Each year, I tend to drag my feet and ho and hum about Halloween. I used to really get into the holiday, and the last few years… I’m not sure what it is. It’s been harder to get excited by it. I used to love it, and it’s been difficult to recapture that sense of wonder.
It tends to pop back up the night before Halloween, which is good and bad.
Navigating the large bit of plywood solo was a little tricky, but I did manage to get the hang of it. I only had to haul it up here a few times, after hauling it back downstairs to do refinement cuts. Turned out pretty ok.
Liz is a very careful painter. When she explained things to me, I learned that this task especially, requires a very steady and precise hand.
Liz applied a cleaner to the living room fireplace. It’s a coating that needs to set for a day or so, as it hardens and does its thing.
When we pointed to the bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, our bartender (Peter) got really excited. He brought them all over, and the three of us fell to talking. He was impressed that we visited them in Edinburgh, and we talked at length about their bottles and the whole process.
It’s designed for play by two people, but I had a fun time trying to control both people myself. Definitely frustrating, but after a few screens… I found myself determined to see things all the way through to the end.
“His mates have ditched him.
He’s missed his train home.
And he wants to talk.
I want to sleep.
It’s gonna be a long night.”
A little nostalgia, I think. Hearing it definitely reminds me of Chicago at the turn of the millenium.
They’re solar powered, and should recharge on their own. They also made a lovely little pattern, on our floor.
One of his props has definitely made the round. Watching this video, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for at first… but when I realized what was going on, I had a good laugh:
There’s a memorial coming up, and I’ve been torn about whether to attend or not. In some ways, I worry that I’m selfishly focusing on an aspect of my childhood. That Jay’s death is centered around our time together as kids, which was a lifetime ago. And that I’d just be going in remembrance of that.
And perhaps that’s ok. Perhaps going would provide me a chance to learn more about who he became. The family he had, and left behind. The person after the person I knew.
“When you caught one to keep,
we took it home and I asked you to teach me.
You showed me how to spike the brain—
I thanked the fish, looked away, pressed down.
We bled it, shaved away the scales,
severed meat from bone.”
I didn’t think it’d happen to me, but I got sucked into Squid Game. I wasn’t a fan of all the violence/gore, but eventually found the entire premise and unfolding story too compelling.
This is a photo I didn’t take, of our dinner in the suburbs with Uncle David, Aunt Beth, and cousin Lauren. For our Scotland trip, David and Beth were kind enough to loan us a special suitcase that’s designed to transport bottles safely. They used it for their previous trip to Scotland, and it was a great aid in getting…
It’s exciting to see this RV become a reality. The two of them have been researching and planning for a long while, and there will be a lot of travels and trips in their future. I’m happy things have become more real, and they really do have the means now to just pick up and go. Liz and I are both thrilled they’re now actively planning excursions and trips they want to do. Well deserved, and a long time coming.