Sunday was one of my very favorite events of the year, so I had to take a break for the annual Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks. The weather was abnormally strange here (like everywhere else,) except we were experiencing weather that would be considered unusually hot in the Summer, much less December. Nevertheless, the snow park was still there and the snowmen managed to hold their ground in the heat. It certainly made for a nice day to bike down and meet up with my friend Pat at Simmzy's (my happy place) for some of their always amazing grub and great selection of beers that pleases both Pat (who likes hoppy ones) and me (who likes whites/yeasts). Just before the fireworks, we wandered down to the parking lot by the pier that always is the perfect spot for both the fireworks and the music - which I don't think ever change from year to year. And thats just fine. I'm not sure it felt like Christmas, but it was worth the break.