Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, Happy Kwanzaa and all that…..
Wow, did 2012 bring allot to the Higginson household… some good, some bad, but all of it exciting!
Let’s start off with … oh….. Bob’s torn off achilles! Yup, he is now officially an “Old Fogey” now as he suffered his worst injury ever, not on a motorcycle, but rather in a father / son baseball game in January. Yep, you read that right. Ripped in right off running to 1st base after a solid knock to left field. He stayed in the game with a pinch runner and went 3/5 in probably his last game played . It was a great victory for the Dads, but it came at a heavy price. Some other Dads went down too, but nothing that required surgery. Bob’s surgery went well, and Vicki hooked him up with a blinged out Knee Scooter with a bell and a pink basket instead of watching him hobble around on crutches for months. Bob even took a few falls on the scooter too ( dumbass) .. but nothing that furthered his injuries. In the 9 months off from motorcycling that the doctor insisted on, Bob became reunited with some old drag race buddies and more specifically, the old front engine dragsters from the 1960’s. Every dark cloud has a silver lining as the achilles incident has led to something that Bob is really enjoying. It appears safe as well, with is a big plus for everyone else in the family. Bob also bought a $200 toaster that he just LOVES… just ask him next time you see him.
Jack has joined Dad on a few of the drag race trips, and even got to sit in a running Nitro powered front engine dragster. It lasted 3 minutes, and in the last 12 seconds of it, the terror wears off, and Jack manages to crack a smile. You can view it on YouTube, search under “ Jack AA/FD”.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7k4aJR ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]
The video does little to capture the sound and smells of it all, but you get the idea. Jack also had a big year in Baseball. His AVLL Jr’s team took the league championship!! Then he was selected for All-Stars and went a few rounds in that, and following 4 rounds of tryouts and cuts, managed to beat out 60 + kids and found his way onto the High School team! Woo-Hoo! Jack is very proud of all his hard work, but Mom and Dad keep reminding him that this is where the hard work really starts. Wish him luck on the upcoming season.
Berlin has had an interesting year, starting with Mom yanking her Facebook account for some rather adult language. If Quentin Tarantino needs someone to punch up his next movie script, Berlin is available. Berlin has also been cleaning her room for the last 11 months straight. There has been some progress though; we look forward to a 2014 / 2015 completion date. On a more positive side she had a outstanding “Rave” type birthday party with a mega light show and a live DJ. Anyone over 18 enjoyed the food, anyone under enjoyed it all. Berlin was also very active down at Center Stage Studios, performing in Mean Girls, Lil’ Mermaid, and landing her first lead performance in Cinderella. Good job Berlin!! She also had a good year playing Volley Ball. For 2013 she hopes to get back down to the stables to further her horsemanship.
Both kids have really taken to cooking, and Berlin especially to baking. The current competition is to see who can make the best grilled cheese sandwich. Berlin recently has pulled into the lead on this one with her “Daddy Special” which is butter griddled toast with blended Mexican cheese and pastrami bits inside. Hell ya’ its good!! Jack is working on something to top it.
Vicki had the usually insane year. Lots of activities spread her thin once again, but she must like it as she is ready to recommit to them each and every year. She was awarded “ Outstanding PTA President on the Millenium” by Berlin’s middle school principle, along with her usual baseball, volleyball, So-Cal builders group, and other organizations. She also managed to squeeze in some “Girls Only” trips with her friends and traded in her 12 year old Tahoe with nearly a quarter million miles on it for a new 2012 model. Bob can read between the lines on this one….. She also scared the bejesus out of everyone with her portrayal of “Ursula” in the adult production of the Lil’ Mermaid down at Center Stage Theater. They had counselors on standby for any audience members overcome by it all. Luckily, their were no casualties.
Travel was once again a big part of our lives. We all went up to see the Space Shuttle make its way across L.A. It was much cooler than it sounds and we positioned ourselves on a bend in the street so we could not see it coming. It was very dramatic watching it come into view. We went up for a week in the Bay area, ending with spending Thanksgiving with some friends in Santa Rosa. We also had some local beach parties. Our big trip was our jungle adventure in the outback of Costa Rica! Wow, what a time. Lots of monkeys, alligators, iguanas, and giant insects all within arm’s reach. We took several guided tours that literally put these animals in our laps. We also did some rafting, and tubing and survived some of the scariest mountain driving ever encountered. If you’re looking for an active vacation, Costa Rica is the place. The locals and the food were equally good too. Good times were had by all, with the exception of the staff of the rental car place who had to deal with the artifacts of Bob becoming violently ill in one of their cars. If you ever rent a silver 4 door Suzuki wagon with 14 air fresheners hanging from the mirror, remember you were warned first.
The dogs behaved well this year. Roxy is always Roxy, and Charlie –Dog has transformed from a chewer into a snuggle/ lover dog. He’s still dumber than a box of rocks, but he’s a good boy.
The house makeover continues with all new fencing, rear landscaping, LED interior lighting and some new high end front doors that Vicki did a little horse-trading to get. I get people stopping all the time to share compliments with me while I’m out front. Good job Vickums!! I think Vicki has a kitchen remodel planned for 2013. That sounds cheap…….
2013 may also be the year we hit South East Asia as our big trip. The kids are big enough to fight off any kidnappers, and have a smart enough mouth where if successful; the kidnappers would release them anyways. Work is improving, lots of action in the higher end real estate market… especially in San Diego. 2013 promises to be another challenging year, but with opportunity rather than penny pinching like in the few years past.
We hope you all find 2013 healthy, fun, prosperous!!!!
May the force be with you…
The Higginsons