The best thing was I still have a job I love, kids are growing and all my family here to celebrate.
Last year I was a little worried but not this year and I'm thankful for that.
The only bummer was getting swindled by the AC people out of $14K but I plan on building back up my savings in 2024. No more living paycheck to paycheck again I hope!
Have a good evening folks and a Happy New Year!
We'll for the first week of Christmas I'm off work and go around with the girls doing various fun things with them. Day at the park, to go get a treat and even the trampoline park are just a few things we do with them.
We play games, have special treats and have fun every day! Sometimes we even have leftover presents we let them open or whenever someone visits with gifts for the kids, we hold a special celebration altogether. We shcedule those events with Aunts and after Christmas visitors so the girls get to opn a gift just about every day.
We even hold the 12th day present as the biggest to end the celebration on a high!
Happy 5th day of Christmas everyone!
Walmart even sells Mardi Gras tree decorations for the season. We don't do that but I know more and more people every year around here who do it.
Even had one friend who kept his tree up for 11 months straight! Each month or so, he'd change the decor on his tree for every holiday he could think of. But after Halloween he took it down.
When I asked him why, he said it was because he wanted to put it up again for Christmas. BOO!! He only had one more month to go!
I've thought about doing it and maybe one year I will. I think it'd be fun to have a tree up all year to celebrate different holidays. Maybe when the girls are older they could help me with the decorations. We'll see....but not this year.
I remember before we celebrated the 12 days, you felt a little deflated that it was all over all of the sudden.
I see people throwing out their tree on Christmas night even! Are they THAT done with the holiday by then? I doubt there are that many people who would be against 12 days.
These days it only takes one "trending" moment on social media to start a trend. Perhaps one day, someone will do just that and open up the knowledge about what the 12 days of Christmas are.
I'm not that guy, in case you were wondering.
He takes a year to prepare before he launches his violent assault.
To be honest, not bad. I even got choked up a couple of times during scenes where he'd remember his son. And even at the end he daydreams of what could have been if the kid had grown up.
Don't know if I'll ever watch it again, but worth one viewing at least.
Years ago, our family started celebrating the entire season together. We plan Christmas parties at each others houses on different days to makr the celebration!
January 5th is when it ends and I have so many plans to hang out with family and friends for this entire Christmas season.
So if you're celebrating it as well, I wish you all a Merry (2nd Day of) Christmas!
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Truly a "Silent Night"
Enjoy your evening folks!
It's hilarious that this town LOVES Thanksgiving more than Christmas, but they do. When "Black Friday" is portrayed as a Thanksgiving holiday, you know they're stretching the truth slightly. : )
It's what you'd expect in a typical horror film. Imaging the poor man's "Scream" with a Thanksgiving theme. Believe it or not, I heard this movie made money so they're doing a sequel! I'll watch it but this won't be a "Thanksgiving" classic for me at all.
Ok folks, that's it for now. Merry Christmas!
Found these in a store while shopping yesterday in Jackson.
Wanted to give my thoughts on each one and if I'd try them or not.
Actually, no. I love spicy but hate the taste of Sriracha so I'd have to pass on these.
I just tried them myself last month when cleaning out our room and finding one in a bag that has been in a corner for who knows how long.
WONDERFUL.
Ear swabs never quite did the job for me and I could tell. The MOMENT I used it I could finally feel the difference!
Yes, I know I'm getting old when I'm talking about getting excited about ear cleaners but I just thought it's be a good stocking stuffer for anyone coming up with cheap little gifts to fill it up.
Have a good weekend everyone!
But here? 6:30pm is the earliest I've seen them come by. And this is BEFORE the Christmas season started.
Since September it started coming at 7:30pm and hasn't come a minute earlier.
So frustrating. I have no idea why we're the last neighborhood to recieve mail wherever we go.
My parents? Get there mail at 10am at the LATEST.
Insane.
By the end of the year, I'll have had everything in my collection re-read (since 2020) except for this masterpiece.
Originally, I'd forgotten about it because it wasn't with the rest of my books. I let someone borrow it, who only returned it to me in 2021. Since then it's been in a coner in my game room.
I'm about to wrap up re-reading my entire Star Wars collections of stories, so after I'm done I'll crack this open for 2024.
After that? I'm not sure. I may start looking into new series I can borrow from the library.
Either way, I think this is a great way to end my journey, with Calvin and Hobbes.
Last year they did the "Farewell Tour" which anyone with an IQ above 12 new wasn't true and this year? It looks like they've ditched the unique "tangy BBQ" sauce the McRib is known for and replaced it with their blandest substitute they had.
Such a fall from grace, it's embarrassing to see the outright mockery they've made of this sandwich.
It's gotten so bad, I don't even get excited anymore when it comes out. The joy is gone.
So sad.
Not much, just extra guilds. But like a lot of these mini-expansions, it just adds to the replayability.
I focused on getting a lot of these in 2023 and will probably do the same for other games in my collection for 2024.
I get it. Whoever was buying decorations would have gotten everything they needed by now but already I see Valentine's Day stock coming out, showing just what the business thinks of the holiday.
I usually go out shopping the day after Christmas, but what I'm noticing now is there's really nothing left at that time anymore. All the "premium" products are sent back to the warehouses instead of being discounted. Either that, or employees grab up all the good stuff before the doors open. (which makes sense)
Tis the season I guess!
It came out in 1982 and is a silent film about a boy who builds a snowman who comes to life one night and they have an adventure together.
The animation is nice and it's only 26 minutes, but it wasn't for me. About the only thing I enjoyed was seeing a young David Bowie do the introduction.
