Tonight was our annual fathers night out.. one December night for at least the last 15 years, I’ve met up with the members of my old dad’s group for a night of not-shopping. Our original goal was to meet for dinner and beers.. then go out shopping for our wives.. Somehow in the last decade and a half.. the shopping time has decreased while the beer time increased. Tonight I don’t think any of us really did any shopping. It’s a comfortable tradition. Same place, same time.. generally the same week. We all catch up , talk about kids, work,… the weather.. the kind of small talk that you can stretch ot for 15 years.. Most of the guys I see around all the time.. some.. I only see on this night…

The group has been there for each other over some really tough stuff..   family troubles, work troubles, …9/11… Sam…  I rmember that our night out in 2006 was the first time I left the house alone after Sam died.    I remember trying to shop.. it was so , so surreal

Even now, I just cant get my head around buying stuff for xmas.. It’s not that it’s too sad….. I like christmas now.. It’s just that I don’t like the idea of aquiring more ‘stuff’

Tonight .. I did a little window shopping then gave up/ .. still it was fun to try.

We all knocked off early.. I was home befor e9…

another yearly ritual ticked off.. The calendar reminds of two other milestones… It was tonight 2 years ago that I walked outside with my glass of wine and asked the cosmos what I sjould do next.. The next day I got the call from the makers of The Colony..

Diane also reminds me that it was 30 years ago today that John Lennon was killed..    I remember standing in a museum .. not believing what I had just heard..

OK not much else in my head for tonight.. the last night (I thik) of Chanukah..

Hope everyone is staying warm…

nite all.. nite sam

-me