Quiet Christmas Eve

The camp is full of people celebrating a Christmas at the beach. Most are from California with a number from Arizona and a mix of visitors from other states. I took the dogs out for a walk in the morning sun and something during our outing triggered a migraine. I could see the visual cues starting up with the squiggly lines and tunnel vision. Went back to the RV and inhaled a dose of Imetrex and went back to bed. Luckily my migraines aren’t pitifully painful, they leave me feeling subdued and out of it. Kind of an electrical misfire that leaves me lethargic and numb.

I got up around 11:00 and fumbled through my day, the old camp curmudgeon playing solitaire at his table while everyone else is out enjoying the day. Watched a football game then got showered and shaved for tonight’s Xmas celebration at my sister’s. It was a beautiful evening with a clear sky full of clouds. I was moving slowly and noticing everything. I stopped in at Ralph’s for a few last minute items. The check out lady didn’t seem any too glad to be spending her Christmas Eve ringing up my purchase. I haven’t had a Starbucks in a long time but it somehow seemed appealing. I grabbed a Chai Latte and got on the road out to San Elijo Hills.

Mette and Lee cooked up a traditional Danish dinner with a pork roast, red cabbage and sautéed potatoes. Larry and Brenda were on hand along with a couple from Mette’s work, Flavian and Yessenia. The kids convinced Christine, Brenda and me to play a game of Trivial Pursuit with them so we all got on the floor and moved our little pie pieces around the board. They have an adult/child version that has different sets of questions for kids. The cat had found a warm spot hiding behind the DVD player and would occasionally poke her head out to see who was winning.

Dad and Sandy held down the couch chatting with Larry while Lee and Mette put the final touches on the feast with help from Flavian on the gravy front. We all sat at the long table and Lee started us off with a Christmas toast and then we all dug into a scrumptious holiday dinner. Conversation flowed and then flowed even faster as some of the guests tested a few shots of an anejo tequila Lee pulled from the cabinet. The meal finished with the traditional dessert of rice pudding where one bowl had a whole almond that wasn’t chopped in it. The person who finds the almond wins the prize of a marzipan pig. This year’s confection was hand made by Devon. Dad was the diner who discovered the entire nut so he was the guy going home with the fingerprint coated pig.

The neighborhood goes all in on the Christmas decorations even stringing lines from house to house over the street. Really pretty

We chatted some more then I had to sneak off to let the dogs out of the RV. Quiet reflective drive down Palomar Airport Rd. to the beach. Camp was quiet. Several of the only empty spots are right around me. The dogs and I patrolled the campground. Only a few hearty people were braving the cold and were still manning their fires at this late hour. Did some reading and poking around then went to bed and slept like a baby.