Christmas Comes Early in LA

My brother felt that I needed more help in getting in the swing of Christmas. After all, it was November!!

The top photo shows the quantity of Christmas decorations that came down from the garage ceiling. I can publically state that it's much more than our Father's (and that is saying something).

Bottom photo shows the front of the house in splendid glory at night. Ah....

Spot The Birdie

Yes, it's very small (hence the arrow)!

A hummingbird was often found feeding from the nectar outside the back of the house.

A wonderful sight.

Getting In The Mood For Christmas Disney Style

After leaving Huntington beach we drove to downtown Disney.

My brother felt that I was becoming the Grinch that stole Christmas (or I didn't believe Christmas should come this early!).

So, we went to Disney Land's downtown and saw the lights and listened to some Christmas songs!!

Baywatch Here We Come - Huntington Beach

Today we went to the beach.

Had a fantastic time. Starting off with a paddle in the Pacific Ocean, making sand castles, watching the babes play beach volley ball, the dudes surf and seeing a 1960's car suspension go up and down.

Can't believe it's nearly December and I' was getting a sun tan. Dude....

Shopping on Black Friday

It's tradition to get up at the crack of dawn, the day after Thanksgiving, and queue for hours to get a bargain in the sales.

I didn't quite do that, but I did go to Target at 9.30am and managed to get a few bargains.

Happy Thanksgiving

This year I was fortunate enough to share Thanksgiving with my brother and his family.

According to Wikipedia, Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the US & Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. In the US, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

The food was plentiful (I even helped make the stuffing!). The table decorations of the turkeys were made by my niece and nephew.

Due to eating too much, I couldn't swim in the outside swimming pool BUT I did find time to enjoy the jacuzzi the next evening.

T-Shirt Weather in November

Having left a very cold Cincinnati I arrived to the warmth of California.

This photo of the San Gabriel's mountains, North East of Los Angeles, shows the contrast in weather.

If you look closely you can see the snow covered mountains.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ...

Would you believe it? I leave my desk for lunch and I return with a Christmas tree decorated with lights. Nice hey!!

Apparently someone knows me too well. I never put up the Christmas decorations until the week before Christmas Day.

The tradition in America is to put it up around Thanksgiving.

At least I can say my apartment will be decorated.

Walking With The Turkeys

Yesterday the company had a 5K run or walk in an effort to keep the workforce healthy (especially before Thanksgiving).

I managed to influence a number of colleagues to enter. Over 10 of us walked (some quicker than others).

Had a great time. D idn't realise how competitive a 'social' event would get though!

Tailgating

This was my first experience of watching an American Football game.

After getting up at the crack of dawn and driving friends 3 hours to Bloomington, Indiana we arrived at the Memorial Stadium.

Before watching the 12pm Indiana ("The Hoosiers") vs. Iowa ("The Hawkeyes") game, we joined in the tailgating. I've never heard of tailgating, but this is where people drive to the ground and set up BBQs, tables/chairs, drink beer and just generally have fun before the game (note: not match, as I was continually reminded!).

I couldn't believe the size of the stadium and number of people attending the college game. It is amateur and people travel hundreds of miles to see their college teams. The stadium can house over 50,000 people (attendance for the game was around 42,000)!!

The game started with fireworks and lasted 3 hours (for a game that consists of 15 minute quarters.... go figure!). I saw two touchdowns and "The Hawkeyes" won (which was good, as one of the friends I was with came from Iowa college).

After the game, we walked through the Indianna college campus and found an Irish pub to warm up and eat. Didn't get back home until 10pm!

A fantastic day out.

The Windy City

After returning from home, I flew to Chicago for consumer research.

Stayed at the Westin hotel, opposite the John Hancock tower. Was told that I was upgraded to a lake view. When I arrived at the room, I realised that the view was predominantly another skyscraper with some lake!

Had a wonderful time. Brought back memories of a family visit to Chicago in the Summer. Only difference now was that the weather was considerably colder and it was very windy!!