“Wherever Reverend Jackson went, particularly if it was large areas (if it was a convention hall, hotel, or large space)… he gravitated to the least of these.
And so he’d also say to me: ‘You know, you have to pay attention to the people… who shower after work. There are those that shower before work, and there are those that shower after work. And *those* are the people that keep this country running.'”
Group shot of everyone, enjoying some Vichyssoise (a traditional favorite, though I’ve only ever had it hot).
After work, Liz and I headed to Journeyman Distillery, in Valparaiso. We were meeting up with family to celebrate Julie’s 70th birthday, at a unique local venue.
Somehow… this kitchen seems to evoke shenanigans. I’m not sure when or why, but I looked up to see my wife being hoisted up into the air. I think some kind of dare was involved.
For most of the event, I was helping pass out mocktails and moving food around. Tricia was working the grill like a pro. For most of the evening, after the adults left, Liz and Tricia and I were in the office shielding ourselves from the music and screaming and general chaos of kids having fun.
I should say: everyone at the party was impossibly polite. Every young man and woman, full to the brim with “Yes, sir” and “Yes, Ma’am” with nearly everything they said.
For a late Christmas get-together, Liz and I headed over to Merrillville, for a lovely evening/dinner at Katie and Tim’s house.
We brought a few things to share. And also got to sample some Armagnac that Katie and Tim picked up, while they were in southern France earlier this year.
We had drinks to begin the night, and also a few appetizers. And I was pretty impressed with the appetizers, as nearly everything I tried ended up in a bit of a conversation.
Today, we started to prep the exterior – and also removed the AC unit which was embedded into the foam insulation. If all goes well, we’ll be looking to install two newer windows into this space.
Back at the house, we focused on getting some more drywall up in the furnace room. Not sure if I mentioned, but the stuff we’re putting up is fire board – similar to normal drywall, but just a little denser (and heavier).
We had an additional full sheet downstairs, but luckily didn’t have to go retrieve it. We were just barely able to use our remaining scraps to get the ceiling in.
While I’ve gotten to see the fireworks from land before, tonight was the first time I got to be on the boat.
Shortly after breakfast, the kids decided to break out Monopoly (rainy day today). They asked if I wanted to join, and I have to tell you… I debated, but decided to decline. Boy did I dodge a bullet there.
I really like this shot. It has the look of a Renaissance painting to me.
While we’ve visited some in the past, we’ve never actually been out on the water. We didn’t end up bringing swimsuits, so we just got the chance to drive around for a bit.
An old light, where the electrical had been disconnected long ago. Of note: that middle pipe is a gas line, a throwback to some earlier time when this light was likely powered by gas.