Thanksgiving Weekend on the Mountain

For what I believe is the fifth year in a row, we're spending Thanksgiving weekend on Monteagle Mountain, in a house on Tennessee Avenue in the middle of Sewanee's campus.  It's the same house we've rented each year, as a result of which it's come to feel a little bit like our house, at least at Thanksgiving.

This year was a little bit different, because JP wanted to run in the Boulevard Bolt with some of his cross country teammates, past and present.  As a result, Jude and Joe drove up to the Mountain on Tuesday evening, hung out on campus on Wednesday, then returned home Thanksgiving morning.  I stayed in Nashville with JP, who got up early and ran in the Bolt, also on Thursday morning.  We had Thanksgiving lunch with Jude's parents at noon, which was nice, as always.  Jude, JP, and Joe drove back to the Mountain mid-afternoon.  I followed later in the evening, after I got coffee at Pinewood Social from the Crema baristas inside the restaurant.  Rest assured, I can always find good coffee, even on a holiday.

JP finished 6th overall in the Bolt, finishing in 27:01.  His finish wasn't office because he didn't know he had to pick up his race number before the race.  Live and learn, I guess.  His time was impressive, though, particularly since he ran the first three miles at more of a practice pace, before racing the last two miles.  JP's teammate from last year and close friend, Samuel Trumble, who is running at Kansas University, won the Bolt going away, clocking in right at 25:00.  Impressive.  

Earlier in the week, Jude made the point that this is quite likely our last Thanksgiving weekend on the Mountain because JP will want to spend the weekend out of school with his friends.  Sadly - for me, anyway - I realized she was right.  There is no way I would have wanted to go out of town every Thanksgiving weekend when I was in high school.  I would have wanted to hang out with my friends.  I guess all good things must come to an end, right?

I stayed up late last night reading and finished my third John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee) novel.  It's been my favorite literary find of 2024, thanks to an afterword in one of George Pelecanos's novels.  As much as I love James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux), Michael Connelly (Bosch), Robert Crais (Elvis Cole and Joe Pike), and Walter Mosley (Easy Rawlins), John D. MacDonald is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

I went for a run this morning - this first cold weather run for me of the season with temperatures in the low 30's when I started - three miles to the Sewanee baseball field and back.  Later, JP ran five miles and we all met up at the Fowler Center for tennis.  JP and Joe threw the baseball, inside, on the indoor tennis courts, and Joe and I played a spirit pickle ball match.  Joe won the first game and I one the last two, as all of the games were very close.  It was great fun.  

Tonight, it's off to Shenanigan's for dinner and Hearts.  

It's good to be back on the Mountain.