February 2022

Some days he's grown up, like when he'll shovel our driveway and those of all the elderly neighbors, without being asked. Other days he's still Nick.  In the course of an hour, while the snow fell, he managed to scrape the paint off my outdoor chairs with a metal snow shovel, use his $100 Ugg leather gloves to dig ice from the corner of our concrete stoop, and come in soaking wet because he, "accidentally stuck his head under the gutter."  He's to the point of remembering and buying greeting cards (it's a must witih his mother), and covered Valentine's Day on his own, so that's no small deal.

Short trip to LA for me this month for the new Mustang clinic, back downtown near the Convention Center.  Almost got pummeled by an angry parking attendant (saved by Heul!), but ate really well and avoided the LA Rams traffic.  While I was away, that's Brandi's cue to try something new, so I came home to a greenhouse in the dining room, hundreds of little plants getting ready for summer (no, they don't help her breathe, yes, it's a bad idea). Spring is in the air, indoors this time.

We've been watching Nick's kidneys closely, which means lots of blood tests, not his favorite activity.  But I must admit, what started in December as an uncomfortable visit, he's getting used to having his blood drawn, now it's not much of a big deal.  Not the ideal way to adjust to something, but he has.

I stumbled across Nick's YouTube channel, had no idea he'd been creating videos. He wiped out all the old dinosaur stop-motion content, and it's all trains now. These kids were raised watching videos, so it should be no surprise they can naturally edit these things like professionals (what gets me is the copyright credits, ads, references... learning all this stuff somewhere). I'm not a train guy, but I can listed to Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen all day.  Thousands of views, and hundreds of comments, his colleagues are enjoying the posts, that's what matters.  In my consumer behavior work, we refer to the digital self as 'phygital' as it crosses the physical existence... they call him 'raz' online, so apparently Nick's phygital self has a name.  That's just nuts (in a good way.)

For the first time in 15 years, almost a full month without a single photo of Nick. There's one... him and his mother asleep, Christmas decorations still up, laundry hanging around the house drying. This is what we live like in a typical day, for everyone to see.

January 2022

Nick and his peers (those random guys on the Net he interacts with, friends of-sorts) sit up late at night and 'bitch watch' cheesy movies (that's what it's called.) Like Mystery Science Theater 3000, they complain through the entire film, and create memes. I think this is about the extent of trouble they cause, it's a mild group. When I listen in to any conversation, there's lots of swearing, but that's about it, although I can't follow the conversations, either.

We're making a habit of waking up early (early for Nick, anyway, 8 AM), to practice driving for an hour and go to breakfast. We've had some good days for practice... one day was icy, another was high winds, and avoiding potholes is a useful skill. We stopped in at Brenda's for breakfast, and he even picked up the tab, without asking (happened to run into an old friend there, timing was right).  He finally got his first car, a 2002 Cavalier that belonged to Brad, after three months in the paint shop. (This was the car I drove home back in September without telling Nick.  He knew I flew down and then accidentally found out I drove back and never questioned what I was driving.) Still not letting him drive it until a little more work is done, but we snuck it home between snow storms. He was more excited than expected, made Grandpa happy. I no longer need to sing Happy Birthday to him every day with new words to stall until the gift arrives.

Brandi and I got a date night, Ikea to buy her a mattress, and dinner at Cantoro's in Plymouth. Love the food, and the Italian market afterwards.  She got a mattress, then ordered a bed online, and added a new TV for her room, so a good run for Bran and her setup.  Of course she's sleeping in the dining room until it all off-gasses, makes it feel like home.

December 2021

We packed more into December than any month this year.  Around the world, the next strain of virus is still running rampant, but we got our shots and went places where there were fewer people, mostly outdoors.

Nick's Black Belt ceremony was early in the month, at a local high school, he and the rest of the class that earned their belts performed a presentation and got their actual belts.  Nick was the only one to get an 'old belt', he'll be wearing mine from thirty years ago... no chance my waist is ever 30" again, he'll put some more meaningful hours on it.  I had a reputation for being unbiased in my martial arts days as an instructor and judge, and so I'm confident Nick pushes himself harder in the moment than anyone else I saw on the floor. I love his intensity.

We shared a quiet Christmas at home, Nick received a hover-board and a train, and kindly acted excited at new socks which he really needed (his toenails eat through socks.)  Brandi got herself a bird house made of mahogany and copper that's nicer than our house. I got a ham (yay!) and a year's worth of credits at the local car wash.  And so many gift baskets from friends and colleagues that we are drowning in snacks... popcorn, crackers, bread, cheese, pickles... it's awesome.  A few odd things came in the arrangements, which Nick says it's OK we don't like them now because, "our taste buds reset every seven years." I just need him to pick up around himself, like the army of empty cans in his room, which I questioned, and he quipped, "they are protestors."  That makes as much sense to me as 'smuggling sea pickles' but he's been doing a lot of that lately, too.  I don't think that's code for something awkward, but I don't ask.

Rather than stay home for the full holiday, Nick and I made a three-day-run south to visit family and visit the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.  It's another four-hour tour with a layover, deep in Appalachia, a track famous for having many movies filmed along it's run. A better layover than Owosso, this stop in Dillsboro had a micro-brew that was excellent, and a fudge shop, that's all we needed.  And best, no screaming kids on the ride.  We made it home before New Year's, to watch the Orange Bowl (a dud) and get in more naps before 2022 begins.

Link to Pics.

Jason

November 2021

It was a quiet Thanksgiving at home, an outstanding meal cooked by Brandi, my favorite meal of the year.  We've been so busy shuffling between Nick's karate classes as he prepared for his Black Belt test (three days a week and four-plus hours on Saturdays), Piano, and then Driver's Ed, there's been no standing still.

He was well prepared for Driver's Ed, the first stage in MI which allows him to get a license at fifteen years. The school that we found a spot in, after a six-month wait list, is a mess. There's cats circling the kids in the class, the instructors show up late, and then leave early and lock the kids outside the building in the cold. We're through it in five weeks, then he gets behind the wheel.

He and I took a Sunday run up to Owosso to see a steam train on it's last day of run, with no intention of boarding.  Then someone handed us free tickets at the last minute, so on we climbed, and took the trip to Ashley, MI, which was a re-creation of the North Pole (I didn't realize how bad the economy was in the North Pole... everything is out of business.)  We huddled for a hot dog in the Fire Station, had a our picture taken with Santa, and bought a couple bags of the best popcorn ever.  Except for the screaming kids on the train, which have now deterred Nick from having children in the future, it was a pleasant afternoon.

A few pics here.

Jason

October 2021

October was a simple month... a nice haircut, a recognition ceremony at SFS for last year's Honors accomplishments, and a quiet Halloween since we didn't participate.  Brandi and I sat in the neighbor's driveway and the kids grabbed their candy from the many bowls, Nick never surfaced.  He dressed as a Peaky Blinder for school, which was a big hit, and goes well with his passion for trains (period-correct attire.)

Just a couple pics this month.