Happy New Year!

Just wanted to take time to wish everyone out there a happy and healthy new year!

The Redskins beat the Eagles 31-20 today to finish 10-6 and more important, make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. They play at Tampa Bay next Saturday.

I like 2006 already.

In closing out 2005 we went to a New Year's Eve party at Weena's cousin's house. It was nice, people dressed up in costumes from the '60's and '70's and danced to the music from that time period. Nicely done. I was in a small room with a TV watching some of the Raiders and Giants football game and when that ended, we switched to ABC and New Year's Rockin' Eve. Around 11:40 PM EST I saw Dick Clark for the first time since he suffered a stroke in 2004. I don't know if he was on earlier or not but it was sad hearing his voice as this stroke almost took his life. Then I thought at how hard his rehab had to have been this past year and how cool it was he was even back on the air.

I'm 44 years old and have seen Dick Clark on tv for practically my entire life. American Bandstand, New Year's Rockin' Eve and a host of other shows and commercials too numerous to mention over his lengthy career. I think he probably wanted to show others it was possible to make progress after an event that came very close to killing him. From what I read, he turned down numerous appearances and interviews and chose to make last night his comeback.

No doubt Clark's return was encouraging for thousands who watched the show from their hospital rooms after suffering something similar. For that, I will salute Dick Clark's efforts and hope he gets stronger each day.

Happy New Year!

Bill, Weena and Benjamin