Omisoka, Hogmanay, and the last day of 2008

Malibu Pier

somewhere on the way to 2009

Take 5 takes me way back (Xmas Show 1986)

by chance (how many times in my life have i said that) i found this video today.  and it took me way back.  on the Tom Morton Show, he has a segment called 3-minute turn-around which people call in, email in or text message in to his show about a song that has changed or influenced or possibly inspired their life.  well, this song didn't necessarily do any of those things to/for me but i have thought about this version of the classic Take Five fondly from time to time since i first heard it over 20 years ago.  back then, i wasn't as "in" to music as i am now but i do remember being moved/impressed by the arrangement of this particular song by these Japanese musicians...their vocals, their harmonies, the overall sense that everyone was having fun participating in this song. . .  SAFE!!!

just another winter day in the South Bay

lunch on the sand, nap on the sand, walk on the sand, repeat.  build a sand castle, play in the water, listen to the ocean, repeat.  look for seashells, eat a Clementine, wear a sombrero, repeat.

seems like a Sunday morning

and it is, the last sunday morning of 2008.  my flight to Philly and from Philly to LA and from LA went smoothly yesterday.  if by smoothly i mean they both were late and both were a wee bit bumpy due to storms across the country and both had passengers a wee bit uptight and anxious due to possibly missing connecting flights and having to pay for soft drinks, juices, water and coffee and having to pay for checked bags. . . perhaps smoothly  is not the right adverb (nor smooth the right adjective).  both flights made it to Point B from Point A, eventually.  i did hear a new catch phrase to describe my airline, "if you don't get it on a bus, you don't get it on us." unfortunately we have come a long way backward as far as service is concerned.  fortunately i did get a seat (the last seat) on my commute flight home from PHL to LAX.  and two co-worker friends were working the flight.  and my seat-mate allowed me to sit in the aisle seat instead of the middle seat in case i needed to get out and help (i was still in uniform and he thought i would be getting up and down from the middle seat causing him to have to get up and down from his aisle seat).  i won't mention why we landed just before 10pm (just under an hour late) and did not get to the gate until just before 11pm.  but, i will say it was nice to have Steve's car (hopefully he and his family are enjoying Hawaii) at the hotel so i could drive home.  and home is where i will be for a couple of months.  or at least in walking/busing distance of home.  and speaking of walking, time for my last sunday walk of 2008.  the sun has not come up over the horizon yet but i can see it is will be soon.  it looks to be a sunny, blue sky day.  

last sunday sunrise, minutes before my last sunday walk 

if a snowman sees his shadow . . .

blueskyblueocean

that ocean green

view of the south bay looking north on a sunny sunday morning

snow in them there distance mountains

winter fallen 

i still love finding colorful shadows

one last LAX overnight

home again.   i had a 5:05am (2:05am west coast time) "pick up" from the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan this morning so i think i will take a little nap before doing anything else.  more later.  i will try to add some photos from Christmas in New York City to yesterday's blog posting.

it was a teriyaki friday because of being able to use Steve's car.  he and his family are on their way to Maui.  i will use his car to pick them up on new year's day late night.  though not as cold as Manhattan, it was quite cold in my apartment when i returned home so i did use the heater for the first time in about 7 years.  also i opened some Christmas cards that i arrived while i was gone.  and a nice Christmas package from my little sister and her husband.

Christmas in New York City

M e r r y  C h r i s t m a s  to all.  it's a beautiful day here in Manhattan.  more about why i was able to stay two nights in New York.  and why i walked from the "short" overnite hotel near LaGuardia to the 111th Street Station and took the #7 subway to Times Square and then transfered to the #2 to Penn Station and then walked to the "long" overnite hotel which turned out to be right across from Madison Square Garden. time to walk and see Christmas in Manhattan.

a few moments from my Christmas walk: 34th Street to Central Park with many stops along the way