A rainy Saturday of reflection

We need the rain.Yet, December rainy days tend to be gray ones, rather than ones with peeks of sunshine coming through the clouds on occasion. So, it is a good day to write Holiday cards and finish the tree decorations, which usually evolve over three days.

When we moved here, we went from a house with a lot of basement storage to one with a lot of attic storage. We probably have ten years of different sets of Christmas decorations in our attic. This year, we are using one box that says 2014 Christmas on it and another box that is more generic. Not surprisingly, some of the small boxes of ornaments are unopened.

This is the second year we have gone with a smaller tree, about six and half feet tall. For our more accomplished metric friends, that is about two meters. The fact that I can recall a meter is 39.37 inches in length shows my mathematical (and maybe too anal) bent. By the way, it makes it harder to argue American exceptionalism, when the rest of the world has moved to the metric system, but I am just saying.

As a former runner, I know from experience that a 10K race converts to 6.2 miles, so if we Americans are ever traveling in Canada, remember to multiply by roughly 6/10 (divide by ten and multiply that by 6) to get the estimated number of miles before you run out of petrol from the kilometers’ signs to the next city. This is important when traveling north of the border to Montreal from New York state – make sure you fill up along the way.

Speaking of traveling to Canada, each time I have visited while driving, it never surprises me the number of Canadian cars you see going across the border. Citizens from the US are missing a great opportunity to visit a neat country with a lot to offer. I have been to Montreal three times, Niagara Falls twice, Toronto once and Ottawa once. My wife and I were going to Quebec City one time,but canceled that drive from Montreal due to icy road conditions. And, for those going to Niagara Falls, cross into the Canadian side, as the viewing is closer and more spectacular.

Our goal to travel more has been hamstrung by the COVID thief. Being vaccinated helps with the scare, but then we must face self-appointed martyrs for the mask and vaccine naysayers on planes who for some reason think WWJD includes being belligerent to flight attendants. We had planned on a trip north to see friends in Minnesota and along the way. We had planned to travel to the Seattle and Vancouver. And, our blogging friend Linda has helped with low road and high road routes along the US/ Canada border out west.

But, back to those Christmas decorations. We now have to get the decorations we pulled out for consideration, back into the attic. I feel like I am living in a salvage store with small aisles to walk through. Hopefully, we can pare some down, but I have a feeling others have similar messes in their attics. We have sold a few things from our attic on a “Next Door” app, so maybe we can get a few more things out the door for something tangible. That cash might help pay for dinner on our trips, when we feel more inclined.

Happy holidays all. Travel safely and with an abundance of patience and tolerance. You will need both for those martyred (and well lubricated) travelers, bless their hearts.