The Newsmakers Krankenhaus this week was packed to the rafters: one confirmed Covid case, one mysterious spiking fever, one achy-hacking-hawking-sinus thingie that scored negative on those worthless home tests, along with several other acute afflictions, real and imagined, and the usual chronic bouts of hypochondria and caviling geezer ailments.
Simply put, our indifferently-trained, modestly-skilled and wildly over-compensated workforce at the moment collectively makes Jeb(!) Bush look like the poster boy for high energy performance.
This by way of explanation for deciding to knock off for the holidays a week early.
We plan to hunker down in the dog-haired sleeping bag on the couch, get seriously whacked out on NyQuil and pop "Scrooged" into the trusty VHS player to rewatch 13 or 14 times, or until ghoulish visions of sugar-plums dance through our heads, whichever comes first. Your mileage may vary.
Bottom line: Ho, ho, frickin' ho.
Before all that, however, a brief, sincere salutation: Amazing but true: we've now been at this for eight (!) years (we promise, we'll get it right yet) and want to mark this special time of year by once again thanking our readers, viewers and listeners sincerely for the sustenance of your continuing support.
We wish our audience, in Santa Barbara and beyond, all the best for a healthy and happy winter solstice season -- Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Feliz Navidad! Dōng zhì kuài lè! Happy Kwanzaa! Shabe Yalda Mobarak!,Glad Lucia! Happy Holidays! Whatever -- and extend celebratory cheers and mega-good thoughts for many blessings in the New Year. And to all a good night.
We'll be back to welcome in 2023, with our annual Newsmakers' Rockin' New Year's Eve spectacular. See you then and stay safe out there.
JR