Saying Goodbye

Cameron was scheduled to fly back this afternoon. We were a little concerned about his flight getting out because of the snowstorm that was hitting southern Indiana. We knew that yesterday a few flights had been canceled and even more had been delayed. We decided, however, that the best course of action was to go to Orlando and wait to see what happened. We didn’t just sit around the airport once we got there. Cameron and I left early enough to eat lunch together at Rock N Brews before his flight. While we were there, we witnessed a car travel too fast through the intersection outside the restaurant and flip over multiple times. How ironic it was that we were worrying about traveling with the snow in the Midwest, and somebody in Florida just had a bad accident with no weather issues at all. Thankfully, we saw him get out of the car on his own and make it to the ambulance without any issue.

After lunch, I parked at the airport and went in with Cameron just in case his flight was delayed or canceled. There were several cancellations on the board, but none of them for Indianapolis. I waited until he got through the long line at security, and once I knew he was at the gate, I headed over to the local Barnes & Noble to do a little bit of shopping for his birthday. I also didn’t really want to leave Orlando until I knew he had taken off, so it was the great place to kill some time.

Surprisingly to all of us, Cameron‘s flight took off and landed without any issues. I was glad that he made it safely, but was super sad that the holidays with our children were officially over. It had been an awesome couple of weeks, and I hated to see it end. I knew, however, that the kids needed to get back to their lives, and I would never hold them back. Instead, I started making plans with Brett and Cal for their next return visit in February and March respectively. That way I had something fun to look forward to instead of focusing on the goodbye that I had just said.

Food Tour of Ocala

One of the best parts of moving to Ocala has been all of the restaurants close to our new home.  I haven't been the only one to enjoy that fact.  Cameron and Doug have made the most of all of the new possibilities and this week was no different.  Some of the restaurants that we tried while Cameron was here were family favorites, such as McAlister's, Chicken Salad Chick and Hiatus.  Others were new like Miller's Ale House and Foody Bowl.  All were delicious and solidified our opinion about our newfound love of living in a town with a multitude of food choices.

Eating wasn't all that we did the past few days while it was just Cameron here.  We invited Phil over to play Catan. We also watched multiple games of football happy to see the Lions finish first in their conference.  We went to mass and visited Gainesville for an afternoon where Cameron finally got to see their famed alligator in person and eat his favorite "Relish" burger.  All in all, it was a fun way to end our holiday break with our family.  Both Doug and I were sad that it would all come to an end tomorrow.

Shaking Off the Rust

One thing that Cameron wanted to do before he left for was play golf.  He suggested it to Doug, and I was glad to hear that he was interested in playing as well. Doug hadn't played in over a year, and I wasn't sure if he was ready to shake off the rust and get back on the course.  It also gave Cameron a chance to get Bob's clubs out and put them to good use.  We made a reservation for them at SummerGlen for today, and they were both happy when they left the house this morning.

I was glad to see that they were both smiling when they returned this afternoon.  They were a little surprised that they were the only people on the course today, but it didn't change the fun that they had.  Cameron felt that he hit the ball well and was proud of the five pars that he scored.  The other four holes didn't go quite as well, but he was still able to break 50.  He seemed pleased with that and was very glad to spend time with his dad.  Doug felt the same way about their round, only he wasn't quite able to break fifty.  Instead, of talking about his score, he was proud of the four putts that he made all over ten feet with one closer to twenty-five.  The scores and putts didn't matter to me.  I just enjoyed hearing their golf stories and was happy that all went well.  

Shopping & The Batman

The past two days with Cameron have been a lot of fun. We have spent a lot of time shopping.  Yesterday, we traveled to Silver Springs to check out Broke N Records.  Cameron had gotten several vinyls for Christmas but still had a few that he was looking to add to his collection.  I was happy to tag along as I have always enjoyed searching through the bins at this shop since all of their albums are vintage.  We spent quite a bit of time browsing and both went home with several that we were looking to purchase including and a few that we were surprised to find.  Doug appreciated Bob Dylan's greatest hits from 1967 and Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line."  Cameron found a Smoky Robinson album that he had been wanting to buy but could never find and one of Stevie Wonder's first albums.  Needless to say, he was thrilled.

After the record store, we headed to The Peacock Cottage.  I didn't need anything in particular but always love looking at all of their unique plants and planters.  Cameron had as much fun as I did sorting through everything and soon, we were heading home with a Sansevieria Cylindrica Braid. It looked fantastic on my plant stand.

While we were out shopping, we also stopped at Belk's, Kohl's and HomeGoods.  Cameron used my Kohls cash to buy some new socks, and I found a set of Christmas sheets with palm trees on them for next year.  It was a lot of fun and I was very glad that we went.

