Toonces: TNG

Watch out, world! Z's got her learner's permit, and she knows how to use it! After the initial terror of having my 15.5 year old behind the wheel subsided, it's been pretty great. She's already logged almost 15 hours behind the wheel and she's slowly becoming competent enough that riding with her is, dare i say, somewhat enjoyable?

Keeping up with a little sib's responsibilty a la their Uncle Brian, Amity will occasionally scream very unsupportive things (eg. we're gonna crash! we're all gonna die!) but has actualy been a real champ about pausing the conversation when more concentration for Z (or the adult teaching) is warrated.

MOVIES!

It's a bit decadent, sure, but if it helps movie theatres and as a side effect I get to blissfully lose myself in the big screen for a few hours, I'm all for it. Along with out good buddies the Tobiases (the main family we've been hanging with since, oh, March?) we rented a 187 seat theatre for the most private of private showings of WW84. Much fun ensued.

Christmas Traditions

I have maintained for years that we don't celebrate Christmas, and this is of course true. Some of us are Jewish, and some of us are... not...thing. However, Amity has recently pointed out that I'm wrong, and as it turns out, she's right. We do have Christmas traditions, and even celebrate Christmas... just not in the way most people tend to think of it. My reflexive "no" is based on a certain kind of socio-culturally dominant Christmas (trees, decorations, family gatherings, presents, etc) but we have a pretty robust tradition of our own. Pictured here is the end of the Christmas run, which we started back in the early aughts b/c gyms were closed and also we had the streets to ourselves - it was originally the run down Main street in Ann Arbor run but as since morphed a bit. Other traditions include movie(s) (virtual this year, typically in the theatre though), Chinese food, and some combo of board games/puzzles/video games. Usually a big post-run breakfast, too. So yeah, I guess I'll work on that one for next year.

You can't just play the simple songs

Wes has a classical guitar, which Zara's picked up a few times and can amazingly play very well considering she doesn't really play guitar... but we figured it would be easier/better to get her an acoustic, which we did, for Chanukah. Glen's been hella inspirtational (see esp the last few months of livestreams he's been doing 3x a week since the pandemic started), and of course Carbon Leaf, especially Terry, has always been an influence.

Of course now that she's rocking her acoustic she's already jonesing for an electric. Here's hoping she'll be able to (safely) make music with some people outside of our house before too long.

Chanukah 2020

 How it started:

How it's going:

The ninjas are deadly and slient....

Looks like Amity needs a black mask to complete her school day ninja look....

Open Air Session

When the weather's amenable you might find musicians (and the occasional resident dancer) playing their 6+ feet apart masks for those who don't have wind instruments hearts our in our driveway. Pandemics are rough, and music makes it better.

Light Once, Visit Twice

We had planned to make it an annual tradition, but as everything with 2020 (nothing going the way we planned), we ended up seeing the Ginter Lights twice in one calendar year. It was 2 different "winters" (ok winter doesn't start for another 2 weeks but whatevs). Hat tip to the fabulous Tobias family for being the best light viewing buddies as well as best people to do outdoor activities with in a pandemic (and takers of all of these photos, well, at least their camera). Here's to increasing the light as we close out 2020 with hopes for good things in 2021!