Wintery Weather and Red Wine Ruminations

As it typically happens in North Carolina, the weather has turned to winter seemingly overnight.

This year, of course, we owe the sudden shift to Hurricane Sandy, who is still blasting our neighbors to the north. She very much is a hurricane to those folks (unlike our non-event weekend) and my thoughts go out to everyone. The NYTiimes pics are particularly overwhelming.

As for myself, despite the spitting wintery precipitation mix, I went out for an easy four miles. Yesterday I did a quick 30 minute yoga session to stretch out my hamstrings and I definitely reaped the benefits today. It felt good to break out the tights and the hoodies; I'm ready for red cheeks and ringing ears from the cold. 2012 has been a relatively flat-lined year in terms of weather, I'm ready for something to shift.

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It's chilly in the house and the kitties have been scrambling to get possession of my lap. Tonight I'm raising a glass of red wine to my brother and his fiance Emily as they prepare to welcome their son Carter Michael into the world.

It's a weird thing, thinking about your baby brother becoming a father. I remember the first time he toddled across the kitchen floor to my outstretched arms; the never-ending solitary game of t-ball he used to play with himself, running the bases backwards; picking splinters out of feet after he slid across our deck; taking him to the neighborhood pool in the summer for long afternoons of Sharks and Minnows.

I remember too the years I wasn't there because we were eight and a half years apart. He grew up while I was away at school, working my first fulltime job, all in all sorting my shit out.

So now I'm sitting here, nearly a 1000 miles away, while he embarks on one of life's great journeys. He's doing it with style and grace like only the cool-headed only son with three crazy older sisters can.

So proud of you, buddy. Congratulations to you and Emily and can't wait to meet Carter!