Thanksgiving is typically a holiday of overindulgence. You
eat way too much food or way too many pieces of pie. You hang out with your
family way too much. It’s not supposed to be a holiday of discipline, but this
time, for us, it was a mix of excess and exercise.
Cold birds aside, Jason completed his race like a natural.
Jason and I have served as running coaches for our nephew since last August. He took on the ambitious goal of completing his first half marathon for a school class. That race, the Thankful 13, took place Thanksgiving morning. Although he was not always a consistent trainer and was sick the day of the race, he finished strong around 2:47. Jason also entered this half marathon; he pretty much did it cold turkey. (Yes, pun intended.) He finished in 1:50 at an 8:26/mile pace. I did the 5K and probably didn’t even burn the caloric equivalent of one of the many Magleby’s rolls I ate with my holiday meal; it was kind of a one-bun run.
It’s impossible not to smile after the completion of a long race, unless your mouth is otherwise occupied with vomiting.I only ran a 5K, so this victory shot may be more like a cheap shot.
Speaking of feasting, Jason’s family got together the
weekend before Thanksgiving, which made the holiday less stuffed for us both
literally and metaphorically. We were able to go to my family’s without any consumption
conflicts. My family’s gathering was sadly small this year. Siblings and their
families were on vacation, sick, or exiling themselves by choice. Still, the
small group present ate enough food to fill the gap.
The Sabin clan assembled rowdily the week before Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving provides a terrific excuse to bake fabulous things
that are too sinful and/or time-consuming to justify cooking otherwise. This time,
Jason and I made honeyed yogurt pumpkin pie with pistachio-coconut streusel and
a pumpkin pull-apart loaf from scratch and bought a marzipan cake from Gourmandise.
The cake was our nephew’s requested treat for completing his race. Even with the
heaps of cuisine available on Thanksgiving, our overeating didn’t set in until
afterwards. We consumed way too many leftover-turkey pot pies in the week
following the holiday, an easy undertaking when homemade crusts are involved.
We made a honeyed yogurt pumpkin pie with pistachio-coconut streusel. It was as good as its fancy name suggests.
Thanksgiving kept us running around and eating around but in the intentional sort of way. Praise be to dessert and dashing!
Moab is a place unlike any other. Despite the dozens of
times we’ve traveled to its crimson outcroppings, Jason and I are still
enamored by its resilient magnificence. We took a monumental escape to that
enigmatic countryside last fall, as we do every autumn. Hidden art,
architecture, and arches abounded, along with a little vengeance.
Sipapu Bridge is solid yet elegant.
On this trip, we decided to seek out Natural Bridges
National Monument. Natural Bridges is two hours south of Moab, far enough away
that we never realized it was that close. Better now than never.
Horse Collar Ruin is so named because the openings on these two structures look like horse collars.Horse Collar Ruin includes a number of structures camouflaged under the niches of White Canyon.
In Natural Bridges, we decided to hike the 5.6-mile loop
that twists through the Cedar Mesa sandstone cliffs in White Canyon to Sipapu
and Kachina Bridges. What a terrific trek! The canyon was peaceful and vibrant,
filled with gilded sunshine filtered through golden leaves and reflected off bright
canyon walls.
Kachina Bridge trades refinement for strength.
Sipapu Bridge, the second-largest natural bridge in the
United States, was the first span we encountered on our path. Ladders, handrails,
and staircases guided us to this remarkable 268-foot arc. After we passed its worn
bow, we didn’t see another human being until we emerged from the canyon miles
later. That’s my kind of hike!
We made it to Owachomo as the sky was darkening from blue to black.
Between Sipapu and Kachina, we nearly missed our favorite
part of our trek. Horse Collar Ruin, a seven-hundred-year-old group of buildings
constructed by the Ancestral Puebloan, was a highlight of the day. Jason went
on a side trail looking for the ruin in the area we thought it was probably
located and came back shaking his head. He had, in fact, been gazing right at
it, but it blended into the background quite effectively, as its builders intended.
Luckily, I noticed one of its stone structures thanks to both happenstance and
my attention to detail. When seeking Horse Collar Ruin on your own hike, be
aware that there isn’t a sign directing you to it. You will have to pay careful
attention to the canyon ledges to find these fascinating edifices.
It’s not just the terrain that takes your breath away on Hell’s Revenge. The views do that too.
