California Snow

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year. Season's Greetings from California. Love, Aric and Marcia … and William

Okay, so I have been really bad about adding my entries into my blog, but if you are psychic chances are you mentally heard the words that I was going to write down. It was probably something completely profound, and in many ways was reminiscent of a young John Steinbeck, a cantankerous Kurt Vonnegut, or a saucy and sassy Danielle Steele. Okay, maybe I am pushing it.

Marcia and I have been getting ready for the kid — an event we have dubbed Hurricane Baby. But things are going real good. Marcia is healthy, the baby is healthy, I am teetering on the line of completely cracking under the strain of it all and knocking over a small yak farm … you know, business as usual.

We have been getting ready for Christmas as well. This is our first year completely on our own. Well, not completely. We will be going to friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas, but it is the first time that we won’t be able to go home. As much as I am thankful that I am able to work where I do, do what I do, and live where I live, there is still that feeling of adjustment that comes with the holidays. This is the first year where Marcia and I can’t afford to get gifts for our family. This is also the first year that we can’t go home. Even if we had the money to go home, we souldn’t be able to due to Marcia being 8 months pregnant (um… pardon me while I faint).

I know Christmas is more about doing what you can rather than getting what you can, but it still would be nice to go home for a little bit. Hearing all the Christmas and holiday songs make me miss being around the fam. Except for the WalMart commercials. Their schmaltzy, celebrity driven, 30-second-spot degrading of the holiday season makes me violently, physically ill %mdash; or that may be the chocolate chip and peperoni sandwiches that I ate last night.

Other than that things are really good. I just got my first bonus from the company, Marcia got some freelance work for the company I work for, we were able to budget out a little money for Christmas gifts for each other. They were modest gifts, but I think we both tried to be creative … and succeeded.

But there is one thing that coming from the Midwest that both of us find just plain weird. Californai Snow. Now Claifornia Snow is a funny kind of snow. It ain’t like the snow you would find in the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, the majority of the Upper Midwest, or the East coast. No this is a unique kind of snow. California is a warm liquid snow. It looks, acts, and feels like rain, but no … it’s California Snow.

People should drive more cautiously in California Snow. 10 mph on the 101 from San Mateo to downtown San Francisco is way too fast. No we should go 1 mph. Gee Whiz. Its just rain people. That is right you heard me … ITS JUST FREAKING, RUN OF THE MILL, WEST COAST, TYPICAL 67 DEGREE, AVERAGE, NOT-GOING-TO-MAIM-A-FREAKING-CARRIER-PIGEON RAIN. Drive normally. If the sign says 65 then the speed limit is 65. That is a total no brainer. I know what you are saying, “But Aric, that California Snow gives the ground a very wet kind of feel.” Yeah thats called … RAIN. That is what rain does. It makes things wet. Your tires can handle it, your windshield wipers can handle it. Best yet, the Interstate can handle it. Go the Freaking speed limit people. It ain’t rocket science.

Well, back to the issue at hand. This has definitely been an exciting year. Things are moving really fast. In fact I am having a hardtime staying on top of everything. It seems like I come home, go to sleep, and go to work. One good thing. We got rid of the big cable package. Why pay fo rthe ability to do nothing. I can do that for free. Especially during the holidays. I have all my favorite Christmas stories on VHS or DVD anyway, and besides I have taken a liking to reading to an 8 month pre-person. Its kind of fun. Last night I read the kid A Wish for Wings That Work by Berkeley Breathed — a fine book on the toic of holiday loving, flightless waterfowl.

And with that I bid you adieu. To all of you I wish a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, a Joyful Kwanzaa, a Peaceful Ramadan, Feliz Navidad, Prima Weihnachten, A Blessed Megusso Saava, and Mele Kalikimaka!

Be well everyone. I hope that even if you do not get everything you want that you get everything you need, and that may the joy of this time will spread through out the year.

So everyone have a wonderful day, and if I do not see you, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night.

Peace, love, and fortune to you all,

Aric

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