Another Football Sunday

 

7:34

7:34

7:39

7:39

It's 8:30, and I have been up for over an hour. I wanted to kayak, but the wind seemed too strong, although the weather app said it was only 1 mph. Not so. So I have been here, watching the sunrise, then disappear behind the clouds, and listening to Ian McEwan be interviewed by David Remnick on The New Yorker Radio Hour. I recently read his newest novel, a dystopian read called  "What We Can Know. I really liked it. He mentions an interesting fact: reading books over the last ten years has declined by 40%, suggesting we no longer have much of a memory of history. 

Flag A Flying

8:34

Sunday began with a windy, cold morning, so both of us huddled down under blankets and enjoyed our coffee, listening to the news as usual. I was unhappy because it was too windy to kayak, but I wanted to do something. Evie mentioned that if we wished to have dinner, maybe a trip to Wegmans would be in order. While she made up the list, I went out and cleaned the snow off the Kia and shoveled our parking area again.   By 10:30, I was off, getting my Kia gassed up before stopping at Wegmans, always crowded on Sunday morning, either after church or instead of church like me. Fortunately, there were lots of checkout aisles open, so I was out quickly and was home by 11:15 with a car full of goodies. I helped put away the groceries and for some reason, lost my mojo, and went upstairs and read on my bed for half an hour. 

I was looking forward to breakfast at 1:00, when the Browns played the 49ers. Evie made us scrambled eggs and bagels, and we both watched much of the first half, the only enjoyment being our breakfast. At halftime, I went up and took a nap as usual and came down and watched the end of the rout with Evie.

We both were looking forward to the Bills/Steelers game at 4:30 and had it saved. The first half was a bore, the same old Bills and Steelers, with little scoring and lots of giveaways. Fortunately, the Bills perked up in the second half and looked like the Bills of old, scoring on both Allen passes and runs, defeating Pittsburgh at home 26-7. We were able to enjoy our dinner, meatloaf, salad, and four cheese pasta from Bob Evans. We then went straight from the Bills victory to a couple of episodes of All Saints, and by the time that was over, it was almost 9:00 so Evie went up to bed. I watched another NFL game, Washington/Denver in Washington, and my son-in-law, Drew, was attending the game. I found out Washington lost in overtime this morning because I didn't stay up to watch the second half. Another football Sunday ended. 

First Chautauqua Snowfall

7:28

Peace And Love

It's 8:20, and I have been up for an hour. Because of the heavy winds,  I did not get to kayak. Right now, it's snowing, and we must have gotten a couple of inches overnight, adding to the half a foot we had when we arrived home yesterday at 3:00.

Nothing Compares To Holding A Baby

Yesterday was a lucky Saturday because we had an uneventful road trip home. We left Virginia at 8:00, and our seven-hour drive was easy, with lots of blue skies and no snow flurries. We stopped for gas at Shawnee Springs and again at Wendy's in Warren, Pa., and didn't see snow on the ground until Warren. We picked the right day to travel. 

Virginia Skies

View Of Altoona, PA

When we arrived home, we had close to six inches of snow covering our parking area. Our new snowplow guy made a mess of our road, stripping it of the gravel, covering our driveway. The plow also created two-foot mounds on either side of the road so that I couldn't get my car out of the garage. It took us a while to unpack the car because I had to shovel the walkway. Once it was unpacked, we turned on the water and took some time putting things away. Once that was done, I went out and broke down the mounds with my snow shovel so that I could get my Outback out of the garage, but I still can't get to the garage door. Frustrating. 

Allegany Forest

Around 4:00, we made the mistake of calling our Internet provider, hoping to get Hulu and Disney+ free as one of the perks for signing up. Well, I won't go into the details, but an hour and a half later, we finally got it done. By then it was time for dinner, so Evie baked six red skin potatoes in the microwave, served them covered with cheese and chili from Wendy's, and we had an easy dinner. We watched our show on Hulu, of course, three episodes, and then Evie went up to bed, and I struggled to find something to watch, finally joining her. 

We had a great Thanksgiving stay with Jill, Drew, and the girls, and were sorry to miss Halle's 21st birthday party on Saturday, although she had 20 of her closest friends to help her celebrate. 

Friday Birthdays And Lots Of GrandChildren

Halle Turns Twenty-One

Halle And Family

6:57

Up as usual at 7:00, joining Drew, but it's not going to be fun because we will be hitting the road by 9:00, heading back to the lake, hoping for decent weather. It's 7:20, and surprise, Evie's up, so we may leave earlier than planned. 

Christmas Season Begins

Friday, for whatever reason, went fast, especially the morning. For Drew, it was a busy one, grabbing Christmas trees and ornaments from the garage attic, then setting up two trees, one in the house, one on the porch, then putting on the lights. Fortunately, once that was done, the girls took over and decorated the trees with Christmas ornaments. By noon, we were eating lunch, turkey sandwiches with mayo and stuffing. 

