Greg’s Truckload vol. 14

Hello, truckers; they say time flies when you’re having fun; I’m having a blast. It was so much fun that I broke the watch and the calendar. Not really, but I really can’t believe it’s December. This last month has been a whirlwind. I completely dropped the ball on the November meal of the month, and I’m sorry for that. I wrote the menu, purchased ingredients, and prepared some of it. Then time got away, and I never finished. The stars were not lined up between the weather equipment failures and a home project with a deadline. December isn’t lined up either; after this storm, I mean leaf season, and holiday combo, I will make it my resolution to regroup and get organized. Starting with designating a hiding spot for the elves on the shelves. Good lort, the weekend after Thanksgiving. Yes, we lost the elves, and it drove us nuts, knowing they were here and not knowing where they were.

We gave up, ordered new ones, and unknowingly ordered the world’s smallest elf on the shelf. This would not pass as dizzy and trash, the elves who have been here for last decade. Then we reordered and settled for the one with striped legs, but only one was delivered. Sammy was concerned that our elves had not shown up yet, and the Thanksgiving weekend was almost over. We had set up the tree( the universal signal for the elves to show up) Sunday morning before the kids got up. I knew we were gonna have to put out the one striped leg elf and make an excuse of sorts, so I put him on the mantle, nestled in with the garland and bells, and started up the stairs to shower and start the day, halfway up I thought I’m gonna look one more time in that stupid laundry room cabinets. It looked the same as the last fifteen times I had looked in this cabinet, except for that basket with all the mismatched socks. I pulled it down, dumped it out, and holy !@#$. There they were. The feeling was like winning the jackpot. I put them on the mantle with the new guy with minutes to spare. Now, we have three levels. Kinda weird, but whatever. I stood there for a minute, took deep breaths, and moved on. Being a parent is like being a firefighter. There is always a fire to be put out, so keep your water close.

That mantle I set the elves on wasn’t even there just one week before. That was our recent home project. Not long before, in its spot was a built-in 110-gallon fish tank. When we first purchased the home, it was a fireplace, and for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to remove it and build an aquarium. It was cool for a while. The cat liked it, and the babies liked it. I quickly got tired of keeping it up. The fish started eating each other, and the algae grew. I t sat for a year, still up and running but with no fish. It wasn’t horrible; I didn’t have to feed them or change water. It wasn’t good either. When we made the decision to get rid of it, I unplugged the pumps and was amazed at how quiet it was. We no longer had to keep the TV volume on high. Now, this is nice.

What would we do with the space? Built-in shelves? Or put a fireplace back in. After one drink and a Google image search, a fireplace became official. The next day, Sara was out looking at furniture to complement it, and suddenly, it was a full-blown room remodel. We purchased the fireplace from Grateballs Afire in Louisville to do our own installation. When we bought it, we had about six weeks to complete all deconstruction plus reconstruction before furniture and a new rug were delivered. It seemed like plenty of time till we went out of town for fall break and crazy amounts of November rains had me working weekends.

Every tool in the shed was spread across the living room and dining room. We did get it done, ran the gas line, cable line, and electricity the week before the deadline, then framed it up and secured the firebox. Next was the cement board, the mantle, and the stone veneer, wet up the day before rug and furniture delivery. I had mortar all over the place. It was messy as messy gets, and there is no way I could have done that with new furniture in place. I waited until the next rainy day to install the burner and logs in the fireplace. It was a fun project for everyone, and we now enjoy it every day, so it was worth the investment.

Yesterday was an adventure. We had gotten a Discovery flight for Sam’s birthday present and had it scheduled for this past weekend. It was a windy day and questionable weather they would get to go. When we arrived, the pilot was not optimistic as the winds had picked up and the cloud ceiling had lowered. He called the radio tower, and surprisingly, they gave him a go, so it was on. What a brave man going up in a small plane with 3 stinky tweens. Sara and I nervously watched them take off from the parking lot and fly off. We went cruising around Cherokee Park while they were up. They were supposed to be up for an hour but called us 40 minutes later and were already back. The first issue was they were on the way to circle downtown Louisville but were told to avoid the area as there was a police chase happening, and the police helicopter was maneuvering the area, so they turned around. Then they kept hearing a repetitive thud sound on the outside of the plane, so they did a low flyby of the radio tower and they said that a part of the seatbelt was hanging out of the door, so they landed, corrected the issue, and then the battery was dead, and the plane would not start. The boys still had a blast and are gonna get to try again next weekend.

Now it’s time for me to focus on wrapping up this leaf season and wrapping the Christmas gifts I still need to buy. This is totally nuts and out of control, but I believe it will all come together. I am determined to make this happen. We are excited that just a few days before Santa comes to town, we are going outta town to see our first NBA game. The Bulls vs. Celtics in Chicago. I didn’t even know that Elliot was a Celtics fan, and maybe he wasn’t, but now he is, so that’s cool. One of the restaurants featured on Somebody Feed Phil was 100 percent booked up for that night, 5 weeks out. Wow, that’s nuts, I thought, but my dad told me that’s pretty common. Ok, then, I’m studying Google Maps and looking for another cool dining option that we can get into Saturday before Christmas.

My mom, stepdad, and brother will join us for the weekend but will not attend the game. The whole family digs on some pizza, so we will hit up an Italian joint on Sunday. Chicago is so much fun, and I am excited to spend time there with my family during the holiday. After Chicago, We will spend a few quiet days at home before heading to South Florida to visit Dad and Patsy. I’ve recently learned that there are some nice bike trails in the area, so I’m packing the bikes. Dad has also been riding lately, so we can all go for a spin together. Hopefully, there will also be some fishing, catch, and cooking styles. It should be a nice end to the year. When we get back, it’s all business. I got to get organized in the shop, the office, and the kitchen. 2024 has been an exciting whirlwind, but when it happens again in 2025, I need to make sure my cans don’t blow down the street. That will start with preparation. Works cut out. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. Thank you for being here with me; I look forward to 2025. I will see you then, Cheers.