Hot Nuts and Spotted Dick.
Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:45![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
a_bit_of_wit_2So I've returned from Cape Cod after spending 6 days there, and I must say...it was probably one of the best Christmases I've had in a long, long time--not just in gifts received, but gifts given, and the company I was in. On Tuesday, the 23rd, we left work early and made for Boston, to pick up Danielle (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kilinka) from Logan Airport. After I braved the Ted Williams Tunnel and the Boston traffic during rush hour (although going under the Atlantic Ocean--not the Charles River like I had originally thought--did not do any good for the immense claustrophobia April was experiencing), we got Danielle, and slowly made our way toward Cape Cod. We got there about 2 hours later than I thought, in large part due to the traffic getting out of Boston. Regardless, we made it, and Danielle got to meet my family, which in itself is an experience. As we winded down, we decorated the tree and settled in for the night. Despite my lack of sleep from the night before--I beat Dragon Quest 8 and was up till after midnight doing so--I managed to remain awake until 3 AM. Don't ask me how.
On Christmas Eve, we decided to take the opportunity to play in the snow. Danielle was expressing much joy over the sheer volume of it (as the Cape had been blanketed with more than the 3.6 inches of RECORD snowfall Vegas had), and we decided to build a snow Dalek. Don't believe me? See the nerdcore HERE and HERE. It was also perfect snowball snow, so there was much pelting of each other, including my sister. Seeming to be the highlight of the day, we had a meatless dinner at night (a holdover from April's Catholic days...I really could care less, but my stepdad graciously obliged the request), watched a shitload of Red Dwarf and Doctor Who while April wrote and Danielle doodled, and then headed to bed, awaiting Santa and company.
Christmas morning came, but rain the previous night had nearly melted all the snow, and the snow Dalek was reduced to a small pile. Wah. The day had already began on a good note, despite the fact that the three of us got maybe 6 or 7 hours of sleep the night before. For the first time in over a year, my stepbrother Rob was there. My stepsister, her boy, and her baby were there. Rob being there made me happy--I had been so worried since my stepdad kicked him out of the house. However, he currently lives with his girlfriend and is still employed. With all of us there, we could begin to tackle the display of presents under the tree. So, here's what I ended up getting (including stuff given to me before Christmas):
--Red Dwarf DVDs (series 1 and 2)
--Liberty by Garrison Keillor
--a set of computer speakers
--Resident Evil t-shirt
--a mug
--$45 in gift cards to GameStop
--$10 gift certificate to Villa Italia (a local restaurant--this will probably be good for a free lunch, but hey--free food is free food)
--Nintendo messenger bag
But then I got to the last gift, in a small box. From April. It was the gift I had wanted the most, but felt for damn sure I wasn't going to get it, given how much it was. It was a Canon Rebel XS, a 10-megapixel digital SLR camera. The shock I got when I saw it completely overwhelmed me, for I had not been expecting it at all. I was overcome, and began to cry right there in front of everyone. After that wore off, I was taking pics with the point-and-shoot Powershot, watching the proceedings. My stepdad loved the gifts I got him--some artwork of fairies done by Ruth Thompson (you can't go to the NY RenFaire and NOT get something out of her booth...she does such awesome artwork), and a DVD collection of four Zatoichi movies.
Christmas dinner comprised of goose and ham, and as we settled in for the night, Danielle and April were doing their art thing and I called Dan H., then called Mary to wish her a merry Christmas.
