One danger of taking on so many home improvement projects is that it often leaves time for little else. Sam, who really looks forward to the weekends as a time to relax, has had limited opportunity to do so because chances are, I’ll be doing something in the basement and will need her help. Similarly, with me working on the house, it sort of removes a lot of options like “going out and doing something together” – all the more reason to get these home improvements completed stat.
Our friends and family are a very big source of energy for us, and to that end we often pack a lot of social activities into small spaces. This can be risky because too much social means not enough relaxation – just like constant home improvement – and hence an ongoing learning process for Sam and I is finding a balance that makes both of us happy. After four and a half years we’re starting to get the hang of it.
An understated benefit to maintaining good friendships is they make long-time reunions extraordinary. Take for example our friend Darren – aka ‘D’ – who just arrived yesterday to Ithaca. The best description I’ve ever heard for D is that he is an “unparalled individual,” meaning that you’ll never meet anyone else like him: truly a spot on approximation, and in a very good way. Our whole lab has looked forward to D visiting, as has Sam, and we’re looking forward to having him around this weekend for the grand Ithaca tour. Friday has never come so slowly.
Last night we had our neighbors from across the street over for dinner: Billy and Joe, who we barely know. Sam ran into them while they were out in their yard, chatted for a while, and invited them over. Dinner and the company were excellent – it went until 11 – and we’re going to be heading over to their place for brunch sometime soon. Actually, I might head over there even sooner than that and help with some plumbing and lighting issues. Meeting new people is such a wise investment, but an opportunity that is so easily overlooked.
Over the years we’ve been fortunate to keep a healthy stock of friends, good friends, best friends, and family, and it is specifically around the holidays that this group is kept in mind:
We’re in the process of assembling our Christmas letters – a holiday tradition we laugh about but love doing. While all of the signing, folding, and stamping takes a bit of time, the tasks are easy when we remind ourselves where they’re going. And after last nightss successful dinner, I think it is safe to say that the list will increase next year.
[...] Forget last-minute shopping…I haven’t even put together our Christmas letter. Using the same lunging arm I reached for a nearby bed of Post-it notes, which I graffittied with reminders of what we accomplished this year. Honeymoon. One Year anniversary. Sam invents a superconductor out of biodegradables…my heart begins to slow as the material piles up: a welcome weight for the delinquent author. [...]