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.

Welcome To Thanksgiving

There's a lot to be thankful for...

I spent Thanksgiving this year with extended family in San Diego. It was awesome. There was plenty of food, lots of sun, and good times all around. I even got to go to Disneyland while everything was decorated for Christmas (only do this if you are okay being surrounded with more people than a Black Friday stampede) and go to my first NFL game (Chargers beat the Rams). All around a wonderful vacation with my uncle, aunt and cousins.

If there was only one thing that really stressed me out, it was getting on the planes. I was so sure I was going to get stuck somewhere over night, miss a flight or have a problem with security. Things everyone about to fly worry about. I am eternally thankful that I wasn't on the East Coast when the first snow fall of the year hit (this did not hurt my return flights). However, it looked like a lot of people had flights canceled or severely delayed due to the weather. I hope all of the people were able to get to where they wanted to go for the holiday.

There is already so much advice about traveling during the holidays that I won't go over too much about it. However, if you can, spring for first class (this was a first time for me). You get food and are garenteed to get your roller bag onto the plane if the flight is completely full. If you can't go first class (because flying is already way too expensive) see if you can get priority boarding. Flights were full and they were making people check their carry on bags.

I know, after that last paragraph I probably sound like a spoiled brat. However, it was a lot less stressful than my seven hour flight in the center row of a center row in the middle of the night back in May. And I am thankful I got to experience it once in my life. 

Actually I'm thankful for a lot of things this year. I'm thankful I have friends and family who helped me take some awesome vacations. I'm thankful I have a job and a place to live. I'm thankful I have food on the table everyday. I'm thankful for my large (and extremely crazy) family. I'm thankful for all of my friends.

Heck I have a lot to be thankful for.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, enjoyed the chaos of Black Friday, and stuffed themselves until Christmas. It's the start of the holiday season and I'm planning on making the most of it.

If you enjoyed this post please like, or leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers and I hope you guys enjoy hearing from me. Maybe leave what you guys are thankful for in the comments. Until next week.

Welcome To Accomplishment

I did it!

New Year's Eve 2013 I made the goal that for 2014 I would complete the the writing for the first draft of a novel by the end of this year. This week I am pleased to announce that I accomplished this goal. I did it! I freakin' did it.

I spent over six months writing 63,000 (give or take a few hundred) words. I feel proud of myself.

However I can't just stop there. It's still only the first draft. I have to do one or two or maybe even a hundred rewrites before it's prefect. It won't be finished until it's in physical book form. Ergo, I might never be finished with writing it.

I believe it was Stephen King who said that you have to "kill your darlings" while writing the next few drafts. It's hard not to look at all my hard work with rose colored glass. However, that's what you got to do. You have to give yourself a critical eye. You have to identify your mistakes and be able to correct them.

You also can't get bogged down by all of the mistakes. It's sometimes also hard to stop yourself from saying everything sucks and ripping it all up.

I'm going to bask in finishing my first draft. At least until 2015. My new goal, rewrit it until I feel I can send it to an agent. 

And that's what I need to do. I need to keep setting goals that are challenging, push me just a little further and that I'm able to accomplish. It just takes a few more steps to get to that final (almost) unreachable goal.

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 I hope you enjoy hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome To Crystal Balls

The future is always cloudy...

I am aware of the fact that today is Monday, not Sunday. I completely forgot yesterday was Sunday yesterday. If I had realized I was going to forget it was Sunday, I would have written this on Saturday and timed it to go out today. One of the many whoes of not being psychic. 

It would make life easier if I could see into the future (or at least the bad stuff that could/might/is likely to happen) that way I could be prepared. I like being prepared, it makes me feel more secure and in control in a time I couldn't possible feel less secure or in control. Its like the universe wants me to loose my mind or something. 

Oh I can make plans and then completely forget the plans. That's when I make it up as I go.

Or I make plans and something else happens to change those plans. That's when I curse out any plan making I had done and swear to never make any plans again. 

Then there are the days that I don't have plans and a floating ball of annoying light tells me to go somewhere, I get completely lost on my way there, countinuously fall into a river until I realize I need a chicken to help me fly over the river, accidently hit the chicken with my sword and finally death by angry chicken (this last one might be from Zelda: Ocarina of Time).

True the chickens aren't called chickens in Zelda, but they look like chickens, they act like chickens, therefore they are chickens. Really annoying chickens.

Of course, if I did know what the future had in store all of life's little wonders would be spoiled. As much as I want to know everything will eventually be alright, I don't want any spoilers. Yeah this coming from someone who loves to know how everything ends before it even begins. Fine I admit that I'm incredibly impatient and have a burning desire for "Happily Ever After", but my gut tells me things will be okay. The little details are still a mystery.

I will plan to post next week, but no promises. They are way too easy to break.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share or comment. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Until next week.

Welcome To Kids Stuff

Otherwise known as Peter Pan Syndrome 

I have made it my life's mission to never grow up. Why you might ask. Because having the mindset of a kid is awesome. As a kid anything is possible. As an adult you realize your dream of being a wizard isn't exactly possible (unless you've learned a secret of the universe that the rest of us haven't discovered yet in which case I'm not talking to you). 