The day after, Danielle, April, and I headed out and about, stopping first at the supermarket to grab some stuff (where we came upon a bag of Hot Nuts, as well as a can of spotted dick in the store's British section), then to Wal-Mart, where I had a run-in with Ronny and Dejah, and then it was off to the beach, between Falmouth Heights and Menauhant, where Danielle got to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I told her she could go home to Vegas and tell people that she cavorted with "that other ocean." It was a great sight to watch Danielle so happy, having the time of her life. Many pictures were had, and we did a lot of collecting of seashells, some of them very, very nice. They're with me now, I'll be mailing them soon. We didn't want them to get crushed on the return flight--the gorillas who deal with the baggage don't treat said baggage with care...I don't think shells would take too kindly after being hurled like footballs. So we returned home for dinner, we bought Danielle's ticket home, and then wiled away the evening. Needless to say, I now have the nicknames of Hot Nuts and Spotted Dick. Thank you, Danielle (or should I say, Melchett?) and April. Thank you so very fucking much. I love you too, ya bitches. :)
Saturday, the three of us went on an expedition to downtown Falmouth, starting with Nobska lighthouse and taking pics before heading to Main Street. The first place we hit up was a store called Blast From the Past, a store that sold movie replica stuff, vintage 50s and 60s stuff, movie-related material and so on. Lots of Elvis, Beatles, and classic Coke. We spent a lot of time there, and the ladies indulged themselves in more nerdular nerdence...picking up packs of movie poster trading cards and squeeing over them. I got 4 packs of baseball cards, which have yet to be opened. We then had some food at a grease pit, and it was downright yummy. After, we headed to Wal-Mart briefly and then headed home for dinner. I stayed up to watch some classic Who, and then it was off to bed.
Sunday began with a slow getting up which culminated in my stepdad making brunch for us. We cleaned up the basement and left my family's house around 2 in the afternoon, and at April's request, we went to the store so she could get a can of spotted dick (it's a food--don't ask about the name...the British are a weird sort), and then it was on to Boston, where we had to drop Danielle off at the airport. It was a sad farewell, reminding me of the times I'd leave April to go back to that hellhole that was the house on Old Barnstable Road. Danielle was returning to her own hellhole, but if nothing else, she got to relax and enjoy herself. Already, we're talking about her next visit, probably in 3 months.
And that was essentially it, ladies and gentlemen. It was an awesome holiday, and I didn't wish to return to work yesterday. However, this is a shortened week for me, as I have January 1 and 2 off...so it's not all bad. On New Year's Eve, we'll head over to April's parents', and Ryan and I will go head to head in the year-end, year-beginning Monopoly game that's become tradition. It will be the 5th game, and I'm currently on a 3-game streak, overall record is 3-1. However, I'm not looking forward to the start of 2009, at least, financially speaking. It's going to begin on a rough note, as I'm going to have to plunge between $500 and $1000 into the car between now and the end of February. I will definitely have to put in 500 at minimum to fix the damage to the car. For those that don't know, I got into an accident a little over two weeks ago--no one was injured, not even a scratch on me and the other driver--and I need a new rear bumper, rear right taillight, new trunk lid, and some work behind the right rear tire. It actually occurred on the last day of our holiday party, while I was out getting a refill on my medicine. That's the last time I let someone be nice to me. Basically, I was being waved on by another driver, telling me it was ok to make a left turn...however, none of us saw a black Mazda barreling down the road in the next lane. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was gonna get hit. I slammed on the gas as I was making the turn, and got slammed in the rear. Had I not, the damage would've been far worse.
The other potential 500 involves the replacement of a faulty sensor. While this sensor does not impact the car's performance at all (at least, not visibly), it's enough to trip the Check Engine light. And in NY, it doesn't matter if the car runs fine or passes its emissions test...if that light is lit, it's an automatic fail on the yearly inspection, which ultimately will lead to April and I not being allowed to drive until the car's fixed. The annoying part is that it is a tiny sensor, and this piece of equipment costs that much. However, I may be able to delay it if I have the sensor reset...whatever the case, it will need to get replaced, hopefully later, rather than sooner. So it goes. I was bummed about it last night, and after some gaming, tea, and some words from April, my mind doesn't feel so heavy. April's parents now know about it, and I'd rather not them nag me about it when I see them tomorrow.
But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, life goes on, and I'm gonna attempt to beat my 10th game of the year tonight. I beat Dragon Quest 8 last week, as mentioned. I'm at the final boss of Dragon Warrior 3 now, and looking to finish it off.