Kachina Bridge, our last stop in route, was a chunky
contrast to Sipapu. Its 44-feet girth is bulky and rough. Maybe it just needs
the seasoning of another 30,000 years in nature’s finishing school.
Thousands of arches hang in the area surrounding Moab, each of them worn exquisitely.Change your perspective and an arch looks completely different.
By the time we completed our loop through Sipapu and
Kachina, the sun had set in a moonless sky, and blackness was rushing in to
fill the void. Yet, we still set out on the short path to Owachomo Bridge,
determined to see the last span in the monument. The bridge’s slender shape was
impressive silhouetted against the deepening heavens. Good thing we lack the
common sense to stop hiking when night falls.
The trail to Jeep Arch begins in an unusual fashion, through a metal tunnel about 200 feet long.
The next day, we scheduled an activity that is typical for
Moab but atypical for us in Moab: jeeping. Robert Mick, son of legendary Dan
Mick, took us on Hell’s Revenge. Vengeance is sweet! Hell’s Revenge starts out
intimidating with the aptly-named Intimidator, a thin fin of sandstone that
doesn’t look fit for a vehicle. The rest of the trail keeps the adrenaline
pumping, the eyes popping, and the giggles erupting. Robert did some crazy
stuff I would never, ever, ever have tried. Not only did we ride along the
Abyss and Black Hole, we also took the optional plunge into Hell’s Gate. Hell’s
Gate is nearly vertical and skewed in every direction. It looks completely
unpassable. One guy watching us said, “I just pooped my pants” as we crested over
the last of the Gate’s twisted inclines.
The route to Jeep Arch is just as marvelous as the final destination.
After jeeping, we hiked to Pinto Arch. Never heard of Pinto
Arch? How about Corona Arch? Yes? Pinto Arch can be reached by taking an
offshoot from the Corona Arch Trail. Even with the many times we’ve been to
Moab and the multiple times we’ve hiked to Corona Arch, we didn’t realize Pinto
was right there. It is visible from Corona’s path if you know where to look. It
reminded me of a squatter and portlier relative of Bowtie Arch. We hit it just
around sunset, which made for some great photography.
Jeep Arch has a boxier opening than most.
Our last day in Moab, we hiked to Jeep Arch. Online reviews said this trail was super hard to follow and getting lost was practically guaranteed. We did not think that was the case at all. Tracking cairns was necessary in many spots as the path wound over stretches of rock, but these sections were well marked. The route was scenic and the arch’s jagged opening curious. If you undertake this hike, the left side of the loop is the better side. The surroundings are prettier and afford a finer perspective of the arch. It took us about three hours to complete this nearly-four-mile jaunt. Driving back from this excursion, we discovered something new. Although we’ve gone down State Route 279 many times, we never realized there are hundreds of petroglyphs along this road. If you want to find yourself similarly surprised, look for a sign on the south side of the byway near the climbing routes. The petroglyphs can be viewed from the road easily, but binoculars are nice.
We’ve passed the abundant petroglyphs along State Road 279 numerous times without realizing they were there.
After over a decade of biannual trips to Moab, that desert wonderland
still holds mysteries and marvels, along with a few of Hell’s hurdles.
Our Halloween party just hit its 19th year. It’s
almost all grown up and ready to move into our basement… oh wait, that already
happened. Since we’ve thrown this shindig for nearly two decades, Jason and I
have the pattern down. We know when to start dragging out our masses of decorations,
and we also know we will have to use a steam vacuum on at least a few spots of
carpet afterward. Yet, like any loony endeavor, this bash still possesses flashes
of the unexpected. This year, we didn’t anticipate the overwhelming amount of
time it would take to conjure magical party favors, crafts, and catering, a
miscalculation that resulted in ocular convulsions and persistent ascents. Allow
me to share the twinge-worthy details.
Cornish pixies, a Demiguise, and all manner of magical creatures congregated in our parlor. We love when party guests steal into character.
We opted to do a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts theme this
year. Although we did a Harry Potter motif last year, it was kind of a last-minute
decision. This time, we made it a mid-minute decision and went all in. I loved
the continuity the theme provided, but that connection did cost a spell. Being a fan of the
wizarding world, I got a little too absorbed in the enchantment I could summon through
details from Harry’s universe.
