December 16, 2005
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The Daily News
1 And so this is Christmas.
2 For those of us in the education business, it is time to take time off. Fine time. One thing I DO love about teaching is that we get LOTS of time off! It’s a good thing, because the behaviors of the students this year have been abominable at times, and either I get some time off, or kids are going to be flying through windows.
3 That can get expensive.
4 A group of us went out yesterday and took Sunshine to Capitola before he ships out for Germany, and then some other beautiful parts of the world.
5 Capitola.
6 That’s where Sunshine wanted to head, and it was classic. Cold, but we shopped, looked out at the Christmas lights dancing on the water, and we looked up at the full moon. Nothing amazing, but just a beautiful night.
7 So one of our own shoves off on Sunday.
8 Sometimes it’s the little things. Capitola. Good friends. That is what I mean by sometimes it’s the little things.
9 There must have been eight of us at least, and I don’t think one of us felt it was Christmas time. Seems like we were looking around at all the Christmas decorations when it occurred to us that it was, indeed, the holidays.
10 I saw my Mom yesterday, and it turns out that this beach that was always in our home movies was…Capitola! I had NO idea that I ever WENT to Capitola when I was a kid. My folks would just say, “We’re going to a beach near Santa Cruz.” I had no idea until yesterday morning that I spent lots of my childhood summers in Capitola…amazing…
11 No wonder I love the place!
12 So now, for the rest of us, we just need to get through THIS day, and then it morphs into a survival game out there in Christmasland, when the nicest old ladies in the world will suddenly, and without warning, become fierce, turn fast, and attack you with spoons if you try to beat them to a sale.
13 So ho, ho, ho everybody!!!!
14 Let’s get it started!
15 May this holiday break bring joy, peace, and good will to you and yours. And may you beat the old ladies up with umbrellas.
16 Happy holidays.
17 Peace.
~h~
