Help Wanted

So I'm thinking on getting my own website, because they're cool, and I want a way to keep my extended family in touch with videos, pictures, and perhaps some other toys. But I need a good name for my site. Anybody got any bright ideas for what it could be. I will give the winner total credit on the site once it's up.

You Rock!

So I played Guitar Hero for the first time last night, and while I can see how it is fun, I think I'd much rather just play my actual guitar.

I have officially corrupted my little cousin, by giving her the first taste she's ever had of candy, I think. We were over at my uncle's for Christmas dinner, and I was playing with Shea while eating a candy cane, and she kept grabbing for it (although she might have been trying to get my hair - she has an unhealthy obsession with my hair) so I gave her a taste. From then on she would not take it out of her mouth, and I had to struggle to make sure she didn't poke the back of her mouth with it. Jenny took some pictures, and if I ever get my hands on them, I will post them here. Shea is almost old enough for me to really enjoy playing with her. When we had out poker party, Chris and Jessica couldn't believe that I would actually hold her, and promptly took a picture of the feat.

A Very Merry Un-Christmas To You

I threw a poker party on Saturday for friends and family, and I think it was a great time, and don't really care if anybody disagrees with me. Although some people couldn't make it, I think we had a good number of people, although it was probably a bit annoying for the people who went out first to sit around for a couple of hours watching other people play. I think it was a fun non-traditional way to celebrate Christmas by having people that I like hanging out with around, and not have to do any of the cheesy Christmas stuff that I find annoying. We had cookies, but that was about the only Christmas thing that there was (thanks to my cousin Jenny for the good home-baked cookies).

Buy in bulk

Every time I walk out of Costco, I'm amazed at the types of things you can get there. I love the movie selection, because they always have some random old movie, or box set, or two-pack that I love looking at. But the thing that gets me every time, are the displays when you walk out. You can buy mini-blinds, carpet, and tires! But that's not all! Need a casket? Get it at Costco. Cuz, you know, buying in bulk makes it cheaper? I'm not really sure what they're trying to tell us with that one.

This year I'm having a problem that I normally don't have: I can't tell my mother what I want for Christmas. Now, you have to understand; my mom is great at buying gifts for everybody that we need to give them to. If we have family over at any time during the holidays, she is never without a gift. But for her immediate family, she can't manage to ever get surprises. She has to know exactly what we want, and half the time, we usually end up buying it for ourselves, but she just pays for it.

I have the completely opposite mentality for Christmas. I like to find gifts for people that will surprise them, that they haven't asked for, but that they will love. Sometimes I make exceptions to this when I know there are things that a person needs, but usually it's more fun for me to find the perfect gift for somebody, that they didn't even know they wanted. Likewise, I want other people to surprise me, instead of telling them exactly what I want.

I should be used to needing to give my mom a list of the things I want, but for some reason this year I was caught off guard, and still can't manage to come up with anything. I mean, there are some things out there that I want, but I don't know the specifics that I want. Like, I need a new graphics card, but I don't know what kind. Also, I need a new backpack (well, messenger bag), but I haven't found one that I like yet.

I did ask for some Lego, but I doubt that I'll get them. How sad.

The deep abyss

I have been sucked into the abyss that is the Warcraft III map editor. And yes, I know I'm a nerd. I've never denied it, nor will I ever. I know I can't fool anybody.

Anyways, this this is the end all in power over Warcraft III. It's amazing in its depth, even if I haven't managed to get all the commands down. It's part video game, part programming code, all fun.

My two days of fun starts tomorrow. Originally, I had been put with my brother at CSUB doing really bad girls varsity games, which I was looking forward to. $40 per game, with no sprinting and only minimal jogging for two days I can handle. But the stupid assigner changed me to doing moderately good girls varsity games, with lots of sprinting, filled in my some standing around, and some jogging. For probably less money, because there will be more refs on the game. And it's at the soccer park, which adds at least another hour per day to the time I have to spend. I'm not very happy about this.

For anybody that will be in town, I'm having a poker party at my house on Saturday the 22nd. All are welcome, and it should be a lot of fun hanging out and enjoying people's company right around Christmas.

In the Grind

It's been a busy week, although I don't really know why. On Thursday and Friday I was the sub in a class that I've done a couple times already this year, so it was good. We went to the Nutcracker on Thursday, which is always fun. It wasn't the whole show, because third graders would have a difficult time sitting through all of it, but only about 5 of the more entertaining dances.

Since Brandon is in town, we've done a lot of hanging out, which usually involves food and our computers. Their house is still in the dark ages with dial-up, so he likes coming over to the broadband of my house, although he almost doesn't know what to do with all that speed.

Soccer tournament season is officially upon me, with the Taft Tournament last week, and the massive Garces Tournament this week. There's something like 150 teams and 350 games over two days. This year I'm at Cal State instead of the soccer park, which is a nice change. It makes for a little shorter day, which is always wanted.

I guess it's just typical December business, but after the chill of London (when there were only things I wanted to do, not things I had to do) it's a drastic change.

Down and out in LA

This past weekend I drove down and back to LA on both Saturday and Sunday. Luckily, I didn't drive either time, but if you count that I was down there on Tuesday, too, that's a lot of time spent traveling over the Grapevine. Saturday I went with Matt and Donna to pick up Soldier Boy from the airport, and Sunday Billy and I went down for a volleyball ref meeting.

I was at Golden Valley for a soccer match yesterday, and had a girl drop unconscious for no apparent reason. I didn't even see if happen, since it was behind the play, but all of a sudden I heard the ref and my assistant yelling at me to stop play. I glanced back and saw her on the ground, but just figured she had been kicked, so it wasn't a big deal since play was away from her and she wasn't in any danger.

But when I saw that the coach had run on the field, as well as my assistant, I decided to stop play to tell the coach that players getting kicked happens, and he shouldn't freak out about it. This was the second time he had done so, running onto the field when his goalie just needed to catch her breath. When I got over there, I saw that she was unconscious, and so realized that it was a good thing I stopped the game. We ended up canceling the rest (about 8 minutes left) because they were keeping her still until the ambulance came, and we didn't have any lights.

That was the first time I've had to have an ambulance come to one of my games.

In other news, I got into Sac State, and will be starting there at the end of January. I'm looking forward to getting back into school, but not looking forward to the Calc review that I'm going to have to put myself through between now and then. Should be a good way to work myself back into the swing of things, though.