Christmas Stuff Post!
Dec. 28th, 2010 01:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bloodyrosemccoyLook, y’all! Look what I got for Christmas!
TVbox shows from Mom. My Futurama collection is almost complete now. And I have my own copies of one of the other greatest TV shows ever, Batman: The Animated Series. Both of these are in my Top 5 Animated Shows.
Also from Mom: Video games!
MY BROTHER: Watch out! Donkey Kong is HARD.
ME: On a scale from Jungle Japes to Angry Swearing Impossible Mario Hack Guy, how hard?
MY BROTHER: I’d say it’s a Tubular.
Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy from my brother; John Scalzi’s Agent to the Stars from my sister. It’s a nerd’s dream come true.
From my aunt, we get the first Enola Holmes book and Godiva truffles, which are the best kind of truffles. Not pictured: Barnes & Noble gift card, which came in handy for another gift:
But what is this? A fancy book? No! It’s Awesome Christmas Thing #1!
It’s a Nook! Dad got me an e-reader! I HAVE AN E-READER NOW.
Here is a story you all can file under Problems You Just Wish You Had: for weeks now Dad, in his boundless enthusiasm, has been talking about nothing but iPads, Macs, iPads, operating systems, iPads, computers, and iPads, to the point where we’re all starting to think that The Apple Friend Bar is actually a damn good idea. (Come on, you know you do, too.) We have seen this pattern before, and we were pretty sure this meant that we would all get iPads for Christmas.
Except I didn’t want one. I KNOW CRY MORE EMOKID.
So I sort of offered him an alternative gift that I would think was awesome, through the clever application of subtle hints. (“You know, I do not want an iPad, but I would love a Nook. I would not be at all sad if I got a Nook and not an iPad. I would be very happy.”) So everyone in this family got iPads except me. And I am very happy.
Remember that Barnes and Noble gift card? I used it to buy my first e-book: The Hobbit.
(My sister followed suit and got it for her iPad e-reader, and it is blowing her mind. Mom read it aloud to us when we were little, but perhaps she was too little, because she doesn’t remember it. So she’s spent the last two days alternating between reading and yelling “GOD DAMN THIS IS A GREAT BOOK.”)
And the gift I bought for myself! I know it’s bad form, but dammit this thing was just too awesome. But what is it?
Awesome Christmas Thing #2
DA DA DA DAAAAAH!
That’s right, bitches! I am the proud owner of an Ocarina of Time! It is gorgeous. It’s not just some display thing, neither—it is a beautiful artisan-crafted musical instrument. Actually, I kind of want all the ocarinas they sell atSongbird Ocarina, but I figured I’d start with this one here.
Engage play mode!
Okay, I’ve actually been playing around with it for a month. I made a discovery while noodling on it early on, when the following exchange took place:
OCARINA: ^ < > ^ < > ^ < > < >
CAT: THIS IS SOMEHOW RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS. HERE IS MY BUTT.
It’s the weirdest thing. For a while every time I’d practice I wound up with a cat butt in my face. Who knew this thing actually did charm animals?
It comes with songbooks! The top one has stuff like the Star Wars theme and LotR’s “Concerning Hobbits.” The bottom is the Zelda songbook. If I get good enough, perhaps I can learn to go back in time!
I’m also embarking on a quest to remember how to read music. The ocarina has a tablature all its own, but I’m learning how to transpose and change key signatures so songs will fit on the thing. I’m surprised at how good it feels to be doing music again. (The inspiration for this present came from Mom, who in honor of her piano-playing twin has taken up piano again and is having a fine old time. It made me miss music.)
I’d also like to note that this is the first musical instrument I’ve ever tried to play that you cannot stash a human body in.
Anyway, that’s all for this year! Now tell me: what did you get?
While you’re thinking, enjoy some Christmas dinner. I dislike cranberry sauce, but I will chug cranberry juice all the livelong day, so it is indeed complete! Aye, it was a merry Xmas indeed!
TVbox shows from Mom. My Futurama collection is almost complete now. And I have my own copies of one of the other greatest TV shows ever, Batman: The Animated Series. Both of these are in my Top 5 Animated Shows.
Also from Mom: Video games!
MY BROTHER: Watch out! Donkey Kong is HARD.
ME: On a scale from Jungle Japes to Angry Swearing Impossible Mario Hack Guy, how hard?
MY BROTHER: I’d say it’s a Tubular.
Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy from my brother; John Scalzi’s Agent to the Stars from my sister. It’s a nerd’s dream come true.
From my aunt, we get the first Enola Holmes book and Godiva truffles, which are the best kind of truffles. Not pictured: Barnes & Noble gift card, which came in handy for another gift:
But what is this? A fancy book? No! It’s Awesome Christmas Thing #1!
It’s a Nook! Dad got me an e-reader! I HAVE AN E-READER NOW.
