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How are things going, CD? Looking forward to an update.

Thanks for the reminder @leafields! Life is pretty busy, but exciting things are always on the horizon.

My second son turns 30 in December. He's lived in Europe for the past 8 years. He asked me if I might be able to come see him for his birthday, so I am! So is Teacher! It's really fun to be at a place in life where I can just decide to do something like this. DS's wife is planning an epic party for him so it will be neat to not only be there and be with them, but to share it with Teacher! We're pretty excited about it. I've never been to Europe and she was last there before she was a teenager.

We're actually traveling separately over there but coming back together. She didn't want to take as much time off work and I understand that.

In other news, my 32 year old son is about ready to close on his first house and so my youngest (20) is flying out there to California to spend Christmas with them. Wish I could pull off both trips, but just can't seem to make that work, but Teacher and I are already planning a summer journey to camp and get over to Bigfoot country and see them.

Sounds like fun! I've never been to Europe, so it will be interesting to hear your thoughts. Congratulations to your son on his new house.

It's been 2 years this month that Teacher and I started getting the "friends and family" approvals. And my, how things have progressed since then!

Last week at school I had a student ask me if I was married. I told her that I wasn't. She said, "Well, you look like someone who is married." I told her that I have a girlfriend. She said, "Well, that's pretty much the same thing!" Ah the innocence of 12 year olds.

Teacher had one of her students tell her that she saw her a festival we recently went to. Teacher asked her where the student saw her and she mentioned a music act we saw and where Teacher and I were dancing. Student said, "I think you were with your husband." Teacher replied, "Well sweetheart, I'm not married." Teacher said her student had the same sort of look that my student had with that response. So Teacher told her student, "I do have a boyfriend." That made it okay.

So anyway, we are making plans to spend Thanksgiving (and my parents' 63rd anniversary) with my folks along with my youngest son and perhaps some of my siblings.

Two years? How time flies. It has been heart warming to read your updates.

My older grandson turns 12 next month, and I'll echo your sentiments regarding the innocence. Thankful he's one of the innocent ones.

Sounds like you have a busy winter planned. A trip to your folks, a trip to Europe, and who knows what else?

I'm glad you're happy.

All is well. We've realized that we can't have more than one sleepover per weekend because well, we can't deal with the lack of sleep that a sleepover implies. You know, limbs and and snuggling and whatnot interfere with actual sleep, not to mention the other stuff. Both of us had to have a Saturday nap! Not that anyone is complaining...

We spent quite a bit of time this weekend talking about our Europe trip. Teacher is of course a little nervous, me, being a man am already packed, so we have that to deal with for the next few weeks. Add in a little bit of planning for Thanksgiving with my people and we are pretty much in all panic mode. Again, being the man, I think that a small gift with chicken theme is fine for my parents's 63rd anniversary, but apparently flowers and cards and something more substantial may be required. I'll deal with it.

Teacher is awesome. She is so much more considerate than I am. And she thinks of things. I apparently do not. Hell, she's insisting that I give her an idea for my birthday later this month. All I can think of is guitar pics and strings. I have those... so maybe I'll get lucky instead...

Saturday naps can be nice.

What do your parents want? Maybe they want some flowers and something with a chicken theme. Of course, they may have a desire to go up in a hot air balloon in Sedona or have a great dinner at Olive Garden.

Good luck packing and remind Teacher that she can pick up souvenirs to wear when she's there. It's an adventure!

For your birthday, I have a suspicion that you may have both.

@leafields, my parents are trying to sell their house and and so don't really want much to have to pack again. But, they'll get something...I still have a few days!

Teacher and I had a fun conversation today. She took little Molly for a grooming today with one of my former students. It turned out well, Molly is cute again. But our conversation ended up revolving around my upcoming 60th birthday. I assured her that I don't need or want anything and suggested that perhaps a nice dinner out would be fine, but I really would rather go on a hike instead.

That brought us to a discussion about a planned hike with a friend that was cancelled/postponed due to weather. That brought us to another discussion about where we could maybe hike tomorrow. I suggested that we could go on a certain trail near our reservoir and she the thought maybe we could go to another spot where we had our first hike back in the pandemic days. I recalled that we tried to stay six feet apart back then and that her perfect little booty kept butt-dialing her sister-in-law while we hiked and we both laughed.

I think I know where we are hiking tomorrow.

And, my son wants to go out to eat with us for my birthday! Bonus for all of us!

And that is the way the conversations flow around here!

LOL! Enjoy your hike and your birthday!

We had a nice little hike. Around 4 miles I think. We didn't spend all of the hike side by side, but well, we pretty much did. We really like talking to each other and had an enjoyable time finding a few fossils as well as trying to plan out our dishes for Thanksgiving. While hiking I shared a funny story about my XW being dissed by my Granny over the way a certain dessert was prepared. Plus we called my sister to discuss what we are all bringing to my folks' place for the holiday. My sister confirmed the funny story about XW and we all laughed uproariously.

We're going to go to the grocery store tomorrow to get the ingredients/supplies for our dishes and well, will probably spend all day together.

I'm looking at jewelry now. Yesterday's wedding gave me a vision about what could happen with us soon. Teacher saw some pictures of the same wedding and expressed some similar ideas.

Sounds like you had a great day. Good luck at the grocery store. People go a little crazy sometimes. I'm an early shopper to miss the madness.

Enjoy your jewelry shopping, too. Can't wait to hear how your big announcement goes.

Love these updates! Thanks!

Teacher took my son and I to dinner last night for my 60th birthday. It was nice. Once again, independently, she and I ordered the same dishes. My son teased us that we mumble, but Teacher explained that we both have to talk loudly and clearly all day at school, so we deserve the right to mumble to each other. Then, in a shocking turn, my 20 year old grabbed the check and payed for it! We were both a little stunned but so proud of this young man.

