The Miracle of Kaboom 2007

Not a Newsletter

The sun had just set and we were on an upper floor of a San Francisco hotel.  Having driven from Santa Barbara, we were tired and headed for bed.  At Stan’s urging, I left the curtains open on the floor-to-ceiling glass walls room so we could see the lights of the Bay Bridge.

I had just crawled into the enormous bed next to Stan, when the room suddenly lit up and a wholly unexpected explosion rattled us.  We clutched each other and stared into the night.  Decaying sparks were raining down across the full length of our 10 X 20 foot window.  The room filled with bursts of light and sounds of rapid, repeated explosions reminiscent of “shock and awe.”  Had the Administration decided to bomb San Francisco?

KABOOM!  KABOOM!!  It took a few seconds before we realized we had a front row seat at an extraordinary San Francisco fireworks exhibition, with rockets climbing up and exploding at our altitude. We watched and marveled with mouths agape, as the show continued for 45 minutes. Somehow, we forgot about sleeping.

It was Mothers’ Day weekend.  We learned, during the next morning’s news, this phenomenal spectacle is an annual event; it is the biggest fireworks show in California.

So why would this fireworks show look like a miracle to us?  Well, for openers, we knew nothing about it in advance.  We made our travel arrangements at the last minute.  Stan decided to surprise me with a really nice room for Mother’s Day.  Our plans to go out to dinner had evaporated and we happened to be in that particular, glass-walled room on the 37th floor, in a giant bed, at 8 pm on the one night in San Francisco that they put on this amazing performance right outside our bedroom window.

Stan, for his part, would have me believe that he planned the whole thing, right down to the minute. But we all know better than that, don’t we?  

May your miracles end with surprises, sparkling beauty and great joy!

The Hatches

   If you would like to get the flavor of Kaboom click on: http://media.kfog.com/kfog/kaboom/KFOGsKaBoom06.mov