Hello Everyone. I’m officially halfway to being fully vaccinated! I’m very happy and excited about that and it certainly has been the highlight of my week. I got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday at the Washington Convention Center, and it was smooth and easy and I already have my second dose scheduled in just three weeks. I feel very relieved at this having happened and just a week shy of my one-year anniversary of being home here in Washington. I was happy to read today that one in four Americans have now gotten at least one dose of a vaccine and was overjoyed that this long year will soon be behind us to some degree. Beyond that, Mason’s parents sold their old house this week, Mason and I continued on our adventures in Barnaby Woods and spring is most definitely in the air here in Washington.
This week, Mason’s parents and I began discussing the inevitable end of our adventures together. He’ll be 3 in less than two months, and with my pending departure from the city it will soon be time for us to go our own ways. As happy and excited as I am to be back on my own and back on the road, it won’t be easy to leave him. Spending the last eight months with him has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Challenging, yes, but rewarding beyond my wildest imagination. On Monday, he and I were down by Rock Creek and he pointed and said “Uncle Mike! Ducks!”. I asked him what kind of ducks they were and he told me they were mallards and that the daddy had a green head and the mommy had a brown head. It was a pretty awesome moment and caused me to reflect on how much he’s learned and how much we’ve experienced together this year. We have only had our books and the park as inspiration, but I think we’ve done pretty well together. Just today, we were sitting on the front porch swing at his new house and he pointed to a wind chime I hadn’t seen before and showed me there was a deer on it. He then showed me the antlers and it made me smile because I know a lot of adults who don’t know the difference between horns and antlers, and he does. He can also tell the difference between a dog track and a cat track, between a cherry blossom and a magnolia and between a red-headed and a pileated woodpecker. We’ve watched the changing of the seasons together. And while I’ve taught him many things about nature, he’s taught me a lot about construction and big trucks and reminded me how magical the world can be when you’re experiencing it for the first time and your eyes are only 3 feet above the ground. Somewhere in there he’s learned to count, learned his ABCs, and how to use a toilet. All-in-all, I’d call it a year to hang our hat on.
For the last few weeks, whenever Mason hears his parents walking around the house, he looks me dead in the eyes and says “I hear cheetahs”. It’s the funniest thing and makes me laugh every time. His parents have set up a sandbox for him in their backyard which is definitely a winner. He loves shoveling sand from one place to another and then dumping it out. He also has his own slide and swing set back there which we’ve been making good use of. This week he’s started using one of my catch-phrases “how wonderful” which comes out as “how won-de-duh” but still makes me laugh and I think it’s a great expression for anyone. I’ve also been reading him some Disney books this week which my parents read to me as a kid and the images bring back a lot of memories from my own childhood. We’ve carved out a special nook in the attic to read on rainy days and it’s been amazing.
The weather has been pretty great this past week here in Washington. The cherry blossoms have started to bloom in this part of the city, though they are still in their buds downtown by the memorials. My mother’s magnolia in the front yard is about a week away from full bloom. Her forsythias are out and the daffodils are doing well too. Spring is such a wonderful and hopeful time, this year more than most. I’ve spent as much time as I could outside this week, enjoying sunny days, later sunsets and the fresh air the season brings.
I’ve also been spending some time this week making real plans for my June departure, with Michigan set in my sights as my first destination. I hope to spend June and some of July in Michigan, the rest of July and some of August in Wisconsin and the rest of the summer and early fall in Minnesota. September and October I will have to decide between Illinois and Indiana with the plan of being home in November. Whether I stay in the U.S. this winter or go abroad for a few months will be determined by many different factors, but for now I’m looking forward to long summer days on the Great Lakes, Midwestern hospitality, photographing lighthouses and a plate full of freshwater fish. If you’ve spent any time in Michigan and know any places I shouldn’t miss, please feel free to drop your recommendations in the comments or send me a message. I’d surely appreciate your thoughts.
Last Friday I was in need of some island-time, so we retreated to the basement for a mini-luau. We enjoyed some Kona beer, a pupu platter, some island music and a coconut and pineapple pie for dessert. We played a few rounds of Lattice Hawaii before calling it a night. I went to bed and started a new season of The Amazing Race which always makes me happy. Friday nights with my folks in the basement, board games and travel shows are some of the things that have gotten me through this last year, and I’m grateful for them all.
I spent the weekend working on some little things in my van, writing my next podcast episode, reading in the sun and cleaning out my bookshelves. I’m not much for hanging onto old things I don’t use anymore, but I have always struggled with letting books go. Some I hope to read again and many I hope to get to for the first time, but at some point I need to just let them go. Not all of them, but those which I don’t think I will ever actually pick up. I’ve been wandering the neighborhood and dropping them off in the Little Free Libraries in people’s yards and hope someone else will read them and enjoy them. I’ve kept plenty of books, but my bookshelves aren’t all two-deep and sagging anymore.
I didn’t have my tutoring session this week because one of Nick’s lacrosse teammates tested positive for Covid last week. Nick and his brother were tested Monday and are both negative, which was a relief. I’m grateful to his parents for an abundance of caution for my safety which is much appreciated.
Other than that, it’s been a pretty quiet week. I’m starting to clear out some things from this past year and knock things off of my to-do list as I get ready for my June departure. This coming week will probably be much the same. Tomorrow we’ll be watching Tom Hanks in Big for our weekly Dinner and a Movie, and the weather is looking good for the weekend. I may get out there and install the back-up camera I bought for my van and/or take some of my new video equipment for a test ride. I will be recording my podcast this weekend so I can try and remember how to edit it after a year away, but don’t expect a release date until June. Other than that, I’m going to enjoy the weather, my friends and family and keep chugging towards that light at the end of the tunnel. Stay safe out there, my friends, and I’ll see you right back here at the same time next week. Thanks for reading.
-Mike