We are back home from NYC. I am tired, but we had a good time.
My husband and I have different approaches to vacations. It bugs him that I can be happy exploring a new city. I said "Exploring a city is a great treat. Without a map, without an app." He caught my wittiness and shook his finger at me.
My husband is a planner. He is very good at it and I appreciate that. And sometimes I like to have my calendar cleared, and only a single question on my mind... "What's over there?"
My mother-in-law is out of the hospital. The hospital also does not know what's wrong with her. This week she will have more tests with her regular cardiologist.
During the hospital stay, my mother-in-law's dog stayed with my brother-in-law. Apparently the dog is not properly potty trained.
Should another crisis happen, neither of her sons want the dog. Her sons have also come to the realization that another crisis is inevitable-- their mother is 87 and in declining health. They need a plan for when it happens.
The Republican victory is complete. They will win the House, the Senate, and the presidency with a popular vote. There are no meaningful allegations about election fraud or the electoral college problems or gerrymandering or fake news. There is no way to twist the situation such that if one or two details were different, then the Democrats would’ve won.
The election results have hurt my husband. he is finding projects to pass the time.
Mentally, I have set aside my old concerns and my old way of thinking. Grief and frustration with the results are pointless. I must find a new way forward.
As Tommy said... the people have spoken.
I will use this as an opportunity to get off Facebook and other social media. It's insidious how they invade your consciousness. Even after deleting Facebook, I catch myself pulling out the cell phone and thumbing over to where the app once was.
This blog doesn't count. It's slower. Contemplative. One must put effort into speaking and listening.
The Halloween decorations are away. The Christmas (Yes Christmas) decorations are out. My husband's argument for this is that we will be traveling over end-of-year holidays, so he wants a few extra weeks beforehand to enjoy them.
Over the weekend I was discussing the situation with SJ, an old friend. She observed that my husband always has to have a project-- always has to have a plan and something to do. SJ and I, on the other hand, love having an empty schedule with no commitments, no plans. So my husband and I can balance each other out, we are a good ying and yang for each other. Yet we will drive each other nuts.
Sunday night we had dinner with an old friend. In the past, he was my boss when I worked at the big-tech company. We both left that company at about the same time. He started his own business. I got a job at a smaller tech company.
It's been five years since those transitions. What an amazing about of time. We are both veterans in our current jobs. Yet it feels like yesterday that we worked together.
By and large things are going well for him. His business is growing. His children are off to post-high school education, are close to landing full time jobs. His wife has a bad knee, but will undergo surgery to replace it.
Today it's windy and raining hard in Seattle. Perfectly normal November weather. Our new house takes the weather different than the old. The old house had a fantastic HVAC system with vents in every room. During inclement weather, you closed the windows, set the temperature, and that was that. The new house isn't vented. Every floor has separate mini-split heating and cooling. Rooms will get a little stuffy. You must open the window a crack and hope that the driving rain won't come in.
Three of the Husband's old friends flew into town for the weekend. It was a big social weekend.
Friday we went to the Can Can-- a great dinner & burlesque show.
Saturday we threw a large, combination Birthday and Halloween party-- my mother-in-law and one of our guests are both Halloween babies.
Sunday we visited other friends. In the evening, we tried to visit a Haunted House, but that turned into a nightmare. We purchased our tickets and then waited in an outdoor line for about an hour. Then as it started to rain, we realized that we were going to be in the line for at least another hour. We bailed. Very frustrating.
On our drive home we became trapped between trains-- a train blocked our route home. I did a U turn to take another way. That route was also blocked by train. We sat there for at least 30 minutes.
Modern problems.
This blog has been up for 24 years.
It's a little strange reading the oldest entries. I hadn't lived long in Seattle. I was struggling to date. Honestly I was a bit of a jerk to those that I did.
My career in the tech industry was just staring to grow. I avoided the dot com bubble and didn't fully realizing how special that was.
Cheers to the next 24 years.
Mentally and emotionally, he is all there. He is more focused and curious than I’ve seen in years. I wish him well.
Saturday we had dinner with our AA friends who live west of the sound.
Sunday, the weather was wonderful. Windy but warm, with a beautiful sunset.
Our New Mexican host is a great tour guide. He has been showing off the beautiful parts of NM plus adding color commentary to the ugly. NM is indeed a state of breath taking beauty and fine arts with occasional hints of Breaking Bad.
We’ve visited Ojo Calliente, Taos, Tesuques and Santa Fe. Our host is dedicated to not using a GPS or map apps. This frustrates my husband and I as we are efficient drivers who prefer to travel straight from point A to point B.
We have been eating and drinking too much. Our host is a foodie. He has brought us to many fantastic restaurants. He also drinks heavily in the evenings. It’s hard for me to say ‘No’ when he offers one more glass of fine wine.
