Having nothing of any importance planned last night I offered babysitting services to my daughter and son in law in Brooklyn. They were happy to have an adult night to themselves. I was even happier to have a night with the little one year old. I had a lot of time with her this week. Last weekend was her one year birthday party. Tuesday night they came to my step fathers 83rd birthday dinner. And Thursday I went over for my weekly visit. My mother used to say that she loved her grandchildren even more than her own children. I get it.

It's the new year and time for Magical Mitch's predictions for 2014. Since 2007 your trusty soothsayer has been making predictions with a pretty good track record. I'm 13 for 22. That's like batting .590...In the MLB I'd be earning at least 50 million a year.   But first, let's review...

  Inasmuch Wednesday would have been Elvis's 79th birthday. Following is a poem that I wrote in his memory.     THE KING!  

It has become an all-too-frequent scene. I notice across the restaurant a couple enjoying a nice quiet dinner. Then I see the smart phones, either on the table or in the hands of one (or both) of the diners. “What could possibly be so important?” I wonder. And then the lyrics of Stephen Stills flow melodically through my mind. “...and if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”

Recently a tech company came out and acknowledged that they were behind a series of crops circles that had been left in various farms throughout an area.  It had been an ongoing controversy/point of interest in several communities and had been investigated by authorities.  They hired a professional company to create unusual designs that were not immediately decipherable to the public.  It turnd out to be some form of logo representing the company.  

Well, maybe just for me.

My family and I spent Christmas week at an all inclusive resort in Rivera Maya, Mexico, a beautiful location. Part of the fun at an all inclusive resort is that all alcohol is included in the price of the hotel. The first day at the beach my family and I had a blast trying all of the frozen concoctions. From the Blue Hawaiian to the Iceberg, we tasted them all.

The lead article in the Times this morning is about loosening restrictions in New York for the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes.  That is a long time coming.  About twenty states allow its limited sale.