2006 Statement You'll Never Hear From Me: "I'm bored."

Well, I'llllll be! Merry Christmas, everyone! Michele and I are enjoying a nice, little Christmas morning together. :-) We woke up at about 7:30-ish, and were too excited so we got up and started things off!

The first thing we do -- for the 3rd year running -- is to come downstairs and each other's stockings to fill. (This is not a metaphor.) The first year, Michele wiped me out as her stocking was half full and mine was loaded. Last year, I tried to get revenge by filling her stocking, but she filled one a half stockings! This year, things were finally balanced, as we each filled just one. ;-)

In my stocking, I had tons of the usual chocolate (3 boxes of Milky Way Reindeer!), a Rubik's Cube (SWEEET! See my resolutions!), some Christmas ornaments, the cutest Teddy Bear ever, and more!

For Michele, I got her collectible peanut butter cups with Snoopy ornaments, her favorite car air freshner, a teddy monkey and a teddy tiger and a teddy Snoopy, and Nintendo key chains. :-)

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Then, it came time to open gifts. We started with the box of gifts my Mom sent us...to our regret, we didn't realize they were individually wrapped, so they all sat in one big wrapped box instead.

Michele got tons of ornaments from my Mom, including the big honking electric one that was her dream ornament -- it's a NY-ish Christmas scene. :-)

My mom got me a ton of books: Blinded by the Right by David Brock, Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Kiyosaki, and The Raw Deal by Joe Conason.

Michele and I also got Trauma Center for Nintendo DS. It's a sweet game about ER work, it's very cool. :-)

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Then, we opened up the gifts for each other. I got Michele Toy Story and Madagascar on DVD, along with Mario and Luigi Partners in Time for Nintendo DS. The highlight gift was the super-zoom lens she's wanted for her camera for a couple years now!

For me, Michele got more books -- Java in a Nutshell 5 and Exception to the Rules by Amy Goodman (signed, too!) -- a Daily Kos T-Shirt, an Italian book, Suprstar Saga for GBA, and a bookmark!

Wow -- what great presents! Right now I'm sitting her blogging this at the kitchen table, listening to KOSI 101.1, while Michele is baking cookies to bring over to her parents at noonish.

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We love Christmas! It's not about the gifts, it's about the joy and merriment, but reading books and the bankrupting of our country is a nice plus. :-) Plus, Michele's entire family will be at her parents' house, which is always a rare occassion. And soon, I'll call back home and get to hear the joy in New York!

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And let me interrupt this Christmas blog for a Christmas message to the Broncos -- congratulations on winning the AFC West for the first time in the post-Elway era and for winning the #2 seed in the AFC and providing Bronco fans with their first HOME playoff game in Invesco history!

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Now, back to me...and boy, will I have a busy 2006! These are the books I currently have, that I want to read, that I will begin reading now...which to read first?!?!?!

My Life by Bill Clinton (and it's huge!)
The Truth, With Jokes by Al Franken
The United States of Walmart by John Decker
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robery Kiyosaki
The Raw Deal by Joe Conason
Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design
The Exception to the Rulers by Amy Goodman
Blinded by the Right by David Brock
Code Complete 2 by Scott McConnell
The Pragmatic Programmer by Hunt and Thomas

On top of that, there are books that are coming out this year that I will want, plus books I will be reading from in parts. Among the books coming out this year are the book by Randi Rhodes, Sam Seder, and Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos!

Holy shnikes!

But it's not just books, there are games to play, too! Here are the games I have that I have NOT EVEN STARTED that I'd like to play this year:

Trauma Center: Under the Knife
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Superstar Saga
Mario and Luigi Partners in Time
Final Fantasy II
Guild Wars

In addition, I also intend on getting Final Fantasy IV! OMG! So, as you can see, I have a lot to do...

And of course, there's the little matter of Chess Avatara. ;-)

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Well, Merry Christmas to everyone, and I hope you all enjoy the holidays in your own special way -- no matter how that is! I love all my friends and family and hope your days are being enjoyed as much mine are!

To those I won't see, have a happy 2006 as well! :-D