HAPPY NEW YEAR, VIRGINIA VS TEXAS TECH IN GATOR BOWL

Well I thought I wish all you fellow bloggers and anyone else who visits Mickey's Place a HAPPY NEW YEAR. I wasn't up last night to see the new year come in I was out like a light, I went to bed at about 10:30pm and missed all the excitement this year. Since my foot has been hurting the last few days I haven't got much sleep so I decided to call it a night pretty early last night. Speaking of my foot it is still pretty sore, I don't think the medicine worked quite as well as it did the 1st time I took it. My stomach seems to be ok today but my foot is still hurting which isn't a good thing. The Virginia Cavaliers will meet Texas Tech in the Gator Bowl at 1pm today, the Cavs will have a tough time stopping Texas Tech's vaunted passing attack. The only way I see the Cavs winning this game today is they are going to have to match Texas Tech's offensive output which could be very hard for the Cavs. The ACC hasn't been doing to well so far in the bowl games this year going 2-3 so far with Boston College and Wake Forest picking up the only wins so far. It appears that most of the people who visit Mickey's Place must still be on Christmas break, I think blog traffic may be at an all time low this week. HAPPY NEW YEAR, MICKEY

The book is closed, the year is done, The pages full of tasks begun. A little joy, a little care, Along with dreams, are written there. This new day brings another year, Renewing hope, dispelling fear. And we may find before the end, A deep content, another friend.
Arch Ward

January 1
1890 - The very first Tournament of Roses Parade was staged in Pasadena, California. Horse-drawn carriages decorated in flowers made up the parade.
1892 - Ellis Island opened this day to begin the processing of what would amount to more than 20 million immigrants to the United States. The immigration center was also used as a deportation station, and later, a Coast Guard Station, and then, a national park. Ellis Island is now a museum.
1898 - Happy birthday Big Apple. The five boroughs of New York became the city of New York this day. It was called ‘the consolidation’ as the five boroughs were fused into a single, powerful city.
1924 - Frank B. Cooney of Minneapolis, Minnesota was made very proud this day, when he received a patent for ink paste. Mmm, good!
1937 - The First Cotton Bowl football game was played in Dallas, TX. Texas Christian (T.C.U.) beat Marquette 16-6.
1953 - A sad day in country music, as the legendary Hank Williams died at the young age of 29.
1968 - Evel Knievel, stunt performing daredevil, lost control of his motorcycle midway during a jump of 141 feet (ouch!); and right over the ornamental fountains in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He was banged up real good. Odds were 3-1 that he wouldn’t make it...
2000 - People the world over changed their calendars to 2000 with very few of the ‘Y2K’ computer glitches that had been predicted.

Begin
Today is the day to begin. This new year is a blank canvas upon which you have the delightful opportunity to paint.

As you do, be authentic. Your greatest accomplishments are the ones that contain the greatest quantity of you.

Be innovative and creative. The challenges you face will melt away when you apply fresh, original thinking to them.

Remember not to take yourself too seriously. You'll climb much higher when you're thoroughly enjoying the effort.

As you move forward, do so with genuine and persistent integrity. That way, the results you create will be results that are actually worth attaining.

Today you stand at the beginning of a grand adventure, with the very real and present opportunity to shape this year into the best one ever. Begin now, take the initiative, and never stop living life according to who you know you are.
-- Ralph Marston

J.D. Salinger Author ("The Catcher in the Rye") is 89
Frank Langella Actor is 70
Country Joe McDonald Rock singer, musician (Country Joe and the Fish) is 66
Don Novello Comedian is 65
Rick Hurst Actor is 62
Steve Ripley Country singer (The Tractors) is 58
Ren Woods Actress 50
Dedee Pfeiffer Actress is 44
Embeth Davidtz Actress is 42
Brian Flynn Country singer (Flynnville Train) is 42
Morris Chestnut Actor is 39
Verne Troyer Actor ("Austin Powers" movies) is 39