'Tis the season

Christmas in CA

Dr. D and I are now safe and sound in our Californian hometown for the Christmas season, although we somehow managed to bring the poor weather of the Midwest along with us. I don't really mind the rain so much, though, because I'm focusing on everything that this season and our hometown visits inevitably bring:

1. Mom's expertly decorated Christmas tree, complete with matching wrapping paper on the presents below---someone give this woman an interior design job, stat! She'd probably also settle for hosting a show on HGTV... just throwing that one out there for all of you television industry folks who are devoted readers of my blog.
2. Swapping music, youtube clips, and stories with my Hollywood-dwelling, drum-playing Broseph.
3. Lovin's from my other homedog, Old Man. (shh... don't tell J-dog)
4. Engaging in the extreme home sport that my father has coined "Power-Lounging," which consists of deftly flopping onto furniture for extensive relaxation sessions.
   
5. Fretting with Dr. D's mom on the sideline of intense impromptu living room wrestling matches between the boys (Dr. D, his dad ODP, and his little bro Six). Love manifests itself in many ways, folks.
6. Time spent with friends we've known for 15+ years, typically eating midnight donuts at our favorite 24-hour donuts shop (yes, there are multiple in town).
7. Driving around in my parents' '68 Mustang, looking cool but secretly hoping it doesn't break down on us.
8. Running into people from high school, which typically turns out one of three ways: (1) Awesome, (2) Pleasant, (3) Awk. Ward.
   
9. Food. Massive quantities of it.
10. Laughing. Even more of it than food.

Old Man