Last night I went by Jack’s Burgers in downtown Santa Cruz to grab a bag of take-out burgers and fries. In the line in front of me was a tall fellow fully decked out in a Christmas suit, like nothing I’ve come close to witnessing. “They’re really cheap right now, “he said. “I bought it online. Since no one is supposed to have parties, these suits are selling cheap.” Not only did he look sharp and handsome, he somewhat resembled a living Christmas gift. When he got his order, he climbed into an SUV coated in twinkling lights and other decor.
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Like every other special date on the calendar since March, Christmas eve hasn’t escaped the weirdness of the pandemic. And in a week, New Year’s will get the same bizarre, watered-down treatment, complete with masks, social distancing, and sanitizers — for most. I’m still impressed by the wealth of holiday decor I pass by every day, a sign that folks are still plugging for some semblance of a good time, of sharing holiday cheer.
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There’s about an 80% chance of rain on Christmas Day.
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I hope it’s a grand holiday for everyone and that we start to see some of the ghastly pandemic numbers start to drop. I hope 2021 gets off to a better start than the past 9 months. Fires, smoke, drought, heatwaves, Covid-19, one of our SC County deputies shot and killed, no classrooms, graduations slapped down, restaurants and cafes reduced to take-out, hospitals full, gyms closed down, and on and on. Officials are saying there’s still we’ll still see another surge or wave or both. Hats off to our health care workers and our first responders. Let’s hope the New Year starts showing signs of hope; we’re all ready for it.
