It looks like I’m going to fall short of 100,000 views for the year by a little less than 2,000. So close!

I believe it was Violet Crepuscular–or was it Voltaire?–who said life is like a Mille Bornes game. You’re rolling along, slapping down those 100-mile cards, sometimes a 200, and suddenly you’ve got a flat tire (“Creve!”), or a red light, or a speed limit (“Limite de Vitesse”) and you’re either stopped or slowed. You need a spare tire (“Roue de Secours”) or a green light, whatever, to get going again. Unless you were holding on to a Puncture-Proof (“Increvable!”) or a Right of Way card: then you can execute a Coup Fourre. But it’s hard to come up with a Coup Fourre in real life. Although not as hard as pulling one off in a game of Monopoly.

I’ve just written my Newswithviews column for the week. I only have to write one of those per week, but it feels like a lot more.

But tomorrow’s New Year’s Day, and we are hoping for a rest. We like to watch The Time Machine on New Year’s Day–that wonderful George Pal production from 1960, starring Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux. And we’ll have Patty’s pork casserole for supper–heavenly! And since we set up our air purifier and started her on her medicine, Robbie hasn’t coughed much. If she’s coughed today, I missed it. She’s been a very good girl about her medicine.

So again, thanks to all of you who visited this blog throughout the year, and shared your comments–and your prayers–and gave us your fellowship.

Tomorrow we’ll crank it up again.