Well, it's been a few months since I dropped by these digital digs and turned the sign around on the front door. As I type this, it's cold and dreary here in Jacksonville. We've had a chilly foray into the new year here in Northeast Florida, and I can't say that I haven't enjoyed getting some cooler air here in Duval County.
It's just lovely running the local trails in shorts and a sweatshirt.
The kids are heading into the second half of the year with good momentum. We all enjoyed some restful and restorative vacations together to Oregon (Thanksgiving) and Washington (Christmas) in the fall. These were our first flights since the beginning of the pandemic, and they were surreal, to say the least. We missed our connection between Atlanta and Jacksonville on the trip home from Washington, and we endured the longest lines I've ever seen for TSA screening. We waited well over an hour to get screened, and the labyrinth was probably a mile long if one could stretch it out.
We enjoyed time with family and friends, though, and we saw some beautiful country and played in the snow. We sledded, went wine tasting, had some really fine meals, played golf, went to the Market in Seattle, and enjoyed a fine turkey dinner at my sister's house in Athena. All in all, the kids loved seeing their cousins, and my daughter has an affinity for travel that she was happy to satisfy with a few long flights.
We will maybe take another longish trip later in the year, only this one will be just the four of us. We're talking about a trip to the Capital to see the historical sites, or maybe a little jaunt out to Yellowstone in the late summer. Not sure quite yet, but I'm excited at the possibilities.
Down in the Sawgrass Boneyard has been doing fairly well, and I've enjoyed getting started on a new novel and also working on some short stories. I have a few classes that I'm teaching online at present, and then I'll get back into a regular schedule when my contract resumes in the summer.
Jeanne is doing well in her work at Fletcher, and the kids have enjoyed their experiences in school out at the beach. At some point, we will likely have to look pretty closely at making a move to the beach as the kids immerse themselves in clubs and sports. Lyla is running track, and I'll be coaching Luke's soccer team starting in March.
I just finished re-reading Stephen King's The Bazaar of Bad Dreams and really enjoyed it. Highlights include "The Dune," "Blockade Billy," "That Bus is Another World," and "Summer Thunder." That last tale leaves a pretty good bruise, and I think I'd like to try my hand at something in a similar vein very soon. I enjoyed Jane Campion's truly excellent The Power of the Dog. I think Archive 81 is some of the most tension-filled episodic television that I've seen in a good long while, and 1883 is more than a worthy prequel to the fine show Yellowstone.
I hope this note finds you hale and hearty wherever you may read it. Keep your wits about you and your eyes on the horizon. Things will continue to improve, even if it doesn't always seem like it...
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