Update on family news
Well, it’s not exactly a holiday catch-up letter, but the closest I’ll get to writing one.
It’s end of the first semester for my grandson, who has spread his wings and gone off to boarding school. He absolutely loves it. I was worried that he would get lonely after the initial novelty wore off, but so far he’s in his glory. When I asked him about the academics, he replied that they were “challenging in a good way but not rocket science or anything.” Ah, spoken like a true little brainiac. He decided he loves rugby, and helped his school win the local championship. He was always great at soccer, so this news doesn’t surprise me.
One of my granddaughters just joined Air Cadets, which was a huge surprise for me (as well as for her parents!), but E. said it didn’t surprise her. Once I thought about it, I wasn’t surprised, either. She likes structure, and likes the lines of authority to be clear and absolute. She is also very determined and very capable, and likes camping. I had to chuckle when she even agreed to slather her hair in gel so she could wear it back in a bun. This comes on the heels of her taking up golf. She came with me to a golf lesson, and the pro handed her a putter and encouraged her to participate. She decided she really liked it, and so we now have a shared activity at the pitch-n-putt. This also means that she’ll be able to golf with her brother, who evidently has the gift for it, too.
The other granddaughter is [deleted].
My son is still working at the transport terminal. He upgraded his First Aid certificate to a Level 2, which is good. It means that when the sporadic lay-offs hit, he may not be as vulnerable to them because in an industrial environment, there always needs to be someone with a first aid certificate. This summer, he eloped. He actually didn’t tell me - I found out in a bizarre conversation with a friendly restaurateur who told me a story about a guy too afraid to tell his mother about his marriage because “you don’t know my mother.” Funny, I’ve never thought of myself as an ogre. Really, I’m not. When he decides to tell me, officially, I’ll post it. (I’m letting him tell me in his own good time.) Maybe I should start taking bets on how long it will take to tell me!
As for us, we’re keeping on keeping on. Because I had bronchial pneumonia this summer, I didn’t work for a month. Then, as the economy tanked, I became busier than I’ve ever been. At some point, I had seven simultaneous projects on the go. It’s better now, and I even get a day off now and again. Still, I present at a lot of conferences and so travel a fair bit. (One recent trip involved a Vancouver to Boston to Honolulu to Syracuse to Vancouver marathon.) It’s a treat to stay home for an entire month! I’m giving up the office that I’ve had for a few years now, as the building is going down hill, and I’m tired of being the person who also sweeps up and dusts and does troubleshooting when the phone line goes down. Also, when I bought my midlife crisis car, I decided to work from home 3 days a week, and work from a co-work office a day a week. The last day is my RALAM (run around like a madwoman) day, seeing clients and so on.
I’ve been pretty successful in my fitness quest, working out three times a week and doing cardio other days, and am looking forward to losing another 50 lbs in the coming year. (It’s a great excuse for a new wardrobe, as well.) Thanks to my trainer, Matt, I’m also strong now. He says I now warm up using the same weight levels that I used to lift. And I have actual muscles, for the first time in my life. We’ve done some minor renos in the house (we now have interior doors on the rooms that were missing them - how novel!) and are making plans to do the back yard.
E. continues to do her thing, offering executive career coaching that she does so well, and has become quite the fan of social media. I think it’s a substitute for cigarettes because - and this is the big news - she quit smoking! I am delighted. And finally, the cat is fine, mewling and shedding as usual.
My family back east is having their share of problems - my mother is undergoing chemo, my dad, having had a stroke, is now showing early signs on Alzheimer’s, and two of my siblings have some health challenges. It’s worrying, and frustrating that there’s not much I can do for them from here.
And that’s all the family news, as we come up on my birthday.