Part 6 - Meet George Jetson, His Boy Satchmo?

I have spent the morning putting away Christmas. I usually feel very sad on Christmas-Tree-Putting-Away-Day, and have post holiday let-down. But this year, I have a lot to keep me busy and a lot to look forward to, so I feel pretty OK about it. Anyway, I thought since Christmas is put away, I better finish up How I Spent My Christmas Vacation once and for all. I shall try to be brief.

When December 26 rolls around, the fun is over for most people, but not us, because that day is Kev's birthday. This year, I got him a trumpet, and I'll be a monkey's uncle if he isn't already getting pretty good at it. The initial honking has decreased tremendously, and yesterday, I overheard him (how could I help but overhear him?!) playing a pretty good likeness of "Come Back to Sorrento." So, I am pleased that he likes his trumpet and that he is making such a real effort to learn to play it. I am hoping that if he puts his mute on, it will be quiet enough for a trumpet/melodica duet.

Kev's dad had been just about to explode with excitement for Kev to open the birthday gift from him. He gets more excited about Christmas and birthdays than anyone I know. So we didn't know what to expect, except that it was most likely something futuristic. And indeed it was! We were pleasantly surprised when Kev opened a small camera which attaches to your computer so you can have video conferences with others who also have cameras. It is just like on the Jetsons. Below, you can see us talking to Kim and Marty, all the way in L.I.N.Y. (Kev's sisters each got one too). These things are great. It is so much more like a real visit than a phone call. We used it to talk to the whole family on Kev's birthday, and it was almost like being right there at the house. We got to see everybody, including the dogs, and show them our Christmas toys. It will be great when the baby comes. There are a couple of small issues, like people talking at the same time, and occasional computer glitches that freeze people on the screen. But overall, it is really cool. And there is an endless amount of silly camera schtick, like fake-walking-down-the-steps and crashing the Starship Enterprise camera angles, etc. that you can do when you run out of stuff to talk about. Everybody should get one of these, especially if you have out-of-town friends and family.
I don't know if I have mentioned the ridiculous unseasonably warm weather we are having. But I guess if it isn't going to snow for Christmas, it might as well go ahead and be sunny and 72 so that we can grill out and have birthday picnics in December. Since I can't bowl at the moment, Kev decided he wanted to have a birthday steak. So he grilled one, and a hamburger for me, and we ate in the back yard. It was really nice to spend the afternoon outside.
So, overall, I think Kev had a pretty good birthday and Christmas in spite of being so far from home and not having any snow. And THAT is how I spent my Christmas Vacation. The end.