I Survived Christmas And What I Learned

As you may recall from a earlier post secular Christmas is not in my top ten favorites things in the world, but it's not in my top ten hate list. I actually enjoy Christmas Day for the actually reason of the holiday.

As I opened my gifts with my family, I realized that I really need my own place. Do not get me wrong I am grateful for my parents for letting me stay with them, rent-free, after my graduation from college (May 2010). Because of this I am able to spend the money I earn towards my loans which I cannot wait to pay off. But any person who has gone off to college then come home for the holidays knows the plight of readjusting to the rules of their parents. This has been my biggest challenge since graduation. But my current financially situation does not allow me the luxury of moving out.

This realization came to light with the aid of my parents via their gifts. How many people can say they got a microwave for Christmas? Very few I imagine.

On a completely separate note, my New Years resolution: lose weight. I know it's not original, but it's something that I have to do. I'm over weight but not obese (Thank God), but I need to lose about forty pounds to be in my ideal weight for my body type. I have started today; on the recommendations of a dear friend I've invested in those 'Shape-Ups' sneakers, and some hand-weights to hold. The sneakers were a bit weird to wear but when walking I could feel the difference from regular sneakers. We shall see as the year progresses.

I also hope with this oncoming year to pick a little German. My mother's family is ethnically German and I have always been interested in my German roots. I have started listening to Disney songs sung in German to pick up on the pronunciation. When studying French in High School I found that listening to songs (Broadway-esque style not pop) helped a great deal; reason being that in singing to syllables are elongated and over enunciated so you hear the word clearer. But I digress, I've always wanted to pick up some German if any; another reason in the story I'm writing (see earlier post) some of my main characters are German thus I need to know German so the characters can speak in their native tongue.

Until next post, God Bless!

A Bit of Fun

This is a sketch I did my last year in college. I got the monologue from 'The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged'; if you have not seen it please do, it's quite funny. The introduction is something I made up on the spot as a filler, so it's not quite as humorous as the rest of the clip.

Enjoy!

Strange, But Fun

I found this video on Youtube sometime ago and I decieded to share it with the few people who actually read this blog.
Just watch and enjoy, especially you Psych fans!!

Have you tried writing?

Well I have, and I can tell you it's a lot harder then one thinks.

I have been try to write a modern fantasy series for the past few years. About a year ago the worst possible thing could have happened -- my computer suffered the Blue Screen of Death and was no more.

A moment of silence please.............




Finished? Alright then;

Well, as a result I lost two years worth of work, which included a complete plot-line sketch for the first story, finished character development of all major and minor characters, and so forth. None of which I committed to memory. Ugh! I remember all my main characters and the gist of the plot, but details and minor characters can say bye-bye. So sad... who knows they may return to my subconscious.

This event has lead me to revamp the entire story and write it down on paper. It's harder to organize but it won't get loss from a Blue Screen of Death, it just stays on the book shelf. Despite this set back I find it to be a new opportunity to sort of reinvent the wheel as it were. Most likely because I understand my characters better and how they interact with people and react to event will come across more genuine.

This writing quest of mine started as a way to deal with the Hell my life was going through whilst at college. I, fortunately, survived and so did the story I started, but it grew beyond the therapy. I found myself looking at situations and wondering what my characters would do, what would they think; from that the short story (lost to the Blue Screen of Death) grew into a series of adventures. New characters were slowly added, depth was created, I knew I couldn't keep this all to myself. I told some friends and they added ideas and they even have a fan club for one of the characters.

I highly suggest writing for therapy -- write in a journal, write nonsensical ramblings on a page, write a song, write anything!!! What you write comes from you; after you've written put it away and come back to it later. Think over what is written in front of you and come to your own conclusions. It can be both interesting and fun!

Until next time I leave you with this piece of advice: Adversus solem ne loquitor.

Christmas: A Time For .......Joy?

Christmas: A Time For .......Joy?

Christmas to me has been a holy day to celebrate when the Word of God took on flesh. But to many others it's about gift, cookies, Santa, end of the year sales, and decorating. Radio stations begin playing Christmas songs, both secular and religious, before the month of December start has even begun. After living through 20 some odd Christmases I can say without a doubt that I hate Christmas.

I hate the decorations that blink on houses as you drive by, the commercialism that bombards me when I turn on the television, everything just fills me with dread. I have, surprisingly a good reason.

I would first like to say that I am far from being a Scrooge. I enjoy giving gifts to people, I do not even need Christmas as an excuse to do so. I value the real meaning of Christmas with all my heart. But when it comes right down to it I'm just burnt out with secular Christmas. Being forced to decorate every year with decoration that are so disgustingly cute made me cringe, it also took out the joy I once had in the holiday. When I went off to college I was forever happy that by the time I got home for Christmas the decorating was overall finished. I dread this time of year because it is at this point where I fight and argue the most with my parents. Both my parents enjoy Christmas, one more then the other; they watch the Christmas themed movies and listen to the music as soon as the radios have switched. I come home to the demands of 'Turn on the Christmas lights,' and 'We have to watch a Christmas movie.' Their love for Christmas has lead me to my Christmas burnout.

I have come to a point in my life in which I must skip Christmas or else I will lose any inkling towards the holiday. I hate Christmas. I wish I didn't, but when a small irritation is blown up and pushed in one's face repeatedly, what can one do?