Charlotte took her dad Gordon down to Moss Landing to enjoy the day. I think they had lunch over at Phil’s Market, which makes me really jealous. They checked out the harbor and the vessels of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insitute (MBARI). The institute does some amazing research and they get to play around with some really great high-tech toys. Makes me think about those years long ago when I considered a future in marine biology.
Val and her family are off to ski country and Max is staying over with us. Abby always enjoys having a friend over to play. Sure wish Joe was here too. In between storms, we head over to Capitola to check things out. The rain breaks for long enough to have some fun on the beach. No chance of getting a tan this time of year. Plenty of driftwood and shells worth checking out. ...
In an effort to stay up late enough to see in the new year, we followed dinner with a movie marathon. Plenty of action and comedy to keep everyone awake. The minute there’s the first signs of drowsiness, it’s time to get some sugar into the system. Charlotte bought all the fixings for some pretty heavy duty sundaes. Nick and Monica show of their creations. We all made it through the night, so it’s time to make a bit of noise. Not like the spectacular fire show up in Michigan, but plenty of fun anyway. ...
Time for a bit of post-holiday roaming, even if the weather isn’t cooperating. We swung by a very cool knitting place called The Golden Fleece near downtown. Charlotte has been knitting lots of scarves, and this is one of her favorite places to oogle yarns and things. Gabe and I hang out nearby after checking out the Roaring Camp train that just went by. He’s either not happy about the rain, or me taking his picture. I’ll let you decide. ...
It’s the big morning and everyone is ready to start tearing presents open. The excitement is nearly unbearable, but the wait is finally over. Plenty of great stuff this year including a new bike rack for Charlotte, a new scanner for me (and the website), lots of handmade scarves, movies, games, software, and music. I’m looking forward to getting back to loads of scanning. Even Abby got a new hedgehog. ...
That may be a Christmas tree in the background, but we’re celebrating Chanukah damn it. We’re not very choosy when it comes to holidays. I figure any excuse to enjoy yourself has to be a good thing. Dad, Karen, and Max are in town for the holidays again this year. Time to kick back and let the kids go wild.
It’s been fun having George and the family over. I know our kids have loved spending time with Maddie. It sure is tough to get a good picture of a small black dog. It’s also been a great chance for the girls to share in their newfound knitting hobby. Monica started quite a bit later than her cousins, but she’s developing her skills quickly.
George and his family stayed overnight following Thanksgiving. They’re off to Monterey for the day, but there’s time for the kids and the dogs to get in a little fun first. Maddie has really learned to hold her own with Abby.
Time to put in some miles on the bike before the feeding frenzy that is called Thanksgiving. It’s a nice change to be riding around Santa Cruz during the week again. The rides from work are fine, but there are a lot more hills to climb around home. Unfortunately George wasn’t able to make it down early enough to join me. It’s always nice to have some company on a long ride. ...
Charlotte took Gordon up to Burlingame today for Caroline’s grandparent day at school. I imagined that Gordon was part of some sort of show and tell, but it looks more like an assembly type event. Looks like the crew headed out for some lunch after the event.