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.
This is the usual routine with Monica and Abby. I’m not sure if Monica is convinced she’s really a dog, or that Abby is convinced she’s human. Either way they look very happy together.
Unfortunately we’ve had a ton of rain while Dad, Karen, and Max have been in town. We caught a few movies downtown including the latest Lord of the Rings and the Last Samurai. Both very excellent movies. Back at the house we’ve got our own home theater setup. Not quite the latest movies, but it sure is cozy.
Monica enjoys bringing Daisy in the house occasionally for cuddling sessions. Here they are catching some episodes of Sponge Bob together. I’m sure Daisy enjoys the comfort of a nice antique bed instead of the usual outside spots. It also must get lonely out there with Tasha not being around.
It was such a nice sunny day, we decided to head over to La Madrona and get in a bit of tennis. It was a whole lot more crowded than I expected, but we lucked out getting a bit of time on the last open court.
Actually Daisy is anything but an indoor cat. She’s spent her whole life outside standing guard against the tide of vermin that would invade our home and yard. The wood rat situation was overwhelming when we first moved in so many years ago. Once we got their numbers down to a manageable state, we brought in the elite guard to avoid another population explosion. They also manage to keep control of the gopher and mole problem. ...