The POD

  Today Greensboro will have its' Christmas parade. It passes in front on my place and so I get a good view every year. Like all small towns in America the parade will pretty much be the same as last years and the year before. Not many changes. New mayor or police chief maybe, a new fire truck or a newly restored tractor. The girl scouts, boy scouts and a few other groups marching or with a float. The high school marching band. Santa will be on the antique firetruck bringing up the rear. Should take ten to fifteen minutes to see it all. The next parade will be the Little League parade if it is our turn. Greensboro alternates with the town of Ridgely for that honor. 

  I do enjoy seeing the parade each year. It reminds me of the ones I saw when I was a kid. I was never in a parade growing up as I didn't belong to any group that marched in any parade. We didn't go to every parade either. I mean, my parents didn't take us to every one. I don't recall ever going to a Christmas parade. When I was older, I would go with my brothers and sister to the Memorial Day parade. The Labor Day parade was another that I remember. In my hometown parade we did have the veterans marching. It was always an impressive sight for a young man to see. That was long before we got triggered by seeing a gun! I remember looking at those men and thinking, wow, they are soldiers! The rest of the year they were just someone's dad or uncle. On that day they were all GI Joe! 

  After the parade is the Army/Navy game. It's the only college football game I care anything about. Go Navy, beat Army. I enjoy the game, the ceremonies and the patriotic display. It doesn't have anything to do with Christmas, but it is something I watch. I did put out a few holiday decorations on my porch in time for the parade. Yesterday I brought out a few more to display inside. Nothing new, just ones that hold some sentiment to the wife and I for various reasons. Hoping Morris, my cat, doesn't turn into the grinch and knock it all over. He's usually pretty good about that but he's curious, like all cats are. Nothing there that will kill him though, it's the wife he needs to be leery of. 

  That's my plan for today. Living my best life as the saying goes. It's as good as it gets. Didn't win the lottery last night, not even one number, but there is Powerball tonight. I have a ticket, a one in 300 million chance. Would my life be better with millions of dollars? I sure wouldn't mind finding out. I could always give it away if it didn't. When I was in the Navy the Plan of the Day was published every day. It is exactly what it says it is. In chronological order it listed what you were to be doing. Today it would say, Holiday Routine. You could sleep in till seven o'clock and didn't have to go to work, just stand whatever watches you were assigned to. Sure, was easy back then. Just follow the POD and you're all set. There were few surprises and the ones that there were, usually weren't good. Have a good day today.