Where the Road, the Weather, and Our Families Meet

 

Autumn Steps, Wedding Miles, and the Quiet Wins of August

This morning started better than most — ten full hours of sleep stitched me back together in a way I didn’t realize I needed. Dixie was already marching at the door, ready for her walk before I even had my coffee. Lethbridge has slipped into autumn early this year, a strange summer giving way to a massive cold front. We even missed the Perseid meteor shower thanks to smoke and clouds. New moon overhead, full moon not until August 27. The sky has been keeping its own schedule.

I ate cottage cheese for breakfast and talked with Kim about hockey season coming up. Her family cheers for the Oilers, and even though I’m a Flames fan, I can still root for Alberta teams. Proudly Canadian, proudly sober — nothing holy about it, just the simple truth that drinking isn’t part of my life anymore. My “turtle club” is walking, walking, and more walking. Running flares up my compressed back and sends me into a three‑day Motrin coma, so I keep to the steady pace that keeps me upright.

We just got back from a wedding, and I’ve got to say: I was a good navigator. Kim’s driving has gotten solid — careful even when tired — and I could tell she trusted the road and trusted me. At one point Google Maps tried to send us straight into a reserve, and I had to say nope, stay on this road. I’ve driven it enough times to know better. Sixteen hours of driving plus all the city weaving added up, and by the time we got home, the pain caught up to both of us. But even tired, it was worth it.

Seeing Kim smile with her family made the whole trip feel lighter. Her family was kind, mine too — my aunt and uncle gave her some cash for the trip, and my mom did as well. It all went to Kim, except for the Pizza Hut stop I paid for on the way home. No such thing as a free pizza, but there’s always a laugh in the idea of the “peace child” and the no freeloaders rule. We got a break from the grind, and it felt good.

The wedding itself was beautiful. I looked past seven people just to see Kim, the bride, and the groom making their vows. Breathless moments, the kind that remind you life is still capable of surprising you. I didn’t drink — even gave my Jägermeister licorice bottle to one of Kim’s cousins. That chapter is closed for me.

All wins. Family, miles, autumn air, and the quiet kind of happiness that shows up when you’re not chasing it. Today feels like one of those days where life settles into place, even if just for a moment.