New Year's Eve 2022 (The Stretch!)

 We started chores way early New Year's Eve.

Because the power was out.

And it was going to be out for a while.

So we hit the road.

Really, we intended to head north before power kaputzed out. Our first stop was to look at a used Chevy Sonic.

Carrie and I started to talk about acquiring a 3rd car about a month or two ago. She was worried she was putting too many miles on the truck. We were still discussing it when Pop mentioned he was forwarding all of the kids a portion of our inheritance. "It'll be more help along the way than showing up at the end." (Or something along those lines).

The check hadn't arrived, but we had the funds and Carrie found the deal. We tried the car out, liked it, and drove it away!

I left as Carrie was finalizing the deal to meet Gen and Chris at a pho restaurant! We contacted them ahead of time to meet up, because it's been forever and a day. I've been poking Carrie to say hi to them again.

Shane was happy to chat and read Garfield comics (sometimes to himself and other times to everyone else!).

We went to a Turkish bakery for muffins for dessert (and they were fantastic). 

However, we were double-booked. I'd contacted Jama, as well. Shane and I left early to meet her while Carrie said farewell to Gen and Chris. 

I let Shane play Pokemon Go on the way in. There was a nostalgic quality to it. He used to run up and down the halls of the Woodlands chasing after them when he was younger.

We were required to mask up, but that was no big deal. I didn't want to be the one to bring germs into a retirement community anyway!

Jama's door is easily identifiable by her wreath.

Shane and I arrived and Jama yelled for hugs and red sugar. "Take those masks off, so I can see you!"

Shane and I hadn't seen Jama since May.  It'd been over a year since we were at the Woodlands. 

Ed's phone rang and he showed up a little bit later looking for it!

Not that Shane could hide from him.

Shane was happy to see everyone, but also struggling with containing his energy. He really wanted to bounce all over the place!

Carrie showed up not too long after. 

She was told to doff the mask and come in for a hug, too!

Jama loves to recount the time Carrie took her out on a "date."

We conversed, but the sugar from the muffins was clearly kicking Shane's system into high gear!

I let him run up and down the halls and check out the trains on the way out. It wasn't the longest stay, but combined with everything else it was a long day of travel.

We spent over 8 hours traveling to and around Nova. By the time we got home, the power was back on (but not for that long!).

Carrie crashed. However, I'd told Shane that he could stay up to midnight to ring in the New Year. I wasn't sure he could do it, but I knew I didn't have the energy to chase after him the whole time! I suggested we watch a movie.

We watched the Pink Panther remake with Steve Martin. Shane loved it. It turns out he likes slapstick humor just like his old man! There were 4 or 5 points were things were way more PG13 than I'd like to show him, but most of it went right over his head! When Cluezo wanted to use the "little blue pill that gave men confidence," Shane asked, "What's that pill do?" Thankfully, there was an upcoming disaster I was able to distract him with.

While we watched the movie, we had to have snacks. I forget what I cooked, but I remember that there was something on the foil that burned.

It burned and it SMOKED. Shane and I were opening windows and waving fans to keep the fire alarms from going off! It was not warm outside!

We were both exhausted, but we made it to midnight. I pulled up the ball dropping on YouTube since we don't have cable.

And right after that ball dropped I turned off the lights in Shane's room. "Happy New Year. GOOD NIGHT!"

This was followed by a round of "I love you's" and we both slept like rocks.

Another year accomplished!