Julia And Reid

Four-Year-Old Luke

Anna And Halle

Grandkids

We finished our lunch, straightened up the house, and by 1:30, the gang arrived: my sister Ellen and her daughter, Julia, husband Hampton, and three kids, Anna, seven, Luke, 4, and Reid, a couple of months. And the fun began. The kids were great, especially since Evie brought the Treasure Chest for them to go through and grab whatever they wanted. The girls, Halle and Hayden, also played with them so the adults could enjoy a couple of beers and wine. My sister Ellen is so fortunate to live close by her grandchildren so that she's able to enjoy them a couple of times a week. We envy her. I spent time holding Reid, and he actually relaxed on my lap and maybe smiled.  Julia and Hampton live in Alexandria, and it was fun to catch up on their lives with their kids. Their lives sound hectic, both working from home, but fortunately, they have great maternity leave, making it easier. It was wonderful to see them, and we hope they can come visit us at the lake.

My Sister Ellen And Evie

Anna, Her Mom, Reid, Hayden, And Jill

Halle And Anna's Art Work

Jill And Reid

They left around 5:30, and we decided to have sushi for dinner and bundt cakes to celebrate Halle's 21st birthday tomorrow. Jill ordered the sushi, and Drew and I drove back to Virginia Gateway, again, and picked up the sushi and bundt cakes. We were back by 7:00 and filled up on amazing sushi, too much, really, because we had some leftover. We sat around feasting on various sushi rolls and watched a movie called Four Christmases, a comedy with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. We celebrated Halle's birthday, a day early, with Bundt cakes, finished the movie by 9:00, and we went to bed except for the girls.

Turkey, Fixings, And Football

The Bissells And Their Pets

8:26

Well, mornings have not changed much during our visit to Virginia. Drew is always up around 6:00, followed by me at 7:00, and the girls sleep in. Jill and Evie get up around 9:30, the girls later because of a late night. And that's the way it seems to be going this morning.

Thanksgiving day, once everyone woke, turned out to be a pleasant and easy day. Early, Drew put together the smoker, and we took it outside for later. Once the girls were up, Drew discovered that the smoker didn't take pellets but hardwoods like hickory or oak. So we searched online to find a store that was open on Thanksgiving, and Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart were all closed. We almost gave up, but Drew found out that Cabela's was open and had wood for smokers. So off we went to Virginia Commons and found the kindling, walked around the mostly empty store, then headed home. 

Emmy Relaxing

Around 10:00, Drew took the turkey out of the brine, rubbed it with a nice seasoning, then peeled and cut the potatoes, mashed them, and put them in a slow cooker for dinner. Most of the prepping was done, so we were able to take it easy, have some light breakfast, and wait for the first game of the day at 1:00. Just before the game started, we lit the smoker and put the turkey inside, hoping that it would take around three or four hours. Jill put together an appetizer board of various cheeses and salamis, and crackers. Drew and I, and occasionally the gals, watched the Lions lose to the Packers. By 4:00, the turkey was done, so we took it out and covered it until it was time for dinner. 

Ready For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Feast

By 4:30, we had the turkey carved, the ham sliced, the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, the gravy, and green beans all ready for the six of us to dig in. For the first time, because the Chiefs were playing, we had a TV going during dinner. Everything was great, and we stuffed ourselves, making Thanksgiving proud of us. The combination of turkey and ham was perfect, and now we have the makings for navy bean soup and turkey soup. After dinner, we adjourned to the living room to, unfortunately, watch the Chiefs lose to the Cowboys. 

Go Chiefs

Chiefs Fans, Tom And Mary, In Dallas

Our son Tommy and his wife, Mary, spent the holiday in Dallas and were at the stadium to cheer on the Chiefs, to no avail. We had our dessert during the game, either pumpkin pie or chocolate chess pie, both with whipped cream. We ended the night with a series the kids love, the first episode of The Righteous Gemstones. Once that was over, everyone but Drew and I went up to bed, and we watched, what else, more football. 

Our Grandson Nick, With Our Great Grandson's Rhys And Tommy

Nick's Wife, Aundraya With Her Boys

Morning Sun And Cool

7:08

7:48

It's 7:50, and Drew and I are the only ones up besides the cats. Pickle is sitting next to me on the couch as I write this. Drew has been busy making the rub for the turkey. Once he puts together the smoker, which arrived last night around 7:00, he will smoke the turkey this afternoon. 

Emmy

Coco

Pickle

We had no plans for Wednesday other than a quick trip to  Total Wines and the grocery store to pick up a few things needed for today's meal. No one was in a hurry to get up either, so Evie and Jill weren't up until after 9:00. Halle was up earlier, but Hayden slept in until 10:00. Breakfast was on your own, though Halle went out and bought some biscuits and sausage if anyone wanted. I had my yogurt, blueberries, and granola. The blog was finished by 10:00, and Drew and I drove to Total Wine around 11:30. I stocked up on our favorite box wine because each box is $8 cheaper here in Virginia than in Chautauqua. We stopped at the grocery store in the Virginia Gateway Mall, an accumulation of 120 stores, restaurants, and businesses. Drew and Jill live a couple of miles away and can get almost anything there.

