I had to calm down before writing this column again. That’s why it was missing last week. This winter weather and everything that goes with it got me riled. I felt my assistant editor Susan Johns’ column attacking “cold weather” was well done and mirrored my feelings – but I wouldn’t have been as nice as her if I wrote it.

Maybe I jinxed myself by writing angrily about it two weeks ago. Things like that happen to me, you know. Seems whenever I predict the winner of a pro game, the other team wins. Glad I’m not a gambler. The only gambling I do is play the state lottery. And I’ve yet to win over $100 in any type of lottery, but I keep on playing. That $100 has long been spent; it was so long ago, I don’t even remember where I bought the scratch ticket.

I may be unlucky at some things but I do consider myself lucky that Garry Blackman is my friend – has been since I first met him over 55 years ago. Garry is my “furnace guy” and because of my lack of planning, he “got us warm again” by fixing our furnace and thawing the fuel line a few times during the New Year’s cold snap. Didn’t have to wait more than 15 minutes for him to show up, either. Glad to call you my friend, Garry.

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Did you make a New Year’s resolution? I’ve made one – to not sweat the small stuff. If it’s cold, try to find the best ways to get warm, and when it snows – yes, it’s winter in Maine and it snows quite often — well, you gotta deal with it. Shoveling, cleaning off the roof (if you have a low-pitched roof like mine) and more shoveling comes with the territory. But as long as you can find the time to get the snow moved, or pay someone to do it for you (thank you plow guy Steve Faulkingham), your mood will improve when it’s done. Your back may ache, but knowing that the job is done should brighten your day, if even a little.

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I sure hope the New England Patriots get to the Super Bowl again. For the first time in decades, I scheduled the day after the Super Bowl as a vacation day. But — see above — being as unlucky as I am, the Patriots will not even be in the game, and if they are, they will probably lose and I will have to spend my day off commiserating over the game.