He has absolutely no idea

/

I don't remember when I started it, but I know it started as a joke. Every day when I see the kids off to school - usually when I'm headed out the door to work, but sometimes when I am loading one onto the bus, or dropping the other off at school - I give the kids a kiss and a hug, and I say in mock seriousness "Make good choices."

It makes me laugh. And it makes the Critter, in her infinite 12 year old wisdom, roll her eyes. So. Double win for me. 

This week, I was packing my bags for a quick trip out to the West Coast, and giving the Boy a hug as he headed out to catch the school bus. 

He stopped. Turned around. Pointed at me, and said: "Make good... what is it, Daddy?" 

"Choices."

He nodded. "Yep. Make good choices, daddy." 

Without a hint of sarcasm. 

And then my heart exploded. And I had to get on the plane like that. 

Playing catch-up

/

It's been a while since I've had that magical combination of inspiration, energy and time to write anything much. But in the past few months, I've had both the 

 The tally for the last 90 day stretch includes:

  • Leaving my job
  • Throwing a farewell blow-out backyard pig roast 
  • Growing 'unemployment beard'
  • Stacking rocks & masterminding several clambakes on the northern shores of Maine
  • Hosting an intimate starlit dinner of homemade charcuterie & home grown victuals
  • Starting both kids in new schools
  • Starting a new job
  • Transporting 3 live pigs a hundred miles to their new home
  • Selling our house in Massachusetts
  • Buying a house in Maine
  • Moving a shit-ton of household goods onto a truck
  • Unpacking a half-shit-ton of things into a new house. And realizing we have too much stuff. 
  • (the other half are still in their boxes. And will likely stay that way for another 6 months)
  • Putting a dog down
  • Burying one pig in the new backyard after a Death Of Mysterious Cause
  • Shipping a new puppy up from Atlanta
  • Starting renovation of our new house

  The above list is more or less in order. Note that we moved the pigs to Maine BEFORE we had bought a new house. 

I will write more about a few of these over the coming days. We're well settled into our new adventure up in the great white north (there was snow yesterday. Seriously. Snow. Holy shit.) 

But for now, this is me, stacking rocks.  

I have mad skilz. ovinm