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Rick Kinnaird

Holiday Letters

Christmas 2020

December 16, 2020 by Rick Kinnaird 4 Comments

The year 2020 can be divided into two parts: pre-Covid and Covid. There’s no “post-Covid” yet. We are in the middle of this pandemic and it’s getting worse, not better.

At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 I had a crazy travel schedule:

  • November 2019 – Egypt, to see the pyramids
  • December 2019 – Mexico, return to Chichen Itza
  • January 2020 – Austin, Texas for a Mayan conference
  • February 2020 – North India, to see the Taj Mahal
At the Taj Mahal

When I got back from India, I told Shelby it was too much. I was tired. Now? I’m so glad I did all of it. While I was in India (early February), we kept hearing rumors about a virus in China. I felt like I was surfing before a giant tsunami that was about to crash, running in front of it, and hearing the rumbling behind me. I arrived home safely before it hit, but just barely. I feel like the world will never be the same. The world I knew, that we all knew is gone. What replaces it is still unknown.

Morning Rooftop Yoga on the Ganges

In the spring Shelby and I began our self-quarantine. We learned Zoom. We took classes online about creating videos. Shelby sold her website Diabetic Foodie and has begun a new venture called Put on Your Apron (new website coming soon). The vision is to travel to interesting foodie destinations and host fun cooking experiences. Imagine going to, say, the Outer Banks. You arrive Friday night and attend a cocktail party with a local chef. On Saturday morning, you have a food-related shopping trip (maybe to the docks where you learn about the local fish). Saturday afternoon you and a partner cook one dish for a fabulous healthy meal. Then everyone sits down together to share the meal and great conversation. On Sunday morning before you head home, you stop for brunch at the restaurant of the chef you met Friday night. That’s the dream. Thanks to Covid, for now anyway, the dream has morphed into a monthly “Cook & Chat” via Zoom.

Shelby Begins a “Cook & Chat”

The new business fits Shelby’s character very well. She’s still very active in diabetes advocacy and frequently gets emails that start off with “I was recently diagnosed with diabetes. What should I do?” I heard her tell someone that the first thing you have to realize is that “You are in charge of your health care,” “You are the captain of your health care team.” It’s a powerful emboldening first step.

What has been so interesting to observe (I’m her behind-the-scenes camera person and general factotum) is the positive change she has made in some people’s lives. She has empowered people to start cooking who thought they couldn’t. She has helped people overcome their fear of the new electric pressure cooker that they got months ago and were scared to take out of the box. She is, in short, transforming people’s lives for the better. Me? I eat what she cooks.

We had planned to go to Maine in the spring but decided it wasn’t a great idea. (So did everyone else who had booked the house for the 2020 season.) Our yoga instructor and his professional photographer wife ventured up there in June. She took spectacular new photos of the house. “How did you do that?” I asked, “How did you get the inside of the house so bright and have the ocean outside bright too?” Whenever I have tried to do such a photo either the inside of the house is too dark or the outside too bright. “Photoshop,” she said.

We finally headed to Maine ourselves in August since we rarely have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time there when the weather is perfect. Our handyman extraordinaire friend dean traveled with us to paint the house, which also turned into fix the septic system, and lots of other little projects. We ended up staying for about seven weeks!

Maine Morning sunrise

While we were there, I answered a late night phone call. First I heard a baby’s cry, then I heard my daughter say “You’re a grandfather.” Yup, we became grandparents!

Emmett Leo McCartney was born September 29th 2020 to my daughter Katie and her husband Jon. Carrying out a Kinnaird tradition, he was one of the biggest babies the place had ever seen. Specifically, his head was the largest they had ever measured, surpassing the old record by a whopping 10 centimeters. Mom, baby, and dad are all doing well in Massachusetts. We got to stop by and see the little fellow, from a distance, on our way back from Maine.

Emmett

My son, Alex, came back east from his haunts in Seattle, Washington where he’s been working at a van retrofitting shop most of the time, and teaching a little bit at iFly, the indoor wind tunnel, when they are open.

