We truly are living in two extremes of the world right now, as I read your sunny hot bright photoed post, it is raining and green outside, well actually it's dark outside now, but the rain is coming and I love the sound of it on the windows.
I bet you'll have a toasty warm Christmas, unless you go somewhere else for the holidays?
My Christmas tradition includes a bbq for dinner :) Then I can send pictures to friends and relatives in the north and just torture them :)
I have a traditional ride on New Years Day out to a place called "Agua Calliente" (Hot Water) in California. There is a huge gathering of BMW guys that let me hang around with them some. It's a good deal. I'll photo and post it this year.