Post Christmas, what to do.

We hope you all had a great Christmas. We did here at The Craftsman B&B. The Christmas tree was a big hit with our traveling guests. Because they were traveling for the holidays, they didn't decorate their houses, so they liked that we did.

When I turned on the tree this morning, one string of lights was out. At least it waited until after Christmas.

The other thing that happens after Christmas is you discover that missing present. Sometimes it was forgotten when all the wrapping is done. Sometimes it's just hiding under the tree, or still in the trunk of the car. Well I didn't forget this present, I just wanted to wait until today to it to show you.

These Salt & Peppers are from Gump's. They even come with their own shopping bag.

They are Sterling Silver and need to be polished often. Well, they get polished when my parents are visiting. My parents like to help with projects around the house, so polishing silver is a good one.

So living in San Francisco, I learned a few things. One is Gump's is the place where the elite brides of the City register for their wedding china and gifts. It's not like they carry items other that no other stores do, it's about service. Remember service when your shopping? I know, it's not around anymore. Kind of why you choose to stay in a B&B rather than a hotel. We provide service. OK, back to Gump's, Laura and I visited the store on our honeymoon. We had some wedding cash and wanted to get some nice things, so we checked them out. We ended up with these S&P's and mini-presents that are place card holders.

We even saw the famous San Francisco Twins! These ladies are "San Francisco." Always dressed very well and alike. They are more common the Bigfoot we get sightings of in the Pacific Northwest. Usally found around Union Square and Nob Hill. They are very friendly and always willing to be photographed. Living in the Bay Area for 10 years and I never spotted them. It was when I was a tourist, showing Laura the City that we lucked into the encounter.

We will have the tree and decorations up until after New Years Day where we are hosting 2 parties, more on that later.

This is also the prime whale watching season on the Oregon Coast. I write more about that tomorrow.

So check under your tree and in the trunk of the car or back of the closet to see if you have forgotten the last present of the season.