Five of the people supposed to come to our New Year’s Eve party, all living in the same house, came down with flu and so stayed home. So it was a much smaller gathering than we’d hoped and planned for. Still, it was fun. Ann Peters, usually shy and diffident, was bold and funny. She dealt the last poker hand before midnight and said, “Queens and jacks, sevens and nines wild.” I won the hand with five kings. I don’t think I’ve ever had five kings in a poker hand before.

I’m writing a couple of scenes in Tying the Knot about a serious blizzard that keeps my characters from going out to New Year’s Eve parties. I got so wound up in the details that when I had to take a break and go out to the grocery store, I was amazed to see clear skies and clean streets.

Fans of the television series “Big Bang Theory” know one strange theme (there are a lot of strange themes) running through it is a sacharine lullaby called “Soft Kitty.” Most of us can sing it. I even have a t-shirt with the lyrics printed on it. Here’s a look at it:

For Christmas this year, I was gifted with a new t-shirt. I laughed for five minutes. Printed on it:

Annoyed kitty,
Touchy kitty,
Grouchy ball of fur,
Moody kitty,
Grumpy kitty,
Grrr, grrr, grrr.