MONTCLARION: December 10, 2010

There’s something about the holidays that’s both sweet – and sour. Sweet is the sound of trumpets and carolers and choirs and bells. Sour is the sound of horns blaring in traffic and motorists jawing about parking.

I take this time, each year, to recount the memory of a man who gave me the middle figure salute one Christmas Eve in the parking lot of Lucky’s. He was a senior, but his arthritic finger drove home the point that his time was too valuable to be spent waiting for me to pull out.

Okay, I get it. We’re all really busy – especially at holiday time. But there is no excuse on earth for this next bit of news, which involves a local dad and a hit and run Prius driver.

Eric Fieberling was riding his bike to work near the Grand Lake Theatre, last Monday, when a Silver Prius blew through a red light and hit him. The driver never stopped and Eric was left on the ground with a broken collarbone and a crumpled bike. Thank goodness for witnesses who saw the whole thing and ran to his aid, calling police and helping his wife get him to the hospital.

Is it just me, or is there something odd about this? Aren’t Prius owners supposed to be caring and consciences about the environment and humanity? In any case, let this be a lesson to all of us to slow down and enjoy the reason for the season.

Now for the sweet news:

Sights and scents: Some of the biggest names in floral design are preparing for next weekend’s First Annual Crèche Festival at Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light. Locally, J. Miller Flowers in Oakland is creating a floral crèche which will be displayed with handmade crèches from 84 parishes throughout the Oakland Diocese. The San Francisco Boys Chorus will also perform during the Festival, along with a number of choral and instrumental concerts, tours, crèche-making classes and more. See www.ctlcathedral.org for more information.

Senior sleepovers: It’s the try-before-you-buy concept – only with assisted living. Some local senior homes are letting prospective residents spend the night to see how they like it. “It’s a wonderful idea to be able to “test” out a facility to see if it works,” writes reader Sue Hagar, whose father-in-law has tried both Piedmont Gardens and Salem Lutheran. The stay, either free or quite reasonable, even includes meals and activities. It’s a great way to involve your parents in the decision of choosing their new home.

Crime log: If you own a Toyota Highlander, you should be aware of a smattering of hills thefts involving the popular SUVs. It appears the perps may have a remote device that unlocks the doors of these vehicles, according to video on at least one home surveillance camera. Highlanders made news a couple of years back when it was thought that a crime ring had “cracked the code” to the Smart Key. Changes have been made since then, but one thing remains constant. The best way to deter theft is by removing valuables and using a steering wheel lock.

Beautiful noise: In the 1960s I played in an all-girl rock band called the Purple Finks. We were big at garage sales and nursing homes (where I suspect some members of the audience turned down their hearing aids). So I’m happy to promote five local boys called “Guns n’ Lawyers” who performed at a Bandworks concert, recently, at Ashkenaz. 8 year old Emmet Keady and 9 year olds Nicholas Lindell and Justin Petty play guitar, 10 year old Jake Beales is on bass and 8 year old Max Simas plays drums. Emmet’s mom, Laura, is just beaming – and sent me the link to the boys’ youtube video. Check it out at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89FytD8g68Y