COME ON BABY LIGHT MY FIRE

Come on guys, it's me....so not what you are thinking!

I bought Henry a Kindle Fire for Christmas...

You can all imagine:  We said we weren't getting gifts, I don't want anything. You are sending it back...
That was this morning.

It is now afternoon and I doubt that I could get it out of his hands with a crowbar.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

SANTA HOPS DOWN WRONG CHIMNEY--FACE RED!!

Historically, I organize our Secret Santa family event.  It is a very fun event.


This year I drew Kurt.  Kurt is a phenomenal Jazz Trumpet player.  I knew immediately what I wanted to do--a custom Jazz playlist for his iPhone.  Simple, right?  

I can make a playlist. 
I can go to iTunes.
I can GOOGLE H-E-L-P!!


Explanations varied from "it can't be done" to "just do it".

Take it from me--it can be done, but it certainly is not simple.

I picked out approximately 60 of my favorite Jazz tunes and made a playlist.  Then I tried to gift the playlist...which kept coming back with an error message that you could not gift part of an album only purchase.  


Now it would be nice if they told you which songs were the album only song.  You have to post it then you can see.


Went through this process four times.


Out of my 60 songs, I was only able to put 34 songs on the playlist for Kurt.  


You can go to iTunes and look at the playlists as follows:


Kurt's Jazz (created at 10:55)
Kurt's Jazz (created at 11:10)
Kurt's Jazz Holiday 2011 (created at 11:14)
Kurt's Jazz Holiday 2011 (created at 11:18)

...and...winner winner chicken dinner

HO HO HO KURT TO GO

go to iTunes and search!

It was exciting!  

I published an Playlist! 

My Secret Santa would be thrilled at the selection

 I am victorious!

Until I got the phone call--Kurt got two gifts today from his Secret Santa...mine and Grandma Betty's.

Could I be wrong?

Did I put Kurt's name down twice?

Whose name did I neglect?

Conveniently, I still had the cards from Thanksgiving in my car--when I opened it

Kurt was not my Secret Santa!!

Right house--wrong chimney!

Happy Holidays!!

TOO POOPED TO SHOP (NEVER)

When I was a kid one of my mother's favorite songs was "Too pooped to pop"

It was also known as the "Popcorn Song".  I can remember her singing it clear as day...I don't think I understood it until this morning.

Last night I got home from work and was EXHAUSTED.  I do not think I have ever been as tired.

I got into bed and just lay there with my cell phone in one hand and the TV control in the other.  At about 1:30 in the morning, Hen woke up and said "who are the people talking?"  

I said, Oh, I guess it is QVC. I vaguely remember people talking.

Turn it OFF!  to which I complied.


This morning I got up and had a confirmation from customer service at QVC.  They were confirming my purchase.

OK!  What is wrong with this picture?

It is a heel (don't wear those)
It is a "Shootie" (don't wear those)


Oh, yes, I MANAGE A SHOE DEPARTMENT!! Why would I buy shoes?


I was able to cancel the order, but I was pretty desperate trying to remember how to log in--evidently, not a problem when I am sleeping.

Sweet Dreams!

 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Was going through pictures from this Thanksgiving and the last one...

2010 Sbicca Del Mar

2011 Sbicca Del Mar

 Was I really that, hmm what's the word, FAT?

GOBBLE GOBBLE

This is definitely my favorite holiday window for Thanksgiving this year!

I would like to thank Ted Baker for their irreverence...(just so you know this bird is shivering without its feathers).

We began our day early with a Thanksgiving Run.  This would be the royal "we"...I drove the car, Henry and Jack did the run!!

This is at the beginning of the run, right before Judy and I walked to the Bagel place for Coffee, returning just in time for the end!!

Susan also ran

as did her son, Edan (not Jacob, loping in the background)

Jack was beaming after his first race...he finished twenty-third!!!  

Go Jack!

Then we moved on to the Thanksgiving fest (I mean feast)...celebrating family.

We went to Sbicca in Del Mar

Katie and Mark

Jacob, Jack, Julia, and Seth

Mark and Jeff

Judy and Kurt

Kurt, Judy, and Henry

Betsy, Julia, Jacob, and Jack

Henry and I

Jacob and Henry

Betsy and Katie

 

 

 

The only person missing was Cliff....this picture is from last Thanksgiving ;^(

TARDY FOR THE PARTY

They say not to be "Tardy for the Party" but I am just tardy in writing about the party.  

Jacob's Bar Mitzvah was a few weeks ago at Temple Beth Am and the party was at Petco Park...what a wonderful day.

First of all, Jacob did a fabulous job.  It was an impressive accomplishment.  We were all very proud.

 This is the dress rehearsal--Jacob and the proud grandparents!

 Everyone was in for the event....Clifford

Judy and Kurt

Henry and I pre-party.  I just put this in because I am wearing the jacket I wore to the wedding of Katie and Mark...nice!

Cousin Julie with Hannah Goldie.  Many people were here as well that somehow I have no pictures of, such as Aunt Nancy, Julie's husband and other kids, friends...sorry!

 

The party was at Petco and it was amazing to be there when it was empty. You can see our seats above the "Stand Up 2 Cancer" sign.

The night was spectacular!

 a little bench warming perhaps?

Eerily gorgeous!

...and exhausting!

 

 

 

 

CHINA (not so) FUN!

We moved to San Diego almost 12 years ago.  We discovered a wonderful Chinese Restaurant -- which to me is an oxymoron because I honestly do not like Chinese food.  

China Fun proved to be an exception to the rule.  The food was fresh, cooked the minute it was ordered, and delightful.  It was owned by Mr. Ho and had a great staff of people.  One man in particular would always yell out: 

 

Cathi! Henry! Hi!

We began to hang at China Fun.  First Henry and I.  Then Betsy, Jeff, and the kids moved here.  Then Andy, Jen, and the kids.  They made special things for the kids.  We began having China Fun Tuesdays, where the family would meet and have dinner...our version of the Waltons, if you will.

Once when we went in we got:  Cathi, Henry, Hi, How many?  We answered 10, he assessed the situation, walked over to people who were in process of eating their dinner -- literally fork to mouth -- picked up their plates, said "You move" and put them at a different table so that we would be able to sit sooner.

No matter what time of day
No matter what day
He was there.
Smiling and saying
Cathi! Henry! How many?
Eleven years!

Tonight we went in to get something, and, he was not there.
Not there at all.
Other people, including the owner Mr. Ho, said Cathi, Henry
It was not the same.
Our server came over.
We said, "Where is he?"
She said, "Who?"
"He is always here!"
"Peter?" she said, "He is gone. Moved."


Eleven and a half years
Rough estimate 625 visits to China Fun
625 times, Henry looked at me and said
"What's his name?"
625 times he remembered us, and we were too embarrassed to ask him his name.  Now he is gone.


His name was Peter.
He will be missed.