Now we are waiting for the 20 year old to finish work before we head off for the Thanksgiving and my parent's 63rd anniversary.

It's been a great week so far!

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your family!

I think I've mentioned that Teacher told me that she thought I was "okay" after our first Thanksgiving together. Well, it was confirmed again. We didn't have everyone together, but we had most of the crew there (missing younger brother and his crew) for what was the last Turkey day for my folks in their house - they signed a contract to sell an overpriced property and get out of an overbearing reverse mortgage just this week)

We had a wonderful time. DS accompanied us and was a dutiful grandson to my parents - he is a wonderful young man! - and we had such a nice time with them AND Molly! It was darker so sleeping was different than at our houses, but we persevered and Teacher and I had another wonderful intimate time and woke to start greeting sister and brother for a rollicking good time.

I was thrilled that my big brother came along. We were suitably inappropriate and silly. Plus I re-strung my dad's old guitar and played a few silly and sad songs (and made my mom cry with an old cowboy song) and we all ended up eating much more than we should have. My nephew was calling for Tums before dessert!

Our drive home was calm. I take a sort of back way and announced that when we hit the interstate that we only had about 15 minutes back to town. Teacher disputed that, mildly, and set a timer on her phone. At about 13 and 30 seonds, we turned off at her exit. She's starting to believe me about driving. Despite me assuring her that I've driven around 1 million miles in Colorado, she's just not sure that I always know the distances and time.

Luckily it's not a contest. Just a funny way to pass time...but I do know how long it takes to get from here to there!

Teacher left a pyrex dish in the fridge. Mom said, "no worries, she's family, it's safe." Guess we need to see them at the new house in December (after the Austria trip!)

[This message edited by countrydirt at 1:36 PM, Saturday, November 25th]

We went shopping today to pick up some stuff for our Austria trip. She needed a new carryon and I needed a larger suitcase so we drove a few miles north and had a great time. She might have mentioned that I might need a new shirt, so I picked a couple out.

Have I mentioned that she has a few freckles? She does and those little red dots drive me pretty much to distraction.

Yup, I'm there. We're talking about jewelry and are starting to make some plans.

Awesome update, CD. Good luck finding the right jewelry.

Sounds like the trip to your parent's place was fun and enjoyed by all.

Your next trip is right around the corner. I'm glad you picked up a couple of shirts. I'm thinking you'll be going to a few places where an I'm with Stupid t-shirt isn't going to cut it. LOL.

I fly out tomorrow for Europe. I'm excited and just a little nervous. I realized today that this is the first "solo" flight I've taken in quite a few years. I do believe it is my first flight by myself for just "fun" since I flew to my younger brother's Navy basic graduation so many years ago. I'm ready with ear plugs and melatonin for the cross Atlantic flight.

A couple of funny asides. I ended up with a small cough and cold last week due to being with germy middle schoolers, so Teacher and I did not really get together over the weekend. We did have coffee and breakfast and went to a Christmas craft show together, but that was it. Yesterday, Teacher texted me a bit of whininess about not getting together at all for soooo long, so I headed to her house and we grabbed a burger and had some time to visit and smooch a little. It was nice. It also still blows me away that she feels the same way about us that I do!

Funny aside 2.

I have male pattern baldness and regularly (2-3 times per week) shave my head. Teacher has noted that about 3 days of scalp stubble is a very pleasurable amount to rub with her hand. I agree as I engage in regular scalp massages on myself. She likes how it feels and so do I.

Today I went over and we had just a short time together. She's working on school stuff and well, I might need to actually pack for this little trip. Goodnight hugging was taken over by an extended scalp rub! "Perfect length!" she said. It's good for her hands and good for my scalp! Win Win! Sure is a different kind of intimacy!

Have fun on your trip! I hope it's an easy trip with no flight delays and no turbulence. I hope Teacher's trip is uneventful, too.

LOL! I can almost feel the little stubbies under my fingers. You guys are too cute together.

Looking forward to hearing about your trip.

Well, we made it and have memories for a lifetime. I always enjoyed every moment with my sons as they were growing up, but its a different kind of fun with them as adults. Besides a bit of delayed luggage and 11-13 hours trapped in an airplane, we had an amazing time. The big birthday party was on a Saturday night, but my son's actually birthday was on a Tuesday, so we basically had a long time of sight seeing and celebrating.

My son took the opportunity to see things he hasn't seen in the Vienna area and took me around to so many places. A couple of Irish pubs, 10-12 magnificent churches, palaces galore and even some castle ruins dating back to the 11th century. We walked a lot, rode the subway countless times, rode streetcars and busses, hiked, ate sooo much good food and I was entirely gobsmacked by the history, architecture and culture.

Teacher's arrival started a second round of more sight seeing and her reaction was like mine, continual "Oh Wows" at every turn. I don't believe I've seen her smile so much. In a funny aside, my son and daughter-in-law left early to get to the birthday party at a club in the inner city and left us to our own devices to make the trek downtown. I'm glad to say that we were able to navigate the subway and walking a few blocks to the club and then as the party really started getting wild, we left it to the young people and successfully made our way back to the apartment and had some nice quiet "just us" time.

Teacher loves my son and his girl. They love her too. Teacher was worried that it would be "weird" for her to be with me. My son told me, "You seem happy with her. That's what's important!" He said the weird part was when his mother and I split up and those circumstances, but that's in the past and he said as long as both of his parents are happy, he is happy.

All in all, a wonderful trip!

Next, a camping journey this summer to California to my oldest's new home in Bigfoot country.