Tradition delayed

For at least a dozen years, Ali and I have had a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree together. It's Step 2 of the Reed holiday habit.

Nice spread, aye?

We start things off on the way home from Thanksgiving, which is usually down home, by breaking out Jeff's House of Merle X Marks the Spot Christmas music mix. We sing along for the 90 miles or so it takes us to get home and by the time we get home, we're on the edge of ready.

This year, instead of waking up to hours of pulling out decorations, I got up at 3 to get Ali up and to the airport for a trip to Mexico with her school choir. She was chosen for the 8-day, over the school week, trip to Tlaxcala and has spent the last several days singing her heart out in churches built in the 1500s and traipsing around scenic Mexico.

Mr. Riley is earning his corner of heaven... and snack on Earth.

You can see and listen to her choir here, here, here and here, thanks to great trip chaperones and the magic of Facebook and mu pilfering from a Dad named Mike Berry. His daughter apparently didn't think he was too bossy to go. The least he can do is let me steal from him. 😁

In between multiple singing events, the girls have danced with local villagers, sang with kids, exchanged gifts with schools and host families, scaled ancient ruins, eaten tons of great food and sprang a flash mob in a crowded market. They've had a wonderful time.

As for me? Well, Christmas has still escaped from the bins but the tree is naked of ornaments -- that's Ali's favorite job. One year, we had a tree with little else but stuffed animals. She's gotten over that, though she may not appreciate what I've done with our collection of Island of Misfit Toys collection. She usually insists they sit above the picture window in the front room.

I did put the tree up and wrap it in lights -- not her favorite part. She claims she's excited to get home and get to it. We'll see. She comes home tomorrow night. I've cleared the next day for whatever she wants to do. I expect my morning will be available, though...

When turkeys attack

In an hour or so, we'll get in the car and drive to my sister's house. We'll laugh. We'll eat. We'll make fun of each other and talk about old times.

Like when we were all at home and somehow ended up with an attack turkey. It was a huge old Tom. I don't know why he was so mean, where he came from and if we ever ate him, but he was terrifying.

If you've never had a turkey chase you to the outhouse in the dead of the night, you haven't lived. Or had your bladder control tested.

Too much insight into my psyche on a national holiday? Sorry. Not sorry.

Our upbringing was one long lesson in the old adage, "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I was the youngest, so I missed some of the more bucolic of our family times, but I'm sure I'll be reminded today. 

We won't be at my family home. It and the outhouse is gone now. The only turkey at Donna's will be on a platter, but if past gatherings are any indication, we'll serve up memories of that enduring life lesson and how our truly devout dad tended to laugh at things that other parents might find alarming. Like:

• When I'd snatched Nancy's 10-speed and was riding down the country road in front of our house and a snarling dog chased me into an electric fence. He was down at the neighbor's house when it happened. They both watched the scene play out. As the dog ran back home, the neighbor asked my dad if they should go untangle me. My dad shook his head no and probably said something about me needing to build up a little more character.
• When my parents' friends were over and the wife was in bathroom when a water pump sprang into action. It was a normal sound for those of us who lived there. Carmen Boyd, however, came from the city. Pants around her ankles, she jumped from the toilet to the ceiling and called for help thinking a wild animal was in there with her.
• When Donna failed to come to dinner for what seemed like hours, only to drag herself inside, wet and cold. She'd fallen into a well while she was out watering the cows and had to drag herself out of there.
• When Diane was dressed for a date and fell into the muddy pig pen.
• When he caught my brothers with smokeless tobacco and made them eat it. Donnie swallowed it and sat there defiant. David had a harder time and Dad let him mix it in with what was left of the gravy.

Sigh. How those were good times, I can't quite explain. I'll have to gather more proof.

Hope your Thanksgiving is full of laughter and safe travels.

Behold the mighty oak

Without fail, the Captain and I argue over how to deal with the leaves in our yard come this time of year when the magnificent trees in our neighborhood morph into hideous monsters that do nothing all day but drop their refuse onto our yards and streets.

One year, capitulating to his hatred of all things yard work-related, I waited to collect them all once and only once rather than attacking them every week as I normally do. We had leaves up to our knees. Well, I did. They were more ankle height on Jeff.

But they swirled into the house as if seeking shelter. They blew into the cars, into my hair, into my mouth at the slightest breeze. Walking into the house was a crunch fest.

Alison loved diving into the piles. She could have probably jumped from the roof and landed safely the piles were so high. Bagging them all took forEVER and it was so cold. I vowed to never wait so long again.