So, Danielle, thanks a lot for coming and spending Christmas with me and mine. I hope you enjoyed it. April and I look forward to your return. (many hugs)
kilinka) from Logan Airport. After I braved the Ted Williams Tunnel and the Boston traffic during rush hour (although going under the Atlantic Ocean--not the Charles River like I had originally thought--did not do any good for the immense claustrophobia April was experiencing), we got Danielle, and slowly made our way toward Cape Cod. We got there about 2 hours later than I thought, in large part due to the traffic getting out of Boston. Regardless, we made it, and Danielle got to meet my family, which in itself is an experience. As we winded down, we decorated the tree and settled in for the night. Despite my lack of sleep from the night before--I beat Dragon Quest 8 and was up till after midnight doing so--I managed to remain awake until 3 AM. Don't ask me how. On Christmas Eve, we decided to take the opportunity to play in the snow. Danielle was expressing much joy over the sheer volume of it (as the Cape had been blanketed with more than the 3.6 inches of RECORD snowfall Vegas had), and we decided to build a snow Dalek. Don't believe me? See the nerdcore HERE and HERE. It was also perfect snowball snow, so there was much pelting of each other, including my sister. Seeming to be the highlight of the day, we had a meatless dinner at night (a holdover from April's Catholic days...I really could care less, but my stepdad graciously obliged the request), watched a shitload of Red Dwarf and Doctor Who while April wrote and Danielle doodled, and then headed to bed, awaiting Santa and company.
Christmas morning came, but rain the previous night had nearly melted all the snow, and the snow Dalek was reduced to a small pile. Wah. The day had already began on a good note, despite the fact that the three of us got maybe 6 or 7 hours of sleep the night before. For the first time in over a year, my stepbrother Rob was there. My stepsister, her boy, and her baby were there. Rob being there made me happy--I had been so worried since my stepdad kicked him out of the house. However, he currently lives with his girlfriend and is still employed. With all of us there, we could begin to tackle the display of presents under the tree. So, here's what I ended up getting (including stuff given to me before Christmas):
--Red Dwarf DVDs (series 1 and 2)
--Liberty by Garrison Keillor
--a set of computer speakers
--Resident Evil t-shirt
--a mug
--$45 in gift cards to GameStop
--$10 gift certificate to Villa Italia (a local restaurant--this will probably be good for a free lunch, but hey--free food is free food)
--Nintendo messenger bag
But then I got to the last gift, in a small box. From April. It was the gift I had wanted the most, but felt for damn sure I wasn't going to get it, given how much it was. It was a Canon Rebel XS, a 10-megapixel digital SLR camera. The shock I got when I saw it completely overwhelmed me, for I had not been expecting it at all. I was overcome, and began to cry right there in front of everyone. After that wore off, I was taking pics with the point-and-shoot Powershot, watching the proceedings. My stepdad loved the gifts I got him--some artwork of fairies done by Ruth Thompson (you can't go to the NY RenFaire and NOT get something out of her booth...she does such awesome artwork), and a DVD collection of four Zatoichi movies.
Christmas dinner comprised of goose and ham, and as we settled in for the night, Danielle and April were doing their art thing and I called Dan H., then called Mary to wish her a merry Christmas.
