A 'Clint Eastwood' Christmas

I just walked in the door after a visit to COSTCO. I am starting to feel the holiday shopping spirit with so many folks 'out and about' on a rainy day. I took a photo while in line at the checkout of an overweight woman with a giant box of CHEERIOS in her cart. It made me wonder if this is a 'sign of the times'. CHEERIOS for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Yikes...

Last night Alan and I pulled off a spontaneous Christmas movie caper outing by checking out the new Clint Eastwood film called GRAN TORINO. It's not exactly a holiday spirited film, but it was a great character study and story. I will give it 3 STARS but I would recommend anyone go out and see this one. We were intrigued by the preview:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9teLeXZ3XMU
It was better than his usual films. He seemed to be more in character with his old Dirty Harry days. I heard four fabulous lines that I jotted down in the darkness of the movie house:
"When things go wrong you have to act quickly."
"The thing that haunts a man most is what he isn't ordered to do."
"That old hag hates my ass."
The above three lines were said by Clint in the movie. The following line of amusement was made by the Asian teen age boy that Clint was trying to make a man out of: "Boy, does my ass hurt from all the guys at the construction job!"

I am loving the mailbox lately. We found a box of Napa Valley WOODHOUSE Chocolates delivered today. There have also been an average of five or so Christmas Cards arriving each day. There is always that 'one' where someone writes a humdinger note. Here was the best one for today:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
12-15-2008
Merry Christmas to you both_
My boyfriend, Dale, has given me my present early. He told his wife that he's gay and that he is in a relationship with me.
I am very happy with this startling "turn of events".
All the best-Andreas

Twenty-five years ago today:

December 17, 1983
Saturday
I had a freebie family breakfast when I stopped by at Mom and Dad's house before driving out to Bill Helbush's house in Concord. Bill and I went to the Sun Valley Shopping Center to browse. We both bought the remaining gifts on each of our Christmas lists. We went back to his grubby pad for a nap, etcetera.

That evening I drove us out to San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf, wearing my new GAP outfit. We ate at ALIOTO's. It was a great dinner. I had Chicken Cordon Bleu. We followed dinner with a visit to the Alcatraz Theater. We met Dick and Jimmy there. We watched the second act of CLOUD 9 by Caryl Churchill. They didn't care for the play and wanted to leave before it was over. I appreciated the plays' effort and wanted to give the entire show a chance. That's not easy when it is three against one. I tend to avoid confrontation and simply choose to give up.

We found our way at the JUST DESSERTS Owners' holiday party on South Van Ness. I thought this party was pretty dead. Bill and I quickly took a taxicab to my parked car. I drove Bill back to Concord and I drove home, too.