Greetings from Northern Virginia. After 6 hours in traffic and 20 minutes in Ikea, Heidi and I arrived at Mom and John’s house in Falls Church to celebrate Mary’s birthday, turkey day, and my old friend Rick’s 30th birthday. 30. The big 3-oh. Awesome. It’s a nice reminder that my friends are growing up to be awesome people, a fact reiterated when my mother gushed within 8 minutes of me being here about how thrilled she was when she saw Anthony on TLC.

It’s weird. This Thanksgiving, which is my mother’s holiday, since we don’t really do Christmas all together any more, I’m engaged, and Mary probably won’t be far behind. I really, really like this adult thing.

In two hours or so, Heidi and I will meet Meljo and Layne at a coffee shop for some hijinks. Whoo-hoo.