Geoff Gilbert's Blog: All the Right Stuffing

Good morning and greetings, Hanukkah fans. Last Wednesday night was the start of the celebration of the festival of lights, and I’m not referring to cruising down Sepulveda Blvd at rush hour. But at the same time, it was Thanksgiving Eve, as the NFL nation got ready to set caloric intake records on Thursday.

Now why was this happening? I always feel there should be separation between church and real estate, as two big time holidays converging at the same time should be avoided at all costs, especially if there are potato latkes at stake. I should mention that Hanukkah runs for eight nights, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the holiday, but there was just something that didn’t feel right about the situation. It’s like ordering spare ribs or putting shrimp salad on a piece of challah. It’s just not kosher.

After all, before we start feasting on Thanksgiving dinner, some of us are already anticipating the second night activities, when the Pilgrims dined on leftovers. I believe it might have been John McCain’s great, great grandfather who first coined the phrase ‘Round Two.’ Who says you can’t reheat again?

Now the key to the second night is always having enough gravy, because dry white meat has been the ruin of many on the back end of the double dip. Of course, you’ve got to hope there’s still a good amount of stuffing left over from the first night. If these two key components are in place, then it should be smooth sailing ahead.

Besides, by this time, I’m just thankful my shorts have an elastic waistband.

Getting back to Hanukkah, it’s a holiday that I always look forward to. It’s not so much the lights, the gift giving or the family camaraderie, but the applesauce and sour cream on top of a combination of shredded potatoes and grated onions that really puts me in the holiday spirit. Throw in a little flour, salt and eggs, fry them in oil that lasts for eight rounds of servings, and bingo, you’ve got yourself something that Martha Stewart would be proud of. A real holiday tradition, something that makes the world a warmer and happier place through carbohydrates.

So moving on to the photo department, here we were at the end of November and I had not yet shot a sunrise of note. Now others might say that every sunrise is spectacular, but what I’m looking for is something so colorful, so magnificent, so breathtaking that only Oprah could create it.

The sunrise drought ended last Tuesday morning, as I awoke and looked out the window and saw deep color in the early morning clouds. I immediately jumped out of bed, excited at the prospect at seeing some early morning magic in the sky. I rushed down to West Cliff and as you can see from the photos, was not disappointed at what then transpired over the Pacific, as the sunrise was just late November spectacular.

I realize that I am drawn to these moments, that perhaps I’ve found a calling. I’m not really sure how this all transpired, but at this point, with over six decades on the planet in the books, it’s a good place for me to be. It brought to mind the words of comedian Fred Allen, who once said, “California is a fine place to live, if you happen to be an orange.” Thank you and drive home safely.

To check out these photos, click pn http://www.SunriseSantaCruz.com/blog