Day Three Hundred Fifty Nine

Dear Readers,
     Merry Christmas Eve everybody. It was a celebration day with my side of the family today. Starting out with a late breakfast that was enough food to feed twice as many people as we actually had there. When I say we had a late breakfast, I mean we basically had breakfast for lunch. Chorizo and eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and lots of tortillas. You can't have a breakfast like we had and not want a bunch of tortillas to chow down on. It was a bit hectic getting it all done, but it was all worth it. It was probably one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time. It was a feast. There was also waffles and a fruit mixture of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. It was an embarrassment of riches and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it. It was also good fun telling my sisters what to do and weaseling them into helping out. It also helps that Raina and I went to the gym this morning. So I don't feel as bad about gorging as much as I did. I wish we could do that more often then we do. Especially considering how much Raina and I love breakfast.
      I always love spending time with my nephews. It can be hectic and exhausting, but it's always a blast and leaves me looking forward to the next time I get to see them. I was able to finish watching Star Wars A New Hope with Joseph and Joshua, which was awesome. Even though they asked a million questions during the movie, which would normally drive me crazy. It was really cool to see how excited they were about it and neat to see their reactions to different things. I can't wait to show them the rest of the movies. Especially when Micah is old enough to inderstand what is going on and can sit through a movie in one sitting. Makes me look forward to the possibility of having my own son to share those moments with. Just another special Christmas with the family.
      One of the special moments about this year is when we found out that my nephew, Joseph, decided to use the money be was saving for a specific toy to buy Christmas gifts for the people he loves. Giving up the opportunity to get his toy. When Raina and I heard about that, we decided to find out what toy it was he wanted to get it for him as a special surprise. Specifically explaining to him that the reason he was getting blessed with it was because of his display of unselfishness. It was spoiled a little by him showing some selfish was earlier in the day. Just part of being a kid with a brother though. Not condoning it, just saying that those things seem to go hand in hand. All I all, a great Christmas and am looking forward to more family time with Raina's side of the family.

This Day In History: 1851
A fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, destroying about 35,000 volumes.

Born This Day: 1905
Howard Hughes - Eccentric aviator

"The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money."

-David Richerby

Now that is a Christmas tree!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Eight

Dear Readers,
      Wouldn't you know that I am catching up again.  Hopefully I will get two done in one day to finally catch up once and for all.  It was another hectic day yesterday.  Getting up early in the morning to take Chuck and Lisa to the airport.  It left some free time for Raina and I to go to breakfast before church.  Trying out a new place in Huntington Beach called Sunnyside.  Just a little coffeeshop next to the Hobby Lobby.  A little place for Raina and I to sit and relax a little bit while filling up our tummies.
      After breakfast, it was a Christmas service with a story about the birth of Jesus.  Then it was off to the hectic shopping centers.  Trying to find a gift for my dad and also to pick one up for Raina.  Originally, Raina was supposed to work and I figured I would have time to pick up her gift while she was working.  She ended up taking it off to go to church with me.  Which was great to actually be able to go to church with her, but I now needed to find a time to get her gift without her seeing it.  So, I dropped her off to do some shopping at the Westminster Mall while I went to pick her gift up. I had to stuff it under the seat along with the bag it came in.  We had to battle mild crowds to find something for my dad.  We got him something from Sears.  I can tell you that much because he doesn't read the blog.  I can also tell you that the Sears at Westminster Mall did not carry what we were looking for.  It was the only one in the area that didn't carry it.  So we had to either go to the Cerritos Mall or the Sears in Long Beach.  Thankfully, we decided to head to Long Beach, because we later found out that the Cerritos Mall was so busy that Police officers were directing traffic from a half a mile away.  We saw a taste of it while driving by on the freeway.  The entire parking lot was completely full of cars and there was cars lined up down the street.  Long Beach was considerably less busy and we were in and out. 
      Our busy day didn't stop there.  We then went to Raina's dad's house to celebrate Christmas.  Dinner and drinks and presents.  Hanging out with Mark and Nancy and Raina's brothers and their families.  It was another night of laughing and joking and fun family time.  I got a sweet Yoda doll for Christmas.  It even talks.  Including my favorite Yoda line, "Do, or do not. There is no try."  A perfect gift for me.  It was an awesome start to our three day Christmas tour.  Starting with Raina's dad's house, then on to my families and then to Raina's mom's house.  Three days of Christmas.  The more the better, right?

This Day In History: 1888
Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off part of his own earlobe.

Born This Day: 1964
Eddie Vedder - Pearl Jam

"Laughing at our own mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it."

-Cullen Hightower

So sad.

