Heron

Sunday afternoon I arrived home from yet another fiftieth birthday celebration, this time for my friend Laura Lane.  Several high school friends converged on an oceanfront hotel in Virginia Beach, and my college roommate Iris also was in town for her daughter's volleyball game.  There was lots of fun and frivolity, but not a lot of rest and sleep. There also didn't appear to be much behavior typically associated with fifty-year-olds.  One of the two rooms we were in was visited by the hotel security guard, who issued a warning for noise.

(Please note, I was not in that particular room.  I was as quiet as a church mouse.  Well, a more accurate statement is at the time the warning was issued, I was dancing the night away downstairs in the hotel lounge. So, for the record, I was not in violation of any hotel policies.)

A n y w a y... this heron spent the better part of  Sunday afternoon lollygagging on this pole across the creek from me.

At times he looked like a one-legged heron--especially from the angle below.

But eventually I caught him standing on both legs.

My own two legs are a little sore from Saturday night's dancing.  I view it as cross training for some upcoming races, one of which is a 10K on Valentines Day at a local winery. (Click here for details.)  I can't think of a better motivation to exercise than chocolate and wine.

And I can't think of a better cross-training exercise than dancing with lifelong friends in the middle of January in an oceanfront hotel in Virginia Beach.

Have a great week.

Family

Aside from the fact that Middle Sister wasn't able to join us and Baby Sis got a speeding ticket on the way, Thanksgiving was just about perfect.  It was absolutely wonderful having Son back home again.  He's loving college life and it seems to be agreeing with him.

Son, Daughter and Speedy Gonzalez, aka Baby Sister

My mother made a feast fit for royalty that included turkey, salmon (for recently-turned- vegetarian-but-will-still-eat-seafood Daughter), kale salad, collard greens, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn pudding, and I'm sorry.  I simply must stop now before I race next door and raid my parents' refrigerator for leftovers.

(Which I've done the past two nights.)

She outdid herself with her artistic presentation.

A turkey!

After a wonderful dinner, we sat around and talked. Then we went next door to my house and did what everyone does on Thanksgiving:  we played music.  Daughter was on the drums, I was on the electric piano, and Baby Sis spent the entire night trying to tune an electric guitar.   So, correction: we attempted to play music.  Still, it was fun.

Later that night, Baby Sis and I enjoyed some wine were so full of energy, we put on some music and danced in my kitchen.  Two people who can finish half marathons and feel reasonably well were left wondering how kitchen dancing could produce such aches and pains.  It happens, I guess.  We can get pretty enthusiastic with our dance moves, evidently.

Anyway, it's back to UVA for Son, back to school for Daughter and back to work for me tomorrow.

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Long Weekend

After all the hullabaloo caused by preparing for a hurricane that never even hit, the Chesapeake Bay Family turned around and welcomed another hurricane Middle Sis, who arrived yesterday for the weekend.

Middle Sis doesn't get home often, and even rarer is the opportunity for the entire Chesapeake Bay Family to convene. Last night, Baby Sis, Middle Sis, CB Mother, CB Father, CB Daughter, CB Son and I all sat around the same dinner table. It's been years since that's happened.

After a lovely dinner, the family retreated to the living room where a very competitive series of Wii games-- one of which involved dancing--ensued.

Press the Fast Forward button, and at 2:00 a.m. the entire Chesapeake Bay Family was still dancing in the living room. There are photos, but I'm scared to look at them I've not had a chance to review them yet.

Middle Sis is here through tomorrow, so between her visit and my feeble attempt to wean myself off posting on a daily basis, you may or may not hear from me before Monday.

Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend, and be sure to give Summer a great big kiss before she leaves.