Alex and The Old Man

His grandfather, my ex’s dad, passed away. Alex came back to pay his respects. His grandfather was a good man. He gave up his career in physics research to go into management for IBM. He worked to get IBM scientists Nobel prizes, Medals of Science, and similar awards. As he told me, “That way IBM won’t fire these people.” Many of them were, well, different.

Alex is beginning his training to become an outdoor guide. It’s a tough, demanding sort of thing to do, but he loves it.

We hope to go visit Emmett and his mom and dad in the spring. Maybe, actually hold him. We’ll see. For now we’re enjoying our daily Tinybeans photos and frequent video calls.

Katie, Jon, and Emmett

This Covid thing has completely changed our lives. Whenever we think maybe we’ll go somewhere, we see another chart showing the rate of infection and death. Then we decide we’re perfectly fine staying in.

On March 1st Shelby’s best friend of 45 years, Wendy, was in the hospital struggling to breathe. She passed away a week later. We wonder now whether she had Covid. It was before anyone was really aware. On what would have been Wendy’s birthday, December 12th, Shelby spent time with Wendy’s niece and another long-time friend. They sat in a park sharing memories, wearing masks and staying socially distant. No hugs. It’s tough. Everything has changed.

Alex, Me, and Shelby
a walk in the park

Here’s hoping for better times.

God Bless.

Filed Under: Holiday Letters

Christmas 2019

December 19, 2019 by Rick Kinnaird Leave a Comment

Christmas 2019

A year of new beginnings and realizations. 

In 2015 I tried to get Shelby to come with me to see some Mayan sites. She said, “You go and talk to your friends about ‘How did they move those rocks?’ “ I went. I haven’t looked back. It was a wise decision on her part. She would have hated it. I’ve gone to Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, and Egypt. All to pursue my interest in ancient places. She has enjoyed staying at home and working on various projects when I’m not around.

Now, she’s in demand. Her work in the diabetes community is getting her noticed. Manufacturers, food vendors, magazines, politicians and websites are asking for her input. She’s traveled to Denmark, San Francisco, and Chicago for conferences.  She’s walked the halls of Congress advocating for diabetes research, insulin affordability, and continued access to health care for people with pre-existing conditions. She’s been the subject of magazine and website interviews, plus an animated graphic video! See Chronic Love animation

She’s also published her second book – The Diabetes Cookbook for Electric Pressure Cookers

Me? I’ve been traveling. This year I went to Egypt on a pyramid tour, to the Yucatan on a Mayan tour, and to Indonesia to see Borobudur (a large Buddhist temple.) I stopped off in Hong Kong and Japan to see old friends.

We have each given lectures at the Lifelong Learning Institute, me on ancient places and Shelby on diabetes.

In the summer we took a cruise (together!) on the Rhine River to the Danube, starting in Amsterdam and ending in Budapest.

We also went to New Orleans to see our niece, Emily, get married. And to Virginia Beach to see my son Alex compete in a indoor skydiving competition. And to Massachusetts to see daughter Katie and husband Jon in their new house in Northampton near Smith College.

It’s been a busy, fulfilling year and we wish you much health and happiness.

Rick and Shelby

Jon, Katie, Brenda, Felix, Tyler, Mitch, Shelby, Ben, Claire, Karen, Rick

 

With Alex in Seattle

Armor

Borobudur

Cathedral

Chichen Itza

I peer into a crypt

Egypt

Emily and Noah

Alex and partner Sophie

Alex and partner Sophie

The Happy Couple in the garden

The Happy Couple in front of their Amsterdam hotel

With Katie and Claire

Visiting Gustav

Can’t take Tut’s photo, but I got this dude

New friend in Indonesia

The Nightwatch with Scanning Machine

I get assaulted by vendors and this is the result

The Happy Couple on top of a tall tower

Me!

Safety First

Shelby and the Chef

Sidewalk

You want to know what the inside of a pyramid looks like? Here Ya go!