The day after, Danielle, April, and I headed out and about, stopping first at the supermarket to grab some stuff (where we came upon a bag of Hot Nuts, as well as a can of spotted dick in the store's British section), then to Wal-Mart, where I had a run-in with Ronny and Dejah, and then it was off to the beach, between Falmouth Heights and Menauhant, where Danielle got to see the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I told her she could go home to Vegas and tell people that she cavorted with "that other ocean." It was a great sight to watch Danielle so happy, having the time of her life. Many pictures were had, and we did a lot of collecting of seashells, some of them very, very nice. They're with me now, I'll be mailing them soon. We didn't want them to get crushed on the return flight--the gorillas who deal with the baggage don't treat said baggage with care...I don't think shells would take too kindly after being hurled like footballs. So we returned home for dinner, we bought Danielle's ticket home, and then wiled away the evening. Needless to say, I now have the nicknames of Hot Nuts and Spotted Dick. Thank you, Danielle (or should I say, Melchett?) and April. Thank you so very fucking much. I love you too, ya bitches. :)
Saturday, the three of us went on an expedition to downtown Falmouth, starting with Nobska lighthouse and taking pics before heading to Main Street. The first place we hit up was a store called Blast From the Past, a store that sold movie replica stuff, vintage 50s and 60s stuff, movie-related material and so on. Lots of Elvis, Beatles, and classic Coke. We spent a lot of time there, and the ladies indulged themselves in more nerdular nerdence...picking up packs of movie poster trading cards and squeeing over them. I got 4 packs of baseball cards, which have yet to be opened. We then had some food at a grease pit, and it was downright yummy. After, we headed to Wal-Mart briefly and then headed home for dinner. I stayed up to watch some classic Who, and then it was off to bed.
Sunday began with a slow getting up which culminated in my stepdad making brunch for us. We cleaned up the basement and left my family's house around 2 in the afternoon, and at April's request, we went to the store so she could get a can of spotted dick (it's a food--don't ask about the name...the British are a weird sort), and then it was on to Boston, where we had to drop Danielle off at the airport. It was a sad farewell, reminding me of the times I'd leave April to go back to that hellhole that was the house on Old Barnstable Road. Danielle was returning to her own hellhole, but if nothing else, she got to relax and enjoy herself. Already, we're talking about her next visit, probably in 3 months.
And that was essentially it, ladies and gentlemen. It was an awesome holiday, and I didn't wish to return to work yesterday. However, this is a shortened week for me, as I have January 1 and 2 off...so it's not all bad. On New Year's Eve, we'll head over to April's parents', and Ryan and I will go head to head in the year-end, year-beginning Monopoly game that's become tradition. It will be the 5th game, and I'm currently on a 3-game streak, overall record is 3-1. However, I'm not looking forward to the start of 2009, at least, financially speaking. It's going to begin on a rough note, as I'm going to have to plunge between $500 and $1000 into the car between now and the end of February. I will definitely have to put in 500 at minimum to fix the damage to the car. For those that don't know, I got into an accident a little over two weeks ago--no one was injured, not even a scratch on me and the other driver--and I need a new rear bumper, rear right taillight, new trunk lid, and some work behind the right rear tire. It actually occurred on the last day of our holiday party, while I was out getting a refill on my medicine. That's the last time I let someone be nice to me. Basically, I was being waved on by another driver, telling me it was ok to make a left turn...however, none of us saw a black Mazda barreling down the road in the next lane. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was gonna get hit. I slammed on the gas as I was making the turn, and got slammed in the rear. Had I not, the damage would've been far worse.
The other potential 500 involves the replacement of a faulty sensor. While this sensor does not impact the car's performance at all (at least, not visibly), it's enough to trip the Check Engine light. And in NY, it doesn't matter if the car runs fine or passes its emissions test...if that light is lit, it's an automatic fail on the yearly inspection, which ultimately will lead to April and I not being allowed to drive until the car's fixed. The annoying part is that it is a tiny sensor, and this piece of equipment costs that much. However, I may be able to delay it if I have the sensor reset...whatever the case, it will need to get replaced, hopefully later, rather than sooner. So it goes. I was bummed about it last night, and after some gaming, tea, and some words from April, my mind doesn't feel so heavy. April's parents now know about it, and I'd rather not them nag me about it when I see them tomorrow.
But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, life goes on, and I'm gonna attempt to beat my 10th game of the year tonight. I beat Dragon Quest 8 last week, as mentioned. I'm at the final boss of Dragon Warrior 3 now, and looking to finish it off.
So, Danielle, thanks a lot for coming and spending Christmas with me and mine. I hope you enjoyed it. April and I look forward to your return. (many hugs)
