Holidays 2008

The first half of my 16 days off I spent mostly on the road. I went to Santa Cruz for a night to see my best friends and pick up my new snowboard. Then I headed north and surfed a beautiful granite cove just south of the City. After a quick stop at home I drove to Sacramento and spent the night with some friends. I then went up to the mountains and snowboarded with my brother and his girlfriend for a couple days. They left the second night and I stayed in the mountains for one more night. It snowed hard that night, so I got up early and floated through fresh powder until I could hardly stand. Sore legs and I had not slept well for several nights due to decompressing from a very busy year and the Southern Pacific tooting right outside my window.

Darth Vader is a snowboarder.

I left the mountains a day early and went to my favorite hot springs. Drove the back roads from Sacramento through the Capay valley. I made it in time for dinner and one "basic" room was available; thank god, because it was cold and raining hard. My first visit to the pools revealed good friends. Later I went to the the Tuesday night dance, where I got to spin around the room with other familiar faces. Finally I collapsed in my room and slept 10 hours, beginning to make up for the sleep I missed the days earlier. I woke to snow dusting the tops. I made it to my friends yoga class and cracked more of my body open.

It took almost a week for me to really start letting go the stress and drive of the last year. I was beginning to feel very grounded as my family all started to show up at the house. First, I picked up the Grammas from the airport. Next day Jasper and Silas came home and we ate the beginnings of a big pot of Dada's pinto bean soup. Late that evening Andy, Beth, Mia, and Hayden arrived.

My goal had been to complete my little kitchen remodel before the family holidays. We were able to get it done and I spent most of the Holiday in the kitchen cooking for the family. Pots of beans, roasted chickens, homemade soups, enchiladas, jams, and cookies. I was in domestic bliss. And the new dishwasher was running twice a day!

A little excitement.

We had a wonderful belated Christmas gift exchange and a lot of slow times in the house, on the beach, or wandering our neighborhood. We were blessed with epic winter surf, so I got plenty of exercise, which always mellows me out. It was a great seven days of family, time shared as a group and between individuals. Everyone was so gracious and loving and full of gratitude.

Some CrockerBoys in Golden Gate Park.

See more photos in our Holiday Album.