This year, my strategy is to mulch them at least once a week. It requires a lot of passes with the mower, but it's a great way to rack up steps, and it doesn't result in a sore back. Jeff is gone to a beer event in Chicago, Ali is focused on homework and college applications so there was nothing holding me back from time in the yard.

I was feeling pretty proud of myself and optimistic about the idea of escaping bag duty. But even my additional time with the mower didn't get me to my step goal, so afterward, I took a walk around my neighborhood.

I noted how many of my neighbors' trees had already shed completely and now stretched bare, skeletal arms to the blue sky. I complain about the leaves, but the carpets of color they laid were spectacular.

Most of the yards wore one color, but one sported canary yellow as well as crimson, with a beautiful blur of both where they came together. On the one hand, I was sad that so many had fallen already. On the other, it meant less work for me in the coming weeks.


I got back to my house and was greeted by a mostly green yard with spots of leaves that I didn't dig out of the flower beds. I figuratively patted myself on the back for being so smart to use technology to fight my seasonal battle.

But then, I looked up. I'm pretty sure the squirrels in my oak tree -- and maybe the tree itself -- were laughing at me. Yeah, the shorter, lesser tress might have let go. This baby is hanging on.

Let's Keep This Week Going

In the past seven days, TeamReed has seen:

• The BoSox win the World Series the day before Jeff's birthday,
• Both Jeff and my fantasy football teams won their matches,
• Jeff did a stellar job arguing before the Indiana Supreme Court, and 
• Alison had some awesome moments on the sports, academic and social scenes. 

Then, this morning, on a walk after breakfast, Jeff and I saw a line of people filling the sidewalk in front of a strip mall that includes a Planet Fitness and a discount department store. At the far end of that strip was a polling site. The line started at the polling site, crossed the full length of the strip mall, and looped around so it looked like the returns counter on December 25th. And people were still strolling up to vote early.

It's too early to tell, of course, whether these awesome Americans are voting on my side of the ballot. But just the idea that they were out to vote -- and that voting is at an all-time high here in Indiana -- was enough to increase the bounce in my step.

But let's pause for a moment to officially laud the Captain, who hit a career high with his appearance before the Indiana Supreme Court.



You can watch it here, or you can trust me that he did a terrific job articulating why the court should agree with his side of Case No.18S-EX-0047593A02-1711-EX-02735, NIPSCO Industrial Group v. Northern Indiana Public Service Company, Office of the Utility Consumer Counselor which concerns Cause No. 44733-TDSIC-2 before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

If the title of the case isn't enough to dissuade you from watching it, you can fast forward 19 minutes to see him argue. It's been 20+ years since I was in a hearing room where he was working, but I was glad I went. Thanks to Andy Siewert for making time to sit in and others who watched it in live stream. Jeff had prepared really well, but the good vibes probably helped, too.

We had another record year of raising money for the local Ronald McDonald House at the annual Taste gala. Thanks to Peter Dunn for emceeing and support from IndyNewYears.com, Borshoff, Neal Brown Hospitality, Jack and Karen Shell and everyone who helped out. I just realized I didn't take any pictures there. It was a fun night and such a wonderful cause. If you ever find yourself with too much cash on hand, feel free to give to the House. It's an amazing place.

In other fun news, our friends Nick Wangler and Anna Zumbrun had a moment in the sun from WISH-TV, which highlighted their use of the beautiful and historic Union Station for a New Year's Eve party that's going to be THE place to be to ring out 2018. Get your tickets here. 

It's not just a good party, they're raising money for Dream Alive, there's an arts component via a partnership with the Harrison Center for the Arts and even more entertainment options. Check out the Indy Masquerade via Brenna Donnelly's Facebook live hit, where you get to know Nick and Anna, too.

Or, in case you missed WISH live, check out some more here.  If you're thinking you can't ballroom dance so you can't take advantage of all the things at Masquerade, folks from Indianapolis Ballet will be there to help you bust the right move.

For you Indianapolis folks, keep your eye out for art from Abi Ogle, which will signal a surprise, pop-up "Masquerade Moment" from now until the end of the year. 

The most important thing you can do this week, though, is vote. If you want advice on who to support, I'm full of ideas. But you're smart. You care about other people. You want America to be the place anyone can find a fair opportunity. Keep those things in mind when go stand to cast your ballot and you can't go wrong.

Then, ask yourself, "What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve....