A couple of weeks ago we said goodbye to family and friends in Chicago before we were there long enough to remember that it gets very cold. We had planned to drive all the way to Maryland, grab out hiking gear and then drive to the Smoky Mountains for a week of hiking and relaxation. Unfortunately, my back interfered and we decided hiking wasn’t in the cards.

Our plan B was a five-hour drive to Cincinnati to catch a Labor Day Reds-Astros game. We packed the car and headed out. We arrived with just enough time to freshen up and walk over to Great American Ball Park. It was a perfect afternoon for a game and it was a fun game. We sat in the second section up behind home plate. Great seats! The three little boys in front of us were the best cheering section possible and one of them was doing everything possible to get on the Jumbotron. His dad told us he’d been on it several times that season already. Sadly, our game was not one of those times. Happily, the Reds won 5-3.

The next morning, we woke up and set our sights on Maggie Valley, NC. In a strange bit of luck, we had had trouble getting up the steep garage ramp at our condo in Chicago with the trunk full of belongings and a front-wheel drive car so Steven got new tires (for the car obviously! my personal spare tire is alive and well around my belly) before the trip. I think we would have made it up the hill to the house anyway, but with all the scree and a few steep stretches, we felt much better with the new tires. The house in Maggie Valley had a beautiful view of the mountains and a hot tub. That’s all we needed. Mostly, we went for short walks that my back could handle and soaked in the hot tub. The day before we left for Maryland, we drove the Blue Ridge Highway, stopping at overlooks and then doing a short walk along a river. Overall, a beautiful and relaxing interlude before reality hit and Steven went back to work.

We had shortened the mountain trip by a couple of days both because of my back and because Abi would be in Maryland and we wanted to see her. The drive to Maryland was about 8.5 hours, but we managed to time it so that we could stop at Khukuri Nepali Cuisine for lunch. We were there last year when we visited Shenandoah National Park, and really liked it.

Our new home is very close to Josh, Liz and Hannah and has plenty of space in case anyone wants to come visit. After we schlepped our stuff into the townhouse on Saturday, we had dinner with the whole group. Sunday, we drove the 10 minutes over to Wegman’s to stock up. It always helps us settle in when we fill the fridge with the food we like.

Steven’s sister, Judie, who is staying nearby in their RV needed groceries and Wegman’s is the closest store, so we arranged to have lunch together at a delicious Turkish restaurant called Rudy’s Mediterranean

Now we’re settled and back in our routine. At least for this week. Next week, Steven’s mom arrives!