Two years HERE!! - Christmas! - SKI - USA!!!
Today marks TWO years in Barcelona .... goodness...
Well - what a season. Since the last blog on 21 December, we have had the kids off school for a BIG break (they were off from 23 December to 7th January) - we celebrated Christmas, crushed two ski trips, celebrated New Year, Celebrated Three Kings Day, and beat the shit out of a log that pooped presents (for the 2nd year in a row). Kids are now back in school, and we are trying to get back to some type of ‘normal’ routine, but it’s not working …. I leave tomorrow for USA! So, this week is busy with work, kids, planning, and packing…whew!! Feburary yet?? oh, and today is 2 years since we MOVED.
Oh - and MORE COWBELL!!! SDSU Jackrabbits REPEAT as national champs …. cheers to that (photo below).
Quick Things ….
We were away 10 or 11 days over Christmas and returned to ‘SOOOOOOO MUCH MAIL’ according to Ellory - we had 10 pieces. LOL. MANY PROPS and LOVE to those who sent us Christmas Cards (Dad/Vickie, Mom, Vince, and Tiffany Kessler, Melissa and Matt Clark (sup FISH!!!), Jon and Masha Fishman (come back to Spain!!), and my Cousin Billy and his wife Jenn - these mean the world to us (feel free to send us snail mail! I’m told it takes 2 weeks). We used to get 100 Christmas cards per year, we now get 5. It’s ok - but feel free to mail us if you wish (ps our address is at the bottom of all blogs)!
It’s amazing watching the kids grow up in a ‘city’ and not the ‘burbs’ - I had a client the other day who said, ‘I’m a city girl, Jon….’ and although I have tons of friends here who are from NYC, these conversations really never hit home - until this client. I wonder if we are raising ‘city kids’ vs ‘Midwest’ or ‘suburban’ kids …. an interesting thought exercise for me this month. There is always something going on - always something exciting - always a pop-up event … always easy, spontaneous time with friends and connecting. Subways vs cars. Small apartments vs large homes. etc.
I had a parking ticket. 40€ - they are easy to pay at an ATM!
There is starting to be more published research on alcohol consumption. The data has been fluid the last 10 years, don’t drink, ok drink 1-2 per day, no don’t drink at all, only drink this type of alcohol, etc. The data has been changing and the last ‘solid’ scientific data is ‘none is best’ - (listen to Andrew Huberman’s podcast on alcohol - it’s amazing). However, now the leading scientists seem to disseminate between ‘American Drinking’ and ‘European Drinking’ - two very different things. It’s interesting, and we will see how it plays out (and how I do or don’t adjust my habits!). Either way, good wine is good a f for me I think!
There is no fountain pop/soda here. I noticed that gas stations don’t have it but I just noticed that at bars and restaurants they don’t have a CO2 system - you want a G&T (Gin and Tonic - uber popular here) you get a glass of ice and gin, then a small single bottle of tonic. Rum coke? Glass of ice/rum and a small bottle of coke. No bags of syrup in the back - just tons and tons of tiny glass bottles of coke/tonic/soda/etc. (they recycle all the glass!). Oh, and in a store cokes and soda’s are MORE expensive than most beers…..LOL. of course, they do have tap beer….most of the time it’s 1-2€
2 weeks of holiday eating and drinking wine in Argentina, followed by 2 weeks of holiday skiing and eating/drinking with friends, means my ass has not seen much of the gym lately. And … it likely won’t until February! oh no! I’m sure the weight and fitness will come back like I’m 24….right? (insert sad face here).
Cheers to those who do Dry January (and a buddy here doing Vegan January as well). It would be nearly impossible (ok not so, but super hard) for me with what January brings yearly (see below). Plus, February is the shortest month so why not do a dry month then?, BUT my friend Mike here said it well - ‘why do a ‘dry month’ when you can just not drink Monday - Wednesday,’ and it’s more days overall? - makes sense to me …. so, Ashley, please hide all the wine on Monday - Wednesday (pretty please).
Two Years in here….
Today (11 January) marks two years since we landed in Barcelona to ‘live’ here for at least 2 school years (up in June). I could write hundreds of pages on what I have learned, how we have all changed, the good and the not-so-good, and the struggles and amazing successes. I’ll not write those 100’s of pages (at least not for this published blog) but I will just say this = No regrets. My perspective on life has changed, my habits and routine are different, my personal relationships have changed, and I feel I know more, yet I am more confused than ever. However, I am really enjoying the confusion - the unknown - and the struggles. This is an amazing life and I’m just grateful I have the option to choose. Choices, of course, have consequences, and I’m happy to answer to them. Ps - we ain’t moving back next year!
