The Crawl-4 & Christmas Day 2009

Last Sunday was the Fourth Annual Community Christmas Crawl. It started as a progressive dinner in our neighborhood, going to 3 different houses each year. We started this party at Neil and Rondi's house for cocktails and appetizers at 3:00. The welcome wall was was decorated for photos.



Miss Rondi digging in the cooler.


Host, Neil, with sis-in-law Joni. We couldn't have asked for better weather, perfect for staying outdoors.


Me with Tim and Cathy, wearing their Christmas thrift-store best.

Teresa, eyes, and Cathy.

Carol and sis, Nancy, both looking lovely.

Mr. Carl and Joni in heavy conversation.

Crazy Lori and Brandie (what's on Rondi's back?)

Carl placed himself directly in front of the platter of Neil's bbq wings and drummets. Sean with Cathy and Tim.

Next stop - Our house - for a baked potato bar and salads. Everyone brought food for the stops, so it was a pot luck, and delicious. Yvonne and Ron below.

Still nice outside even after the sun went down.

Me and Carol.

Carl looks like he's singing a Christmas carol.

Neil and Kelly. Glad you came, kids.

That's it for the crawl, I need to get more pictures from the others.

Now for Christmas morning. Just Carl and I and Lili. Such a quiet Christmas. I make the traditional waffle breakfast.

I'm afraid that we are starting to look like grandparents. What happened??

Since she was a puppy, Lili has loved Christmas morning and she helps to open each gift. She's much slower about it now, but remembers what to do when she sees someone unwrapping a gift.

Carl and I got ourselves one gift and surprised each other with what we bought. I'm taking mine back.

Me, Mike, John, Carl and Verdee. The Olson's visited with us for a couple of hours, then joined Verdee's family for Christmas dinner. Thanks for coming!

Grandma Lisa with Ryder.

Ryder got a new bike and he sure rides well for 2-1/2 years old.

Roy and Lisa and Ryder watching Madagascar.

That's it. Christmas is over. Time to put away all of the decorations. It was great as always to spend fun times with good friends and family over the holidays. At least we make a point to get together, if only once a year. Naaaa, we party all the time.

Kathy

Chrisman's Christmas Party 2009

Carl and I arrived early, or we thought we would be early. The party was starting at 5:00, so we arrived by 3:00 and the place was packed, as usual. Our first stop was to see Art and to present him with a framed print of Shannon's latest pencil drawing; Art and his #25 car. He was so thrilled with it you can see by the huge smile on his face. Click on any picture to view up close.



A gentleman named Mark is restoring the Beast III, the car Art drove to get into the 200 MPH club. He brought the car to the party and also a huge cake, must be at least 3 or 4 feet long. I never did get a piece of the cake.


Video inside Art's shop.


Brother Roy's new car. Just finished building it.


Cars lined up in front of Full-Bore.

Dad with Sherry.

Bruce Geisler was honored to have his likeness on the front of Shannon's drawing flyer, and he would like to receive a royalty with each sale. Ha Ha.

Prints of Shannon's drawings on display at Grandpa's. Sold quite a few. (www.shannonolson.net) just in case you might want a print or if you'd like a portrait done.

Debbie and Dennis. Awwww.

Ryder and Grandpa Roy.

Ryder's shoes matched this Chevy.

Dad, Sherry and Mike.

Pat Ganahl in his newly completed Deuce.

Roy and Pete.

Carl and Lois. Very nice lady, Carl.

Isky holding court. At the back table, Jim Travis and Louis Senter.

Brother Carl and Hardy Allen.

Thom Taylor checking out Roy's new ride.

The 2 boys had such a fun time, between all the cookies they could eat, watching Hot Rods fire up, and climbing on Great-Grandpa's motorbike.

Cookie-Monster Dean.

Ryder is going to be a motorcycle rider.

Uncle Roy got Grandpa to sign Shannon's drawing .

The newly painted Hustler I. The coupe, the 25 car and the Hustler I all together.

Steve Davis was happy to get a copy of Shannon's drawing.

Dean on GG's scooter.

They fired up all the cars for a mini Cacklefest. OMG! I was standing by the HustlerI and just about jumped out of my shoes. As you can barely see in the dark video below.

Art, beaming, after the fire-up.

Shannon, we all miss you and wish you could have been here for the party. Grant you too. Here's a little video for you. We love you Shannon.

One Week until Christmas

To backtrack a week, we enjoyed our annual has-been and cast-offs party at Brian and Betty's house. Ladies and one table and men at the other.

The men were having a large time, with much laughter.

Tomorrow is Saturday and the annual Chrisman Christmas party. Now that dad has his shop next to Art's shop, he is one of the stops for the guests. He will be serving cookies, so I baked 3 batches today.

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and lacey oatmeal. I'm sick from testing the dough and the cookies.

I stopped for a moment from my baking to take a picture of the sunset this evening.

The best colors are in nature, and this is out my back door.

Here is our little Christmas tree. Carl and I are giving ourselves one gift, from me to me and from him to him. The surprise will be to see what the other one bought.

And of course, Lili on the couch. I didn't use a flash because she won't look at the camera if it flashes. She is part of the couch, actually an option you can order and have it died to match the other cushions.

I'm not sure what's happening to my lemon tree in the backyard, but I've been picking some strangely shaped lemons. This one looks just like a chili pepper.

I picked 2 shaped like chili peppers.

Yesterday I picked a few freaks. The big one in the back is next to a normal sized lemon. This fatty must weigh 2 lbs. Then there' the family of freaks in the front row, I could enter them in the circus.

