I’m really bad at asking for Christmas presents, mostly because when someone asks me, my mind goes totally blank. Sure, there are things that I think "this would be nice to have," here and there throughout the year, but I can never recall them on the spot.
So this year I started keeping track of things with Amazon’s wishlist, hence this materialistic post. Not that I want ALL of these things, but it gives a narrower pool of selection than I usually leave my exasperated family with. Oh well!
First of all, I apologize to Cynthia and the LA ETCers whom I did not get to visit with on my trip to Burbank this weekend. As always, I figured I had more time than I actually did, and my stay was packed pretty full!
(x-posted to wow_fanart)
A billion years ago, someone posted a picture of My Little Dreadsteed, and I thought “that’s awesome! I want to make one of those for my warlock friend!” and everyone said “You should!” and I said “Okay!”
I actually finished most of this a long time ago, and then it came to rooting the mane…zomg, I don’t see how those MLP customizers do this on a regular basis!! Anyway, it’s done, and my friend squealed in delight upon giving it to him…
My parents sent me a cast iron teapot with 2 matching cast iron cups. It’s reeeeeeeeeally cool looking, and holds a lot of tea. I guess I’ll have to expand my tea horizons beyond Oolong now. It also has a dragon on it, and since I got a dragon teapot last year for my birthday, and another dragon themed teapot a few years ago for Christmas, I guess I might as well say I’m collecting them now ^_^
I also got, from my parents, money that was specifically intended for me to buy myself a Nintendo DS. This was great, because it’s been a long time since I’ve been excited over getting a toy for a present. Plus, I haven’t had a hand-held console since the original Game Boy and the Sega Game Gear. I went to the game store with Scott, and discovered they were selling Game Cubes for $60! This was highly tempting, because I’ve always said I’d like to get a Game Cube for cheap, for the sole purpose of getting Warioware and MarioKart, which would probably be the only two games I’d play for it. Tempting, yes, but I stuck with my original plan and got a DS. I’ll need something to keep my occupied on that flight to Japan!
Today at work, the prop shop threw me a little birthday party, complete with donuts and video games at lunch time. Then the most surreal thing happened. Billy the props carp showed me this crazy game for the PS2, Katamari Damacy, which is very silly and quirky, and great fun. I thought it’d be a fun game to get, and I almost considered asking to borrow it to show Scott and Geoff at home. Well, when I got home, Geoff started leading into a story about this crraaaaaaazy game he got for PS2, and I thought “Oh man, it’s going to be the same game.” Sure enough, Katamari Damacy. I think this is an omen telling me to go out and buy it.
So we had a birthday dinner at the house, and then Carleton’s family surprised me with a gift! Not just any gift…Scott sneakily heard my temptation lament at the game store, and the whole family went out and bought me one of those $60 gamecubes, along with the my 2 coveted games. SO EXCITED!
It’s been a very long time since I’ve gotten so many fun toys for my birthday, and I don’t think I’ve been so excited about video games since that Christmas when I got my Sega Genesis. I am endlessly grateful!
Another holiday completed. Christmas this year was very pleasant, in spite of my initial sadness due to lack of Carleton. Crazy family time kept me busy and my mind off it.
I got a few books I’d wanted, some other nice things, and my mom got me yarn (so I can knit her a scarf ¬_¬ ). I enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and spent the evening with some friends from high school I hadn’t seen in awhile.
Now that the holiday is over I am overwhelmed by the fact that I still have a week of break left. I have a feeling I will get little accomplished, as I am very tired.
I am excited about winter term, it should be fun to design props and make puppets and such, and it will be nice to have no evening obligations. However, I feel I’ll spend most of that time sleeping and resting. I suppose there is a possibility I will suddenly become motivated, perhaps work on figuring out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, and all that. So much to think about, so exhausting.
I suppose I’ll postpone thinking about all those big things a bit longer, and just work on thinking about what I should buy with my gift certificate to the art supply store.
Brendan got accepted into a grad school, which is totally awesome. So, to celebrate, we wandered to Walmart to buy a whole log of cookie, and baked them in the toaster oven. Then the four of us (Brendan, Ken, D Flo, and myself) devoured every one (except for the last batch, which I stopped paying attention to while watching Homestar Runner on Flora’s computer, they were a bit burnt when I remembered).