These matchbox suitcases were handmade in the UK and contained fantastic beasts. They were probably my favorite favor component this year.Another favor featured wands, wand permits, and Hogwarts Express tickets. Proper documentation is imperative after all.
Custom decorations, like a handmade Dementor, were just the
beginning of the magical madness. I assembled 79 party favors of six different
varieties. Everything from wands to fantastic creatures was included in these
charmed takeaways. In the end, only three of the 79 didn’t go home with a witch
or wizard. As if that mound of mystical trinkets wasn’t enough, I also conjured,
as a bonus, personalized gifts for the “VIP” children that have consistently come
to our bash for years.
With the right toiletries, one can bathe like a prefect.We ordered enough Advanced Wizard Potions from The Truffle Cottage to fill Snape’s storeroom. They were yet another favor possibility.
There were nine different crafts available to attendees this
year, most of them Harry Potter related. Ingredients for everything from Deathly-Hallows
house bracelets, mini spell books, wand boxes, and potion journals were offered
for the making. Finding templates for these crafts, getting the necessary
supplies and prints, and fashioning examples required a heft of effort and time.
Drat you Harry Potter for having so many darling DIYs!
Jason was such a convincing Newt, I did a double take a few times.
Just how crazy was I with crafts and favors this year? Well,
on Etsy alone, one of my favorite sites for unique handmade pieces, I bought 52
different types of items from 30 distinct sellers. As in, the Harry Potter mask
I purchased three dozen of was just one of those 52 items. The total number of objects
procured was well into the hundreds. And then, there was all that stuff that
came from Oriental Trading… someone Imperio me!
A Niffler’s naughtiness produced my favorite nook this year.We ministered some magic by covering our walls in a dozen proclamations and around 50 wanted posters.
In an atypical bout of organization, Jason created an Excel
document to manage party tasks this year. It had 78 to-dos on it, but it didn’t
cover everything. Despite Jason’s uncharacteristic coordination, we got a
little behind on necessary assignments in the days leading up to the event,
more so than any other year in the recent past. This can mostly be blamed on my
self-inflicted craft and favor overload. Seriously, why are there so many possible Potter projects out
there? According to my Fitbit, I climbed 130 flights of stairs in the 48 hours
before our party. Was I hiking a mountain? No, I was decorating and setting up magical
merriment. Somewhere in those 130 flights, my right eyelid started twitching. By
the day prior to our party, that spasm became constant. Give me a break eye! Tina
Goldstein’s eyes don’t twitch! That’s not part of the costume!
No awkward fanfiction moments here- unlike when we dress as Frodo and Aragorn.
Yes, Jason and I dressed to match the motif this year. Jason
made a terrific Newt Scamander, dare I say fantastic? He got his hair cut and curled
so his tresses would look their bestest. Not only did he impeccably look the
part, but he also acted the part, “forgetting” his suitcase frequently for
others to find. Being Tina was somehow appropriate for me. I’m uptight but
still likeable, right? Although Jason and I don’t include ourselves in the
costume contest at our shindig, Jason won first place at his office’s costume
competition.
Our mantel embellishments this year were the Muggle-born offspring of two brains, Jason’s and mine.Catering for our event included Butterbeer cupcakes, Golden Snitch pops, chocolate wands, Goldstein’s hotdogs, pumpkin cheesecakes, and Queenie’s apple strudel. Although imaginative, some fares fared better than others in the taste department.
How did the party itself go? We had 90 attendees this year,
a record we weren’t trying to hit. How did 90 bodies fit inside our modest
home? I have no idea. There were some magical moments that night. I heard a
little kid excitedly tell another kid, “They have a swamp! Come see the swamp.”
I saw newcomers eagerly taking pictures of decorations. I laughed at a group of
tweens acting terribly tough as they tried to take down the piñata. One of my
nieces asked me, “How long did it take you to do this? It seems like it would
take a really long time.” She was right, and I appreciated the appreciation. It’s
the little moments like these that justify the immense effort involved.
We weren’t the only ones feeling charmed this year.My brother had the excellent idea of transforming this skeleton into a Hogwarts student. He did not have the similarly-excellent idea of finishing what he started.
Once again, our Halloween get-together was a beast. Many
thanks to the friends and family members that selflessly helped us turn it into
a fantastic beast and to the Halloween enthusiasts that joined us. Incidentally,
my eye stopped twitching after about two weeks, and Jason hasn’t curled his
locks in a couple months.
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