J.Ukrop submitted a new blog post: A Tried-and-True Tradition Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Weather's been kinda nasty here...cloudy and rainy. Not super-cold. No snow. Might see the sun a couple of times when you're here. Good...all the more reason to just veg by the fire in a comforable chair with some of Ma's goodies and an old hot rod magazine...and loved ones.
I still live in the town where I grew up, no "going home for the holidays" for me. But I enjoy hearing or reading of other's travels, it's a nice tradition, thank you.
I got a pair of headers for my Dad's 30 Model A that my brother and I are building for him. I can't wait to see him open up his present
Spending the holidays at home with kids, grandkids and my brand new Rodder's Journal and guess what I found, Joey....... My 34 was NOT on the cover like you said it would be!!!! Ha ha...have a great Christmas and New year. PS, you take a mean photo...thanks again. PS......John [Wuz Junk] sitting at the table in the background
I'm sitting in the living room that we all gathered for Christmas eve until my grandmother told my mom that she had to take over hosting the Christmas eve family gathering. We got together with my aunt and cousins, my grandparents and maybe an extra or two to boot. My then young teenage uncle put my garage set together for me across the room from where I sit one year. He was ten years older than me and let me followtail around behind him. He stayed with us and babysat my sister and I one summer and made me my first sailboat along with creating other cool things out of little of nothing.
Hello, As long as I can remember, we never had the urge to drive a long distance somewhere during Christmas holiday vacation time. It was too busy and hectic in our family and extended families. So, we had to decide what was a tradition and what could be changed. As a newly married couple, learning compromises was always a challenge, but a successful resolution. We decided that it would be: my wife’s family for Christmas Morning and my family for Christmas Eve. That solved everything for us. Since Christmas is for kids, when our son was little, we had our own Christmas Morning/Day and spent the late afternoon/evening with the rest of the families. Then, as it turned out, a Christmas dinner gathering at our house was the last holiday event on that particular day. (A record total of 25 one year, packed every inch of our small yard and house!) 1961-62 Speaking of traveling: When my friend (57 Chevy Bel Air) and his wife moved near the inland mountains near Arcata, CA for his job, we still kept in touch. We were going to surprise them with a long, Christmas visit. The plans were made, the 65 El Camino was ready, and our visit was locked into place. (the surprise awaiting…) As twenty somethings, the adventurous spirit and driving went hand in hand. We kept our eye on the weather patterns…It was hard to do without the internet, but was done using information from the National Weather Service, newspapers, calling the Highway Patrol Offices, and the local TV stations. (internet search for information, 1968 style…) The Eureka/Arcata weather during the winter is what we would call in So Cal, awful. They are the final destination from the big weather fronts and currents from out in the middle of the Alaskan Peninsula and Pacific Ocean. That is why the Eureka Harbor has those cool Coast Guard boats that are almost unsinkable. The waves, storm swells and currents all play a part of blasting that region with tons of rain and wind. In the upper elevations (just an hour inland) in the mountains, the cold storm turns to heavy snow. We were sent some photos of where they lived. Their place was under heavy snow and very cold. So, the watching, turned into some urgency as the weather systems kept pounding that portion of the California Coast as they do every winter. Jnaki Needless to say, we missed driving up there for the surprise visit and when we eventually contacted them later. They understood why we did not surprise them with a Christmas, winter visit. The brash, 20 somethings still had some sense and sensibility about driving in the rain and snow storms. This year, after 6 years of moving away from So Cal, our relatives in the Midwest have been asking when we would show up on their doorsteps. We have seen them when they flew out to So Cal numerous times, so it wasn’t a thing where we have never seen them, since. A two week road trip was in the works, with hotel reservations made with various stops along the way. All was planned out and ready, even the return trip to So Cal. The surprise visit was on and we were actually ready for that long road trip. (Maybe snow on Christmas morning? Our dog would love that!) Then last week, something popped up in our So Cal family, so we had to cancel the surprise visits in the Midwest, this Christmas Vacation. The internet makes it easy to cancel prior to the actual reservation days. Those relatives did not know we were actually coming for a visit. So, they are still waiting our arrival, one day in the future. Now, we don’t know when that Midwest road trip will happen. We experienced too much road construction during the summer driving season on our last Eastern oriented, road trip in 2002. We understand that is a good time to repair the highways and roads. But, it makes for the summer travel slow, slower, finally a stoppage of considerable length, (causing us to turn around) and head for Kansas City. So, this year, we will settle for some 60 degree weather and possible rain this coming week. Yes, rain, probably sprinkles, in So Cal. It will become another mild, So Cal Christmas Vacation.
The Jalopy Journal
