Giving What You Can

About two and a half years ago I made a decision. It wasn’t a major life-changing endeavor, but more of a case of laziness. For the last thirty months or so I’ve been letting my hair grow (I told you it wasn’t a big deal).

This rejection of hair management techniques took on several different iterations. Originally it started as a way to keep my head warm in the winter. However, once the spring rolled around I decided to keep it for a little while and see what it was like to once again have long hair (I was once a stand in for Gene Wilder).

After a year or so, it started getting a bit obnoxious and people began asking when I was going to get it cut. At this point, I was just starting to enjoy the fluffy coif and began telling people I was growing it out so I could donate it. That answer was somehow a socially acceptable reason to allow myself to resemble a convict. After a while however, I realized I’d need to follow through on this claim. This weekend, in the spirit of giving thanks, I decided to make good on my plan.

At first I wasn’t sure if I was ready to give up my Sampson-esque locks but as my mom (that’s right, my mom cuts my hair) began laying waste to my curls, it became easier to accept. After about two hours the majority of my hair was gone. It was actually kind of nice to have my neck exposed to the freedom of the outside world. I knew it was the right decision when I asked my six year old niece what she thought and she replied, “Now you finally look like a man.” While I appreciate her youthful honesty, I’m looking forward to saving money on shampoo.

Talkin' Turkey

Lately we’ve been experiencing some unseasonably warm weather here in the SC. This weekend was no different. I was happy the weather was decent because this past Saturday was a special day. After doing some yard work I decided to fully embrace my role as the sole provider for my family of one. I did what any red-blooded male would do this time of year. I exercised my right to bear arms, grabbed my shotgun, and headed for the woods.

Saturday marked the end of the turkey hunting season until next spring. Since Thanksgiving is only a few days away I decided it would be fitting to provide a fresh wild turkey for the table. I met up with Brian at his camp about two o’clock. That didn’t leave much daylight for shooting, but I was overly confident I wouldn’t need much time. After getting into maximum camouflage and popping a few shells into my gun, we headed out.

About an hour into the hunt Brian and I found ourselves on top of a ridge where we anticipated the turkeys would return for their nightly roosting. We had about thirty-minutes of daylight left so we hunkered down near a tree to wait. Shortly after we got comfortable we heard that unmistakable gobble of a turkey, and he was close-by. We positioned ourselves just off the ridge-top so the turkey wouldn’t see us but unfortunately we were a bit too far off the top because we couldn’t see him either. Because of this predicament we decided to slowly head back to the top with the hope of seeing the turkey before he saw us.

With guns at the ready we made our move. Each step was calculated and slow. It was like walking on eggshells. Ironically it sounded like we were actually on eggshells because of all the dried leaves under foot. All of a sudden we saw our prize. At that very moment he must have seen us too because he started running and began to fly up into the trees. As I tracked him with my gun; finger on the trigger; waiting for the shot that would knock my Thanksgiving centerpiece out of the air; the business end of my weapon found a tree. I waited to hear Brian’s gun echo through the valley but all I heard was silence (followed by a few profanities).

As the final shreds of shooting light faded, Brian and I watched the last bird of the season escape to the safety of the trees. Empty handed, we headed back to the cabin. On the way back we recounted the missed opportunity and began to concoct a more dramatic story to tell the rest of the hunters. At the end of the day I was okay with the turkey escaping because the spring season isn’t too far off. Besides, the grocery store sells turkeys too.

Plus One

This weekend, after a long nine months, the little bundle of joy known affectionately as “Iggy” joined the outside world. On Saturday, Scott & Ieva welcomed a son into their lives. Not only do we finally get Ieva back into the fold (and just before ski season), we all kind of get a nephew.

While I already have eight nieces and nephews that are actually related to me, Iggy will be the first child born to friends that are a major part of my life. Sure I have other friends with children, but this is different because Scott & Ieva live here in the SC so I get to see them all the time.

I don’t know yet how having a baby will affect the limits of what Scott & Ieva are able to do, but I have a feeling they won’t skip a beat and pick back up right where they left off. After all, Scott & Ieva are pretty radical people. And if things get hectic, there will be more than enough people ready to help out when they can.

I just recently found out the specifics of Iggy (weight, size, name, etc.) and I’ve only seen one picture, but I know this kid will have lots of love and no shortage of things to do or people to help raise him. I’ll eventually get a chance to see the young lad but for now, the new family will get to be, well, a family. Congratulations Scott & Ieva and welcome to parenthood.

Summer in the Fall

You may recall me talking about the unseasonably snowy weather that trounced us a few weeks back. After the snow melted the cold started to settle in (as I would expect being November in Central Pennsylvania). Well, this past weekend the weather took another wacky turn. This past weekend, the weather became unseasonably warm.

Saturday and Sunday brought about clear blue skies and sunshine. The temperatures during the day danced around in the mid 60’s. It was a welcome change and allowed me to get a lot of yard work done. It also allowed me to get reacquainted with my road bike. Once the fall hits I normally saddle up on my mountain bike and play in the woods. Sunday, however, I decided to break tradition and throw a leg over my road bike.

The weather was great so I decided to head east on some flat roads. My plan was to ride out to Elk Creek Café in Millheim for some dinner and music. The best part was, I didn’t have to ride home. Cathy and Betty drove out to meet me and brought along fresh clothes so I didn’t have to spend the night in my kit. While my legs were a little worked when I finished, it was a really fun ride.

I don’t know how many more days I’ll have on the bike before I switch over to my snowboard so it’s nice to get in some saddle time while I still can. Soon the snow will fly (hopefully) and bike rides will only be in my memories. Weekends like this however, will make sure I have plenty of good recollections to last all winter long.

Ghosts, Candy, and Beer

This past weekend I decided to get out of town. It was Halloween and, since I’m not a big fan of dressing up, I decided I’d take a trip to my sister’s just outside of DC for a visit with her family (my niece and nephews). Since the shorties are still young enough to enjoy the dressing up and candy, I thought it would be fun to tag along with them while they went to shake down their neighbors for sugary treats.

My sister lives in a toney suburb so everything is lavishly decorated to accentuate this ghoulish occasion. In fact, one entire street has several houses that hire professionals to come in and decorate with smoke machines, haunted houses, and spooky soundtracks. They also seem to have the best candy on said street so once the kids were costumed up we grabbed a handful of beers and headed out. After all, in this area, it’s really more of a block-party than the Halloween I grew up with.

A light rain accompanied the warm temperatures that made the evening all the more enjoyable. The scene was more than I expected. The amount of time and money some of these people put into decorating their houses was astounding. Also, the number of people that were out was even more surprising. It was difficult to walk down the street (and I do mean the actual street) because there were so many people. It was however, a very social environment as the adults were having as much fun as the kids.

By the time it was all over, the two vampires and the witch that we took out with us had bags full of candy and were fighting to stay awake despite the sugar IVs they were given. I was also ready to get back inside to relax with a few less screams and howls. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone door-to-door on Halloween and watching the shorties get caught up in the theatrics was well worth it.