Yesterday I played laser tag in years. It was a huge amount of fun. I even managed to get second place both games (see proud image of score cards below).

It was a ton of fun and I want to go out an play again (sooner rather than later). There are even leagues for people my age to play competitively (no I'm unlikely to join any of those).

My parents constantly nag me about watching cartoons and reading comic books. Honestly if it's a good story why should it matter? Not everything made for kids is stupid. Some of it is very entertaining (and not mindlessly so).

I also still believe in Santa Claus (there I admit it!), even if deep down I know he's more of a spiritual being than an actual one. There's just something magical about the time between Halloween and Christmas. I always feel like I'm still 12 years old.

Reality of course sets in around January.

Oh, well, maybe I will become a superhero someday. A person can still dream, even if they can't go back in time. Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off, like comment or share with friends, family or your worst enemy. Now it's almost time for the Futurama and Simpsons cross over.

Welcome To The Crazy Times

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, All Saint's Day, All Souls Day and El Dia de los Muertos. I enjoyed watching old horror movies (and one funny horror movie). I managed to catch the original Dracula, House on Haunted Hill and the hilarious 1960s remake of The Old Dark House. We had exactly three Trick or Treaters and plenty of candy left over. It was also the one year anniversary of my grandfather's passing. May he rest in peace.

I haven't had down time in a while. It feels like at every turn I'm doing something. Even things at work have been hectic. These are the times when if even one things goes wrong it feels like the whole world is ending (something I also managed to do this week).

How do I handle the crazy?

Usually I spend an entire weekend hibernating from the world. Well the weekend I had set aside for that unexpectedly changed (though not for the bad) into a fun weekend with a friend and my mom. Seeing my friend was awesome and we had a great time catching up.

This weekend I was all over Norther Virginia and DC. One of my friends was in the Color Run in DC yesterday. I honestly had no idea what to expect. I actually didn't run, but I did get to see the party afterwards. They threw these color packets into the air and got different colors everywhere. Here's a picture:

I did need to rinse off my cloths to get some of the additional colors off.

I spent most today in Winchester with my mom. We took a back road and saw all the beautiful leaves in the mountains. I miss the years we used to do Skyline Drive or go up to Gettysburg around this time. I love the drive when I'm a passenger, not when I have to drive. I can sit and stare out the window and day dream. It's wonderful.

If you enjoyed this post, or if really pissed you off, please like, share, and/or leave a message. I love hearing from my readers. Until next week!

Welcome to the Halloween Special

It's the Spookiest Time of the Year...

It's almost Halloween everyone and you guys know what that means: scary movies galore! I've seen many of the old black and white movies I love (with the exception of Abbott and Costello) and a lot of the more modern ones. We can of course than ABC Family for all the kids movies, AMC and Spike for blood guts and gore and TCM for all of the classics.

The groups I follow online (you guys are very familiar with my obsession with  love of Nostalgia Critic) have also had holiday specials all October long. Plenty of zombies, vampires, and possessed trucks (wait possessed trucks?) too keep me entertained.

I do confess, I've been in front of the TV all day watching every Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror ever made. It hasn't been the productive Sunday I had hoped it would have been.

However I have noticed that there are several Halloween specials that I haven't seen. The majority of them were from the Disney Channel original movies collection. At least Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus is still shown every year, but what about Don't Look Under the Bed or Tower of Terror. I at least hoped that they would show Phantom of the Megaplex since Mickey Rooney died this year.

So here are the top five movies/specials I wish I could get, but can't.

1) Phantom of the Megaplex - a great little mystery loosely based off of Phantom of the Opera. Someoen is trying to ruin the premier of a horror movie at a local movie complex. Can three kids solve the mystery or will the phantom succeed? Mickey Rooney plays an older gentleman whose family used to own the theater, but has since moved into the basement.

2) Don't Look Under the Bed - What happens to an imaginary friend when a child stops believing too soon? They become the boogyman who lives under the bed. This movie was a great story about having an imagination and not growing up too fast.

3) The Scream Team - The grandfather of two kids passes away just before Halloween. The Scream Team (three banished ghosts who guide the souls of the dead to the next life) try to help him, but the grandfather is kidnapped by an angry spirit hell bent on getting his revenge. It's up to the two kids and three ghosts to rescue the trapped souls and solve the mystery of the angry spirit.

4) Tiny Toon: Night Ghoulery - If you don't know who the Tiny Toons are you didn't grow up in the 90s. Babs and Buster Bunny (no relation) take you through several mini episodes, each with it's own introduction. They are set up like a Treehouse of Horror episode and got a lot of laughs out of me.

5) Scooby Doo on Zombie Island - (I'm slightly cheating as it can be brought on Amazon) Scooby and the gang and invited to Zombie Island which is cursed by the spirits who wander the island. It seems like a normal mystery for the gang, until its relieved that the zombies aren't guys in masks.

I hope you guys have a happy Halloween on Friday. I'll be hiding under a blanket trying to defeat the zombies of Resident Evil.

Anyway here's a picture of a cute pumpkin my mom gave me.

If you enjoyed this post (or you really hated it) please like, share or leave a comment. If there was special that you remember seeing that I didn't include let me know in the comments. I love hearing from my readers and hope you enjoy my posts. Until next week.