Hello Everyone! November is coming to a close and I doubt that I’m the only one looking forward to putting 2020 in my rear view mirror. Not that anything will magically change on January 1st, but I definitely believe that next year will be better than this one. Personally I’m looking forward to getting back on the road, seeing some new and beautiful places, catching up with some old friends and making some new ones. I feel like this year I just kicked it up into neutral in April and I’ve been coasting along since them. I remain incredibly grateful for so much that’s happened this year, but I won’t be sad to wave goodbye come New Year’s Day.
One of the biggest joys of this year has been hanging out with my 2 year-old buddy, Mason, who has kept me smiling for a lot of months now. I realized that I’ve now spent over 10% of his life with him. 10% of my life ago, Barrack Obama was still president, so it’s no small amount of time. This week we spent a little more time at the playground than usual. We don’t spend much time there because all the nannies in the neighborhood go there, mingle and let the kids they watch do the same. I don’t want any kids breathing and snotting all over Mason, especially now that cold and flu season is in full swing as I don’t want him or me to get sick. But with colder temperatures fewer people are there, so we’ve at least been able to get the kindergarten playground to ourselves a few times which he really enjoys. He was disappointed when I wouldn’t go down the slide with him, and I tried to explain that I was too big to go or I definitely would. Now when he sees a small playground in someone’s yard he says “Uncle Mike, too big” which I just think is really funny. One of the slides we use I have to pick him up and put him on, which was a nice bicep curl motion to it. I started doing “Mason curls” and counting to ten and he seems to really enjoy it too, so that’s been good for both of us. Beyond that, we’ve been seeing the forest leaves thin and disappear and the change of season has been interesting to watch for both of us. He’s learned some evergreens like cedar, holly and ivy and continues to pull whatever berries he can reach. It was another good stretch hanging out with him.
Last Friday we had a pretty quiet night at home. We had originally planned on heading up to New Hampshire to my brother’s place first thing Saturday morning, so we didn’t want to overdo it on Friday. We had some turkey sandwiches, some pumpkin eggnog and then watched Planes, Trains and Automobiles, one of the only really good Thanksgiving movies out there. It wasn’t as raucous as usual, but it was a fun Friday night with the family just the same.
Saturday I made a run to the stores to pick up a bunch of things and then spent much of the afternoon flushing my radiator and working on a few other van-related items. Unfortunately, I think it’s going to need some more work that’s beyond my skill-set, but I want to get it done while I’m home and have some logistical support, not to mention that I can leave it for a few days if necessary. It’s still a great van and I need it to last for a while so I want to be sure to keep it up to snuff. When it got dark, I headed inside and we played some Lattice Hawaii, one of the board games I got for my mom for her birthday. It was our first time playing it, but it was really fun and interesting. If you’re looking to add to your games collection, I would recommend it.
On Sunday, Mason, his parents and I went over to the back yard of my friend Ryan’s wife on Capitol Hill. You may remember that Ryan was my friend who passed away from cancer earlier this year and Sunday would have been his 45th birthday. There were a few other good friends there, and we were able to keep our distance and stay outside but still enjoy some camaraderie. It was nice to see people, laugh and show our support for Kate, Ryan’s widow, who has had a truly unbelievably challenging year.
We left first thing Monday morning for the long drive north to New Hampshire. There was some traffic leaving D.C., but from there it was pretty smooth sailing. Even so, we left before sunrise and got in right as the sun was setting. It’s nice to be here in New Hampshire again to spend the holiday with my brother and his family. We’ve all followed masking and distancing recommendations for many months, so we’re not particularly worried about bringing our two household pods together but we’re not bringing in family from all over the country either. There is still some risk involved, but this was not a decision that was made without a lot of discussion and comparing of notes. It’s cold here, but it’s very nice to be here. It’s great to be out of the city for a few days as well.
Yesterday we took a little drive around the area to get out of the house a little bit and so I could take some photos. It really is quite a beautiful state and the little towns have some real character and charm to them. It was a nice ride through some beautiful countryside followed by a great dinner here at the farm.
Today I was out running some errands for a few hours – there are a lot of stores around here which we simply don’t have in Washington, and it was nice to have some time to pick up a few things. Everyone here seems to be taking excellent precautions while they’re out which was really encouraging to see.
Tomorrow we’ll have a big Thanksgiving feast which I’m really looking forward to and hopefully a long afternoon nap. I hope to get out and take some more pictures while I’m here, but it’s going to depend a lot on the weather.
That’s about what’s been happening around here this week. It’s been a good week, generally speaking, and I’m definitely happy to be celebrating Thanksgiving with family. I guess when we get home we’ll begin the ramp-up to Christmas and New Year which I’m actually looking forward to. I really enjoy the holiday season, and am excited for the decorations, movies, music and feelings that go along with it all. To all of my American readers, I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope wherever and however you are spending it that you’re safe and find things to be thankful for. To everyone else I wish you a wonderful weekend to round out the month. Be safe and take care of yourselves out there and I’ll see you right back here, same time next week. Thanks, as always, for reading.
-Mike