At a local pub, for the second time this week, Steve and I talked about how we were going to keep sane this winter.

With a Black and Tan for Steve and some low-brow red wine for me, we reflected on our dumpster fire of a week. Between Steve’s aunt in Cleveland passing away, an upcoming Zoom funeral, nearly a dozen depressing interviews for some reporting for my magazine articles, Ian’s on-going medical issues, full time remote school for Ian, Jonah’s final week and just some routine three-year special ed testing protocols (which involve lots of parental coordination and emails), this week has sucked BIG TIME. I simply could not muster up the energy to cook and clean pots tonight, so we found yet another tavern with burgers and salads and booze and people. Real, live people. So glorious.

We’ve had a tough week, indeed, but it will pass. What won’t pass quickly are closed schools, isolation, boredom, and cold weather. We brainstormed various plans to keep normal until next spring.

Last weekend, a group of friends went running/walking/dog-walking on the Friday after Thanksgiving, in lieu of a Turkey Trot. We had such a good time that we vowed to go again every weekend, so we’ll hit the trails at 9:30am this Sunday.

We’ll take some driving trips within our state. Jersey has some new stuff to check out, I think. And we can always go in the opposition direction and get into Manhattan in twenty minutes. The museums are still open, so we’ll go. Art always keeps me sane.

I want to organize all the new recipes that I cooked this spring into binders and plastic covers. I want to do even more experimenting with food this winter.

I’ll do the usual reading and writing and hobbies, which I do love, but I also have socialize and see real, live human beings. I want to be out there in the world, and not cowering under blankets in my living room. I need to find a way to do those things safely, of course, but there are ways.

When this is all done, I think one of the first things we’ll do is buy plane tickets to somewhere. Wherever is available. We need more life and adventure in 2021, for sure.