The Happy Coupe at a white castle

Filed Under: Holiday Letters

Day 724

December 31, 2018 by Rick Kinnaird 1 Comment

Rick and Shelby at Teotihucan
Happy New Year

Day 724 New Year’s Eve Monday December 31, 2018 867 Days to Go

Well, this is a time of reflection and hope.

Here’s my list:

I hope I stop spitting up phlegm and sounding like a horse in its death knell.

I hope that the family Trump will look good in their orange prison jump suits.

I hope that a bolt of lightning spreads out across our country bringing sanity back.

I hope you read our marvelous Holiday letter:

Holiday Letter 2018

That is all, carry on.

Happy New Year!

PS Many have wondered how I got my wife to go to Mexico and stand near this pile of rocks.
Answer: Food tour bribery.

Filed Under: Holiday Letters

Holiday Letter 2018

December 28, 2018 by Rick Kinnaird 2 Comments

Christmas 2018

It’s interesting how seemingly unrelated things all of a sudden come together and reinforce one another.

Mia and Emily

Shelby has gotten more and more involved with various diabetes organizations. She is a group leader in Richmond for DiabetesSisters, a support group for women with diabetes. She is now on the Virginia Advocacy Committee of the American Diabetes Association and we have gone to Washington so she can advocate for diabetes support and funding from Congress.

I have been writing ever since the 2016 election about political events of the day. It’s my way to keep track and to exhale all the terrible stuff that is going on every day in our political landscape. Who knew that diabetes would teach me about how government functions?

Shelby has walked the halls of the government buildings that house the offices of Senators and Congresspeople. She’s learned some of the ins and outs of talking to our elected officials. She’s met with the staffs of both our Virginia senators and not only our Congressperson but others in the Virginia delegation. You can tell the folks who have been around a long time; they have the biggest offices. John McCain’s was huge with two flags out in the hallway. Paul Ryan’s is locked and you have to know “the secret knock” to get in. Our own David Brat had a staff who was willing to listen until they heard the words “health care” and “pre-existing condition.”

Shelby’s diabetes legislative persuaders

We went to a Senate hearing on insulin affordability. It’s much like hearings you see on TV where Senators float in and out. Each repeats what another just said because they weren’t there to hear it the first time. After it’s all over you wonder what, if anything, was the point. Did it do any good? It’s hard to say.

Shelby has been busy writing diabetes’ related books: one on carb counting, and one on Instant Pot cooking (coming in March 2019). She has been getting more exposure and recognition for her efforts. She was contacted by Good Housekeeping and appeared in their online version. Claire, our six-year-old niece, frequently comes over to cook with Shelby, especially before Wednesday night family dinner, when her whole family comes over to eat. Claire and Shelby were featured in a Dutch magazine that wrote about cooking and diabetes.

The nephews: Tyler and Mitch

Family dinners also present the challenge of getting the boys to look up from their phones so we can have a conversation. Mitch, the eldest of the bunch, is now driving. Tyler, two years younger, is doing well in school and he and Claire frequently join Uncle Rick for rock climbing at the local gym. We’ve also been the good aunt and uncle, going to lots of soccer games.

Claire charges after the ball

 

 

 

We’ve done a little traveling together, and I’ve done a lot on my own. In March, I went to Belize and Guatemala on a Mayan tour.

The gang from my trip to Belize

 

I got home and turned around and went to Seattle to see my son, Alex, then flew to Chicago where I grabbed the group flight to Jordan so I could go to Petra. In April, Shelby and I went to Davidson, NC: I for the Maya at the Lago conference; she for the quiet and the food in town.

Alex

 

Noah on the ball with Katie, Jon, Lance, and Uncle Rob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In May I went to the 50th reunion of what would have been my graduating class had I stayed in public school. Our friends Jim and Elaine stopped in and we then went to Maine for a Kinnaird family reunion. My brother, his wife, and his two: Lance and Emily with significant other Noah came up along with me, Shelby, Alex, Katie, and her husband Jon.

