I don’t think there are very many people who are sad to see 2020 end. Will 2021 be better? I don’t want to jinx it by saying it couldn’t be any worse. The shirt I ordered for Christmas summed it up I think…
In fact, we all ordered shirts for Christmas, and in true 2020 fashion, only two of them arrived BEFORE Christmas! Ugh.
I am getting ahead of myself though.
It was a great weekend, swimming in the pool, and spending time on the lake with the jet ski and boat.
After what seemed like a very short time, they were on their way back to L.A. and we hunkered down and started working on projects.
The weirdest one was probably us trying to convince our palm tree that it does NOT want to grow straight up. It grew a lot over the summer, putting it a little too close to the wires above it. It took a few hours, but hopefully the wedge we created will keep it safe from the wires.
The most fun project was picking up and outfitting our NEW truck. Over a year after we ordered it, it finally arrived.
If we thought our F450 was a beast, this F350 is beyond amazing. The power, and features are incredible.
Part of the delay was due to the fact that this is the ONLY color we wanted. Even when we knew it would be a long wait for it, there was nothing else we would be happy with, so we waited…and waited. Covid shutdowns also played a big role, but we finally got it!
It wasn’t long before our first winter guests arrived. Liz and Randy recently bought a Mobile Suite, the same 5th wheel brand that Paul and I, and Julie and Mike have. Can’t wait to line them all up!
We anticipate many joint projects this winter, as we work to get our rigs modified to our liking.
In mid November, “2020” type issues once again reared their ugly head, and we had to scrap our Thanksgiving plans. Instead, Paul and I had to get to Boston to deal with an urgent family situation.
There was no way we were going to fly, so we put the camper on the new truck and drove. After doing what we could, we turned around and came home.
We were happy to get out of MA, with temps dipping into the low 20s at night. The camper handled it perfectly though- a nice perk. Driving was an all day affair, every day, with us usually arriving in campgrounds just in time for sunset.
Traditionally, in early December we head to the lake to watch the Christmas Boat Parade. Dinner is usually hot dogs cooked on the propane fire pit, with cole slaw and potato salad.
This year was no different, since its easy to distance from other groups.
Before we knew it, Mike and Julie arrived for the holidays and the 6 amigos were together again.
They brought with them some new bling for the PPP- customized aprons and dish towels!
When the weather turned awesome one day, we put all the projects on hold and headed for the lake.
We stayed on the water just long enough to see London Bridge and the English Village all lit up for Christmas.
A few days before the holiday, our daughter Jess arrived from L.A. She is always a welcome addition to our party.
This year was a mix of traditions and new additions to the holidays at the PPP. Our group was smaller than usual, but we still had a great time.
The Official Weighing of the Carrot Cake still took place…..as did the Yankee Swap.
Of course one of my favorite types of pictures of the PPP is one where someone is cooking (usually not me, haha) and the rest are supervising from the other side of the counter. This year was no different in that regard.
New for this year was a zoom party with my family back in MA- that was a welcome addition to the day!
We also attended a concert “2020” style- by streaming it on our TV.
Just before Jess headed back to CA, she and I hiked one of my favorite hikes in the area- Lizard Peek. I try and hike this once or twice a week in the winter.
Anyway, here’s to 2021- May it indeed be better than 2020!
