<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Ziroc:



Awesome Pic's Mem! I need to get mine up soon too!!!!! :D <hr></blockquote>

Z, you need to check out www.shutterfly.com. It's awesome for sharing pics with friends online, and it's free! [img]smile.gif[/img]

For the first time in three years, oldest son (Grau Wolf) was at home for the holidays (he'll be 19 in Feb and lives in Calif), so all the younguns were around. The result of an amazing attack of stupidity, the kids received among their presents: a drum set w/cymbals (Agility), a really good midi keyboard with every additional tempo, accessory and pre-recorded tune known to man and elf thrown in for good measure(Septfox) and a clarinet (Cloud Kitten--who surprised us and didn't squeak at all! [img]smile.gif[/img] ). Budha (hubby) topped the musical list with an acoustic guitar, and I now have a rocking chair in which to sit and try to unwind from the cacaphony! ;)

Actually I also got a digital camera and have been taking pics (which can, of course, now be e-mailed and/or posted)!

Then the worst case of hives ever set in--the end result of all the stress of the coordinating the holidays mixed with the fact that Budha's wallet (and entire paycheck which he'd just cashed) was stolen on the 21st.......

New Year's was quiet...Budha and I decided to play a little pool at the local bar. I played one game, but he was unstoppable and unbeatable for over an hour and a half! We came home just before midnight to spend the turn with the kids...then chased them off to bed ;) .

We saw Grau Wolf off at the bus station last night...I didn't cry but I wanted to :( We're making plans already for him to come back home this year.

Oh yeah, and I pestered the mods about the forum a few times! ;) I checked several times every day. If it had been any longer, I'd have been in rehabilative treatment along side Legolas!

[ 01-06-2002: Message edited by: Garnet FalconDance ]</p>

Had a three-week flu :( LOL

Went to LOTR on the premiere day sniffling and coughing, nearly had to be carried there by my bf and a friend BUT WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED IT FOR THE WORLD...heh.

Spent a few days with my family in Germany (Kaz - the snow was wonderful!!! [img]smile.gif[/img] ) and some with my family here in Holland. New Year's Eve we decided to stay at home and watch some movies (see brotherhood of the wolf review in the books/movies forum).
Read lots and lots, did some calligraphy, met some friends I hadn't seen in a while, celebrated my father's 53rd birthday, had my hair cut, went shopping with sister.... and PINED YEARNED CRAVED for the Ironworks forums! :D :D :D

Yep, the snow was great :D two white Christmases in a row! But don't be jealous [img]tongue.gif[/img] we only have a white Christmas one out of ten years, so I can expect this to be the last in twenty years :(
Konfuzed ;) I got The Crystal Shard, and immediately went out and bought The Dark Elf Trilogy. It's GREAT! Now my only problem is this: The only store that sells English Forgotten Realms books has no more Drizzt novels, and all the Drizzt books from www.amazon.de have 1-2 weeks order time... I'M GONNA DIE!! [img]graemlins/crying.gif[/img]

Now, for a glimpse of the mediocrity that is my existence. My Christmas eve consisted of packing presents into my trusty Saturn and then loading my girlfriend into same. We went to her aunt’s house. Her aunt is the mother to my best friend’s wife. If that isn’t convoluted enough for you, also keep in mind that my girlfriend’s aunt used to be my choir director before I became carnal. I was quite the Bible thumper back in the day, but I digress. We sat around chatting about this and that before the feast of Italian people. It was quite a meal, but that is to be expected in an Italian house. I did my best as a person of testosterone influenced gender inasmuch as I ate until full, then I continued eating. The coffee did much to keep me from sliding into a coma on the nearest couch. I’m somewhat grateful that I’ve gotten my paunch from years of beer drinking.

The gift giving was an organized frenzy of platitudes and surreptitious looks to the oldest person in our county…their grandmother. She is approximately 4’5 and still shrinking in my opinion. She is 84 years and I’ve questioned her about the old country. I asked if she would farm pasta and she gives me that same wrinkled look you might give a toddler after he gives you that brown gift of fecal matter. She usually responds with “what, you mean Long Island?” Each person opens gifts separately as the rest of the clan (did I say clan? Whoops) stares at you to see your reaction. If you cringe, whimper, or start sweating, then they know that you are not Italian enough. All of the gifts that I had bought became gifts from my girlfriend for some reason although I am the one who purchased them. I was a bit flabbergasted at first, but I decided not to make a point of it. Its family and not money that matters even if it’s my money and my girlfriend’s family. I was so tempted to ask how many of them wore black shirts during the 30’s and 40’s while supporting “Il Duce”

The fawning, preening, and pretentious sentimentality came to a merciful end at approximately 1:30 AM. I loaded my girlfriend once more into Booger (my trusty green Saturn) and gratefully drove home. Before bedding down, I loaded even more presents into my car for the next morning.

Christmas day consisted of driving to my little sister’s house and having my nieces tear into the gifts like Neb would at a pudding factory. They loved them and that is all that really matters to me. I played puzzles, candyland, and vacuum cleaner with them until exhaustion. My exhaustion and their elation. My immediate family traded barbs, witticisms, and cynical aspersions as we always do. My mother reminded me about who changed my diapers when I was a bit incontinent and 1 year old. Good times.

The New Year was greeted by my brother and myself. We drank a little and he gambled to his heart’s content. All in all, I would rather stick steak knives in my eyes and sing Barry Manilow tunes while sitting in a vat of Nair than go through another holiday. I do hope your holiday was more fulfilling.