Cameron and I had just enough time after our shopping trips to catch the new movie, The Batman.  Cameron, Cal and Brett had already seen it and thought that I would like it as well.  The movie reminded me a lot of the series Gotham that we watched before Covid, so of course, I loved it.  There is already a series out following the movie's success called The Penguin.  I am looking forward to watching it as well and was extremely thankful for a few relaxing, but fun days in Ocala.  

The Sugar Bowl

All of us were surprised to hear that the Sugar Bowl had been postponed yesterday.  At first, I assumed that there was a weather issue in Louisiana but was completely shocked when I read that it was because a truck filled with IEDs and guns drove through a crowd of New Year's Eve partygoers on Bourbon Street killing fourteen people before the police took his life.  None of us could believe it and were sad to see that a few of those who died were there to watch the Notre Dame vs. Georgia game.  

Cameron talked a lot about the devastation that occurred yesterday in New Orleans.  Just like Doug and I, he realized that had IU beaten Notre Dame two weeks ago, we would have been on our way to Louisiana New Year's Eve night filled with excitement about the game.  Waking up to the news would have been awful.  Cameron even said that he wouldn't have wanted to go to the game because of the fear that the incident brought out.  Parce must have been feeling the same way as he texted me that in the end maybe it was a good thing that IU lost.

My feelings were the same as Parce and Cameron, but one other thought kept coming to my mind.  The incident was terrible, but I knew if we were there, we wouldn't have been anywhere near Bourbon Street on New Year's.  It would have been too crowded and loud for Doug, Cameron, Parce and I.  I did realize however, who would have been there and that was what scared me the most.  Cal and Jayce would have been right in the middle of the action on New Orleans famed street having the time of their lives.  I would have been incredibly scared and worried had that been the case.  Thus, I felt even worse for the families who lost loved ones last night.  It wasn't the way anyone would want to start the New Year, but it was a good reminder that life can change on a dime.  Thus, we cannot live it in fear and must make the most of it while we can.  That is the best way to honor the senseless tragedy.  

A Complete Unknown

If you would’ve told me a year ago that I would be watching a Bob Dylan movie on the big screen for my New Year’s Day entertainment, I never would have believed it. That was, however, exactly what Cameron, Doug and I did as we caught the 11 AM showing of A Complete Unknown. I wasn’t sure what I would think of the movie, but it had gotten such great reviews that I really wanted to see it. I was hooked from the very beginning when Bob Dylan met Woody Guthrie and was fascinated by his relationship with Joan Baez, Pete Seger, and other folklore legends. The movie only covered the first four years of his career, but it was absolutely mesmerizing to hear how Dylan went from obscurity to the biggest folk singer of the mid-1960s.  

Cameron and Doug wondered if I would like the movie since I wasn’t a big Bob Dylan fan. I still believe that he has one of the worst voices in music history but was blown away by his songwriting. We talked about the movie the rest of the day and listened to quite a few of his songs while we were playing games together including "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Maggie's Farm."  Overall, it was such a nice way to start 2025.  Just as any New Year begins, the movie was a great reminder of just how wonderful life truly is even though it passes by ever too quickly.  

New Year's Eve

Doug, Cameron, and I were back in Orlando today. Cal and Maggie were checking out of their room at Port Orleans Riverside to go to a JW Marriott closer to the airport. Cameron and I picked them up at checkout and then got Meg at her hotel before traveling to the rental car facility so that Nick could return his vehicle. The six of us met Doug near the Marriott at a family favorite, Mellow Mushroom. He had gotten off work at noon today and was thankful to be able to have lunch with all of us. Meg and I enjoyed the wings and pretzels, and everyone else said that the pizza was delicious.  After lunch, we said goodbye to Meg and Nick at the restaurant as they Ubered back to their hotel. Doug left for Ocala to hopefully jog before Cameron and I made it back home. We dropped Maggie and Cal off at their hotel. They were looking forward to using the lazy river and watching the fireworks from their hotel room.

Traffic was lighter than I thought it would be for New Year’s Eve, and I was thankful to make it home before dark. Cameron and I talked to Brett on the way back to see what his plans were for the night. He, Sean, and Jovie were going to continue their karaoke tradition at Sean‘s after mass. The three of us in Ocala held onto some of our New Year’s Eve traditions as well. We chose to have a game night and invited Phil over to play Catan.  We also cooked several of our favorite New Year's Eve finger foods, including nachos and cocktail weenies. After Phil left, we turned on our New Year’s Eve television staple, The Twilight Zone. The guys also put on the Penn State football game on the lanai TV.  We watched both programs muted as we listened to music from the record player. Cameron joked that we had to be the only family in America that could watch The Twilight Zone without subtitles and still follow along perfectly.  One thing that I don't think will become a tradition is drinking martinis.  Doug and Cameron wanted to have a martini night to go along with Doug's new Goldfinger album.  They weren't quite as good as Cameron envisioned, but he was glad that he finally tried one.  Midnight came a lot quicker than I expected and soon we were outside watching the fireworks from our front porch. I was so happy that everyone had found a fun way to ring in the new year.