Holiday

Today is Easter Sunday. For many people, and maybe most in this country, that is the most important thing. Today commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, and that is no small occasion to remember. Should he have died and remained dead, that probably would have been the end of a lot of his mystique, but instead we have a man who was placed in a tomb and who failed to remain there. That is, again, a very big deal. We had that man who revived after being put in a body bag, but that remains a rare thing.

Interestingly, the reason some would give for the believe of those who were there and who said Jesus was absent from his resting place has some relevance today. Some would say you'd have to be high to think so. As it happens, today is not just Easter Sunday but also 4/20, which devotees of marijuana regard as a special day. I suppose any day is one on which pot can be smoked, but people do seem to constantly seek special occasions.

Independence Day Now

Yesterday being Independence Day (as I feel the urge to say instead of the Fourth of July), it is maybe too timely of me to discuss the occasion, but I had a passably notable experience. Up until a couple days ago, I had no plans at all except that a couple of possibilities were presented to me. Things solidified the day before, and I would venture to say that the plan played out in a very satisfactory way, although whether alternate plans were superior is beyond my ability to say.

What we ( which is to say myself and four close friends) did was to go out to Northridge, which lies at the northernmost reaches of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. There was to be found a free fireworks display. As it turned out, the event was under the auspices of a church, but we five did not bear any ill will on that account. Although the fireworks were not to be until after sunset, of course, we  made our way up early.

I Love USA

Today being Independence Day, my mind turns to previous incidences of the same. It seems to me that there are three real traditions involved. There are, of course, the fireworks. There are the sanctioned displays, but those are a little less fun in that they are remote to you, and it is significant that there is no danger involved in the handling of the fireworks by professionals. The prospect of gruesome injury definitely adds some flavor, awful though it might be.

There is the food, of course. People are apt to conflate barbecues with cookouts. The majority of people are at cookouts, regardless of what they say or think. Burgers and hot dogs are not a barbecue. Brats are not even a barbecue. Actual barbecue makes a barbecue. That's things like ribs and pulled pork. I have been at few true barbecues if any. That's not the say that cookouts are unpleasant. They are awesome, but I know them for what they are.

Watch Out!

Today is April Fools' Day, and I'm supposed to craft some barely-plausible lie that will leave you looking and feeling like a fool. I'm not going to do that, not least of all for the reason that I never seem to address special days at the right time even if I'm not writing in advance. I never have much enjoyed the occasion for whatever reason, and I would guess that those who know me fairly well are surprised by that.

Those who know me very well probably find that a little easier to believe, though. The thing is that much of what I dish out I cannot take. Deadpan jokes that I level at others are easily deployed against me with devastating effect. You'd think that I would be somewhat the wiser for my experience in using those jokes, but I'm not. Consequently, April Fools' Day finds me all too credulous sometimes if not always.

Something New Year's

As I write this, I am beginning the process of coming down from a quintessentially bacchanalian New Year's Eve party. It was a small one by comparison with those that I am aware other friends participated in, but then any gathering of two people would have to be more wild a party than I am accustomed to. I have in years past most typically stayed with my family back home through New Year's Day, the better to watch college football (as no one here is much for the amateur variety).

That makes the bowl games of New Year's Day fine, but then what of the night before? Well, I can tell you with years of personal experience to back me up that there are some remarkable tv show marathons to choose from. Most commonly I favored the 'Twilight Zone' ones, and watched some classic television into the wee hours of the new year as the VCR clock turned over at midnight. I can say that makes for a less and less satisfying New Year's.

A Pet Peeve

The holiday season is well behind us, but one thing continues to rankle me. There is in such holidays as Christmas deep meaning for me. The reason for the season, as I've heard it put, is the birth of Christ, and we celebrate by following the example of the wise men and giving gifts to those we care about as well as being charitable towards our fellow men. Each holiday on the calendar has its own significance which rivals that of Christmas, and I take them seriously. Here's what bothers me: why do we go to the trouble of extending the holiday to our pets?

Every year, there I am reveling in the Yuletide spirit which I so appreciate. I've been to church and have taken the trouble to properly observe the occasion, so of course it's quite reasonable that I should both give and receive gifts as well as partake in a grand holiday meal with all the proper trappings. I'm eating it and feeling special until a holiday meal comes out for the dogs. They aren't Christian and don't know what the day is all about. They certainly have not given any of us gifts outside of a possible dead bird, which is something they can hardly be counted on to do every year. Yet it is so that they get a turkey dinner from Iams or whoever and receive gifts to boot!

The day

It was a good, full day. We got started later than in past years, but had a nice breakfast. Thereafter, it was present time, and I served as distributor of gifts. The gifts all seemed to be successes, so it was a good Christmas in that regard. We then watched a little basketball, breaking it off for hiking and other endeavors. Upon return, we got back to sports until it was time for dinner. This was very good.
Christmas certainly changes as a family gets older. There were many around today, whereas years ago it was just the four of us. More ruminations may possibly come tomorrow.

Christmas

It looks to be as good a Christmas as ever for the family. There's plenty of food and plenty to do with those I care about. Very little gives me pause apart from the many changes that take place here in between my visits home.

Should it interest anyone, I will say that I got a haircut. It's very short right now. The mustache has been trimmed, but lives still. I also had my first professional shave that I can recall. I can't say that it's likely to recur, but was pleasant and worth doing at least the once.
More about the holidays likely to follow.