New Year's Eve
SAN DIEGO, CA —Our New Year’s Eve was spent quietly with a few family and friends.  Shor had a sleepover with us, using a futon at the foot of our bed. He tried to stay up to midnight but somewhere between 11:30 p.m. and midnight December 31, while trying to watch cartoons, he fell asleep.  There is always next year.  

The reason Shor was in our bedroom was because Papa Z was in what normally is Shor’s room. The reason he was in that room was because Carl, Barbara and Edward Zeiden, down from Modesto, were occupying the guest house across the street. Besides these family members, our party included Sandi, Shahar and their friend (and 
Shor took all the photos for New
Year's Eve except, of course, this 
one.  He helped grandma set out
the food for the party and he also
answered the door to welcome guests.


Top Row (l-r) Sam Zeiden, Shahar Masori, Sandi Masori & Gail Umeham, Robert & Helene Baum; Bottom row (l-r): Ruth Levinson, John Finley, Dan & Jane Schaffer (looking at Shor photo album), Donald H. Harrison.

ours) John Finley (who had to leave to go to the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe, where they had a balloon job, having exploding balloons fall from the ceiling of the club house at the stroke of midnight).  Additionally, we had our next door neighbor Ruth Levinson, who left early fighting sleep (it was that kind of party); Gail Umeham (whose husband Okoronkwo is in Nigeria); Dan and Jane Schaffer (who had to leave early because Jane was flying out on business at 5 a.m.), and Robert and Helene Baum, who stayed with us till a little bit beyond midnight.  

I started kissing Nancy about 10 seconds before midnight, and held it beyond that point, so we could say we had a kiss that lasted from 2006 to 2007.  (I also like to shake hands over state lines).  Carl, Barbara and Eddie, who had retreated to the other house because of Carl’s allergy to cats (Mootzi and Sasha), came back to wish us a Happy New Year. After moving back some furniture, I went to sleep, while the others stayed up. 

New Year's Morning
The first up New Year’s morning, of course, was Shor, who watched TV till I came out and prepared for him his favorite breakfast—cinnamon apple oatmeal, buttered toast with cinnamon on it, and a glass of water with “five ices and a straw.” Next up were Nancy, then Pop Z, who complained of a leg cramp sleeping on Shor's soft bed. While we waited for Carl, Barbara and Edward to come over for breakfast--and maybe Sandi and John too (Shahar already being at work at the Barona Casino)--Nancy played a game called "Jalopy" with Shor on the living room rug, which still was covered with confetti. (We wanted Carl to fire off another confetti popper for Shor to see before we vacuumed.) Later they moved to the kitchen table for a game of Candyland. After Sandi arrived,  we all crossed to the guest house where we awaited the awakening of Carl, Barbara and Ed.   





 




Shor and Nancy start off 2007 playing a game of "Junkyard Jalopy" on the living room floor, then switched to Candyland on the kitchen table.  Then, meeting his mommy (Sandi) at guest house across the street, Shor gives her a big, albeit unconventional hug, and then sends a kiss to his brother-to-be Sky, who is due somewhere around March 17th.  Nancy, dressed at last, set the table at the guest house, Dad  Z cleaned his glasses, and Carl and Shor played with  a rubber band game. (Edward  and Sandi in background). Other pictures, including Barbara, Don deleted in a panic to get his disk out of his computer!  

Cabrillo National Monument
After a New Year's Day brunch of scrambled eggs, and lox 'n bagels, Don took Carl, Barbara and Edward to the Cabrillo National Monument, Barbara having expressed an interest in photographing lighthouses which she hopes to make the subjects of some of her upcoming artwork.  We went first to the operating light house at the Coast Guard Station at the bottom of the cliff facing the Pacific Ocean, northwest of the entrance to San Diego Bay.  Then we drove up the hill to the historic lighthouse, exploring it and the exhibits in the adjoining building.  Next, it was down the hill to the large statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, or as the Portuguese like to call him Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho, and finally it was on to the visitor's center where a "living history" lecture acquainted us with the clothing and weapons of the Spanish soldiers of the mid 15th century.


 
NEW AND THE OLD —Lighthouse at the base of the hill at Cabrillo National Monument, on the Coast Guard base, currently serves night-time shipping in the Pacific Ocean.  The historic lighthouse, built atop Point Loma in the 19th Century, proved too likely to be enshrouded in fog to be practical. Today it is the best-known landmark of Point Loma. Bottom Row: View of house,  light, and another light in exhibit hall.


Cabrillo Statue may be seen against the backdrop of the City of San Diego's skyline.  In looking at the entire statue, it is easy to miss certain details such as the chart and compass that Cabrillo holds in his left hand, or
the Portuguese spelling of his name.  At bottom right, a presentation on the Spanish soldiers.

Family Dinner at Champagne French Bakery

From the Cabrillo National Monument, we all came home, then cavalcaded to the Champagne French Bakery at  12955 El Camino Real (shopping center at southeast intersection with Del Mar heights Road), one of the restaurants owned by Jacques Gourmet, the company where David works at the CFO.  We met him there, along with Cathy, for a New Year's Night dinner, capping a day that brought together all of Papa Sam's descendants except Heather Zeiden, who unfortunately had to remain in Modesto. 

We learned that the evening before (New Year's Eve) was John Finley's 36th birthday, so, of course, at the end of the meal we had to sing a chorus of "Happy Birthday" in his honor.  Did I imagine it, or did the restaurant clear out, shortly after I demonstrated my singing voice for this occasion?


Family Gathering--John Finley shot this photo showing in back row a portion of Shor, Edward, Barbara, Carl
and Dad Zeiden.  In front row (l-r), Nancy, Don and David can be seen.  In second photo, taken by David
those  pictured in left row (front to back) Dad Zeiden, Cathy (Hui-Wen)  Harrison, Don Harrison, Nancy 
Harrison, John Finley.  In right row, front to back, Carl Zeiden and Edward Zeiden. 


Sandi and Shor were seated at the very far end of the back row, in a position making it difficult for them to be
photographed from either end of the long table.  But they were perfectly accessible to Don, in the middle.


Photo at left (l-r)--David, Cathy, Don, Nancy, and John.  Photo at left, Carl, Sam (paying the check!), Nancy.