Hello Everyone. A vaccine is rolling down the highways of America which means there is a light at the end of the tunnel for this extended pause in my travel plans. Of course it’s still going to be a while before I get mine, but it’s still been a great bit of news this week and I’m very excited about it. My van has to get through inspection here in D.C. in May and I am really hoping to hit the road the very next day if that’s at all possible and have the whole summer wide open in front of me. Time will tell, but there’s a possibility it will happen and for now that’s good enough. Beyond that, it’s been a week of ups and downs so I’m latching onto the vaccine news to help me get through the week and help keep my spirits up in this festive season.
Mason and I continue to keep each other on our toes and entertained. He continues to grow and learn and develop every single day, and his companionship and good humor have definitely been one of my saving graces these last few months. I would have gotten through this time without him, but I’m glad that’s not how it went. By the time I hope to leave, he’ll be 3 and on his way to bigger and better things, but he’ll know a lot more about nature and the seasons and holidays and I think he’ll be better off for that in the long run. This week we’ve been enjoying time by the Christmas tree at his house, and he loves showing off the ornaments on their tree. Every day this week we’ve sat on the couch in the glow of the tree and read The Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express. He loves to show me that they have bell ornaments on their tree which look almost exactly like Santa’s bells in The Polar Express. He definitely knows who Santa is (and still calls him “danta”) and he knows what Santa says (“ho ho ho”). We’ve been seeing Santa and reindeer and snowmen all over the neighborhood and while I think there was more fun stuff to see over Halloween, it’s still fun. He’s been really good about wrapping up, and we continue to enjoy being outside even as temperatures dip near freezing. We’ve had some inside days too when it’s been raining out, and it’s definitely gotten easier to stay in all day as he’s gotten older. We have done some coloring, read some good books, played with his trucks and stuffed animals and spent a lot of time discussing the toilet which he is getting better with. And whether we’re inside or out, we always find the time for many rounds of his favorite game “no me” which is kind of like hide and seek, but he’s usually either under a blanket or under a chair or under a tree if we’re outside. Even though he’s right there, his stuffed animals and I spend a lot of time looking for him.
When I went out to drive my van last Thursday after picking it up from the shop on Wednesday, the “check engine” light came on immediately and it ran really poorly and spewed out thick smoke. I was really disappointed after the amount of money I’d spent to get it fixed last week. I called the shop and eventually had it towed out there. They couldn’t find anything wrong with it, so I have it back but it’s definitely not running like it used to. As much as I love my hometown, I would never recommend getting work done on your car here. It’s overpriced and I’ve never found a mechanic I was happy with. Pretty much everywhere else in the country I’ve gotten work done I’ve met honest people who get it right the first time and treat me fairly because it’s the right thing to do. I think they like working on Mercedes and BMWs and not on my clunky old van. I like the guy who runs the shop I’ve taken it to these last two times, but I don’t know if I’d recommend it because it goes in with one set of problems and comes out with another.
After that disappointment, I really needed a day at the beach. It being December in Washington, the best I could do was to throw a beach party in my basement with my folks, which is exactly what we did with our Friday night. I’ve spent Christmas in the Caribbean more than once, and our party brought back a lot of good memories of my time in the islands. We had some jerk chicken, fresh cut mango and pineapple and some great peel and eat shrimp. There was great music, boat drinks and a few rounds of Lattice Hawaii which is a really great board game. It was another fun Friday night and left me feeling much better about the world in general.
The weekend was spent finishing my Christmas shopping and getting our tree up and house decorated. It was a nice weekend in that regard and we listened to a lot of Christmas music and even drank a little Champagne. I also tried to put up some of my favorite photos for sale from some of the places I’ve visited where I’m still a part of their local Facebook groups. It was a lot of effort without many results, but it was worth a shot and I learned more about my website in the process. It’s too late to order anything now and get it to you by Christmas, but if you ever see a photo you like, I’d love to make it into an aluminum print for your home.
Tuesday this week I was back at the dentist’s, still trying to sort out this broken tooth 9 months later. I got there and was sitting in the chair when they came in and told me that the crown they had ordered hadn’t come in from the lab. So once again I walked away with a gap in my mouth and grateful on some level that I’m not in a big rush to get it done. I started getting this work done on my van and in my mouth in September so that I wouldn’t have to think about either as the current virus surge kicked into high gear. I really didn’t think that three months later I’d still be struggling with both. Feeling sorry for myself, I went further downtown to see the Capitol Christmas Tree which was beautiful and brightened my spirits a little bit. Then I came home for Taco Tuesday in the Harding house and we watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer before NCIS and FBI. I’m not a huge TV watcher, but it was nice to plop down in front of the tube with some tacos that night.
Today started with a long, brisk walk in the 30 degree pre-dawn light. Then I headed over to spend the day with Mason. His parents made sure he had a nice big breakfast because we were supposed to have snow on the way. After a morning of playing with his trucks and keeping my eye on the forecast, we started bundling up right before the snow was supposed to arrive. With an extra layer for both of us, we headed out into the grey morning. I saw the snow before he did, but didn’t want to say anything to see if he would see it himself. Eventually he did, and then everything took on a new look – “car with snow”, “leaves down with snow”, and my favorite in a region where inflatable snowmen are usually the best we can do: “snowmen with snow”. We tried to catch snowflakes on our tongues and took a long walk through the woods singing Let it Snow, White Christmas and Walking in a Winter Wonderland. It really was a magical morning with the little guy, and I was really happy to be there to share it with him.
By the time I left, the snow was actually sticking to the streets and I was happy to go home and take an afternoon nap which is always a real treat. Now I’m going to finish typing up this weekly look back and then get ready for this week’s Dinner and a Movie which will feature A Christmas Story. About two weeks ago Mason and I were goofing around on the slide at the playground and he turned over and went down feet-first but on his belly. When he looked up at me with his glasses on in that position, I couldn’t help but think of Ralphie going down the slide after his unsuccessful meeting with Santa at the department store. It made me chuckle. Then it’s the season finale of The Amazing Race. They’re going to finish this race in New Orleans, a town I’ve spent a big chunk of my life in, so I’m really looking forward to that.
By the time I write this next week, we’ll be right up against Christmas already. I love this season and plan on making the most of this week with plenty of Christmas music and movies, fires in the fireplace, hot chocolate and cookies. The snow definitely helped that along although I doubt it’s here to stay. I’m hoping to get some photos edited and published this week, but you just never know these days. Have a great week out there wherever you are. Stay safe and enjoy the season the best you can and I’ll see you right back here next week. Thanks as always for reading.
-Mike