Birthday Girl (21 in two days)

Unfortunately, Evie started to feel sick in the afternoon and spent much of the afternoon upstairs. The rest of us had the leftover chicken and stuffed shells for lunch. The girls had hair appointments at 1:00 so they didn't get back until 2:30. I napped briefly then, and the rest of us just hung out most of the afternoon. Around 5:00, Evie was feeling a bit better and came downstairs around 5:00 while we enjoyed Bloody Marys, and she tried a glass of wine, but it didn't taste good, and eventually went back upstairs. 

Ava And Hayden. Ready To Party

The girls left for Old Town Manassas around 7:30 to meet friends, so it was just the three of us for dinner. We decided to have Indian take out so Drew and I drove to Virginia Gateway Mall and picked up our food. It tasted good, something a little different from our usual burgers or wings.  We watched a disturbing film, A House Of Dynatmite, about the possibility of a worldwide nuclear war. It's not the greatest film I have seen, but it's worth watching because of the possibility of a nuclear war. After the film, Jill went up to bed, but Drew and I stayed up until 10:00 before going up to bed as well. The girls were out until 2:00, taking an Uber home. 

Our KC Family Visiting the Dallas Family

A Wet Virginia Morning

7:39

It's 7:50, and my son-in-law Drew and I are up early, watching ESPN and both are on our computers. I was up at 7:00, Drew probably at 6:00, while the girls slept in. The weather in Virginia is crazy this holiday, with today's high near 70º, but tomorrow's high will be in the 40s.

Morning With Pickles

There's not much to say about yesterday's road trip. We left about 8:45 and arrived at Jill's seven hours later at 3:45. It rained most of the way; at least our windshield wipers seemed to be working the whole time. We have taken this trip many times over the past 15 years. We always stop in Warren, at McDonald's, after an hour for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Then, we change drivers at Gio's. We switched just before getting on the PA turnpike and drove to Berkley Springs, West Virginia, where we stopped again for lunch at McDonald's. Our last stop was a half hour later, to get gas at Shawnee Springs Market in Winchester, VA, about an hour from Jill's. Once we got on 66, the main route from Washington, DC, we made good time, though there was an accident on 66 West, with cars backed up for at least 10 miles.

Nellie, Hayden's Cat

When we arrived, Drew was just getting home from work, and Jill was still showing a house in the Plains. Halle, our youngest, was also home to greet us and help bring our bags and goodies in. Jill was home by 4:15, and by 5:00, we were happily sitting around the living room, enjoying a glass of wine and the antics of their two new cats. Hayden, our other granddaughter, got stuck in traffic and arrived soon after 5:00, bringing her cat, making it three cats and one dog, Coco.

We got caught up on everyone's lives, and it was fun to talk to Halle, who, like me, is an English major at Virginia Commonwealth in Richmond. She is really enjoying both reading the classics and writing. Hayden and Drew both work for Defense Contractors, and their companies are suffering under Trump's cuts. 

Prepping Dinner

Evie brought dinner, stuffed shells and chicken cutlets, so they went in the oven at 6:15, and we ate at 6:45. Stuffed shells are the girls' favorites, so they were a big hit. We had dessert, Junior's cheesecake for dessert, and watched the first half of Dancing With The Stars, the girls' favorite, until 9:15 when the adults went to bed, and the girls stayed up watching the end of the show. We were tired from our drive and probably had too much wine, so we were happy to go to bed earlier than usual.

With My Granddaughters, Halle And Hayden

Road Trip

7:12

It's not that early, 7:20, but we want to be off to Virginia by 9:00 at the latest. We have a six or seven-hour ride ahead of us to our daughter Jill's house, and it's supposed to rain most of the way. At least it's not supposed to snow or be icy yet. That comes on Wednesday

Monday was a busy day for both of us, but mostly for Evie. Not only did we both have to pack, get organized, and get ready, but I had to do some shopping, and Evie was making dinner for tonight at Jill's. After a forty-minute paddle and finishing the blog, Evie put together a list for me, and I was off to Wegmans by 9:15. I was in and out in 15 minutes and was home by 10:15. The kitchen was a wreck as usual when Evie's cooking two or three things. I volunteered to help, but she was fine.  By noon, she was in the last stages of cooking and volunteered to make me a fried chicken sandwich with cheese and pickles. With a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a sandwich, I was a happy boy until Evie realized that she needed one more thing from the store. So off I went to Tops in Mayville, picked up what she needed as well as a treat, another box of Nutty Buddies. When I returned, I was tired enough to go up and read and take a nap. 

Around 3:00, I helped clean up the kitchen, then Evie finished packing both of our clothes, hoping that we remembered everything we needed. What a relief to have packing done and not have to worry about it. We had our wine at 5:00, and Evie heated up our dinner from Sunday, the pot roast, in the oven. The pot roast and mashed potatoes were just as good as Saturday night, and we watched a couple of episodes of our show before Evie went up to bed earlier than usual, tired from a busy day and wanting to get a good night's sleep before our trip. I stayed up and watched some football before going up to read some and sleep.