Welcome To A New Year

I know I'm a day late on posting again...oops. I think I can be forgiven for forgetting which day of the week it is since it's the Holidays here.

As we draw to the end of 2014, I realize that time has really flown this year. Though it's not the New Year yet, I wanted to take some time to reflect. A lot of things happen in a year, especially the ones that fly by. It's funny how that happens.

I did a lot of traveling to Hawaii, Disney World, and San Diego and a few smaller side trips for work. I wouldn't say any of those trips were my favorite because they were all a lot of fun and I got to do a lot of things. (It's a rare thing to say I went to both Disney World and Disneyland in the same year).

I feel I worked hard at my job and that I'm learning a lot. I hope to continue to learn and improve.

I finally started making new friends. I joined an anime club at the local library (libraries are seriously the best place to go) and played softball throughout the summer with the church I started going to). I found that making new friends outside of a school setting is a lot harder than most people would think. I'm glad I did.

My biggest (or at least the one I'm most proud of and might have mentioned one or twice...about a million times)  accomplishment was finishing the first draft of a novel. I'm hoping to start the rewrite in January. Maybe I'll start sending it to agents this year.

Though my post might have gotten away from the original purpose (giving advice on how to survive the college to real world transition to what have I managed to do this time and not set myself on fire), I have managed to keep up with posting once a week. Maybe I have inspired others to write weekly as well (or not, let's not inflate my own ego there)? Still, I find it amazing I've lasted this long. Feel free to give suggestions on what you guys would like to hear about.

Now what about next year?

I don't know. The future is such a mystery. I try to make plans, but somehow or other they always end up changed along the way. I'd love to keep traveling and going on adventures. I hope to do more things with my friends (new and old). Maybe I'll start rock climbing this year. I have a comic I've been working on, perhaps I'll post it online (under my internet name of course).

As for my resolution for the new year? I'll put my self down for getting to that 2nd and possibly that 3rd draft to start sending out. I might even start another novel in between (here's to doing and not hoping).

Once again I leave you guys with an image of my loyal Christmas tree since I don't have to take it down until the 6th of January.

Here's wishing you guys a Happy New Year. Can't wait to see you then!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and hope someone out there is learning from my random (and occasionally brilliant or really silly) delisions. Until the next year.

Welcome To The Holiday Feast

Food!

It's the season for me to write about Christmas (since I don't hide the fact that I'm a Christian).So what goes hand and hand with Christmas? Why Christmas food of course!

I enjoy cooking and baking. I find it relaxing after work. Though not everything I make for the first time turns out okay (last night was a fabulous example that when I failed at a Hungarian Chicken recepe). I have also managed to set myself on fire (it was actually an oven mit and I was okay). But all that doesn't matter because it's the holidays and everything will turn out in the end (or my family will lie to me through their teeth one of the two).

Now there are tons of different traditions for this time of year. Food is one of many. For as many Christmas eves as I can remember, I've always had my Great Aunt's Meatballs and Shrimp Scampi (yeah I know they don't sound like they belong together). Christmas was reserved for steak and occasionally ham. One of my friends' family has apples and pancakes on Christmas Eve (that was yummy). 

See very different.

Though I don't eat sweets often, I'm often amused by the sheer amount of cookies that are baked this time of year. From my mom's chocolate peppermint cookies, her lemon bars, or festive sugar cookies, there are always plenty of cookies to go around (and at least one of each kind for Santa). 

My mom also makes gingerbread at this time of year. I know most people think of gingerbread as a cookie, but she makes an actual bread. It's best right when it comes out of the oven and the butter melts as soon as you spread it on a slice.

There are so many different baked goods. I want them all.

I have a lot of found memories in kitchens (usually I am being chased out by my sister after I stole something yummy). The tastes, the smells, all of them just scream 'It's Christmas time!'. 

So I hope you guys get the opportunity for some holiday cheer along with cookies and hot chocolate. Make sure the Grinch doesn't steal your rare who roast beef and the last can of who hash. I'm going to make dinner now. 

If you enjoyed this post please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and hope you enjoy reading about my misadventures once a week.

Until next week.

Welcome To Cosmic Wonder & Broken TVs

Universe, you and I need to have a little talk. Now I get that the end of the year is coming up and you might have a quota on messing with the lives of certain people, but did you have to cause my (roughly) 15 year old analog TV to drop dead? Don't you understand that I don't need any more stress (or for that matter expenses) right now?

You don't care?

Go figure.

Yeah, that's right my TV died. It was a real battle of wits for a while between me keeping it on and it turning off by itself. It made me realize how grateful I was to even be given a (really old, but loving) TV when I moved in to my first apartment.

In fact this whole time of year tends to make me feel a bit more grateful for everything. I have a roof over my head, a loving (but somewhat insane) family, friends who I can count on, food on the table and a job. I don't actually need the TV.
This weekend, my dad, sister and I headed to Williamsburg for Christmas Town at Buschgardens. It was beautiful. Everything was decked out in lights. I especially loved taking the train around the park.

My sister instead that we see Santa, which we of course did. No I won't tell everyone what I asked for, but it was wonderful to see him. It certainly made me feel like a little kid again. It was my favorite part of the trip.

There were a ton of little kids in line with us to meet Santa. Some of them would write letters and put them in a mail box for later. Though one tiny girl did start crying when she was put on Santa's lap (it was a little funny).

Now you might be wondering if I still believe in Santa. I do. My family has always believed in the jolly elf and spoken of him as a real being. Therefore I believe he's real.

So even though I was all worked up about my TV breaking, seeing Santa again made me remember that that wasn't what was important. Spending time with my family and having a great time was.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and hope you enjoy hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome To Christmas Shopping

NOOOOOOOOOO!

I love Christmas (not as much as I love Halloween, but that's not important). It's the end of the year. You get to spend time with family and friends. There are the TV specials and the Christmas music that are wonderfully nostalgic (good and bad). Thought it's cliche, it is a magical time of year.

Unless you're not Christian in which case it can be the most annoying time of year (seriously "Christmas Shoes" gets old ten seconds into the song).

I have put up my small and very fake Christmas tree and included a cute little Christmas Village this year (I really didn't want to drag out my Harry Potter Lego collection).

However, if there was one thing I had to complain about (and no not my relatives asking me if I've found a nice significant other), it's the shopping. If I were a smarter person (or a better planner), I would have learned by now to do Christmas shopping throughout the year. As it stands, I don't really think about until last minute.

I don't even know why it causes such a huge anxiety for me. I guess part of it might be that I'm trying to find the "perfect" gift for that one person. It could be perhaps I suffer from sticker shock. But I think the most likely reason of all, might be that I just hate shopping.

I've been going through malls, shops, and websites. There are so many "specials" and coupons, not to mention all the "buy now or you'll miss out" deals. I'm bombarded with ads. It goes back to "Miracle on 34th Street" (the original in black and white) and how over commercial everything is. It almost makes me want to steal Christmas.

Not only that, but it's finding that gift that the other person hasn't thought to get for themselves.

Of course I could make all of my own gifts, no one would get themselves something hand made. However that requires a bit more forethought than a month and I've already admitted to not being a very good planner. Maybe I should get my own magic workshop. Oh wait...

Okay that was a lame joke.

I just want to show my family and friends how much I appreciate them. That's why I want to get them as close to the "perfect" gift as I can. To show them how much they mean to me. Even though it's bad, I'm probably going to still stress out until the New Year. And hopefully I'll start my shopping for next year the day after Christmas.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, please like, comment, or share with friends, family or your worst enemy. I love hearing from my readers (which includes my international followers) and I'd like to thank all of you for continuing to read. Until next year.