We packed up the Subaru with room to spare and had an uneventful road trip and a seamless re-entry into Flagstaff. We chose to make the road trip in four days instead of three which was easier for Paul as the driver. It’s still pretty wet traveling south and if the winter progresses as predicted there could be spring flooding again. Our nights were spent in Topeka, KS, Elk City, OK and Albuquerque, NM. We became familiar with the regional differences in McDonald’s menus and enjoyed authentic New Mexican food in Albuquerque. I was either sleeping or had my head in my nook for most of the drive. The weather warmed as we made our way south and we enjoyed several sunny fall days in the 60’s here in Flagstaff before the weather turned cold and rainy this week. It’s supposed to snow but I am not holding out hope for more than a few inches this early in the season.
Our house was in good shape and we finally tracked down our yard guy who, along with a couple other guys, made fast work of fall cleanup. Due to a dry season there were tons of fallen pine needles this year and, trust me, you don’t want your eaves and downspouts plugged up with pine needles going into the winter as it makes for horrible roof ice jams come spring. They finished just before it started raining which is welcome here due to a dry summer and fall which is never good in our high dry Arizona climate.
I am still on my reading tear so have little “doing” to report since our return although I enjoyed writing some book reviews for the library which I will continue to do through the winter. I reinstated my YMCA membership and made it there for several workouts already. Dancing around a chair with oldsters remains a workout and is extremely humbling for a woman who used to attend boot camp classes. Yikes! In addition to showing up, my first goal is to power through a one minute plank; I had to stop four times during my first class which is pathetic! The good news is that I am not hurting after two consecutive days of exercise which is unbelievable given some of my muscles haven’t seen much action for six months. I am taking a break today and will go back at it tomorrow. When all is said and done, one question I will have for my maker is: “Why are humans so physically lazy given how important movement is to optimal physical health? I guess it’s something to continue pondering as I march on at the gym.
It’s off to Vegas this weekend for a family wedding and to enjoy a gathering with Paul’s kinfolk. We are staying at the Luxor and attending a Cirque de Soile show which will be fun. We aren’t into gambling or the whole Vegas thing but once in a while it can be a fun getaway and it’s less than a 4 hour drive from Flagstaff. Paul and I have enjoyed catching up with colleagues and friends this past week which we will continue to do through Thanksgiving weekend. Then it is on to decorating for Christmas before we head to California for a family meet and greet in mid-December where there was a heat wave just last month. This is hard to believe as Midwestern temperatures plummet and the lake freezes over. So what you say, ice fishing here we come, right? In the meantime, embrace this time of thanksgiving and “coming home” as the holiday season begins.