Here is a story you all can file under Problems You Just Wish You Had: for weeks now Dad, in his boundless enthusiasm, has been talking about nothing but iPads, Macs, iPads, operating systems, iPads, computers, and iPads, to the point where we’re all starting to think that The Apple Friend Bar is actually a damn good idea. (Come on, you know you do, too.) We have seen this pattern before, and we were pretty sure this meant that we would all get iPads for Christmas.
Except I didn’t want one. I KNOW CRY MORE EMOKID.
So I sort of offered him an alternative gift that I would think was awesome, through the clever application of subtle hints. (“You know, I do not want an iPad, but I would love a Nook. I would not be at all sad if I got a Nook and not an iPad. I would be very happy.”) So everyone in this family got iPads except me. And I am very happy.
Remember that Barnes and Noble gift card? I used it to buy my first e-book: The Hobbit.
(My sister followed suit and got it for her iPad e-reader, and it is blowing her mind. Mom read it aloud to us when we were little, but perhaps she was too little, because she doesn’t remember it. So she’s spent the last two days alternating between reading and yelling “GOD DAMN THIS IS A GREAT BOOK.”)
And the gift I bought for myself! I know it’s bad form, but dammit this thing was just too awesome. But what is it?
Awesome Christmas Thing #2
DA DA DA DAAAAAH!
That’s right, bitches! I am the proud owner of an Ocarina of Time! It is gorgeous. It’s not just some display thing, neither—it is a beautiful artisan-crafted musical instrument. Actually, I kind of want all the ocarinas they sell atSongbird Ocarina, but I figured I’d start with this one here.
Engage play mode!
Okay, I’ve actually been playing around with it for a month. I made a discovery while noodling on it early on, when the following exchange took place:
OCARINA: ^ < > ^ < > ^ < > < >
CAT: THIS IS SOMEHOW RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS. HERE IS MY BUTT.
It’s the weirdest thing. For a while every time I’d practice I wound up with a cat butt in my face. Who knew this thing actually did charm animals?
It comes with songbooks! The top one has stuff like the Star Wars theme and LotR’s “Concerning Hobbits.” The bottom is the Zelda songbook. If I get good enough, perhaps I can learn to go back in time!
I’m also embarking on a quest to remember how to read music. The ocarina has a tablature all its own, but I’m learning how to transpose and change key signatures so songs will fit on the thing. I’m surprised at how good it feels to be doing music again. (The inspiration for this present came from Mom, who in honor of her piano-playing twin has taken up piano again and is having a fine old time. It made me miss music.)
I’d also like to note that this is the first musical instrument I’ve ever tried to play that you cannot stash a human body in.
Anyway, that’s all for this year! Now tell me: what did you get?
While you’re thinking, enjoy some Christmas dinner. I dislike cranberry sauce, but I will chug cranberry juice all the livelong day, so it is indeed complete! Aye, it was a merry Xmas indeed!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 09:48 am (UTC)And the Ocarina is glorious. I had a four-hole one I got from a renaissance faire when I was a wee little bairn and really enjoyed playing with it, until it went all wonky. That one looks really gorgeous. I APPROVE SO HARD OF NIFTY NERDY RECREATIONS FOR ADULTS, as you know. :D Next up: recording of you playing!
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 08:18 pm (UTC)I would've liked the iPad, but honestly tablet technology has a long way to go to catch up to what's in my head. 'S why I wait.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 08:22 pm (UTC)The ereader is nice because of the storage issue--maybe this way books won't squeeze me out of the house!
I have found a few good ocarina videos--docjazz4 does some really fun ones--but I'd always love to see more!
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 05:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 07:02 pm (UTC)Next stop: Donkey Kong Country Returns! :D
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 08:25 pm (UTC)I believe it with your recorder--it just seems so cat-like. Mine never responded this way to my sister's flute, though. Hmm.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 10:21 pm (UTC)I already posted what I got for Christmas in my lj.
also omg give me truffles I KNOW YOU LIVE IN THE SAME STATE I DO
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 10:47 pm (UTC)I didn't actually get much Stuff for Christmas; some money for driving lessons (yay!), thermal undies, and - for reasons I cannot fathom at all - an epilator. Right.
But, in the days since Christmas I have also received 14 seasons of Top Gear, digital copies of every issue of The Walking Dead (and a programme to read them with), some films (Despicable Me and Les Triplettes du Belleville), a collection of green tea, an external hard-drive, and a new-ish PC that's way better than the ancient one I have at home. Also, there's been much film watching courtesy of my big bro*, and playing of SNES as well. :D
So yeah, Life = Good. ^.^
*The last one viewed being a Bollywood film called 3 Idiots, which I very much recommend.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-28 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-29 06:22 pm (UTC)I got a beautiful leather handbag,a type of girly thing I have never before owned. It has ginko leaves on it! There's a suitably elfin elegence.
The girly-ness was balanced out by a flat crowbar, drill bits, and money towards a shop-vac (which I purchased last night -- an orange R2 unit now sits in my house!).