Crystal Cove Beach Cottage

We watched the sunset gradually,
Chilly outside, ocean vast
Then through glass windows of an old-fashioned beach cottage
Darkness hit quickly
Waves crashed and lulled us to sleep, surprising
Morning stroll down to shore to eat breakfast
Headed home... was it all a dream?

Winner!

For a couple of weeks prior to Christmas break, the student council sold lollipops, which came with a sticker that they can place on a teacher's construction paper Christmas tree. The teacher's tree with the most stickers would wear a Christmas tree costume. Well, I "won". It became apparent this would happen, as students would come back to class after recess, having lollipops in their possession, everyday. I wore the costume all day. Needless to say, my students were distracted, and no testing was done that day. Afterwards our staff celebrated with crazy Christmas sweaters before heading out for our two week holiday.

Christmas at Disneyland

I love Disneyland, and I miss the days of having annual passes when the kids were much younger. We'd go for a few hours at a time, often just going on a couple of rides and strolling around, seeing the sights. When our friend Katy had an extra day pass that was to expire shortly, I jumped at the opportunity to go with Yumi. I drove there after work, and we had a very fun night. Some highlights include Olaf's Snow Fest, the Christmas-decorated Haunted Mansion, Small World, and the gorgeous Main Street tree. It really set the tone for the winter break ahead.

Snowflake Challenge

Steve and I participated in the 5k/Half Marathon Snowflake Challenge in Pomona. We ran a 5k on Saturday, then a half-marathon on Sunday, and received a trio of snowflake medals for our accomplishment. It was extra fun participating with my coworkers!

Oh, Christmas Tree

We purchased our tree in the first week of December, from the Costco at the District. After paying for it inside, we went to the far end of the parking lot where there was a big rig filled with fresh fir trees from Oregon. They sold them as 7-footers, but I spotted the tallest one being taken out and told Steve I wanted it. It seems to be 10 feet tall. I think it's the best tree we've ever had.

Infinity Mirrored Room

A big draw to see the Broad Museum for a second time was Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room. One or two people can enter this enclosed space for 45 seconds. We each chose to enter it individually. The vibrant LED lights reflect from both mirrors and liquid floor upon which a walkway is placed. It reminded me of something from the sci-fi movie The Matrix, yet way more colorful and beautiful.

Broad Museum Visit #2

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