BEAT THE CLOCK!

  THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31ST.

          BEAT THE CLOCK!

    I like holiday traditions!
I watch "A Christmas Carol" every
Christmas.....as many versions as
possible. "A Christmas Story" is a
"must see" every year too!
I read "Polar Express" to my grand
kids every Christmas Eve.
And, for the past few years, our
family welcomes the New Year 12
hours ahead of most of the rest of
you!
     My daughter came up with the
idea after seeing the youngest and
oldest in our clan (I claim the latter
title) try to keep their eyes open to
watch the ball come down on Times
Square after a full day of talking,
playing, and eating.
      Of course that ball marks the
beginning of a new year......but not
everywhere! There are lots of midnights
around planet earth so we decided to
celebrate the one that equates with the
Noon hour at my daughter's house!
That, by the way, would be
Midnight in Jakarta, Indonesia!
So, we celebrate "New Year's Noon!"
You have all the fun, while everybody
is awake, and get a head start on the
New Year. 
       Another great thing....if you miss
Midnight Jakarta time, you've still got
11 more time zones to use to beat the
crowds!
       By the way I'll probably catch
the New York celebration too. There
are enough firecrackers in our neighborhood
to wake the soundest sleeper when people
glued to "the tube" watch that ball drop!
       In any case, whatever time zone
you're using to mark the start of 2016, the
New Year will be well underway by the time
some of you read this Blog.
       With that in mind I'd like to wish you
all a very happy New Year with the hope
that, in it, all your NEWS will be good!