Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from NOT so sunny southern California!

I have been here since last weekend and it has been rainy or cloudy everyday, which is Ok for me. My sister Norma and I are having pretty low-key morning with a few presents to open and no kids around. Last year I got to spend my only Christmas morning watching my grandsons tear through their packages. That was not possible this year. Norma has usually gotten to spend the holiday with at least one of her daughters and grandchildren but that is not case for her this year. So, like my years spent with our mother on Christmas Eve and Morn, we have had a quiet morning and previous evening. Later we will go down to sister Marlene's place to have our dinner with her, niece Ashley, and our brother Russell. That will give us a nice family get-together. This evening I will stop by to see my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons and the aftermath of their day. In addition, I am thinking about daughter Natasha and her husband in snowy Flagstaff this morning.

Before driving over from AZ, I was able to get in a morning of XC skiing. It was beautiful and quiet skiing through the woods. I cannot wait to get back to Flagstaff to get back into it. It has snowed fairly constantly off and on since I left. There should be a good base.

At any rate, even though it is nice to get over to San Diego County to see family and friends, it will be good to get home to snow on the mountains and winter activities.

I hope that those who read this mundane drival have had a nice Christmas.

Movie reviews: 7 Pounds with Will Smith is a so, so presentation and I figured out the ending in the middle of the film but I like him and it is nice little bitter-sweet "feel good" movie (if you are "into" that genre). On the other hand Milk, about the assassinated first elected openly gay politician (San Francisco in 70s) was well acted by all the cast, especially Sean Penn and Josh Brolin. It is sometimes difficult to sit through but is worth seeing.

Cheers!