2021 has not been a dull year so far. I am already a little car sick from all the ups and downs. To sum up 2021 so far in a single word – weird. I know, not the most eloquent choice. You probably understand what I mean. I think we all have high hopes for this year. I know that I do. Still hard to tell how 2021 will play out, especially with all the weirdness going on, and I am not even going to talk about anything political. We passed weird a few exits ago on the national political stage.
Valentine’s Day was weird, but romantic
Kim and I went downtown to celebrate our first pandemic era Valentine’s Day. We ate a wonderful brunch meal at Old Ebbitt’s Grill. It was delicious and we saved some money by avoiding an expensive restaurant dinner. Valentine’s Day was great. Kim spoiled me with a new coffee maker. She knows me well and how to make me feel special.
President’s Day has become a weird holiday
Monday was a strange day – a holiday for some, but not for others. As a country we are struggling to figure out what to do regarding certain holidays. I don’t know about you. For me, any day off is a good day. I really don’t care that much what we call it. Let’s get one thing straight though – both Presidents Washington and Lincoln were great leaders. Our country would not be the world leader we are today without them. Can’t we figure out a way for all of us to take a day off without fighting about it.
The Mars landing was wonderfully weird
Wow – the NASA engineers did it again! They successfully landed another rover on Mars. This vehicle is bigger, better, and more badass than the last one. I continue to be blown away by what NASA is able to accomplish when they put all the big brains there to work. If you want to see something amazing – watch the landing. It is mind-blowing. Not to mention all the cool pictures Perseverance is sending back to Earth. Hooray for NASA. Keep up the great work. You make all of us proud.
Cold weather was weird and really bad
It seemed to snow everywhere. I heard that over 70% of the US was covered in snow this week. My Florida friends were spared. Texas was buried. Greece got snow in Athens. Great pictures, but I bet they were freaking out there. Where I live we got more ice than snow which turned my neighborhood into a bobsled course. It was an adventure driving to work on Friday. No complaints from me. My friends in Texas are dealing with way worse – no power, water, or clear solutions for how to prepare for the next time this happens. Two big thumbs down for the weather this week – it sucked pretty much everywhere.
It is weird when Bayern Munich struggles
Bayern Munich is one of the best football teams in the world. They have the trophies to prove it. Bayern wins a large majority of the games they play. This past week they tied a game played in the falling snow in Munich and lost a game to Frankfurt. For a team of their caliber, that is a bad week. I sure hope they find their form and win the Bundesliga and Champions League as they did last year.
What is the key takeaway?
Welcome to the roller coaster of 2021 – enjoy the ride. I doubt it will end anytime soon. Would not shock me if we see rough times ahead economically and the wild weather swings continue. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for what is next. Even if that is a rough ride.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.