Day Three Hundred Fifty Seven

Dear Readers,
     Okay, I am getting really bad at doing my blog on schedule. Here I am trying to catch up again. It is reminding me of high school all over again. Big time senioritis. I'm at the very end of my year of blogging and I am getting really lazy about it. Part of it is being really busy this Christmas season, but it's not a real excuse. There have been enough opportunities for me to get them done on time. It totally is like high school though. That last year was pretty bad for me. Not necessarily doing bad at school, but giving up any extra classes I could have had. Fully enjoying only taking five classes for one semester and finishing out with only four classes. Just enjoying the moment and not making it any harder on myself then it needed to be. I feel myself being ready to be done with this blogging on a daily basis stuff. I am pretty sure I will keep it up, but not nearly as frequently. Maybe once or twice a month. I enjoy it. On my own terms that is. Doing in when there is something interesting to talk about. Not trying to come up with something everyday. At least that way I won't be talking about complete randomness and nothingness. My blog is like Seinfeld, it's about nothing. Except not as entertaining as Seinfeld was. I just have to really be disciplined for ten more blogs. I can do this. I would hate to drop the ball when I am so close to the end. So, here I go again, fighting against my desire to give up and not work at it anymore. Thanks again to all of you who read this nothingness on a regular basis. I really appreciate all the feedback and support I have gotten through the year. It has been fun.

This Day In History: 1882
American inventor Thomas Edison's associate, Edward H. Johnson, creates the first string of Christmas lights.  Prior to this, trees were traditionally decorated with wax candles.

Born This Day: 1962
Ralph Fiennes - English actor (Schindler's List)

"The first lady is, and always has been, an unpaid public servant elected by one person, her husband."

-Lady Bird Johnson

Woohoo.

Day Three Hundred Fifty Six

Dear Readers,
      I watched a Christmas classic today. It's a Wonderful Life. I didn't catch it on television. I didn't bust out the DVD. I didn't even see a stage performance of it. I guess I technically didn't even see it. It was a live broadcast of a radio play of It's a Wonderful Life. Okay, it wasn't a real radio play. It was a performance by a local school done in the style of a radio play. Just like in the old days before there was a television set in every house. When you heard a story on the radio with saline effects and all. Micah Vargas was in a high school performance of it. If you know the movie, then you should know Micah's parts were Mr. Gower and Bert the cop. Even making his voice different for each character to make them distinctly different but done by the same person. It was very entertaining. It even had the live sound effects, a live band for music for the play, and radio commercials for the intermissions. It was fun to see something different then the usual high school plays we have gone to. Micah did a wonderful job and are looking forward to possibly some more theatrical performances from him and his drama class.
       By the way, wasn't the world supposed to end today? I guess the Mayans had it all wrong. Or they just ran out of stone to write on and couldn't keep the calender going.  Shows how much people can actually predict the future. No one knows what tomorrow may bring.  Not even the weathermen get it right. The just get lucky sometimes. Here is to not knowing the future.

This Day In History: 1937
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs debuts. The American film, created by Walt Disney's animation company, was the first feature length animated movie. It became a classic, and box office receipts recouped the film's cost of $1.5 million by the end of its first year in circulation.

 Born This Day: 1879
Joseph Stalin - Russian Soviet, dictator infamous for the numerous mass exterminations of his own people.

"No government can be long secure without a formidable opposition."

-Benjamin Disraeli

Fitting, don't you think?

Day Three Hundred Fifty Five

Dear Readers,
     Christmas is supposed to be a happy and fun spirited holiday. Full of time spent with family and time spent in good spirits. For some reason, whenever I am out shopping for gifts, I see the exact opposite. Tons of people in a rush whom only seem to care about themselves. Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions to every rule and there are joyful shoppers out there. They just don't seem to be shopping wherever I seem to be shopping. It is so bad that it has become a stigma of what to expect when shopping for Christmas in that week leading up to it. There are even movies based on this premise. Is this strictly an American thing, or is it a worldwide problem? If it is a worldwide issue, then at least I don't feel so bad about Americans living up to the bad rap we have gotten about being rude and impatient. You could almost believe it wouldn't be a problem with the forward thinking society we have, but maybe they are so forward thinking that they forget to look to the past to learn from history's mistakes. Our country is full of rude and inconsiderate people. Just drive around on the freeways for a little bit. I just hope I don't become one of those people. I know I can be at times, but as long as it isn't who I am as a persona. It is something to work for, and all the other inconsiderate people will not make it easy on me.
      Isn't it truly amazing how much a topic of conversation can lead you further and further down the rabbit hole. Changing from one topic to the next on a whim. Amazing.

This Day In History: 1920
English born comedian Leslie Downes becomes an American citizen.  He eventually became known as Bob Hope.

Born This Day: 1868
Harvey Firestone - American businessman who founded the Firestone Company

"If you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil."

-Max Lerner

He he.

