in office, but that one act he will always be known for, when he did it, and why he did it, should be sufficient enough. You were a fine man and public servant, Gerald R. Ford, and you will be missed. May you rest in peace.

Not much to blog about today - yesterday’s gallop across the U.S. featured a Denver airport recovered from its snow and craziness from last week, and Boston was a foggy and misty, spring-like 50 degrees. It is December, however, so I’ll let the poet paint a picture of the waning days of a very old year:

The leaves drift toward the earth like ships to land,
A voyage launched from timbers’ great lofty berths,
Toward harbors safe, concealed from raider bands,
Of icy galleons coursing wintry dearth.

Squirrels don thick coats against Wind’s numbing dare,
Mount last determined searches ‘long the ground.
Brown grass conceals the season’s paltry fare,
As hopeful birds scratch for what may be found.

Through frosted windows glow the hearth’s warm light,
As fading day casts shadows ‘cross the lawn,
And grey meets grey as winter gathers might,
Undaunted as the chimney starts to yawn.

Farewell brave day as twilight draweth nigh.
Perchance on morrow sun will gather high.

The End of a Winter Day, by Dan Young

“Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through.” -
The Carpenters, “Merry Christmas, Darling”

So here it is, Boxing Day. And here I am, at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, free wireless humming nicely, as I wait for my cross-country trek back to friends and family in Massachusetts. Although making rather merry yesterday (to coin a Bob Cratchit phrase), I still have enough energy to clear out the remaining junk from under the Christmas tree:

* Was hoping to see some snow while back there, but given the funky weather pattern this winter - Las Vegas getting snow before Boston its first - it don’t look promising.

* Even though Christmas Day was just a scant six hours ago, I guarantee that on the classical music station in Phoenix (which I’ll admit does a nice job increasing its Christmas selections right up to and including Christmas), it’ll back to the usual fare. I always find that funny - if you steadily increase your Christmas music prior to the holiday, why not steadily decrease it in the days after? After all, there are the 12 Days of Christmas, you know. It’s almost as if they can’t wait to get rid of it.

* “A Christmas Story” is, hands down, the best Christmas movie ever.

…But Alastair Sims’ Ebeneezer Scrooge in 1951’s “A Christmas Carol”, is a close second.

…And don’t get me started on that Patrick Stewart version I tried to watch the other night on TNT. Don’t get me wrong - I loved the guy as Captain Picard, but his Ebeneezer was pathetic.

…But both George C. Scott’s and (believe it or not) Henry Winkler’s American, Depression-era version are excellent interpretations of the classic.

* The Chieftains “The Bells of Dublin” and Loreena McKennitt’s “To Drive The Cold Winter Away” are two unheralded fine Christmas music CDs.

* “Once in Royal David’s City” is my favorite Christmas carol - whenever I hear it done well, it brings tears to my eyes.

…And “O Holy Night” runs a close second. (BTW, Rickie Lee Jones’ version on the Chieftains’ album is a stunner - I kid you not.)

* One of these days, I’m gonna get me one of those ’50s-style aluminum Christmas trees with accompanying Colortone roto-wheel like my grandparents had while I was growing up. Truly retro.

Well, it’s almost time to get in line and see what this traveling day brings; this time of year, ya never know. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and don’t let that sudden absence of Christmas music over the airwaves get you down - there’s still plenty of holiday cheer to be had in the days ahead. The Goodboys will help me see to that.

Peace and blessings to everyone.