Happy Holidays!!!

The next few weeks are packed full of activity for me. My son is with me for ten days straight and I am very grateful we get to spend so much time together. We're finalizing our plans for Christmas, including buying a present for his Mom, and getting ready for our road trip to my native Oklahoma to visit my family. He's very excited about the trip, as am I.

I received a wonderful wake-up call early this morning! Olga and Stephen made it to Moscow in the middle of our night and her, now, day. She's tired but looking forward to dinner with the family, which is probably finished by now. The weather was perfect on arrival: sunny, no wind, cold, but not too cold. The first time in a long time on her visits from how she described it. In the spirit of her trip, and the fact that Harrison and I are very hungry right now, we're headed to a local Russian market where I'll purchase some pelmini (dumplings). It's not homemade, but it will do for now. Also, can't forget the sour cream!

My running has been going fairly well. I'm focused on a February marathon and the running for the past few weeks has been very challenging, at times. I don't mind the running part as much as I deride the roads. But, I appreciate the benefit of faster running and, hopefully, I can transfer some of that to the trails.

That's all for now. I wish everyone very Happy Holidays and hope everyone is as hopeful for the New Year as I know I am. Even with the bumps and curves along the way, we can't take for granted how fortunate we truly are. Surround yourself with family, friends, and neighbors and, with that, the rest is a great adventure. All the best for a great new year!!!