Entry One Hundred Sixty-Two.
Monday, 2012.12.31, 12:05 PM CST.
Christmas, memories, Depeche Mode, and the future.
Current Mood:  Hanging in there.
Current Scent:  None.

Well, we're finally nearing the year's end.  2012 was good in a number of ways, but unkind in many others.I certainly hope that 2013 is better for everyone, overall.

I've grown more and more nostalgic over the years.  It's hard to believe that my mom and Mike from Mario's NY Style Pizzeria have now both been gone for over five years.  It's hard to believe that Michael Hutchence of INXS died (I still believe accidentally) over fifteen years ago.

It's also pretty tough to believe that my once-infant son, X, is now my five-year-old son... and that I have a new-ish baby son, Atticus (whom I need to finally show off in a future post!).

Life has been full of surprises, and I hope that I have time for at least a few more really good ones in the future.

Christmas in the Badger household is always a special time.  I love introducing my kids (well, at least X) to some of the old Christmas traditions, running around looking at Christmas light displays, etc.

It's also a time of special memories.  Twenty-five Christmases before, in 1987, I received my first Depeche Mode item - a cassette tape of Music for the Masses, which kindled my obsession with their music.

Thirty Christmases before, in 1982, I'd had one of my favourite childhood Christmases ever - four Atari games (including "The Empire Strikes Back," "Mouse Trap," and the incredibly hard-but-awesome"Raiders of the Lost Ark") plus other stuff, back in the day when Atari games were actually pretty pricy.

Luckily, these days I can share the memories with my kids.  X likes Depeche Mode a lot as well, and we often play games on the same old Atari 2600 unit that I had when I was a kid.  (Don't worry; X has a Wii as well, and plays plenty of games on there, too.)

The year 2012 wasn't the greatest.  However, I have big, big plans for 2013... including at least one or two special retro-oriented events I'm setting up which Tulsa will (hopefully) really enjoy.

As I get older, I realize more and more that if I keep trying to wait for "the perfect time," the perfect time will never come.  So, I'd better do what I can soon.  Life is far too finite.

More soon...

Badger