Thanksgiving 2022

6:26pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Santa Clarita, California, USA, Thursday night, November 24, 2022, Thanksgiving. Had a good morning with my daughter and the dog. We stayed at the hotel watching a movie and reading until noon checkout. Then we went to her aunt’s house up the street for a full Thanksgiving meal. It was a good time. I got to see some people I hadn’t seen in years and catch up on the latest news. The food was good and so was the company. We talked, ate too much turkey and watched a lot of football. Afterwards both my daughter and I were tired so we left to check into a new hotel and rest before going back to Orange County tomorrow.

Thanksgiving eve in Valencia, California

6:04pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Valencia, California, USA, Wednesday evening, November 23, 2022. Left Palm Desert at 12:30pm. Made it to Valencia four hours later after a drive that normally takes two and a half. Once I got here I picked my daughter and the dog up at her aunt’s house, then we drove north toward the amusement park to check into the hotel. We just finished dinner and are now playing a game on her tablet. It is nice to have a moment to hang out, just the two of us. We will stay here until check out time tomorrow then go back to her aunt’s for thanksgiving dinner.

One big celebration

6:46pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Palm Desert, California, USA, Thursday evening, November 4, 2022. Spent most of the day working on a plan of correction. The executive director, who was supposed to stay through tomorrow, left for good this morning. I guess she figured now that I am here there was no reason to stay. Other than work, not much to report. I called my mom this evening and discussed plans for our next get together. Her birthday is coming up and so are the holidays. We won’t be able to celebrate all of them separately so, it looks like we will plan one big get together, either for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Thanksgiving

10:01pm Dana Point, thanksgiving Thursday. My mom and I drove to Dana Point this morning from Chandler. Traffic wasn’t bad but we did get slowed down by an accident outside of Coachella. When we arrived some in laws had just shown up. Dinner was served early afternoon and followed up with hanging Christmas lights. Everyone went home around six then my daughter, wife and I saw a movie in Irvine. All in all not a bad way to spend thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving eve

2:32pm in my office, Phoenix, Wednesday afternoon. It is quiet, and boring. Not much going on. The phones are silent but there are a couple loose ends to take care before the holiday. I spent most of the day scrolling through the newsfeed on my computer. On my walk this morning I felt gratitude, specifically for my time in Arizona. 2021 has been nice in that I can look back on the last 9 plus months and not hate what I see. Which is not nothing. Often when I think about the past it is like wandering into a mine field. Memories start happy but end up sad. Or worse, just plain suck. Arizona hasn’t been perfect but it has been pretty good. Good enough that I can get lost in thought, even just for a little bit, without devolving into sadness. It ain’t much but I will take it.

Wednesday night

7:39pm, apartment, Arizona, Wednesday evening. I have felt off all day. Edgy. Punchy. No particular reason, I just woke up that way. The in-laws plan for thanksgiving changed. We are not going to Lompoc. Which isn’t bad because that was a longer drive. Now I have to find a hotel in Dana Point for my mom. I will call her tomorrow and see what she wants to do. The hotels by the water are run down but have great views. Farther inland the places are nicer.

A year

6:12am the first part of a year is harder. There are no big holidays. Planned breaks. It is six months of slogging through relative weeks. The second half is the year is better. Summer is in full motion. It starts with a good holiday.there is Labor Day, the cool air of fall, the build up to Halloween. After Halloween it is a short time until thanksgiving. Then it is coasting until Christmas and New Years. Making it through the first half of the year feels like a victory.