Following that week the Anderson clan came up: Shelby’s brother Ben and his family: wife Karen and kiddos Mitch, Tyler, and Claire.

The cousins on the deck in Maine: Alex, Katie, Lance, and Emily

Uncle Rick and Nephew Lance celebrating Canada Day

Katie is now installed on a tenure track at Smith College.

Jon and Katie

She and Jon just bought a house in November and “they are never moving again” she says. Jon is working at a brewery, while Katie is teaching and attending math conferences around the world.

In August, we went to Baltimore for a huge diabetes event, the American Association of Diabetes Educators annual conference, where Shelby was on a panel discussion about working with a diabetes educator from the patient’s perspective. I had several days to wander through the museums of Baltimore. (I highly recommend the Walters Art Gallery.)

We also began taking a weekly yoga class from Al at Southern Comfort Yoga (SoCoYo), which has been great for building up strength and balance.

Shelby’s work on her first book so impressed the publisher that they wanted to work with her on another one. This time it was a diabetic friendly cookbook for the Instant Pot, which is a programmable pressure cooker. We had two of them going most days for several months. One week it was meat, the next vegetarian, then breakfast, and finally dessert. We bought extra storage containers and fed our nearby family all kinds of things they probably would have never eaten. I assisted as bottle washer, sous chef, and “you try this recipe based on what I wrote and let me know if you have a problem” second cook.

In September, I was lured to another Mayan conference, this time in Florida. It was on Mayan caves. Anyone who had done anything on Mayan cave archaeology in the last thirty years was there. One fellow from an engineering department had done laser point mapping of various caves and Mayan altars in caves. His work was stunning. What he could do in three or four days would have taken a traditional field archaeologist a whole season or more to accomplish.

Shelby and I were then off to Chicago for a DiabetesSisters group leader conference. (They call their groups “PODS.”) Once again I was forced to wander through museums. Ah me. I went to the Field Museum, having no idea what was there. Wow. What a great natural history and archaeology museum. It turns out that it is right next to Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears football team plays. I picked the day of a home game to go to the museum, which added an additional 80,000 folks going my way that day. The day before we got on the metro at the same time the Cubs were playing a play-off baseball game.

While in Chicago we took in two shows “Hamilton” and “Tootsie.” Both excellent. Shelby also participated in a fitness work out program – “Hip Hop Fit.” She can move her hips! The instructor looked like Jerry Rice.

In October we traveled to the far end of our Congressional district to hear the only debate between our then Congressman, Dave Brat, and his Democratic challenger Abigail Spanberger. We thought we were in the minority until Abigail gave her closing comments and three-quarters of the room was so moved that they jumped to their feet and applauded.

The election was sweet. SWEET!

The kid (that’s me) deep fried a turkey for Thanksgiving. To test out the deep fryer I tried frying donuts and empanadas the day before. I thought, “How hard can this be? Drop some dough in hot oil and be done in a couple of hours. Start at eight, be done by ten.” I got started at nine, and with Shelby’s tireless help, managed to get the frying done as the sun was going down. (I gotta tell you, to be doing something like that the day before Thanksgiving when the whole family is coming over to our house says a lot about the kindness of the woman I am married to.)

This December we are going to Mexico City. I finally talked Shelby into participating in a few days of an archaeological tour with a personalized tour of Mexico City before. I told the guide that Shelby liked food and cooking, he said, “Well, we could do the tour we did for Rick Bayless.”

“Rick Bayless?” I thought, “Rick Bayless, Top Chef Master? Yeah, that’ll do.”

Merry Christmas.

Rick and Shelby

 

Claire considers climbing The Wall

The kid getting ready to go to El Mirador

Me in Petra, Jordan

 

 

The crew having summitted another mountain

Shelby and her parents in the Big Apple
Shelby and Claire

Filed Under: Holiday Letters

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Rick Kinnaird
I’m Rick Kinnaird, a writer of fictional adventure and travel. That means I write stories about things that never happened in places I’ve never been. This way facts don’t get in the way.

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