Rain and shine

San Diego is normally a very pleasant place. 99% of time it's beautiful here, and we can lord that fact over the rest of the nation. Sure, the median home price is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 firstborn sons, a crystal from the dragon Zulkhathas, a piece of the Crown Jewels and a big wad of cash, but we have nice weather, for goodness sakes.

It's raining right now, and looks to be doing so for the whole week. Sure, there's tsunamis in Asia and the East and South have record snowfall, but inclement weather shouldn't happen here. Christmas day was somewhat warm, but it just couldn't last.

I romanticize the weather, and it's because I live in this land of the sun. Or "land con suno", as the original Spanish settlers called it. Actually, the Original settlers were Indians, and they just called it "Thank God This Place is Nowhere Near Those White Devils", later renamed "Seriously, Leave Us Alone in One Goddamned Place". I love the rain, and I don't know that I glorify the positive aspects of it so much as completely ignore the negative ones. I don't, for example, think of my car becoming 89.3% rust or flooding. I just think "Yay! Rain!" Same with snow. I don't romanticize hail, however, nor do I think anybody does.

Christmas is past, for which I'm grateful. It's a time when doe-eyed children gleefully wake their doting parents early to open colorfully wrapped toys that they've been openly lusting for. However, since I am neither a parent nor a young child (nor, indeed, doe-eyed) the holiday has become a monotonous trek through crowded malls and stores in search of that special present that will, at the least, not warrant a timid call for the gift receipt. Another popular gift is lottery tickets. This gift is the most selfish one imaginable. If the person loses, no harm done. If they win, of course, then the onus is upon them to recognize your foresight in buying said tickets- in a monetary way, naturally.

Once again, it all comes back to playtime. Adults don't have toys, they have electronics, gadgets and gizmos. They are far, far too busy talking on cell phones and getting expensive and complex coffees and driving to places that sell cell phones and coffee to actually play. If they do play games, they are ones with set rules that must not be violated.

So my plan would be to have an hour a day set aside for play. One hour to build with legos, make up ridiculous games with inflated rubber balls, to crash Hot Wheels into each other. Not toys for adults- just toys. Think of the creativity. And best of all, parents will be waking up early on Christmas, running downstairs and tearing open the box that they think has the MegaDestroyer XR in it.