Hello, guest blogger grandson Bryce filling in today for Octo-woman+10 so she can put her feet up on a Saturday night.

Living next door to Grandma, Grandpa and Matt growing up, I regularly spent many late nights at their house. For example, if I was done hanging out with friends at midnight I would go next door to spend time with Grandma and Matt before returning home at 2AM (Grandpa went to sleep early). With those experiences and now after living with them, I can share some of Grandma’s late night ways that others may not be aware of.

Here are some moments with Grandma to demonstrate her youthful spirit:

One time about 1AM in the morning I got a message:
Grandma: Bryce, are you up? Do you want to watch the Sopranos?

Another time at 2AM debating if we (Grandma, Matt and I) should continue to watch one more episode to finish a season of The Wire:

Bryce: Ok, I think that’s it for me. I’m tired.

Grandma: No, I think we should watch one more.

Bryce: I’m ready to go to bed.

Grandma: No, Matt, what do you want to do?

Matt: I could watch another episode.

Grandma: 2 out of 3, democracy wins. We have to watch one more, Bryce.

Bryce: Ha, ok.

*I like that Grandma is the one pressuring me to stay up late to watch HBO.

About 1AM at night after the UFC PPV MMA fights on a Saturday, the winner of the best Fight of the Night was actually on the pre-lims before the PPV. Matt was still watching TV in the living room and Grandma was in the next room working on the “blob” that was going to post in a few hours on Sunday morning. I assumed Grandma was MMA’d out after watching a full PPV fight card already.

Bryce: Hey Matt, do you want to watch the fight that won best Fight of the Night from the pre-lims that we didn’t see?

Matt: Yeah, let’s watch it.

I sat down to play it, but a few moments later Grandma entered the living room from around the corner as she had heard us talking.

Grandma: Can you wait to watch it until tomorrow, then I could watch it too? I have to work on the blob, but I want to see it.

*Grandma is also so into the fights, that she wants to watch even the extras that weren’t on the PPV.

Another time we were looking for a movie to watch as a group with Josie and Caleb.

Grandma: Have you seen Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream or Dear Zachary? Those are really great movies we could watch.

*I think those movies are great too, but I think she is the only 5-footish, 90-year-old Catholic Great-Grandma recommending those very adult-themed movies.

One time a few years ago, a 30-year-old photographer friend of mine visited from California, and we talked next door with Grandma for about 2 hours. After leaving her house at maybe 1AM, my friend said something like:

Friend: Wow, your Grandma is in her 80s? She is talking about AI, the future of business, technology, space and more. I hope I’m that sharp and with-it when I’m in my 80s… Well.. Actually, I wish I was as sharp and as with-it as she is now.

Many nights if I got up to get something from the kitchen, Grama is up playing piano with her headphones on, far deep into the night past even my hours.

Growing up, she told me that she had lived an extra lifetime, because while other people were sleeping, she was up living doing things.

She’s a smart, musical, HBO TV-MA content watching, good-conversation-having, extra-life-living, inspiring Grandma, that I’m sure passed on her night-owl ways to me growing up next door. I hope to be as sharp, with-it, edgy-content-watching, tireless, fun and creative in my older years as she is now.

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OK, now I’m off to bed, though I’m sure she will be up for a few more hours…

Bryce