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Hello everybody. Having not posted since September 3rd, and based on my usual rhythm of blogging reliability, you would probably not expect a substantial update.... but OMG, this has been a busy 2mo period in the life of ol' Ryan Skees. Let's do chapters!!!
Chapter 1: Harry Potter Festival
I am not a huge fan of Harry Potter per se, however, I do love me some Halloween and when we learned that there was a local Harry Potter festival in the next town over, Meadowe and I knew we had to be there. We also recruited the participation of Alex and had a grand time. They had some owls and snakes and stuff, and a slew of public events, but to be honest with you we ended up more focused on trying all of the 'spooky' cocktails when we arrived at the first public event (a 'wizard duel') and realized it was DEFINITELY catered to children.
Chapter 2: Harrisonburg Homecoming
Harrisonburg is a city that I live in somewhat begrudgingly and only because Meadowe has grad school here. Don't get me wrong, I love the town, but I have always wanted to live somewhere bigger with more activity and specifically a larger concentration of young professionals. However, once a year, this city comes to life for Homecoming Weekend. It is truly a wonderful time. Pics below from the world's coldest, earliest, and rainiest football tailgate & of the guitar that became a weekend casualty thanks to a faulty strap.
Chapter 3: Interview & Mom's Recovery
Astute readers of this blog will have noticed that my "Career" tab has been updated. This is because I interviewed for, and was awarded, a promotion at WM! It will be sad to say goodbye to my current team and leaders, however, to truly make a career for myself with this wonderful company I must be willing (and ready) to take the next step forward. Thus, I will be starting as a Senior Manager under our corporate office this November. This is extremely exciting for me as it is reflective of many many many (many) hours of hard work, dedication, and a drive for continuous improvement. Here's to the next chapter of my life!!
In other news, my mom also had a foot surgery recently and the timing of my dad's latest work trip did not make itself convenient. As such, I offered myself as a helper around the house for the week (very noble, I know). But, the pleasant surprise was that by the time I arrived, she was pretty much back to normal! So this turned into an extremely enjoyable week of movies, conversation, and even a few dinners with her. It is true that you become your parents someday.. because living her lifestyle for a week I realized how similar it is to mine!!
Chapter 4: New Car (Again)
I've always driven a perfectly respectable and sensible Honda Civic. Nothing exciting about it. However, that was the problem to me!! I was raised by my dad to be a huge car guy and felt like I was missing out by not enjoying every trip behind the wheel. Consequently, I made the leap and having saved up over the past few years was able to upgrade my Honda Civic for one of those new Honda Preludes. A hybrid both in engine capacity and in it's ability to toe the line between practicality and sports car. SO FUN! & So worth it. Thanks to my dad for helping me negotiate this because when I tried going to the first dealership solo (Honda Chantilly....) they must not have thought I looked like a serious buyer and totally tried to rip me off. We ended up walking away from that particular dealership and bought from AutoNation Dulles instead. Let me just say that I could not recommend them more!!!! Their manager, Sunny, is THE MAN. He genuinely wanted the best for us and you could see it on his face. It is rare in the world of car sales that you feel perfectly comfortable and like they have your best interest in mind.
