It's a slow Sunday night here in Medford. I'm winding down the weekend and waiting for Boardwalk Empire.
I will be the first to admit that I am still struggling to find a rhythm to the weekends when the kids are not here. The contrast between the whirlwind they create when they are home and the silence of the walls when they are not is so striking that I need to stay busy or go crazy.
And it was certainly a busy weekend! Wednesday night's brush with mortality gave me a great deal to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. The kids and I enjoyed the day Thursday, making 12 pounds of mashed potatoes before heading over to Carin and Kevin's for Thanksgiving dinner. The food and family were great, and everyone pitched in to make it a good time.
The kids played Wii while I met The Hills and Chicken for the traditional post-family decompression. The conversation was outstanding as always, though I am not sure we will make The Plumstead the new location in future years. It's a mite grungy for even a dive bar aficionado. Carin convinced me to drive her to the hellish nightmare that was pre-Black Friday at Toys R Us. 45 minutes in line to be herded like cattle through a maze of merchandise to another line for electronics. Sadly we didn't make it in time to get the item she was hoping for. A drive by Target at midnight convinced us it was time to call it a night.
I participated in Black Friday, hitting Kohl's in PA with my mom and sister before my shopping meter hit the red zone. Later, the kids and I hit Best Buy and Target, before we retreated to the relative quiet of Medford. After the kids left, I worked a bit Friday night and really felt my age, seeing all the young folks back home visiting their families and desperate for a drink.
Saturday was a busy day, with several hours of leaf removal that sandwiched a visit from Carlo 'The Chief' Iacono. He rescued me from a waist-high pile of leaves and took me for a ride in his '67 Mustang. We spent an hour talking about kids and Occupy Philly and how much our lives have changed. I got back in time to wrap up the yard work for the year. After a quick dinner with an old friend, I did some curtain shopping and saw a movie with a new friend.
Saturday wrapped up at the Indian Chief, commiserating with a fellow soccer coach and listening to perhaps the worst cover band I have ever heard. At least the company was good.
The glorious weather of the weekend rolled on today. I did some light hiking at a nearby nature preserve and worked up a pretty good sweat, showing just how out of shape I have managed to get. After discovering there was no way to get electric to my christmas lights, I decided to add an outdoor outlet so I could hang the icicle lights.
I weathered the Eagles loss before realizing that shopping is not my forte. While all the curtians are the same size and color, two different patters were mixed together. I guess I need to go back!
So, long story short, I made myself as busy as I could this weekend. There were some highlights and some tough moments. Still, now it's Sunday night and I can't believe how quickly this beautiful weekend passed! A four day weekend with glorious 60 degree weather in November and some very fine moments and wonderful people.
Have a great week!
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