Year End

Happy Thursday! It's the very last one of 2010, now isn't that special. Of course it is, all Thursdays are special.

Today's was a lazy wintry type Thursday. Sleeping in and mailing stuff and watching anime and playing video games. I'm still so sleeeeeepy.

Christmas was pretty darn awesome. I baked two pumpkin pies and a batch of pumpkin cookies. I'm good on pumpkin goods for about a year or so. And is it just me, or is Thanksgiving food and Christmas food pretty much the same stuff? Although, this time we made this Germany-style vinegar potatoes, which were a lovely way to shake things up. Here's the recipe so I don't forget it.

We opened presents practically all day. We started at nine and took a break for eating when my aunt and uncle arrived. Then we chatted and whatever for a couple hours, and then it was back to the present dregs when they left in the early evening. It was a big-haul Christmas. I went and updated my wishlist after, and now that thing's pretty bare.

My folks got me all this stuff I've wanted for a long while, like Rock Band 3 (and the keytar!) and the full Cowboy Bebop set and Virtuality and The Prisoner miniseries from last year. AND FIREFLY ON BLU-RAY YESSSS. And so many books from everyone! My sister got me this cool Asiany cookbook and a couple other books from the publishing company she works for, and my brother sent along Dragon Age Origins.

My friends all got me cool stuff, too~ Carolyn got me a pillow which is soooo soft like a dream. Dreaming on a dream about a dream. Also a new lock pick set (hidden in a fake credit card lolol) and Sunshine on Blu-Ray. Jacqi got me Keith Richard's Life, which was a lovely surprise. I'm on chapter four. Steven got me a Buffy scriptbook and a slide for my guitar. I tried it a bit, and it has so much folksy bluesy promise. Now if only I knew how to play the guitar.

Thanks, everybody! You're all much too kind.

My sleepy is a hanger-on from Tuesday, when we got up super early and went out to watch some whales. We caught a couple pairs of gray whales migrating down to Baja, some sea lions, and a blue shark. The swells were pretty high on the way out of the harbor, and there were a few drops that reminded me of why I hate planes and roller coasters. But the rest of the day was smooth and perfect, if a little chilly. But I've never been out whale watching, and we ended up going around the back side of Anacapa Island to find the second group, and that's the farthest I've ever been out to sea.

It was crazy on the other side, nothing but ocean from there on out. It's not that I'm agoraphobic, more like a claustrophile, if that's anything. When I look out at the ocean, I expect to see islands, alright? If there was nothing out there, like most other people's coasts, it would freak me out.

So yesterday I did a repeat of last ... Thursday, going straight from work to LAX and back, this time to send my sister away and back up to the great frozen north. We had really nice weather this week, yeah? None of those crazy rains, a lot of sun. Oh but I just checked my phone, and it looks like the new year is starting up with rains again. A green 2011.

So my 2010. I got to know the Beatles. You might remember that Beatlemania was how I spent the full first half of this year. Rolled gently on to Bob Dylan, the master; became aware of the greatness that is the Rolling Stones; discovered Eric Clapton's Layla was a integral piece of my childhood; found out that the things I'd always loved, quietly in the background, had names like "slide guitar" and "bossa nova."

This year I obtained two bass guitars and an acoustic; I dusted off my old harmonicas and finally, after 13 full years, bent my first blues note; I wrote and recorded my first song with my new band, MDMB; we've written several more; I took a guitar class and can play two or three songs.

In addition to songs, I wrote some straight-up poetry after rediscovering T. S. Eliot. I conquered NaNoWriMo for the second time in a row. (During the same time I wrote my first Batman fanfic and outlined a story called The Ashmonger's Daughter.)

My very first phone finally gave up the ghost and I joined the ranks of the future with a new HTC smart phone. The future didn't stop me from enjoying the past, and this year I did acquire two Stones albums, two CSN(Y), a Beach Boys, a Styx, two Dylan compilations, Crossroads the history of Clapton, and I'm sure there's more I forgot in that stack of vinyl.

Carolyn and me beat Borderlands like a hundred times. Rock Band 3 introduced the keytar as a new challenge to master. I explored the western deserts in Red Dead Redemption. I conquered the first Final Fantasy for the PS3 (one of the reasons I wanted the system in the first place). I finally purchased Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories for the PS2 and, 30 hours in, am about to finish that sucker off so I can continue 356/2 Days that I just got for the DS for Christmas. Still waiting for the someday Kingdom Hearts III, which was the other reason.

This year I started wearing jeans and graphic tees. I discovered that the boys' large at Old Navy is my perfect size shirt. I got a pair of corduroys that are now my official Thursday pants.

I survived my first official all-nighter at work. I went to my first concert, Bob Dylan the elderly. I met my first online friend in real life the same day! I baked my first successful pumpkin pie (and the second, third, fourth, fifth......) I sewed my first set of curtains for my room and the kitchen window. I gave Donnie his first dance, which is something I've wanted to do since we met.

The tree trimmers came and ruined all our trees. (but they're starting to grow back!!) Several pieces of cabinetry etc. were dislocated from their historic positions in my house. (But we did get an HD flatscreen). Beth moved away to New York. Summer didn't come until November.

A busy year, indeed. Here, have this stat-filled picture of my top artists and tracks of the last 12 months. No surprises. Well, I'm a little upset that Nilsson is still in the top 15. Bleh. I got over that real fast. A little sneak-peek of some MDMB stuff in the tracks stats. Can't wait til those are really done.

2010, signing off. Here's to 2011.

-Steph