And like that we’ve moved from 2020 to a new year. And although nothing has really changed from year-to-year, it does feel nice to have said goodbye to 2020 even if it was only symbolically. And so the new year is here and with it brought terror, hope, and a lot of work.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

It sort of blows my mind that we’re about to hit a full year in this pandemic. I can feel this time last year booking our trip to South America, planning several small getaways from NYC, and beginning to think about what was next for us in the Upper West Side. We are now in our ninth month back in California and although we knew at the start of February that our time was wrapping up and that at some point in the next couple of months we’d be moving back to New York, but when was still very much in question. February began with a huge focus on work, which is probably why on the 1st of February, Frasier refused to get out of bed.

Super Bowl Sunday was February the 7th and it was the least interested I’ve been in football in my life. I know the ratings for football and sports have been down since the pandemic but I can’t really place my finger on why it has been for me. That weekend we had Jake down and did a pretty typical Saturday with takeout and a movie. Jenn and Jake somehow convinced me to get Rothschild’s for dinner and although not my favorite both Jake and Jenn loved every bite of it. On Super Bowl Sunday I made a three-course Hello Fresh meal with crostini’s, chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Right as the game was about to start our internet went out and Google Fiber was very clear that it wouldn’t be back online until later in the evening so I had to hotspot my phone to my laptop and plug it into the TV. It was far from optimal but it worked for about 75-80% of the game.

The next weekend we visited Amy, Ryan, and Gracie at their new home (my childhood home) and had a lovely charcuterie board and wine. It is still surreal for me to see them make the home I grew up in, into their own home but it’s already coming together. The next day was Valentine’s Day and although we didn’t do gifts or cards we did spend the entire day together. We started the day with our favorite 5-mile walk to Balboa Island and finished it off cooking our favorite Hello Fresh meal the Sicilian Penne Pasta with mushrooms and a nice bottle of red from SommSelect. Although not as flashy as years passed it was still a great celebration.

Once Valentines Day ended Jenn’s push for her big corporate event was in full swing. She went into to full 12+ hour working days plus the following weekend to put all the finishing touches on an event themed around one of our favorite TV shows, The Amazing Race. Jenn is a hard worker by nature but I’ve never seen her dig as deep and put as much love and effort into what she did for this event. When it finally came and went on the week of February 22 it went without a hitch and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. I’ve never been more proud of Jenn for putting herself out there and standing behind what turned out to be an incredible virtual event.

The first day of Jenn’s event was also Frasier’s second birthday. Can you believe it? He’s already two years old but most days he still acts like a puppy. We celebrated all weekend with him and got him some toys, bones, and a beautiful little sign and scarf to wear on his big day. A few days later I had an opportunity to close work for a bit and take him on a long walk at the Back Bay to keep the birthday week rolling.

As February rolled to an end we started to have some more serious discussions about going back to New York. We had thought about booking flights to see apartments on the first week of March but on a whim, I e-mailed our old building and asked if they had any two bedrooms available. As luck would have it one had just come on the market and after some back and forth we decided to pull the trigger and return back to the Upper West Side in April of 2021. As of this writing, the pandemic has gone from 200k+ cases a day in the US to roughly 50-60k a day and deaths from 4k a day to 1k. Not great but much better. Amy, Jenn’s Dad, Joan, my Grandma, and Ron have all received both doses of the vaccine (either Moderna or Pfizer) and Jake has received his first dose. It is starting to feel like we are getting out of the worst of the pandemic, albeit little by little. And so although I am not sure it will be the NYC of January 2020 when we arrive back, it has a good chance of being a lot better than the first massive lockdown in March of 2020. Although we will be sad to say goodbye to California and our family, it felt like the right time to make the move back.

Signing our lease to move back to New York City.

TV WE WATCHED

I don’t remember a non-move/travel month that we watched less variety of shows. The big highlight for the year so far has been watching The West Wing for the first time. We just began the second season of The West Wing towards the end of February and the show is firing on all cylinders and holds up beautifully. Although I don’t know if I could have watched it during the last Presidency.

We continue to enjoy Schitt’s Creek although it’s beginning to outstay its welcome, and look forward to each Friday night for a new episode of Wandavision.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

I continued my fast pace of reading from January into February of this year finishing five books during the month. Most of the books were on the shorter side but not bad at all. My favorite book of the bunch had to be They Both Die At The End, which spoiler, they both die at the end, and it’s no less emotional knowing that it’s going to happen. I can’t wait to see this turned into a movie.

I also enjoyed both non-fiction reads this month Atomic Habits (my nightly read) and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

I continued to enjoy the HBO Max movie releases (they’re simultaneously releasing in theaters and HBO Max) with Judas and the Black Messiah. Although it could have used 15-20 minutes of editing it was a great movie. Jenn and I enjoyed Greenland the disaster movie quite a bit. We finished off the month with The White Tiger on Netflix which was great although the ending left us both a bit underwhelmed.

THEATER WE SAW

This section continues to be blank but i have hope and optimism that at some point in 2021 we will be vaccinated and seeing a show.

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

Although there are three games on my list this month, the one I played for 99% of my video game time in February was Assassin’s Creed Valhalla a game that I jumped back into the deep end on this month and have been loving. Although I prefer both Odyssey and Origins (the last two games) I am really enjoying Valhalla and the viking setting.

2021 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 45 Books: I've read 10 books and on track to hit my goal.

Goal #2: Keep Weight Under 140: I've yet to go over 140lbs

Goal #3: 12 Monthly Recaps: 2 for 2.

Goal #4: Create 6 travel books: China Trip complete, 1 down 5 to go.

A Look Back - February 2021