Merry Christmas 2015!: Prison, Sharks, and Drunken Santas

This Christmas photo I took of the girls was just too good not to share...I feel like the four girls each represent one of the four Christmas moods I alternate between: Excited, ambivalent, trying to act happy, grouchy.

Miss Sassafras Sam and Cindy Lou-Who Cici. 

Austin and I got away for a quick day trip to San Francisco on Saturday. The weather was gorgeous and we packed in the sight-seeing. We flew in at 7, walked along the Embarcadero and stopped by the farmer's market for an Italian donut, took a ferry over to Alcatraz, came back and got lunch, walked to Coit Tower, went to Ghiradelli square, rode the streetcar, got Chinese foot massages, ate omakasi-style at our favorite sushi place in San Fran, (which involved more raw seafood than I've ever eaten in my life), and then took a 9 p.m. flight back home, finally reaching our beds around 1 a.m. 

We were there the day of SantaCon, an event which involves hundreds (thousands?) of people dressing up like Santa, gathering in the middle of the city at noon, dropping off a toy for needy kids so they feel good about themselves, then bar hopping the rest of the day. We spent a lot of our afternoon sightseeing elbowing our way through plastered Santas, who tended to congregate in large packs, usually in front of liquor establishments. They seemed to be having a good time though, and it's difficult to get mad at someone dressed like Santa, no matter how annoying.

More Christmas fun yet to come! I can't wait!

Cici and Sober Santa.