DISCLAIMER: I am certain that after this posting, you will swear that all I ever write about is running. You might be correct, but I promise the subject matter will shift to more interesting (or at least diverse) topics after I get the next couple of days under my belt.
One more full day before I depart this vacationland peninsula. I will likely spend tomorrow determining when exactly is the appropriate moment to crack open my empty suitcases and thus start the trek eastward. This month has passed very quickly, and I couldn’t be more grateful for these thirty days. I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined…and there have been some unforeseen activities thrown in for good measure too:
*The Armageddon Cellar looks completely different. The late-night hours spent working my brother down there have produced some transformative results, and I truly hope that these changes will stick once I turn the house back over to the two Hatchville Shipyard bachelors (brother and father). I shall post some finished photos tomorrow as a sort of departure posting- but until then, you’ll just get to see a celebratory photo of us, perfectly depicting our post-sheetrocking delirium:
“Hooray!”
*That photo above looks good, doesn’t it? I mean, like, professionally composed (I know that I look ridiculous). It was taken by my brother-in-law, who combines technical savvy with his talent as a photographer to take all kinds of cool shots. He was interested in toying with motion, so I volunteered to serve as an “action” model. He took a bunch of photos of me running past a camera setup- one of which I will include below (it was cold outside!). My favorites, of course, were the silly ones….
It was like, 25 degrees outside…
Teaching my niece “Crow Pose”
I call this “Upsidedown Slayer Child Pose”
*You might know that I recently attempted some ice hockey with my brother. I really do love it, and am sad to be leaving for the Land of No Hockey. That great feat of balance had its origins with a request posed to my non-running brother to go on a one mile jog with me. He said he’d do it, but only if I would play one hour of hockey with him as an exchange. I have since fulfilled my promise, and today was his turn to uphold the bargain. Like a good goalie, he came through in stellar form:
Before we start. Surf Drive, overlooking Martha’s Vineyard. 40 degrees. Zero wind. The hockey gods were clearly smiling down today.
“Look Ma, no glove and blocker!”
…and he never needed to stop. Just me, cuz I wanted a picture of the frozen seagull…
The final push, to make 2.5 miles!
Cool-down stretching- Show-off! He puts my yoga practice to shame.
Victory! Great job, brother! Now get back to the house and keep working on that cellar!
*We finished our excellent day of haphazard tomfoolery by requesting a Hallinan original for supper: Chicken Lovelies. While I can’t divulge the secret family recipe, you might be able to gather the primary ingredients from this final composition:
The Wolf T-Shirt and beer made them taste even better!
I’m going to miss being home- I have more fun here than anywhere else, just being crazy with my family. I am grateful to the Navy for giving me 2.5 days of leave a month, and then letting me take that leave (you civilians should note that this isn’t always the case).
Times like these make for moments that you would never trade for the world.