Smilin' Jack: Chapter 48 - Christmas Adventures

Every adventure has to have a beginning, a hobbit to start out from. A point in time where it all begins. This particular adventure started out from quiet reflection in a small oceanside community along the Oregon Coast.

Hahaha, simple enough, I thought it might be fun to head down to RWC and say Merry Christmas to Amy and the kids. And so I invited myself and thus it began.

But each adventure must have a logical progression...a path from A all the way down to Z. For me, this path had to, of necessity, travel from my humble shack to Sambo's, where I awaited the ride to the airport on the Caravan.

I just couldn't figure out any other way of getting to the airport. I didn't want to leave the Mini in the garage there so...off to the Caravan I went.

Carol and I were traveling on the same day and so I arranged the flights so that her flight to Southern California left in the afternoon as well as mine to San Jose. That way we could ride the Caravan together and have someone to talk to while we waited for our flights.

So early on a Wednesday morning we both set out and met at the Sambo's...with enough time for a little breakfast before our ride arrived. Hahahaha, my clever scheme was coming together. But the weather wasn't all that great.

I watched the skies all morning before I began my walk to Sambo's. I wasn't four or five minutes into my walk before, you guessed it, the rains came.

Fortunately it was more a drizzle than a rain; a drizzle mixed with a little hail. WTH!! I ducked under a convenient eave and waited the few minutes for the worse to pass and then hot-footed, Jackie-Style, the rest of the way.

Where I met up with Carol. She'd beaten me there and already had a table for us...over where the 'bus' picks up.

Plenty of time for a cuppa and some chit-chat. Hahaha, I am such a classy dresser.

And, as if single portraits weren't enough to make this exciting occasion, I put the camera on a table and got this most excellent shot.

While we waited for breakfast and then the bus to show up, I roamed around the restaurant and got a couple shots of the decorations. They do it up right at Sambo's.

Then Uber dropped this Ol' Gal off and she was standing outside. The waitress went and asked if she was waiting for the bus with her bags and she said yes so the waitress, who's evidently done this before, told her to come on in and wait.

I went out and got her bags for her and brought them in and put them with ours while Carol invited her to sit down with us while she waited.

We had a pleasant chat with Dawn and then the next part of my adventure began.

All Aboard the Caravan for fun, fame and adventure.

And we even had a pit stop built into the trip outside Newberg.

Hahahaha, when you're hauling a boatload of Seniors around you learn to put in a reststop or two along the way. Experience is a hard teacher but, ultimately, very effective.

We made it to Portland International Airport. Not the most impressive...I don't understand the need for these high ceilings...but it is utilitarian.

I kept looking for a picture. I saw the patterns and I felt like there should be a picture in it somewhere.

I kept looking but I don't think I found it.

Not even when I tried it in B&W.

And, you know, that ALWAYS snaps a picture up, right!?!

Hahaha, some of the time it does. Just not today.

Alaska must be a big player here, too. They had the 'A' Concourse and that sucker stretched way out there.

From here I had to walk about 100-150 yards and then actually go up some portable stairs to the airplane!

I mean, what is this!?! 1968??

It was the smallest jet I've ever flown on. But it wasn't bad, not at all. There were two seats on either side and plenty of overhead space. The flight was full but it didn't seem crowded and it didn't take long for the whole boarding process.

And getting off moved along, too. I sorta like the smaller planes. And it got to San Jose ahead of schedule, too.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the flight but, y'know, it wasn't bad. Not bad at all. And I guess where we got off the plane was pretty far away because it took a long time before our luggage came. Hahaha, and I seriously like the lack of a crowd here, too.

If I have my rathers, I'd rather avoid crowds. Always.

Since I had time to kill, I was able to look around a bit. They've done a nice, although understated, job of decorating the terminal for Christmas.

It isn't that large of a terminal and so I walked from one end to the other. As I was amblin' on, I passed this piano set out for...whoever.

And this guy walks one, sets his luggage down and then starts playing. Rather nicely, too.

And I admired the ingenuity some folks showed in their decorations. Pretty imaginative, eh!?!

