Blow out the candles the party is over. On Monday, our daughter flew back to Washington D.C. On Wednesday night, my wife took down the Christmas tree and other inside decorations and my son and I hauled the boxes downstairs to the garage. Last night the college bowl season ended with the National Championship game at the Rose Bowl. My son and I had buffalo wings and pizza. Early Saturday morning our son will fly back to grad school and I will take down the outside Christmas lights. The four of us had a great Christmas Holiday Season what with Christmas and the "road trip" to the Rose Bowl. My sister came down from Portland for Christmas and it was good seeing her. I love Christmas shopping, the trips to Donut Country with the kids, the movies, the college football bowl games (we watched a lot) the going out to restaurants, the talk of politics and Christmas lights and music.
Best Day: Disneyland... it was crowded but our plan worked perfectly. Love the Abe Lincoln robot and his presentation in "Great Moments with Mr.Lincoln."The presentation has been closed for a number of years and it was good to see it again.
Best Meal: Tri Tip Steak at the Harris Ranch on the way down I-5 on the way to the Rose Bowl.
Favorite moments: The four of us having lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory in Old Pasadena in the bar watching the Sun Bowl on TV;marching with the Oregon Marching Band down "Main Street" at Disneyland; and the trips to Donut Country with my son.
Best Souvenir: The picture of the four of us coming down Splash Mountain we bought at Disneyland.
Best unplanned moment Our daughter turning off the freeway and driving down the Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and then driving back to the freeway down Hollywood Blvd.
Best part of the Rose Bowl:Seeing and talking to all the zany Oregon Duck Fans. The lady who sat beside me at the Rose Bowl was a 1964 grad of Marshfield High School where I (a North Bend High Grad) had lots of friends that year.
Worst part of the Rose Bowl: (other than the score) was the distance and scarcity of rest rooms and being so far from the field in the end zone.As much as I love the Rose Bowl and it's history it is an antiquated stadium and needs a major make over.
Worst Day: Fighting freeway traffic on I-5 north from Anaheim to go to Oregon's pep rally at the Santa Monica Pier and having a cold pouring rain when we got there.
Best part of the Holidays:Having our kids at home and going on one more "road trip" together.We got to go to a movie together on Christmas Day("Up in the Air" **** with George Clooney) and traveled more than 1,500 miles together. Kids did most of the driving. We watched, in our motel rooms, a bowl game almost every night and I loved the breakfasts served at each of the four motels at which we stayed.
Best Fast Food Meal: "In and Out Burgers" after the Rose Bowl
