My plans for January 20

[NRaleighLiberal]

Simple! - turning 61 (me and Bill Maher - though he doesn't know that!). A blessing or curse of my birthday is being either delighted or bereft every four years. This one will drive me to completely ignoring politics, that's for sure. My wife's birthday is two days later. If all goes well we will be in or en route to visiting family in the FL Keys.

I am so exhausted - the lead up to the election was exhausting, but nothing compared to what it has felt like since that day. I've thought and rethought all of the various "whys". I can't do it any more. And living in North Carolina - we get an extra dose of baffling, extreme, embarrassing fail.

I read something here today that captured well how I've been feeling - not just for this particular election, but the general trend the last decade or so - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tobias-stone/history-tells-us-what-will-brexit-trump_b_11179774.html - I've posted it in Editorials, and it was posted earlier. We can analyze the election outcome until we are all blue in the face. What I feel is that what we've witnessed is a bit of another perfect storm of so much fail - perhaps inevitable.

If one admits we are in one more of those really difficult times (and could get worse), due to a host of factors, it really makes it important, to me, to do what I can to help make things better - but even more important, live each day, enjoy my family, pets, hobbies - to not leave anything on the table. I think we are about to enter a period when anything is possible (and I am thinking catastrophes, in many ways).

We will continue our practice of the last 8 years and counting of watching no TV. We cancelled our newspaper last year (it has become pretty worthless). Got books to read, books to write, birds to watch, walks to take, gardens to plant, national parks to hopefully visit.

My wife and I are mentally preparing for the worst...and hoping for the best.

[Turbineguy]

1. Same here.

A shit sandwich for our birthday present.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. Reagan's first inaug. stood out as horrendous. I think it has been worsened (or soon will be)

[WhiteTara]

2. You may want to start with

visiting the National Parks...who knows how long we, the people, will own them.

I too think I need to shut down my whole political thought processes. I'm overwhelmed and angry.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. we've really not been to any of the major ones yet - I agree...feels like now or never!

Got to figure out how to prioritize them...(and how to afford the travel!) But we are rewatching the Ken Burns series - Yosemite and Yellowstone seem like musts!

[WhiteTara]

5. If you make it to Yosemite

try to get up north to the Redwoods. I'd like to go to Yellowstone too. But I don't see myself getting there this year.

[Tanuki]

9. Did you know that in just one more year, when you turn 62,

you will be able to purchase a senior pass for only $10 that will give you free lifetime admission to the National Parks, National Seashores, and many other federally managed recreation areas? (That is $10 if you purchase it on site, or $20 including handling if you do it online).
https://store.usgs.gov/pass/senior.html

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. I didn't know that - but thanks....and 62 is so young!

[underthematrix]

6. I'm going completely silent too.

beginning 12:01am Jan 20, 2017 until Jan 21. 2017 12:01am. All electronic devices will be turned off and/or disconnected. We will not purchase anything, drive or use public transportation. i have some great books to read too and I also love puzzling so I'm gonna start on a 3000 piece beauty.

[blue neen]

7. Those are good suggestions.

Thanks!

[ffr]

8. We're celebrating the 19th. It'll be the last time we'll probably celebrate in our lifetime.

We'll give thanks to democrats, progressives and liberal ideals, our last day of the good life. There's no turning back after the 19th and the suffering and era of sadness for our nation will begin at the hands of the GOP.

[pinboy3niner]

11. I'm looking forward to a YUGE Democratic celebration in 2020. nt

[ffr]

13. 2018?

It's okay to set your sites a little closer to the mid-terms.

[UTUSN]

12. Sorry to be a downer, but there will be NO "best" for me, probably ever again. But plans, well,

being here with wonderful DUers, that is all.

[briv1016]

14. I'll probably be working.

Unfortunately most of my co-workers (the vocal ones anyway) are deplorables.

[Vinca]

15. I plan to spend January 20 and the next 4 years calling out the Manbaby and the GOP.

I will enjoy listening to the disappointed Trump fan club members when nothing he promised comes to pass. No Hillary prosecution, no jobs back from China, no wall, no mass ousting of "furriners." They will whine when the pipelines run through their playgrounds and when oil spills taint their water supply. They will complain that elderly parents have to move in with them because of cuts to Medicare and Social Security and I will laugh. It's a shame their ignorance of the man and the issues will cause everyone in this country to suffer. I wish it would only happen to them. Since we'll all be the victims of this nightmare, I am going to remind them every hour of every day that it is their fault and they should be ashamed.