Good-bye 2004! Hello, 2005!

While 2004 ended on a tragic note worldwide, it was, for us, a good year. While Dale and I both have health issues, his more severe than mine, we are alive and in good health. Money may be tight at times, but there is enough money to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs. We pay the monthly bills almost always on time. Our vans are not new, but are running, so we can get where we need to be when we need to be there. We are paying off credit cards (the devil's instrument if ever there was one), slowly but surely, and will be completely out of debt, including mortgage, in just a few years.

Our families are hale and hearty; everyone is in good health. We had two new additions to our family, nephews Nicholas and Grady. And let's not forget Wyatt who may be a dog, but is my baby, none the less.

We can look ahead to four more years of leadership, character and strength, something our country has lacked for too many years. If we can get away from the ideas of political correctness and that government has to take care of everyone's every need we'll all be better off. Sure, help those who need it, but also help them to get on their feet so they can be independent and know the pride of being their own man or woman, free to live as they choose.

2004 was the beginning of the Blog Revolution. It was a big year, but I think 2005 will be even bigger as more and more of the mainstream establishment comes to realize the effectiveness of the blog. Every generation seems to have produced a way to broadcast information that surpassed the previous. Think about it: word of mouth, the printing press, the Pony Express, the telegraph, the telephone, radio, television, and now, the Internet. What could the future bring?

I will promise only one thing about 2005: I will continue to blog as long as you, my favorite reader, continues to see something of worth in my ramblings and rantings. I am not showing conceit, it's actually rather humbling for me to know that anyone reads or cares about what I have to say.

I would like to see Congress overhaul both the Social Security system and the Tax system in 2005. My choice would be the tax system as that would benefit all of us immediately, but reforming SS would be a great step in the right direction.

Our economy is actually back to pre-2001 levels. Despite the naysayers, it's getting better every day. Yes, there are still people unemployed, but you know what? Unemployment is at a place where almost everyone who wants to work is working. Not everyone; there are still some who are looking for work. New home construction has been up, retail sales are up, the stock market has finished up for two straight years, and despite what the MSM says, the economy is improving. Okay, you're thinking about businesses that are going under. Do you think that might be because of greed on the part of management or just bad business decisions?

What do you see happening in 2005?