Catching Up and Wrapping Up, pt. 3

January 12, 2026 by Brigham Barnes

And now we finish off 2025!

December 24: Dinner and gift giving at Anne’s! A certain backpack and Jell-O vase were Big Hits!

December 25: Christmas! Our first fully Columbus Christmas — before we’ve always been running off to California or waking up in California. But this year: Just keeping it nice in Columbus. Began the day with the unwrapping of presents (Cornelius got a mirror ball and a new tunnel!) and the cooking and eating of the Christmas quiche!

And then…a big long Christmas walk! Testing out new shoes and sweatshirts and looking at cute houses and rose gardens in winter.

December 26: I start the day with a walk around the neighborhood outside of our neighborhood.

And that evening, after walking around a Target and parking lot while Liz got a massage, we return to our beloved La Supertorta after quite a lengthy absence and I return to eating tortas cubanas after a very lengthy absence. This was a delicious one, surely it would’ve been lauded in a certain article if it were in New York eleven years ago.

December 28: A big long long walk all through all over Quarry Trails Metro Park. Did you know there’s an old cemetery there? There sure is!

December 30: Were you worried I wasn’t going to post a neighborhood walk this post? Worry no longer!

December 31: I had lunch at Red Robin, it wasn’t so bad. And after work I came home, that was even better.

And then, we got a little dressed up and went to Ruth’s Chris to celebrate the new year with steak and vegetables. What a life! What a year! It seemed pretty good to me.

Catching Up and Wrapping Up, pt. 2

January 08, 2026 by Brigham Barnes

As per the title, catching up and finishing off my 2025 posting, continued.

December 12: Morning walk and I bump into Liz. She’s a star.

December 14: Heading over the Gardner’s for Carolyn’s birthday party.

December 17: Let’s go downtown and watch Liz gig it up at the Ginger Rabbit!

December 18: Back to the Gardner’s for Lizzie’s birthday. I inflated and tied the balloons!

December 19: This one was fun and new, hot pot and barbecue with Nathan and Rola! What a party, what a time, what an educational experience! So many meat, so many sauces. Perfect!

December 23 & 24: After quite the wait, my new Ricoh GR IV arrives! Inaugurated with a portrait of Liz, I take it on a walk around the neighborhood, then to the grocery store, and the next day I take it to work and go on a walk around my workplace at lunch.

Ok, one more catch up to come where we cover Christmas and New Year’s Eve and a few things in between!

Catching Up and Wrapping Up, pt. 1

January 02, 2026 by Brigham Barnes

I have nearly 300 photos to post between coming back from our NYC trip and the end of 2025. So I’m going to split them up over several posts. It just seems the right thing to do.

November 27: Some would call it Thanksgiving, but I’d call it “Inaugural Five K Day” because, as mentioned in the NYC post, Liz has become a runner and the keystone of Phase One of the running journey was her running her first “official” 5k (as she had run a 5k or two while in training) in the form of the Circleville Turkey Trot.

The Gardners also come out to cheer Liz on.

Our champion!

November 22: So this is a little out of order! But it seemed more interesting to start with the 5k. Anyway. One night we tried this burger place called Smash Buddies, it was pretty nice. They charge extra if you want grilled onions on your patty melt. That’s like charging extra if you want cheese on your cheeseburger.