We’ve had a very nice Christmas (for the second time this year!)
Last night Eleanor made the Christmas eve dinner I talked about the other day. I grilled the steak outside since the weather was fairly warm (about 58-60 last night), and Emma and I played a little “flashlight tag” in the dark, while Eleanor prepped the rest of the meal. The steak came out perfectly. We met up inside around 7 pm and had a fabulous meal. The plantains were included mostly because Emma saw them in the grocery store and was wondering what they were. They were delicious, pressed, fried, and seasoned.
After dinner we watched “Dr Doolittle 2”, put all the Christmas presents under the “tree” (our rosemary bush), left out cookies and carrot sticks for Santa and the reindeer, and cajoled Emma into bed. Santa arrived later with a few additional presents.
It is perhaps the oddest Christmas we have ever spent. 3000 miles from home, in a warm climate, in an Airstream trailer, sitting atop a hill in the arid hills above San Diego, but it was also an excellent Christmas. The little things that make holidays great were all there: each other, good times and good food, calls from friends and family, and a feeling of well-being. So it didn’t feel odd, it felt fine.
Emma would like you to know that she got everything she asked for: a unicorn, a tin whistle, and a seahorse. She also got a few other goodies. Mommy & Daddy got some books, edible treats, and DVDs.
But mostly what we got was a nice day. It turned out that the San Diego Zoo is open on Christmas, so after pancakes we spent a very nice day among the birds and animals. If you have never been to the San Diego Zoo, let me recommend it. I am not a big fan of zoos, but this one is a day well spent. I will have some pictures on the Flickr photo album later tonight.
We’re back now, and worn out, so we have decided to eat leftovers from last night and save the pork roast for tomorrow. No need to push it — we’ll just let the holiday go an extra day!
December 26th, 2005 at 12:09 pm
Were the pandas asleep in Pandaland? So sorry if you missed them. It’s a matter of timing and luck with them. They are usually out in the morning and in the afternoon after fresh bamboo and treats have been put out.
The zoo is expensive. If you live nearby, you can buy a year’s membership that allows you unlimited access for around $80 for two adults.
December 26th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
It’s such a big zoo that we didn’t get to see everything. Time was short and the panda exhibit had an long line of people waiting to get in, so we elected to skip it. (It was the only exhibit in the entire zoo with a line.)
The membership is a great idea for anyone in the area. You get all kinds of discounts.
December 27th, 2005 at 5:55 am
Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year, Rich, Eleanor & Emma!
Two very memorable, non-traditional holidays for me were:
Thanksgiving in Kathmandu, Nepal – a friend and I joined 6 other folks (2 from US, 1 from France, 2 from New Zealand, and one from England) for a Thanksgiving meal at a Kathmandu restaurant. Pumpkin Kibby was the closest that I could get to a “traditonal” Thanksgiving meal. We all had great fun explaining Thanksgiving and other holidays traditional to each of our countries.
New Years on an historic train at a ghost town west of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A few days before my wedding in Santa Fe, most of the guests joined us for a train ride to a ghost town. At the town we had music and dancing (Western Swing), and fireworks.
Sometimes the non-traditional versions of very tradition-bound holidays are the best!
Zach