Day Three Hundred Fifty Four

Dear Readers,
      Okay, the reason my blog was not done last night as it should have been, was because the dog ate my homework.  No, just kidding.  The power went out.  Seriously, the power went out.  Which meant I had no internet for my computer.  Ergo, no blog uploaded.  We got home from our festival of lights and my dad started talking to Raina.  Asking if we had a flashlight handy, because the power had gone out a couple of times while we were gone.  No sooner did he finish saying that sentence, then the power went out in the house.  It must have been the strong winds we were having last night.  Possibly knocking over a power pole or something.  So, instead of turning on my laptop, I put myself and my nauseated stomach in bed.  Looking to read a chapter of The Hobbit before falling asleep.  The power ended up turning back on, but by the time it did, I was already warm in bed, just about ready to fall asleep.  Otherwise it would have been done last night.  Thankfully, no power outages today. 
      After finally normalizing after about noon, I did some Christmas shopping.  Hoping to beat some of the crowds by going in the middle of the day during the week.  Unfortunately I was not able to find anything for the people I was looking for.  I walked the mall back and forth and couldn't figure out anything.  I picked up a couple of items we had specifically picked out somewhere else, but nothing at the mall for almost two hours.  Usually our first choice for people we don't know what to get, is a gift card.  This year we are anti gift card though.  Tired of the same boring gift every year.  We are forcing ourselves to find something for just about everyone.  If we are getting someone a gift card, it is for a specific reason and it isn't the only thing we are getting them.  It has made it a bit frustrating and sometimes an adventure to find a gift that is right for each person.  Hoping to finish all our shopping by Friday.  Only two days left.  Then we have to wrap everything.  Christmas can be so much work.  Hopefully the faces of the gift receivers when the open them will make it all worth it.  Hopefully.

This Day In History: 1905
The first motorized ambulance service for traffic victims is created in London, England.

Born This Day: 1790
Sir William Parry - English Admiral and arctic explorer.

"The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it."

-Franklin P. Jones

Seriously!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Three

Dear Readers,
      It was Christmas lights viewing tonight.  I also got myself sick tonight.  We made it a night in the cold, looking at houses that are more expensive than I will ever be able to afford and their fancy light decorations.  Originally, we were supposed to have our guys study tonight.  The one we have been doing on a weekly basis to work on improving our marriages, but people started canceling.  My brother in law, Matt, wasn't going to make it.  Our friend Chas had some of his wife's family in town, so he was out.  Then Brandon told us that he was going back to work after being out sick and wanted to get to bed early to get a good nights sleep.  Since apparently he hasn't been going to bed early all those days off from work.  The funny thing about two of those guys, was that their excuses for not going seemed to be a little wishy washy.  Raina and I stopped over at Matt and Yoli's house to pick up something, and that is when we found out the real reason Matt wasn't going to our guys study.  They were planning on going to see the Christmas lights in Naples, because it was the only night they could go with my niece Kailee.  Granted, it was a good reason, but Matt could have been straight forward and told us in the beginning.  The funny thing was that Yoli had just told us that they were staying home to make Kailee work on her science project and how important it was to get it done.  Then in the next breath tell us about how they wanted to go see the lights.  It was quite comical.  So that is when we decided to switch our plans from going on Wednesday, to going a day early to go with them. 
      The next step in our mad scheme, was to convince the rest of the clan that was supposed to go with us on Wednesday, to now switch to Tuesday.  Chris and Liz had to make some minor adjustments, but they were in.  Brandon had given us a reason that I expected would keep him out of going to see the lights as well.  For some reason it was a good enough reason to not go to the guys study, but then would allow him to go out to Naples.  Even though he would get home about the same time from either one.  So, that meant Brandon and Brooke were in.  Chris and Kelly were not going to make it.  They had already gone.  So, we made it a night of the festival of lights.
      Naples is fantastic to see if you love seeing all kinds of Christmas lights and decorations.  Pretty much the whole neighborhood gets together and decorates in a theme.  This year, a salute to the local Long Beach Olympians.  Olympic rings on all kinds of houses.  All different styles of lights.  Even a Captain Morgan Statue with a Santa hat on.  A couple of Leg Lamps from A Christmas Story.  And a house that decorates in the style of the Griswold's from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  Tons of lights covering the house.  I think the best part was sitting and watching Christmas movies on a projector in front of a house and sipping on the hot chocolate they were selling outside.  Not a bad idea on such a cold night.  I think we picked the coldest night, not to mention a windy night, of the year.  I am not normally a cold person, but it was cold last night.  Even with my thermals on and warm jacket.  I had a blast.  Even if the In and Out I ate made me sick.  I can't believe it.  I had to suffer through stomach pains and nausea through the night.  It was worth it.  We had a blast.

This Day In History: 1732
Benjamin Franklin began publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac."

Born This Day: 1961
Reggie White - Hall of Fame NFL Defensive End.

"If the human mind was simple enough to understand, we'd be too simple to understand it."

-Emerson Pugh

Festival of lights.

Now that is a beard!

So awesome.

Jewish Christmas.

You can barely see Chris and I "Kevining" in the background.

Got a little of the Captain in you?

One of our dream houses.