It's a tradition apparently. It occurs on July 4th, as well. Not confined to the south as it also happens in New York where I formerly lived. With the Italians it was fireworks (which were illegal in NY) but with the neighborhood having turned Irish, it is guns at midnight.

They do this on the island of Crete as well. At the drop of a hat

On First Nations reserves in northern Canada they like to let a few shots go into the air on New Year's at midnight. My Hudson's Bay Northern Stores manager back in '72 told me about his posting from some years earlier; all the white people in the community were at a party at the mountie's house, and the cop's wife had had a bit to drink. At 12:00 when all the Indians started shooting at the sky, she ran into the bedroom, grabbed the .38 out of her nightstand, ran out onto the front porch and started blazing away, BANG, BANG, HAPPY NEW YEAR! The mountie grabbed the gun with one hand, the wife with the other hand, and as he escorted her through the living room on the way to bed, announced that the party was over.

I was cycling in Crete once when my cap blew off. I didn't hear any gunfire.

Jan 1st. New decade is going fairly well, all things considered.
Jan 2nd. Australia is on fire
Jan 3rd. World War III announced

Did your cap have a hole in it?

Pretty much, Oink.

and I bit my own tongue.

Ouch, that really hurts you poor thing.

Bigly.

I canth speakth plopperly at the mo.

Your typing's gone to pot as well

Hope your tongue heals quickly, that type of injury is horrible.

Finally getting a new washer on Tuesday, same brand, but different model. The cost to repair apparently costs more, the broken one isn't even that old, original to the building so maybe 5, seems a washer should last longer, but it is a rental apartment, who knows what the people did before us.

I was expecting them to buy a used washer as that has always been the norm in my experience when renting, but they are sending over a brand new washer, so that is cool.

How else would I get my head in?

Hyuck hyuck, you dag!

That's good JS. One of the benefits of renting we were talking about