A New Year

There are two ways to go with the requisite New Year's Day post — reminisce about the past or make resolutions for the future. I certainly enjoy reminiscing about fun times in the past. That's why I write these Musings; it is fun (for me) to go back and re-read posts.

I see from my shooting log that I visited the range on 64 days in 2016. I shot 20 IDPA matches, including the West Virginia and Delaware State matches. On the training side, we attended Massad Ayoob's Armed Citizen’s Rules of Engagement class and John Murphy's "Minuteman Rifle Course". 

On the craft beer scene, I enjoyed around 166 different beers this year, the majority of them new to me. We also visited 36 different breweries or pubs over the course of the year. 

When it comes to looking forward, I don't make resolutions. I have some goals for the coming year — things I look forward to doing differently or better in the future. For example, I've already stepped up my live fire practice, and I'm attempting to dry fire more. I am looking forward to being able to shoot more matches this year, if the calendar and other activities cooperate. I expect to take at least one defense-related shooting class this year, and hope to get a competition-based course in as well. 

There is still a long list of Virginia breweries we've yet to visit. I also am going to make a concerted effort to try the new releases from our local brewers as they come out. Given the goals in the preceding paragraph, that will be a challenge, but I feel up to the task. 

Since we don't go out to celebrate on New Year's' Eve, and haven't in decades, the first day of the new year arrives like any other Sunday morning. I am quite happy to spend New Year's Eve watching college football or a movie with my family, while enjoying a good beer or two of course. My favorite thing about the New Year's holiday just might be that it serves to extend my annual Christmas vacation. That, and it moves us a bit closer to warmer weather and longer days.

However you choose to mark the end of 2016, I hope the future brings good things to all of you. Events of recent months do leave me optimistic for positive changes for our country in the coming months. Domestic enemies have been dealt a blow, and that doesn't bode well for enemies foreign.