1. Something you’ve waited for recently? 

Hmm, well, I guess, to eat. I have gone back to doing a fairly long fast on Mondays. Well, I eat two meals on Sunday and try to close my window by about 7/7:30. This way, when I eat again at 11:30 Tuesday, it’s been about 40 hours. Last week went really well but this week was a bit harder. Mostly, I was very cold.

2. What’s something you loved to do as a child? 

Play outside was the first thing that came to mind. I liked riding my bike and scooter and skateboard; I loved running around the backyard, climbing trees, playing under huge hedges and the giant lime tree we had. It was so big that it formed a literal fort you could go under and I liked to hide in it.

3. Something you learned from a grandparent? 

I would say, patience. My grandfather was very good at doing everything in its own time. I always felt like I was in a hurry, going a million miles a minute and talking a lot. He’d listen to me but he always seemed to be doing things slowly, paced, and deliberately. Those are some of my favorite memories: he in his garage, fixing a bike or electronic on his workbench, old 40s music playing in the background, while I wove some tall tale.

4. The most visited cities in the world last year (according to this site) were-Bangkok, Paris, London, Dubai, and Singapore. Have you been to any of the cities mentioned? Which would you most like to see? How do you feel about international travel in general these days? 

I have been to both Paris and London and while I’d go back to London, I don’t think I’d go to Paris. It’s too overrun by immigrants now. I don’t want to sound, like, prejudiced. I mean, they are letting a lot of them in and a lot are…not good. You know they have a ten foot glass wall around the Eiffel Tower to keep people from sleeping under it? We are going to Ireland, Germany, and Czech Republic in 2025 and while I am excited about it, I guess there’s a certain level of caution now, given how many wars our current government seems to be starting!

5. February is the perfect month to ______________________.

Move right along! I can’t believe it’s already the 7th! I am not complaining about it hurrying; I’m ready for a slower pace of life and for me, the 8th of March will bring that.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The last two days, I left the house 5 minutes later than normal and I found there to be less traffic. Must be in between shifts of folks heading out.

Anyway, I tried to convince Ash to have pizza today and then go to eat lunch tomorrow but he didn’t go for it. So I guess I’ll miss paella day in the plaza. Although, my boss once said something that worried me. He said, paella is great and all but the big open pots of it in the courtyard are just a receptacle for bird poop. I would hope the folks from Miami-Dade county who sponsor it know how to cover food made for the masses!

My oldest is sick today but I think he’s a lot less sick than Isaac was. I told him he could stay home and rest but he only gets one day. He doesn’t even barely have a fever and he’s relatively aware of the world, whereas his brother was not. We’ll see. It is definitely always something!