Charlottesville, January 1 2016. For reasons unspeakable in public Charles Hobson and I have decided to cancel our glorious plan for New Years Eve Ball Dropping Party in Gainesville and head towards Virginia to greet-and-meet with grandparents, aunts and cousins.
Warm and humid, mostly gray yet still beautiful Virginian hills and alleys proved to be a good choice. We flew to Dulles International Airport and drove through the Northern Virginia after making some funny faces…
We did some great things:
I started my tax return with TurboTax as last year I was one of millions whose identity was hacked! I love love turbotax-as experienced home-grown self-made tax filler it is far better than any accountant I had in my life time.
We stayed in Boar’s Head Inn, a colorful and old-worldly University of Virginia Resort. Afternoon cookies and tea and rock-climbing wall were the highlight of the three-day stay. Bonus was on-demand movie The Martian that entertained all family and particularly Eddie and Chuck.
For me most surprising was the day trip to James Madison’s Montpelier. I have discovered an amazing couple James and Dolly Madison, that was by far the most fascinating Founding Father for me. The passion, conviction to serve bigger cause and intellectual power of Madison resonated with my inner self. If you have a moment read remarkable short book by his personal slave, Mr. Paul Jennings, who wrote one of the first published book by freed slave, A Colored man’s Reminiscences of James Madison.
And of course with the abundance of food, friends, love and family we emerged into 2016 healthy and happy with resolutions, dreams, fears and hopes. Stay tuned!
Kidney Love 