And it’s still January.

It’s been a long year. It’s still January.

Omicron. Ukraine. Supply chain.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. 2022 was supposed to be the reboot. Two years of Covid. For awhile, it looked like the new year would usher in new hope. Maybe it will. Eleven months remain.

I do have some renewed hope that we will finally be able to put Covid in a place where we can live with it. More on that in a minute.

First, it’s looking more and more like Russia is going to invade Ukraine. The U.S. has ordered the families of diplomats to leave the embassy there.

The Washington Post is reporting that if Russia does indeed invade Ukraine, the U.S. may impose export restrictions on any product containing semiconductors made with American tools or designed with American software.

Fox News is reporting that the U.S. has sent military aid to Ukraine. So far, sending actual troops there is off the table. President Biden is considering sending up to five thousand additional troops to nearby NATO allies.

NATO says it is putting extra forces on standby. It is sending more ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe. This is a situation to watch closely.

On the Covid front, maybe some good news. I know, we’ve been here before. Dr. Fauci though, says cases in the U.S. are headed in the right direction. Down 14 percent.

Fauci tells ABC News that in the next weeks or months there should be a low enough level of contagion that we can live our lives normally. Finally.

Supply chain issues. Now, it’s affecting the Girl Scouts. Specifically, their new cookie. “Adventurefuls.” More people than expected ordered these cookies. So, the Girl Scouts are limiting the number of “Adventurefuls” to each council.

So, what’s in ‘em? According to the Girl Scouts, “Adventurefuls” are a “brownie-inspired treat that features a caramel flavored crème with a dash of sea salt.” I get it.

There is some good news. Apparently, no other Girl Scout cookies are affected. Plenty of Do-si-Dos.

2022 started rough. I’m still hopeful for the rest of it. I mean, there are still plenty of Girl Scout cookies for sale. Plenty of time to eat them.