Madness

So, things have been a bit hectic this month. At work, we're in serious crunch mode. At home, we hosted Thanksgiving and have been busy getting things ready for a basement renovation (reworking the laundry room into a half bath). We've done some holiday decorating and shopping, as well. And in the process of all that, I haven't run in a couple weeks, and my diet has been mediocre to downright bad depending on the day. I wasn't able to make the race I thought I might make this month, and now can't make the one for next month either. Things are a bit mad, and time is flying by.

The next two months are going to fly by, too. In the coming weeks we have:

• a friend's big holiday party
• Christmas tree locate/place/decorate
• New bathroom installed in basement
  
• Heat installed in basement, including replacing old furnace/etc.
  
• family birthday party
• one work Christmas party (shared)
• three other work Christmas parties (not shared)
• Christmas shopping
• hosting family Christmas Eve (on 22nd)
• Christmas itself
• Q4 ends (has work implications)
• New Years
• Week-long trip to Florida
• NFL playoffs on TV
• Superbowl

I list those last two because they are social time consumers, not because I am actually playing. Duh ;).

There's other stuff too, which I will write about in a week or so. Excitement!

Leave your cynicism at the door

(this is an edited version of an email I sent a friend yesterday)


Halloween is over, and we're on an accelerated course towards Thanksgiving this year.

I am ready.

I know I'm more of a holiday sucker than the average (and I pale in comparison with my lovely wife Jess) but this year, for whatever reason, I'm already feeling the love.

We're hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner again, for Jess's parents/brother/kids. We're hosting Christmas again, or rather Jess's mother is hosting it at our house, so hopefully we just provide the location and clean up afterwards :). Last year, it was awesome. I know that I didn't personally construct a meaningful holiday for everyone who attended. But I know they all had a great time, and have happy holiday memories, of time spent in my home. It's a tiny thing, really, but it's this silly little source of pride and happiness and I'm very excited to know I'm doing it again this year.

Anyway. I'm ready. I'm ready for cold weather, gloomy cloudy November skies, fires in the fireplace, and turkey in the oven. I'm ready for Christmas planning, for tiny white lights, for old
sentimental Christmas favorites flitting through the air.

I'm ready for all of it. Bring it on.

Great way to wrap it up

A relaxing breakfast with my wife at our favorite local diner? Check.
Getting all the laundry from vacation done? Check.
A 4-mile run in beautiful autumn weather, after not running for over a week? Check.
Some time spent getting to know the game that might turn into my new online addiction? Check.

The Patriots fighting tooth and nail to remain undefeated by beating the Colts in Indy?
Oh, heck yes.

Tomorrow I go back to work, but today I'm still on vacation, and enjoying every last minute of it.

Feeling refreshed

We're home today, after one week away. We went to beautiful upstate Vermont, which was past its foliage season but not yet into ski season. In other words, we were there during what is probably the region's quietest time. And we loved it.

Lots of quiet time, a roaring fire in the fireplace, easy scenic drives to various low-key activities, and way too much junk food.

The scale is mad at me today, and I've got some work to do to work off the damage I did to my body this week. But my soul? My soul is in pretty good shape.