September 2026

The morning after our Mexico trip we were up and at them real early to get me onto another real early flight. My destination this time? California, of course, with a layover in Denver on the way.

I was very fortunate to be able to take this trip and take my turn with helping Grandma out. I arrived to a light rain in Burbank and Uber’d to Grandma’s where she and Mom showed up not too much later. Taking advantage of double staff at Grandma’s, I went out into the city for a little bit and checked out the Noah store and brought home burgers from Amboy. And you will see, I did not take many pictures of people on this trip. But I did take pictures of houses and turtles and trees and such. As you will see.

Wednesday I took a CalTech/Pasadena/San Marino walk and then we took Mom to the airport and that night we had Peruvian chicken. Also spent a lot of time on the phone with the alarm company.

Thursday we spent more time on the phone with the alarm company and then got sandwiches in Glendale. (Except my sandwich was a sausage). Also we drove around Altadena looking at the new constructions but my hands were on the steering wheel, not a camera.

Friday started with a walk and then later I’d take Grandma to her hair appointment and we’d get more sandwiches.

Then on Saturday we drove to LAX to pick up Frank and then drove by the outside of the George Lucas museum on the way home. And I took another Caltech walk.

And then Sunday it was back to Columbus with me, via Denver once more.

Big things in Columbus in September: a penguin came to my work and a raccoon was living in our attic.

We finished September up with a trip to Nashville for Liz to make her second appearance at the Mid Tennessee Green Chili Roast and to spend some time with Jeff and his family. BUT on the way we stopped in Kentucky to eat at an out of the way burger establishment called Dovie’s where they deep fry their burgers … a method not entirely unlike how they do it at K’s, but the Dovie’s method seems a lot more immersive. Then they serve these oily greasy wonders with a house ketchup-based sauce and plenty of pickles and everyone leaves quite happy.

Hmmm. Looks like I don’t have any pictures from Friday when we were hanging out at Annemarie’s and meeting their cows or hanging out with Jeff BUT here’s pictures from Saturday morning when we walked across a cemetery to get breakfast.

And here are pics from the chili fest!

Then Liz and I walked around downtown Nashville and checked out Jeff’s old house before getting BBQ with Annemarie’s family.

And now here’s a cool twist. Maria from NYC circa 2007-2010 lives in Nashville now and invited us along with her and her husband to the Nashville Symphony where we saw Brad Mehldau play a concerto and a cover. An excellent way to reconnect with a friend I hadn’t seen in 16 years! More reunions and more reunions like this, please!

And then on Sunday on our way back to Columbus we enjoyed our traditional half-anniversary Cracker Barrel meal for the first time in a few years and, wow, that’s a great place! And September was a great month! Let’s meet back here soon for October things!