It is December 20th at San Jose in the "B" Arrivals Terminal.

Just the way I like it. It's about as crowded as I would ever want it to be.

I made it. I invited myself and Amy was gracious enough to brave some ridiculously crowded California freeways to come and pick me up.

Haha, I admit it. I didn't make the best travel decisions. But that's in the past, dammit!

On the last Friday before Christmas Quinn's class had a Christmas Choral. And the children assembled right after the first bell of the day.

And after a warm welcome they all settled down for some serious singing.

I think I've seen this look before...about 35 or so years ago from another little blonde-haired cutie.

And they sang. Everyone watched Teacher to get their cues and everyone, sorta, kept up with the signing and the singing.

Lookin' good...and serious, too.

During a break, Max got to wear Quinn's Reindeer Hat while Quinn showed off her work to her Mom.

The kids had some of their artwork strung on a wire across the windows. Here's Quinn's contribution.

Hmmmmm, I wonder which one is Quinn? Not bad, though, not bad at all.

Here's the Quinnalator showing off her work to her Mom.

I had the opportunity to take Max to the park and let him work off some energy.

And he stubbed his toe.

But, like Short-Attention-Span Barbie, he was quickly over his heinous injury and onto new adventures.

And the Maxster and I were able to enjoy a McDonald's lunch. Hahaha, I'd be broke and enormously over-weight if I really lived this close to a McDonald's.

Hahahaha, three blocks is not enough separation for me.

When Quinnie got home from school, she had brought all her loose work home plus her Gingerbread House.

Hahaha, lookin' good AND it's tasty!!

On Saturday, Amy and the kids set up a Hot Chocolate Stand to sell Hot Chocolate for charity.

It's no great secret that I retain little of what I hear and when Amy explained the charity to me I heard, Kids, Calling and something else.

But it's for a good cause.

And the kids are learning to help others through service and not just words.

Whoa!! I just looked it up...C.A.S.A stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. Hahaha, I knew it was something to do with kids.

And their first customers.

Everyone that stopped by was more than generous with their donations.

Including their neighbor from across the street.

And the kids offered a Candy Cane with every cup of hot chocolate to sweeten the deal.

After it got dark the business tapered off.

But the kids stayed the whole time to help out.

What a neat tradition to start. In this Season of Giving to take a slight pause to give service to others seems very appropriate.

And then, just like that, it was...

Christmas Eve!!

A season of fun, family and games.

Like this one.

It was fun and, sometimes, even tasty.

Too play, you spin the top and then two of you have to pick two of the jelly beans the spinner stopped on.

The deal is, the jelly beans are a mix of good tasting jelly beans and an equal number of identically looking bad jelly beans. So you have a chance of getting the icky bean and, as I can testify, some of them are really, really icky.

They all look tasty but...there were some quick trips to the trash can to spit out some of the jelly beans.

A Seagrove Family Tradition...New Jammies.

And it wouldn't be a normal Christmas without some tom-foolery.

It just doesn't end.

Fun times!!

Then it was bedtime and waiting for Santa's visit.

Some of the ornaments on the tree. And they have a special story to go along with them.

The decorations on the fireplace mantle.

Amy came up with a cute idea for the kids. She gave them a "Makin'" Christmas. The kids got tools, a tool kit and a sawhorse. Great idea to make the kids aware of tools and doing things for themselves.

Hahaha, I really do enjoy Christmas Trees even though I haven't bought one or had one in whatever I call my current home in something like 10 years.

This one was kinda cool.

And it is a Silent Night...just ready for Santa to come.

With the tool box and tools.

And a fun trampoline!!

On Christmas morning, Quinn and Max found out they did get a visit from the Jolly Old Fat Man. He even left them a note.

For these goodies left on the counter. I guess he was feeling kind of full by the time he got to their house cuz he couldn't even finish his treats.

I decided to just enjoy Christmas morning without blinding everyone with a flash while they were opening presents so I put the camera to the side. But I did get one picture. It's a monkey that goes on the finger and then moves around.

Don't ask me cuz I don't know.