Happy New Year!

[Camy]

Just a wee cheery message to wish all at Awesome Dude a fantabulous, wonderful, and thoroughly stonking 2016!

My waters tell me it's going to be a peachy year compared to the last one (El Nino excepted): fingers crossed they're right.

Ave, upwards and onwards, and a big hug for the Dude.

[ChrisR]

A lot o' you blokes are already into a new year. Let us know if it'll be okay for us to join or whether we should dig our heels in and stay here! (or is that... stay now?)

[Cole Parker]

It's so good to see you pop up now and then, Camy! Wish you'd visit more often. But Happy New Year to you and everyone over there. I understand the northern regions of your country are under water. Well, some of ours is, too. We're still partners.

C

[TalonRider]

Happy New Year Everyone.

[vwl]

Ditto.

Where does the word 'ditto' come from, anyway?

And the questions: will Donald Trump get trumped? Will Hillary become warm and lovable? Will the Seattle Mariners win the world series? Will one religion of peace -- Islam -- make up with another religion of peace -- Christianity?

Ah, the possibilities.

[Merkin]

Before I accepted Camy's wish for a thoroughly stonking year I looked up 'stonking' to make sure it was safe. Turns out it is Brit-slang for 'excellent, amazing, considerable, powerful.' The example given byThe Word Detective cleared it up quite nicely: “Snogging tackle for stonking wet smackers, warm and reassuring like a comfy settee,” 1993.

Thanks, Camy. Hope your year is without kerfuffle or fracas.

[DesDownunder]

Happy New Year to all.

[Cole Parker]

I'm watching the Rose Parade at the moment. I've been in Southern California for over 35 years and, while the parade happens fewer than 25 miles from me, I've never attended one in person. It's terribly crowded, parking is nonexistent, you have to get there really early if it you want a curbside seat and even then, early might not be enough; and usually, it's colder than that witch you hear about's mammary protrusion. Right now, at 8:30, it's 41. 41 in So Cal is like 15 in Minnesota because we're not used to it.

Watching the parade on TV is far and away the best way to go. After the parade, they station the floats in a nearby park and you can go walk around and look at them. I may do that again this year.

C

[Pedro]

Happy New Year to you all.

Apologies for being late to the party but I had a little too much 'medicine' last night ...and it was my doctor doing the dispensing.

It's so good to see you pop up now and then, Camy! Wish you'd visit more often. But Happy New Year to you and everyone over there. I understand the northern regions of your country are under water. Well, some of ours is, too. We're still partners.

C

The Lake District and Lancashire have had it bad. About 40 miles west of where I am. We have had some roads flood but nothing we have not seen before. However the land is very wet and if we get more heavy rain the floods will be back quickly and probably worse especially for those down stream.

Pity we can't easily ship the excess water to somewhere where it would do some good.

[Lugnutz]

Bah humbug. With that out of the way, it's been a stellar year and hope it continues it's journey to the top.