My flight from New York (well, Newark) didn’t leave until 8:35 on Friday, so I took the opportunity to visit with Walt, Lee, Zoe, their new arrival, and Lee’s dad as an extra bonus. Jake is a hoss, and you can already see that he and Zoe are going to look an awful lot alike. I am betting on him having the same body type as Walt’s brother, but it’s awfully early to make that call (that won’t stop me, though).
You know you’ve reached a good point of familiarity with kids when you arrive and they don’t run for mom or dad’s legs. Zoe was having a great time playing with her Pepé, so I got a quick “Hi Kev!” and a huge smile – what more could you want? She’s incredibly cute, and I was very much a bad influence this visit. I take pride in the fact that I had Walt wondering aloud when my flight was within thirty minutes of arrival.
We had a couple beers, we had some marvy pizza, I got to hold Jake for a little bit, and Zoe and I clowned around a little. Lee looks great, if a little tired, and seems to be an awful lot more comfortable than the last time I saw her. The three hours shot by incredibly quickly, and I really enjoyed hanging with the family and extended family; it’s always a treat.
The drive to the airport was aww-inspiring, as Zoe decided she wanted to come to my house then and their. A trip in the near future was promised by me and her daddy, so hopefully we’ll get everyone out for a visit once Jake’s schedule evens out a little.
The flight back was a little late because of thunderboomers, but was a nice quiet ride. I even got to meet John Muckler, who was returning from the NHL’s announcement that hockey was back. He’s a guy who’s passionate about the game, and he seems genuinely interested in making it fun for people. I stand by what I said earlier, but I hope he and his management staff can pull it off.
A nice way to end a busy few days through three states.
You can always identify the nerd by the vendor-specific polo shirt 🙂 It’s always fun to meet other people’s kids, especially when escape is guaranteed.
I get to meet up with the entire Helly-family crew this weekend, including my three nieces and one nephew, so I hope to perform many of the “bad influence” duties that are bestowed upon the unfettered uncle.