the family

For 24 hours I played @ suburban living: cooking in a big kitchen, watching Elf with my niece and nephew, feeding the part of the cookies Santa didn't eat to the dogs... My brother in law did a Starbucks run. My brother played on The Wii with the kids. I got my nephew to use his drum kit while I played some guitar, but IPods, Nanos and the aforementioned Wii trumped live music...and some connections were lost. A walk through the cul-de-sacs and golf courses of San Ramon yielded only two other walkers (with dog, of course), not one siren, and yellow rumped warblers, phoebes and a dove. The city has been wearing on me and the novelty of suburban quiet was welcome --as was realizing a lot of peace has been made in this family (sister, brother, his dog, niece and nephew w/me in this shot appraising Santa's loot). A necessary check-in....Nonetheless, I was soon scribbling notes to myself... I long for quiet in the city; I long for all the things I'm accustomed to in urbanity.....Ever the twain shall meet....