I also gave Brendan a little glass cup, in congratulations, and also for him helping me clean the glass studio. Slowly but surely, everyone seems to be climbing out of their respective funks. I accepted the job at Berkshire, which was the last of my burdens. I promptly got sick after being relieved of the March madness, but I think I will recover nicely over spring break.
There is one disadvantage to the Berkshire job…I will not be able to take my computer with me. That means a 3 month hiatus from the internet, with brief checking-in’s for email, and to hopefully update this thing. It also means that I will not be able to go to Conglomeration, the con which I sold my art at last year. If I can arrange for someone to manage my stuff, I may be able to mail some art in, but I’ll still miss hanging out with the afd kids. Perhaps there is a possibility I would be able to make it down, but somehow I doubt it. The internship sounds very time consuming.
It will be my first summer where I’ve spent the entire break away from home, so I’m a little nervous about it. However, I won’t be alone. Jeff, Squirt, and some other Centre folk also got jobs and internships at Berkshire for the summer, so I’ll have friends about. I guess, all in all, it will just be another experience ^_^
Tomorrow I pack up to go home for the remainder of my break. I had a good time overall, though people were a lot busier than I had anticipated. Still, time with friends with no pressure is always nice. I hung out with Eric quite a bit, which was fun, since I’ve never really hung out with him much before. The same with Jeff, and we had dinner, woo!
Tonight, Brendan and Ken surprised me with a birthday cake and present. D Flo and Eric were there, and we had a nice little birthday extravaganza. Berea and little Sylvie came to visit (though Sylvie is much bigger now). And we rounded up the evening with some Halo and other games.
I was stomping in Halo on this particular night, so much so that some good-natured insults were exchanged, and I ended up attacking Flora. He used the opportunity to start a new game while my controller was out of reach, intending to blast me while I lay helpless. However, through some trick of fate (which D Flo blames on me being an apparent voodoo practitioner), he rolled onto my controller, and my character ended up wasting him for the first kill of the game. Muahaha!
‘Twas a very restful break, and I intend to use my time at home to prepare for the busy term ahead. I need to work on my resume for SETC, and an essay to apply for a scholarship for a glass class at Corning this summer. I’m also kitten-sitting for my brother this weekend (and I intend to take photos).
I found out this morning what was in the big, mysterious box, and it wasn’t a sweater.
It was a digital camera! Talk about unexpected ^_^ It was a great surprise. Also, as a Christmas gift to the world, I gave my site a major overhaul. I did it very late, though, and was quite exhausted when it was all uploaded, so I did not have the energy to double check for mishaps. Perhaps I’ll have time for that tomorrow. Anyhow, here it is!
I came home tonight in a great snow. Big, gigantor-flaked snow that makes you giddy and disoriented to walk through, I love it!
Anyway, I was finishing wrapping a few pieces of glass and putting them under the tree, when I noticed a rather large box with my name on it! This has me totally baffled, I have *no* idea what it could be. I didn’t even really ask for anything this year, I was so busy this term that I couldn’t think of anything I wanted…anything I *needed* even, just gift certificates when i was pressed to come up with something.
(I like gift certificates, because if I get money as a gift, it goes straight to the bank. It’s a result of habit, and having too many options to buy something and not being able to settle. I suppose, in the long run, it’s a good thing, hehe).
So this Christmas I am experiencing some of the excited curiosity that I held when I was younger. It’s great, just the sensation. I mean, it could end up being a sweater in a big box, but I would still be grateful that it inspired such childlike giddiness in me for this next day, it’s a feeling a really miss around the Christmas season.
Family celebrations start tonight, have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Being home on break, I was afraid the lonely bug would get to me, but it has been sufficiently squashed this weekend. Some old high school friends came over for some catching up and fun and games, and tonight Dave and I kidnapped each other to go see Spirited Away.
I have many a piece of glass to wrap up tomorrow (it seems that 30-60% of fall term glass ends up as Christmas presents, of the rest, most is snatched up by my parents as soon as I unpack them, leaving 1-2% in my personal collection x_x).
Unfortunately, I found a set of pieces I intend to give away that I forgot to sign! Dooooh!!!!!! >_< If only I had an engraver. I'm trying to think of something else I can use to sign them, because I'd like to wrap tomorrow. At any rate, the Christmas busy-week begins tomorrow, after that I'll find another lull in activity. If all goes well, I'll have my big site re-vamp finished and up after Christmas. We shall see. Have loverly holidays everyone!