Christmas! New Years! Shitting logs!!
We celebrated Christmas for the second year in Spain - it was similar yet different than last year. We spent Christmas Eve with our good friends Nick and Nu and their kids - and, of course, did the Caga Tio (yes, the same log that we had last year - if you didn’t see last year, see THIS LINK for information or search YouTube for something funny. It’s basically a log you feed for weeks, then on Christmas Eve, you beat it with a stick, and it shits presents - yes - shits presents for the kids. I can’t make it up. After Santa came (Ellory still believes! - Hayes had a blast helping us with the ‘Elf on the Sheft’ this year and ate Santa’s cookies) that night we had our traditional Christmas day as a family with our pizza contest (I bought the wrong dough!!) and we packed up while the kids played with their new gifts. Of note, the house looked great all decorated - multiple trees, tons of decorations … next year we need to get lights to the kids balconies for sure….
We left for Baquiera in the Spanish Pyrenees 26 December. It was our second year in a row doing this trip with friends - we spent time with friends, crushed 6 days of skiing, and even made it to 130am for New Year! We left Baqueria to drive straight to Andorra for 4 days with another set of friends - the skiing was not the best there, but it’s early in the year, and this week (a week late), they both had a meter PLUS of snow! Back to Barcelona and one-half day of relaxing before playdates, sleepovers, and some mountain biking for Hayes (then some Padel with friends)….kids back to school this last Monday and it was nice … BUT it left me only few days at the gym, TONS of work as I slacked pretty hard these 4 of 5 weeks…I am now packing today to leave for USA tomorrow!
I missed certain things about Christmas this year. I didn’t last year, but this year, talking with Jan about baking and giving/receiving holiday cookies, over-the-top Christmas lights on homes, holiday parties, etc - I missed it. I didn’t get to talk with my sister or father on Christmas day - which made me sad. All things, it's still an amazing holiday here - but we may make it back to the States next year (or just bail to an island or do a trip). We have amazing friends here and very cool/fun traditions, and we had an absolute blast with TONS of great memories. But, some things are of course missed - this year, Christmas (the season and all that comes with it) was one of them…
I feel 2023 was fantastic to me/us - and I hope it was for anyone reading this as well. I’m no longer the ‘New Year resolutions’ guy, but of course, I set goals - I feel everyone needs to strive for something(s). This year I want to be more balanced (temperance) in a few areas of life, refocus on priorities, and get more organized (in a TON of different ways). I have many health goals for 2024 as well and a few business goals …. I’m sure 2024 will treat us well …. and we will find ways to capitalize on the challenges it decides to toss at us. LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
USA USA USA!
I leave tomorrow for Kansas City. Only KC for 1.5 days - then to Sioux Falls to stay with Jesse and Kate and connect with a few friends. I’ll be at our cabin Monday by 1pm and can’t wait - I’ll ski - get some deep thinking done - and relax and little bit of work of couse. Toby, Jack, and Jesse get in on Thursday afternoon for the 2nd annual trip like this - drinks - skiing, high-powered snowmobiles - and just all around laughing and having a blast. I know it will be one of my highlights for the year (it’s a long highlight reel, though). I’m looking forward to seeing my Dad and Vickie in KC, seeing and spending time with my colleague and close friend Jan, and getting some time in my 4Runner. I’m excited to train at my old gym, hang with my buddy Kris, have some good food, and just relax. It’ll be a great trip - back to Barcelona on 23 January to take off on a ski trip on the 25th (my 3rd annual) with all the Dad’s from the school and the kids! All the wives go to the Costa Brava, to Italy, Paris, or elsewhere with NO kids …. it’s a great trip and I can’t wait. Bottom line - I’ll be ready for February to get to a routine, have some dinners and lunches with friends, and relax a bit. Our next trip (Ski week!) is not until the 3rd week in Feb - so I’ll have a bit of a break!
Things I am pondering going into the new year….
Eat food, not ingredients
Small things (ate too much, small spouse disagreement, was 10 minutes late, etc) are like misdemeanors - let them go. Not a big deal. It’s not a felony.
Anticipate - don’t improvise.
The ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little self care.