Another trip around the sun almost done for this old planet. For many, 2016 can't be done soon enough.
2016 will go down as the year a lot of folk decided they were done. Britain voted to be done with the EU. Americans chose to be done with reality. Angelina admitted she was done with Brad.
And lots of famous people became done with the planet. Just before that first sentence materialized, I learned Debbie Reynolds jumped the ship the day after her daughter Carrie Fisher. The force was strong with those two.
It's been a terrible year for icons. From Princess Leia, to Muhammad Ali, to Ralph Stanley, to John Glenn. Merle Haggard and Harper Lee. Willy Wonka and Nancy Reagan. Antonin Scalia and Fidel Castro.
Mrs. Brady is done with her bunch.
There are three full days left in this year as I write this. At the rate we've been going, six or seven more famous folk are liable to be done with it, too.
I went through the list of folks done in 2016 with Meat. He grunted "about time" at Castro and "just say no" to Mrs. Reagan.
He actually got a little misty eyed for Leon Russell and Merle. He reminded me Prince and David Bowie were more my speed. So was Leonard Cohen but Meat didn't know who he was.
Our mutual disgust for the Eagles notwithstanding, we both thought it was a little early for Glenn Frey. Guess he was done with life in the fast lane.
"It's kind of like rats leaving a sinking ship," Meat blankly offered after I'd read off about 75 notable deaths.
"Think they know something we don't?" I asked.
"Nope," he said, "and I'm done worrying about it. I'm going to see Tater for New Year so your doom and gloom ain't bringing me down."
"Okay Meat, I'm done."
I'm done with a lot of things as the year draws to a close. It's been a weird year. At the beginning of the year, how many predicted where we've found ourselves at the end.
But I'm done worrying about it. The truth is it was a pretty good year for me. I made more money. I spent many glorious days paddling my kayak. A wonderful woman still puts up with me after 17 years. In no way am I done with any of those things.
In no way am I done caring, either. There's a lot to be done. I'm not done pointing out the ridiculous in our day to day world. Or the preposterous done in the name of right. Or the hypocrisy in us all. The American dream doesn't have to be done if we don't give up on it.
What's past is past. There is no reverse on the clock or on the planet. We deal with life as it comes on this rock hurdling through space and time, just as we always have. We stumble, we fall, then we get up and move on.
This year is almost finished. I'm over with it and most of you are too. Let's blow it out Saturday night and put a fork in it.
It is done.