Huge lemon!! Bigger than a grapefruit.

Our front lawn with the fall leaves.

Here is our neighbors new garage door and new paint on the house.

Well that's about all the action happening on this block. Sunday is our Community Christmas Crawl #4. I'll be hosting the baked potato bar.

Stay tuned.

Kathy

Touring Los Angeles

First, a picture of our orange tree. Just about ready for picking.

Next, a picture of me. Ready for the Monday night dinner with friends. Notice my little Lili hiding behind me.

On Tuesday I picked up Anna from LAX. She's on her way back to New Zealand, from New Jersey = "Anna's Excellent Adventure - Part Deux"! She went to bed early on Tuesday night and on Wednesday we were tourists. Actually I was Tour Guide and she was tourist.

First she had to fit all of Shannon's and Grant's Christmas gifts into her already overstuffed luggage, but it all fit, barely.

We drove to Pasadena around 10 am, the car loaded up with her luggage. I wanted to show her the Rose Bowl, so after driving around the hills a bit I finally found the Rose Bowl. We went to the building where Rose Parade floats are being built, and I somehow convinced the head guy from Phoenix floats to give us a private tour. Then we drove to the front of the Rose Bowl and took pictures.

The Cheesecake Factory on Colorado Blvd was waiting for us so we could pig out on good food, our only meal of the day. We had a window seat and Anna was amazed at all of the high-dollar cars driving past. She also liked the architecture of the buildings.

After lunch, we headed West on the 134 Freeway towards Universal Studios. Got off in Toluca Lake, home of Bob's Big Boy drive-in burgers. Went past Disney Studios, ABC Studios, Warner Brothers, Bob Hope's old house and the first house I ever lived in which just happens to be on Auckland Ave. Picture of our old house.

The we went to Universal City, home of Universal Studios Tours and the Studios. We just pulled up to the top and took pictures, didn't stop and get out. From there we went down Cuenga over the Hollywood Hills to Hollywood and Highland and to the Kodak Theater, where many awards shows are held. Here is Anna posing in front of the Hollywood sign, way back on that hill behind her.

I zoomed in on the sign.

We walked next door to Grauman's Chinese Theater and looked at movie stars' hand and foot prints in the cement. They were offering a $2 tour to go in the theater, so we joined up.

Inside the theater. It's really very beautiful, you should go inside if you have the opportunity. That evening they were premiering Invictus!!

Tourists....

It was very interesting, as I had never been inside. After seeing the theater, Anna and I broke away for our own self-guided tour of the ladies room, see video.

This is inside the ladies room at the Chinese Theater.

We made our way back to the parking structure, past Darth Vader and Cat Woman, Spiderman and the Incredibles, the self promoting up and coming rap artists - handing out their free CD's of their music. We did have to stop at the chocolate store to buy a piece, because we had to get our parking ticket validated to only cost $2 instead of $5. Money well spent. This was Anna's first time every being validated for parking. She said they don't have that back east.

We left the parking lot and went Eastbound on Hollywood Blvd. to show her the Pantages Theater and the Frolic Room. On the corner of Hollywood and Vine were some pretty strange people. You really should click on this picture to see these people up close, especially the couple to the left. Old Hollywood types.

Then we went to Sunset Blvd. and headed West to look at the clubs and rock and roll places along the way. We saw the Roxy and the Whiskey a Go Go, both old hip spots with great entertainment.

Next stop on the tour, Rodeo Drive. First we drove up into Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills and saw some huge mansions. Finally we found Rodeo Drive and here is a video of us driving throug it. We saw so many Bentley's, Rolls Royce, BMW, Mercedes, etc.

Then we drove down Santa Monica Blvd. to the 405 Freeway and south to LAX where I deposited Anna. She had to move some weight out of her luggage and put it into her backpack, mostly Shannon's protein bars and Grant's jandals.

They are all meeting up in Auckland on Friday night for dinner. Shannon will pick up her goodies, then Luke and Anna will drive 8 hours south on Saturday to Palmerston North, where she will start her new adventure.

I really enjoyed my short visit with Anna.

Good Luck Anna, Love Mrs. O

Pre-Christmas Parties

The Christmas Crazies have started. The pre-Christmas parties and get-togethers. I baked cookies on Saturday, everyone's favorite, Lacey Oatmeal Cookies.

The wrapping table.

On Sunday, I met up with Lacey, Kristen, Kathleen, Amanda and Ryder and Dean. We met at Souplantation for lunch, Bubba and Nick and Uncle Carl came for lunch, then they took off for a motorcycle race in Riverside.

After lunch we went to Lacey's house and visited. Lacey's house was decorated for Christmas and looks really cute. I brought gifts for Dean and Ryder, for an early gift opening, since we won't be seeing Dean on Christmas. It was fun having them open them up. I love seeing kids play and get crazy.

Dean eating wrapping!!

The cousin buddies.

I shared some cookies with the girls, and I don't think that they will be sharing with anyone, but I did give them the recipe.

The boys had fun playing and dancing.

Now I'm starting to decorate our house. I keep putting up less and less each year. Our house will be one of the stops for the 4th Annual Community Christmas Crawl in 2 weeks, so we need to look festive here. Tonight is our annual Has-Beens and Cast-Offs dinner, the former NHRA VP's.

Tomorrow is Anna day. I'll be picking her up at LAX at noon, and taking her back there on Wednesday evening. She's headed back to New Zealand! I hope we can find something fun to do. It's pouring rain today, but tomorrow is supposed to be clear.