So we're travelling for the winter holidays and visiting Julie's family for the first time in two years. If I'd made the plans in December rather than November, they probably would have been different. But ultimately I couldn't put Eris through the last-minute cancellation of her holiday plans after all she's been through so far. So it's down to vaccines and masks and tests and hope. At least we're not going to Cleveland.

It has been very wonderful seeing Julie's family, including meeting the twins in person for the first time. We're staying with Julie's parents (who bought a new house very close to Julie's sister, Kristin), and Kristin and Jimmy are hosting some of Jimmy's family. We had a nice Christmas dinner, and celebrated the twins' birthday, and went to a drive-through holiday lights event at the Dallas Zoo.

I'm trying to relax a bit before I return to town and start on my new team at work. I did bring my work laptop this time (I usually don't) in case our return ends up delayed.