Now that the new year 2013 is fully underway and 2012 is receding in the rear-view mirror a few hopes (and a prediction or two) for the coming year:

Here’s hoping our 2002 and 1999 Saturns can make it through another year without major repairs. We haven’t had a car payment for years, and there’s no need to start one anytime soon.

Here’s hoping I can get that damned water problem in the backyard fixed without it costing us gazillions of dollars.

Credit card debt takes center stage this year – so much so we’ve slashed our 401-K contributions in order to pound away at the debt. Here’s hoping we’re able to hit our goal of being credit card debt-free by October 1.

Here’s hoping that little itsy-bitsy (but important) swing tweak I’m working on leads to regular sub-100 rounds. And, to my Goodboys friends, may you hit lots of fairways and greens in regulation without too many three-putts.

And here’s hoping for another year of great Goodboys weekends: Vegas in February, Invitational in July (the 19th through 21st will be our 22nd annual, so mark it down).

Here’s hoping the Red Sox are not as boring as they appear to be at least on on paper. At any rate, the Dodgers will win the World Series over the Tigers.

Here’s hoping for a Super Bowl championship for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. That would make me very happy, if only because Brady – for whatever reason – seems to be really hated by the folks out here in the Valley of the Sun. I guess jealousy is an ugly emotion. Unfortunately, I think the Broncos are the best in the NFL and will defeat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

Who wins the four golf majors in 2013? Justin Rose, Bo Van Pelt, Adam Scott, and Rory McIlroy in that order.

Here’s hoping the politicians in Washington – Democrat and Republican together – don’t make things worse for the economy than they already are. I know – that’s asking way too much!

Here’s hoping for at least a part-time job for my sister-in-law. Put that in the same category as above. 🙂

Here’s hoping for more rain here in the Valley and lots of snow up in the Sierras over the next few months. Of course, that would be a double-edged sword since I don’t need any more water in my backyard!

Here’s hoping Republicans in Congress find some spine and replace John Boehner with Paul Ryan as Speaker. With government and entitlement spending sure to be at the fore of debate and discussion in the coming year, Ryan (along with senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul) needs to be the face and the voice of the GOP. Unlike the spineless and clueless Boehner, he won’t be afraid to go toe-to-toe with President Obama (and the mainstream media) in that debate.

Here’s hoping we can get through a whole calendar year without losing any of our rabbits. That might be asking a lot, however – we don’t really know how old Cosmo is. All we know is he’s an elderly rabbit and that Peanut needs him!

More than anything, however: here’s hoping for a tranquil year health-wise for my folks, my family, and all my friends. After all, like the old adage goes, health is wealth.