The Lateness of the Hour

Welcome to late October and my also-late annual October post! Indeed it has been a busy month here at castle Cahill, what with anniversary and birthday celebrations to be had, a weekend getaway including a surprise meet-up with family, and a very busy schedule to keep as my mild mannered IT alter ego. As I write this, Halloween is about to fall upon the land, and you know that it remains a favorite holiday of mine.

I plugged in the Halloween version of the jukebox a little earlier than usual this year. While the listeners of this side hobby of mine are mostly family and friends – and despite adding new songs and ads each year, there’s always the risk of getting tired of the playlist. I’d say that was mostly avoided, but curse you Weebles Haunted House and your defiance of my playlist selection scripting logic!

I mentioned the weekend getaway to Disneyland that Shannon, Sam, and I enjoyed. Lots of great decorations and ambiance, but our experience was made so much better once we learned that my sister, her daughter and family were also there on the same day. We met up and spent some time together. Given the health challenges that my sister has faced over the year, it was good to see her in good spirits and enjoying herself. A great day was made even better when we received a text from Shannon’s cousin claiming that they were in Disneyland and thought they saw Sam in the crowd, asking if we were there, too. Well of course! So we also had a quick meet up with her and her family later in the evening. We all had a great weekend together, but I-10, you are still not my favorite.

October is also my birthday month, and while in years past it has sparked my depression around getting older and losing connections with family, I feel very fortunate as I complete this trip around the sun. I am grateful for my family, I treasure my decades-old friendships, and I’m thankful for the new friendships I’ve gained this year. Looking back on an earlier post, it’s refreshing to confirm that my feelings of gratitude have persisted throughout the year, and equally strange to me how real change has manifested in unintended and surprising ways.

I hope you enjoy the Halloween broadcast, and don’t forget to tune in for the big giveaway! Stay tuned for my next post, too, because Tron: Ares and I need to have some words…

Happy Halloween!