Good morning all:

Weekly Happy Hanukkah quote:

“Put on your yarmulke,
Here comes Hanukkah!
So much funukah,
To celebrate Hanukkah!
Hanukkah is the festival of lights.
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights” – Adam Sandler

Unsettling; this was the week of the “earlies”. For one reason or another I was up earlier than normal—by an hour or two. Last evening it was a social one with neighbors and coming home all relaxed I looked forward to sleeping in a bit this morning. At 4:40 I was wide awake—this is all so very wrong. Oh well, I’ll just have to double up on my morning coffee regimen.

Coming Monday morning Jason and I have a 7:45 AM flight – one hour’s drive away, out of Dayton airport. Looks like the “earlies” keep on coming. Once I get home I’ll work on resetting my internal clock.

Newport Aquarium – I was invited to my former employer’s Christmas party—a lovely tradition where the old geezers are invited back. This year it was a family affair rather than just couples and held at the Newport Aquarium which was exclusively ours for the evening. All too good an opportunity to make it an “Opa and the grandkids” event (Marcia stayed home to better deal with her hacking cough). However, I did invite Adrianne to assist in my enjoyment of the occasion and also aid me in properly fulfilling the necessary adult duties—plate loading and plate balancing at the buffet table, potty break supervision, and general rounding up of the troops. The whole evening was superb!

Photos will tell the tale (2-double clicks on each photo will enlarge it). However, how often can kids stand next to a column of water and by manipulating the light change the color of jellyfish? Want to rub the back of a five-foot shark? No problem. Pet a penguin? Certainly. Want to see about thirty differing species of penguin dive and swim? Sure, and the little ones (primarily Vaioleti) even raced them as penguin would swim alongside in their 25’ wide tank—penguins won! As an aside, like all good swimmers they won these races in the turns—they’re amazingly acrobatic swimmers. We all walked through tunnels where a five foot sea turtle swam over us, and similarly walked a Plexiglas floored hallway with various fish swimming below. To say that the whole gang was high from the experience is a major understatement.

Little hiccups – I mentioned my early rising this week. Well, last Sunday I drove Jason and Tevita to Dayton airport at 4:30 AM for a work-related flight to Texas. I was all prepped for the drive home, which was to consist of a stop for some breakfast, then a swing by Costco (way north of us and this would save a later trip), and then home.

My breakfast had to be at a White Castle 24-hour joint—yes, White Castle of the “sliders” fame. Their little breakfast sandwich is amazing; like a standard McDonald’s sausage and egg, except fresh fried eggs not prepackaged. Also, their coffee is as good as it gets—and I should know. Plus it’s fun to talk with those grizzled White Castle ladies who’ve been working the nightshift like forever.

Eventually, while listening to various segments on my local NPR station I settled in at the Costco parking lot; it was still dark. Forty-five minutes later there was a break and I stepped out to see whether or not there was any life inside Costco and an attempt to get the doors open. Only silence greeted me. Somewhat nonplussed I checked my watch again, yup, almost eight o’clock. Then I noted the “Hours” sign—Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Whoops.

Yesterday came the other hiccup. Marcia’s birthday falls on January 2nd each and every year. That just happens to be a horrible day for gift giving since it keeps on following a major holiday. This year it was to be different.

Most all our holiday shopping has been on line—translates; I am on a major shopping roll. So, I decided to also order Marcia’s gift and work one of two angles. I’d place the order to be delivered as “A Gift for Marcia Pastoor”, this way I had two options: should she receive the package she would either not peek or I’d tell her that her birthday gift came early. Or, if I got the package I’d just hide it. Voila, I was on top of my game.

Here is what actually happened. Yesterday the UPS guy barged up to the door and Marcia ran out to retrieve a box. Looking at it she said; “gift for Dirk Pastoor.” I had no idea, so with her watching I opened the box containing not a “my gift” but, you guessed it, Marcia’s birthday gift. I suspect that I must have interchanged placing our names on the “gift for” line with the “bill to.” Marcia does like her birthday gift, even if two weeks early.

Animal Planet – This photo was taken yesterday morning just before eight and shows the street in front of our house. Still living through the aftermath of last summer’s burglary (due to the continuous legal wrangling), I am quickly becoming an expert on criminal behavior. I am now fully convinced that the only reason we keep seeing these deer is that they are casing our joint.

Closing – This week, a happy birthday to Jeanne Z.  Paul, glad that all is doing a proper “thump-a-thump.”  Also, fun that Vince, Kirstin, and the kids were able to spend some time and show off their new city and home to Jason and Tevita. V. & K., the guys were impressed!

Make it a great week everyone.

Cheers,
Dirk