This Thanksgiving I’ll be giving thanks for all the usual things like friends, family, health, turkey dinner and that 8 year old bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that I’m gonna open and savor with dinner.
I’ll also be giving thanks that the Chargers (Carson Clowns?) will not be embarrassing us in one of the annual NFL games that will be on TV. And, of course, I’ll be thankful that the Chicago Cubs went all the way to the National League Championship Series before being eliminated.
Locally in Mira Mesa, I’ll be thankful for all the folks who take our kids under their wings and teach them how to play baseball, soccer, softball, football and how to be responsible men and women. I don’t know how the heck they do it, a whole team of kids being kids ……. It would make me crazy! Kudos to all of you, Julius, Carlos, Greg, Dennis and all the rest of the gang.
I’ll be thankful for all of the shade projects that we’ve been able to accomplish, even though we had to drag some folks along who were kicking and screaming …….. until they saw the results.
Over the years we got city staff to install shade over the large patio at Lopez Ridge Park, over the Gazebo at Maddox Park, over the Pergolas at both Camino Ruiz and Breen Parks and our Rec. Council funded new Shade Sail structures over the playgrounds at Lopez Ridge and Westview Parks. To accomplish all these shade projects we had substantial help from many Park & Rec. staff members but I have fond memories of Cathy Lawler and Clay Bingham who helped us get started almost ten years ago and Kathy Ruiz who came to our rescue when we were mired in the the city bureaucracy and giving up was under consideration. Of course, I’m also very grateful for the help, financial and otherwise, of our City Council Representatives, Brian Maienschein, Lori Zapf and Chris Cate. Their help was immeasurable.
So, enjoy your dinner and family, then kick back, watch a good NFL team play football on TV and start contemplating which Rec. Council office you’re going to run for at our December election meeting.