Day 15.294: Halloween

Our Halloween neighborhood came back to life (if that’s the right term) this evening after a few years of muted pandemic celebrations. It wasn’t quite back to the scale of old perhaps but busy and fun nonetheless. 

Exile #3 and I sat outside to distribute candy to the trick-or-treaters:

The star of the show was the pumpkin that Exile #2 carved earlier in the day:

This is how it looked outside:

Meanwhile, E5N1 wore his costume to school (but then he was dressed as a [specific] American teenager) and then went straight to a friend’s house for a party and movie. 

Day 15.293: Exile #2's Sunday column #414

Exile #2 writes...

Exile #1 and E5N1 spent much of yesterday feeling pretty rough after getting their COVID boosters but this morning they were beginning to feel a bit more human. Exile #1 and I went to an outdoor church get together at 9 am. It was in shady woodland and so it was pretty chilly but we bundled up and enjoyed being outside.

In the afternoon, we got to the bottom of a flat tire Exile #1 had suffered in the week. We’re hoping the garage can fix it tomorrow but if not, it’s not the end of the world. The summer tires will be coming off anyway to be replaced by the winter ones. In recent years we haven’t really hit much serious winter weather before January but you just never know.

Day 15.292: Conkers to conquer

Walking in the park when we dropped Exile #4 back at college, we were surprised to find a horse chestnut tree in prime conker season and no one taking any interest. Well, we weren’t really surprised when we thought about it but in my youth in the UK it would have been picked clean by conker-seeking children. 

We found a few good ones and Exile #4 decided to consider introducing some friends to the game of conkers - no update so far as to whether they have found time to do so. 

Day 15.291: Costume #2

E5N1’s costume of choice for the game yesterday is also his actual Halloween costume plan (with or without a tweak or two)

Dustin from Stranger Things. We think he wears it well. 

Day 15.290: Football family

It is quite a surprise that we find we’ve become a high school football family. Not be the traditional route perhaps - but we weren’t the only ones there not support a child playing on the field or even one of the cheerleaders but a member of the pep band. Tonight was a Halloween costume night. 

And once again - the team kept up their 100% winning record in the home games I’ve attended. 

It got pretty cold as the evening wore on, but the band seemed to have fun. This time I caught the number they did with the cheerios:

Day 15.289: So small

Exile #2 was feeling a little small standing next to E5N1, so Exile #3 came over to “help”:

Day 15.288: Costume #1

It wasn’t for Halloween but for a birthday party, but October always seems to be costume season. Here is E5N1 as Gustavo Rocque - a character from the theme of the party - the Big Time Rush show:

And here is a reference picture:

Day 15.287: Fancy parking

We've had pretty good luck with finding parking in Cambridge when we've gone down for gigs. Sometimes parking garages, sometimes street parking, sometimes paid, sometimes free. Last week we opted for "The Charles Square Garage". It's not often that you wonder if you're fancy enough to be parking in a city parking garage - but this was definitely at the swanky-end of things.

Everything was amazingly clean and there was a juice-bar (although that turned out to be electric vehicle charging). There was free air if your tires needed some extra pressure, and materials to clean your windshield. It seems they felt they needed to use a lot of words to clarify that although the service was free, you had to do the cleaning yourself:

Day 15.286: Exile #2's Sunday Column #413

Exile #2 writes...

Before we left to take Exile #4 back to college yesterday, we had to make a quick adjustment to our patio doors. It was made necessary but the efforts of one particular grey squirrel who started repeatedly hurling itself against them. We were a little concerned at first. Could it be rabid? Has it realized where the birdseed comes from? But then we realized it was most likely attacking its own reflection. It showed quite a lot of commitment to the cause, even leaving behind a faint cartoon style squirrel outline with one of its attacks, but it did seem confused when it noticed us all standing on the other side of the window staring at it.

We thought we’d better do something to help dispel the illusion. So we applied some masking tape outside and although the squirrel did come to investigate today, it seemed less inclined to run at top speed towards the window. I guess we’ll leave the tape for a while, until we’re sure the urge has passed.

Day 15.285: Second quarter

Exile #2 and I drove Exile #4 back to college today. We didn’t stay long - helped drop of the now-clean laundry, had a nice lunch and then a short walk through the park where the trees were putting on quite a show in the sunshine. 

Day 15.284: Last evening game report

We take Exile #4 back to college tomorrow for their second quarter. We marked their last evening at home with a game of their choice. For a while it looked like I might win, then Exile #4 got their game-face on and stormed to victory.

It was only fitting I suppose.

Day 15.283: Late night date night

Exile #2 and I just got home (it’s 1 am) from Cambridge Massachusetts where we saw Madison Cunningham - this time nearing the end of her second headlining tour in support of her excellent 2022 album Revealer. I’ll write more, but for now I’ll just say it was a fantastic night  

Day 15.282: Turning over some new leaves

Today, there are finally no more leaves to fall from the maple in our front yard - and the grass near it is fairly clear too:

On the other side of the driveway, oak leaves are starting to make up the majority of the leaf-litter

however, it will be some time before the oaks are done dropping their leaves - they are just getting started.

Day 15.281: Sibling ribalry

Maybe the dining table on Exile #4's first meal at home was a not the best place for trying to get a decent family photo...

It probably represents the occasion fairly well however.

Day 15.280: Dance show

A few pictures of Exile #3's dance at the show yesterday, it was great!

Day 15.279: Exile #2's Sunday Column #412

Exile #2 writes...

Yesterday was a bicep workout. We shifted a good inch of wet heavy leaves from our front yard and tried to ignore the ones that were falling thick and fast to replace them.

Today we put the yard work aside and went to take part in the annual Fall Into Art event at Exile #3s dance studio. Exile #3 was dancing as part of the adult company, whilst Exile #1 and I were performing a half hour set of songs beforehand. Exile #4 and E5N1 kindly came to support us and also provided some all important roadie muscle when we needed to pack down the equipment. It was, as ever, a great afternoon of diverse music and arts but now we are exhausted!

Day 15.278: Leaves leaving

It was heavy work to remove the leaves that the maple dropped during the storm as they were still rather wet. Exile #2 did the driveway, sidewalk etc. while I tackled the front lawn with Exile #4 - home from college for a week and put to work. 

Day 15.277: Rain, lots of rain

We had an impressive storm come through today with quite a bit of wind damage and lots of rain.

Unfortunately Exile #2 had to spend a significant part of the day driving on the highway in less-than-ideal conditions. Fortunately it was for a good reason which was successful in the end.

Day 15.276: Gull vs c?a?

Neither crab nor clam stood a chance.

Day 15.275: Fall

A week ago the red leaves of a tree outside my workplace caused me to acknowledge the arrival of autumn. Today this was the sight under the same tree. I suppose now I must also accept “fall”.