I love the month of February. Perhaps because it's a short month, or it comes so quickly after the election crush and holiday rush, but not that much seems to happen in its 28 days. And I'm okay with that. Oh sure, we have a special election coming up, and if one checks in on social media and online platforms there are still issues out there in Irvine getting folks riled up. "Useless chatter," a friend calls it, and it's hard to disagree. Some folks even take issue with the very improvements addressing issues about which they previously and vocally complained. Take the ongoing and upcoming improvements being made to address traffic in the city. Construction is underway on some projects, while many others are fully funded and in planning, including the widening of University Drive and improvement to the interse ction with Ridgeline Drive. Some folks with mansions on the nearby hill are diving deep into that process, with their self-taught expertise in urban planning and traffic management. While citizen oversight and participation is laudable, some of the micro-managing and attempts to create division where there really shouldn't be any tend toward the tiresome. Still, the fact that folks have time to quibble about the details of issues professionals, experts in their fields, and our excellent city staff have well in hand is evidence that overall things are pretty great here in Irvine. While national politics, global issues, and hardships that too many face are deeply concerning, for this short month perhaps we can simply enjoy and appreciate all that we have. There will be plenty of time to worry and disagree about the empty half of the glass as we move forward into the year.