We Forgot to Go Boxing

Today is officially boxing day. I'm sure that has more to do with containers than pugilism, but we didn't do either.

Joe and Norm went off to play golf in the morning. I had slept in the recliner and woke up when I heard them leave, so I was at least able to wave goodbye to Norm.

It was a gorgeous day, which I report only to rub it in to all of my east coast friends. Here's what it looked like here this morning.

(bad Bev!)

Alice Nan was still sleeping when the invitation came to join Tom et al. for pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes and Bri. What a nice way to start the day.

Jeri & Tom helped Bri with her blocks and I'm not sure who had the most time.

Bri showed Jeri the book about her trip to Maine and Boston.

Tom and Walt also watched the 49er-Rams game and perhaps the less said about that the better. Let's just say that we recommend only soft things be left in the family room on game day. (At one point after a particularly anguished cry from Tom, Bri ran in and asked "What happened, Daddy? Did the niners do something bad?")

While the game was going on, I read several books to Bri. I believe the occasion was well documented on film, but since I was a participant, it wasn't documented on my camera, but this trip has been wonderful in that Bri now knows who I am and includes me in her activities.

Walt and I had a lunch date with our friends Dick and Gerry (who live close to Tom) so we left around 2 p.m. and went to their house for their traditional Boxing Day tamales.

I should explain that we know Gerry and Dick from the old Newman Hall days at UC Berkeley. They were around during the national Newman Hall Convention, which Berkeley hosted. The theme of the event was "Follow the Sun in '61." I arrived on campus when the convention was in full swing, so I was slow to get to know all the participants, though they have all remained some of my best friends.

So imagine my surprise when Gerry pulled out an old piece of cardboard she had re-discovered recently and which was the backside of a prop for a play we apparently did at Newman that year. Dick and Gerry's kids did the play from the old script that Gerry also found.

And I thought I had old stuff!

We had to leave quickly to meet the family at the theatre because we were all going to see Tangled, which Bri had seen before but was thrilled to be seeing again. She brought the gang of stuffies with her:

Piggy, Bri's constant companion is in her left arm, but the black and brown "Tangle" is a dog that we gave her and he seems to have quickly assumed major importance in Bri's stuffy family.

Tangled is a great movie. I just marvel at how animation has progressed since I first started watching cartoons with Gilbert back in the 1980s. How he would be blown away by what is being done with animation these days.

After the movie, Bri got everyone (not only our family, but everyone in the plaza) chasing each other around the big Christmas tree. Lord does that kid have energy!

Then back to Alice & Joe's to pick at Christmas leftovers for dinner, and listen to "Malt Shop Favorites" on Direct TV music stations. Back to our 1950s again!

We are going to visit Grandma Sykes tomorrow before we head out for home.

I'm missing puppies!