Thanksgiving in Alameda

   Hosting in Alameda 2015!  With a big family, the mix of us all always makes for a dynamic and fun bunch. Plus a little of the unknown factor providing intrigue + Maria's determination to create the event, and we were set to go.  Mom and Dad Dempsey were willing and with last week's Disneyland journey, it's been a nice round of family time.  Maria planned really well, set her menu, got everyone that was coming slotted in with menu items, and I just did whatever she instructed me too.  Mom, Dad, Eileen, Woody, Jeremiah, Tom, Sam and Bella, Stacey and Lila, and my brother Mike would stop by before dinner.

    Neighbor Linda was ever kind to volunteer a table and chairs, and even stopped by during the day to drop off some donuts, which Maria found especially neighborly and touching.  The boys pitched in and we had the place set up nicely.  Mike stopped by earlier and everyone landed within 5 minutes at the 4 o'clock hour.  Amazing.  I probably should have noted the expected arrival time as this was when Mike, Oliver and I were about to go to Kathy and Bob's to pick up their coffee maker. We stayed, Mike visited, I helped (and watched) Maria perform her magic in the kitchen. At one point we might have had 10 people in our kitchen- such a scene.

    Vegetables are always the king in my mind at Thanksgiving and this year, no different. The only day of the year that I overeat (or maybe it's just eating a lot of starches), Maria even providing  vegetarian gravy options for the mashed potatoes.  Molly's pies, food brought by everyone, easy. Oliver appreciates the apple cider (Mike, Grandma). Not much drinking otherwise.  We'll be handing out beers over the next week I think. Stop by for a beer if you're reading this.  Jay made some New Zealand dessert beverages (sweetened toffee coffee crunchies).  Leftovers for awhile. No complaints here. Maybe next year?

     

after everything party (rest)

photo by John Dempsey
(ps: that's not my plate of turkey!)

   

 

Josh and Jackie's Birthdays. Surprise for Josh. Meeting baby A. Grand. Delightful.

anticipation of a wet ride. Also O's faves are the Tower of Terror (inspired his viewing of the Twilight Zone), and Big Thunder Mountain, especially at night

view from room 206,  Hotel Pepper Tree, Recommended.

There she is!

Mickey with a plan

mission accomplished

Happy Birthday Jackie

Oliver's digestion

Clarke and Eric

we did well considering how many of us in attendance. a laid back group

Cars ride and Indiana Jones were very enjoyable too

Tomorrowland conversion to Star Wars. We benefited from a quiet opening of Space Mountain to Hyperspace Mountain (darker, music and scenes from the first movie)

new Disney attraction: Reality World

Winner: Home Run Pillow just 3/8 balls in the hole. Somehow apparently not often accomplished.

Goodbye old friend (especially before they gussied you up with shows)

shoplifters will be prosecuted as well as anyone posting any unauthorized Star Wars videos on YouTube

hey! a lot of my wishes from way back when came true

well, he looks happy

Josh showing us and his audience how he can fly. These are his days to do so, and doing it well..

Jackie's surprise for Josh turned out well and no one gave away the secret. We liked our Hotel Pepper Tree, not really close to the park but quiet with kitchen, and nice grounds.  For us renting a car was the economical and kind of fun choice. We got a comfy Chrysler and I drove most of the way down (Point Reyes was good training) and Maria drove all the way back.  Meeting up with everyone was easy as somehow we walked into Disneyland at the same time. Warm weather on Saturday, cooler on Sunday.  Easy crowd to be with, and we always enjoy getting soaked on the Grizzly Peaks river rapids ride. It was chosen again on a cold Sunday night with Dexter and Eric. Some might refer to us as idiots, and we might agree.  

Food choices at reasonable prices, even vegetarian options can be found in the parks with a little diligence and searching (nice pasta plates at a diner near Space Mountain, veggie skewers at Bengal Barbecue, even the French Market had some options. While it's good that you can get a decent cup of Starbucks in the park, to accommodate the company the Main Street down home store was removed and replaced by a Starbucks. That store previously had an old time feel to it, with a coffee stand in the middle of it that was never very busy and while the coffee was just okay, you could always get free refills. Now there's a line that wraps around in the store, out the door and around the corner. Bleh.  Some small touches are being traded in for a larger corporate share (Star Wars land, conversion of Tomorrowland to a complete Star Wars merchandising center, coffee example, quiet places- the old art center that was up near the Tree House) but still a place with a vision realized, no doubt.

Point Reyes, 28+

     In 1987 I wandered up to Point Reyes in search of a journey. Getting off the bus at night, the 9 mile walk to the hostel ended up with me instead lost in pouring rain without much food, and known shelter. I did have a big army jacket and a cassette player with two tapes by Tony Williams and Redd Kross which I played over and over, as comfort from the sounds of the night. After twelve hours of uncertainty,  it all turned out very well.

      I didn't want to wait until 2017 so I went back last week. I wasn't going to stay outside but I would go to the hostel and walk back to town (and back to the hostel) without getting lost, of course. I wanted to breathe it all in; the town, the beaches, the trails, the living creatures that live there, the moments.  It's a beautiful place; easy to be free of concrete structures, surrounded by water, sky, and bush.  The grandness of it all. The love I feel there is genuine.

       One night two travelers from the hostel convinced me to drive slowly to the beach at night. They promised that many animals come out by moonlight, and they were not wrong. So many deer, skunk, a bobcat, possibly a porcupine and in the most eerie and beautiful instance, two tule elk bolted from the deep bush and across our path.  There was only the light from our strong flashlights, the mist from the beach and complete darkness.  Incredible, breath taking, and a little scary.  Thank you Jaz from Japan!

        Dinner at Point Reyes Station is as comforting as ever; Polenta 2015 is lighter but still very tasty. I wandered in close to closing, asked if this was okay and was received warmly, without hurry. My two days and nights at Point Reyes were wonderful. More than ever, it is a magical place for me.

Hostel beds provide motivation for an early start to get to nature. Note to self: private rooms are available.