It didn't hold my kids attention either. After 23 minutes of the family debating which Xmas movie they should watch that night, I was the only one watching the cartoon.
At least I gave it a try!
I just finished one in September. I'd love to get another one going but it gets harder each time. This coming year, I'll be making notes of what games I could let go when I play them.
Getting to 200 or under is the goal. I really want to tighten up my games so I can play them all more often instead of once a year. (which is a lot of games in my collection right now)
Here's to hoping it happens in 2024!
I can't stand it. They never get me anything on the list so I don't see what the point is. No one shops online and they certainly don't understand where to get things that I want.
I don't blame them either. I'm not easy to shop for. You have to get an Amazon gift card or shop at a board game store online these days.
Clothes? Forget about it. Every time I get sizes way too small or the SAME exact colors each time. (I have several flannel shirts of the same colors....which I tell them every year NOT to get that color)
But it's just the way it is I guess. I'm prepared once again to have a underwhelming X-mas where I'll eventually buy something for myself online instead.
Oh well.
I'll be combining them all in our next gameplay. Good stuff!
I doubt it's getting a season 3 but if it does, I'd tune in again for it.
Worth the time if you're a fan of the movies to check out.
Ho ho ho.
Extra Excommunications and New Leaders #2 pack aren't something you MUST have to play the game but rather more of the same goodness that only adds to the replayablility of such an amazing game.
Got them in a package with a bunch of other promos from the company. I'm glad to have these in my collection going forward!
.....and now I've found out that they came out with 2 more promos this year at the San Diego Comic con. Mr Sinister and X-Force Deadpool......(sigh) Guess I'll be backing Dice Tower's next kickstarter in 2024 for those. : (
The Youth showed up 18 strong, the adults....9. Then someone defected from the Youth (when the Youth refused to give us anyone) and we played with a handicap of 10 until someone showed up in the 2nd half to give us 11.
Historically, whenever the adults only have 11 people on the team we NEVER score. And that tradition certainly remained true this year.
1st Quarter
Julian intercepts a pass from the Adults and easily runs it in. Giving the youth their first lead 6-0.
On the following kickoff, the Youth kick it opposite field where we had guys, so we let the Youth touch it down on out 10.....which Dad then called an onside kick and gave the ball back to the Youth to score a simple touchdown on the very next play by some kid that doesn't even attend our church. (Graham). No one (even the Youth) knew what was going on. And I'm not sure Dad did either. Traditionally, his calls to sway in favor of the (usual) underdogs, the Youth but that was stretching it.
At the end of the 1st, the score was 12-0.
2nd Quarter
Archer punches in another TD for the Youth making it 18-0. On the extra point kick, we blocked it, Shelby picked it up and he and I ran all the way to the opposite 20 yard line when the refs blew the whistle. We stopped, the youth caught up with us, pulled the flag and then the refs called us down.
When asked what all the whistles were for, they told us they thought the play was dead and didn't realize we had picked it up without touching a knee to the ground. So it was 2 points taken away from us right there.
3rd Quarter
The adults strategized and this time came in with a plan. We drove the ball down the field but couldn't punch it in. After driving down back down the field Cameron for the Youth caught a pass to give the Youth another TD....unfortunately there was consistent flag guarding the entire carry which wasn't called because no refs made it that far out to see it.
But when you're surrounded by the opposition and you make it out without a flag being pulled....it should be suspect. Again, ref formation really hurt us. But regardless, the score was now 24-0.
After the kickoff, the Adults were pinned back again and a bad snap lead to a safety as the ball went all the way past the endzone.
26-0
4th Quarter
After 2 passes to non-church member Graham, the score was 38-0. The Youth had the ball again with a minute left to play and in classy fashion, did everything in their power to score another TD before time ran out. Calling timeouts and driving down the field, the game ended with an Adult interception which finally ended the game.
I had no highlights. I got a QB flag too late and made a superman dive for another flag but missed. I went sliding across the ground 3 feet and will probably be feeling that in the morning.
I'm happy for the Youth, they played well. And even with the refs bad game, the true score would've been 24-2 and have not made a difference, so in the end, it doesn't matter.
I thanked everyone involved and am ready to try again for the title in 2024!
THAT'S A WRAP!
I don't know. If you make a promo like these I think you should make them a step above the rest of the cards. But that's just me I guess.
Glad to have them either way, because I love the game.
Have a good weekend folks!
I wasted $1,000.
Tickets alone were $550. With food, snacks and parking costing a total of $100 a day not to mention $75 worth of Uber rides when we weren't in my friends car.
Utterly ridiculous.
It's not worth it either. I could easily never go to another theme park again. I estimated it cost $20 to ride any of their rides that last 2 minutes tops.
How is this worth my money? Food isn't included in the price, nothing else comes free with the ticket and I'm waiting in line for several hours combined just waiting to ride my favorite rides.
WHY???
The only thing that was fun was hanging out with a friend of mine who drove in to met up with me. Honestly, if it hadn't have been for that, I would've considered this trip a complete waste.
But now I'm mourning the loss of very hard to build savings, to go on a trip that I didn't enjoy.
I never want to do theme parks again. If Megan decides to take the older girls next year, I'll happily sit at home with the babies and not mind at all.
The more I think about it the more I'm disgusted with myself for throwing so much money away at one time. Total waste!
This is the 23rd holiday season in a row I've seen it (my Christmas tradition) and I'm SOOOOOO excited that for the first time since it came out...I'm seeing it AGAIN in theaters!!!!
This will make my "Top 5 movies of the year" for 2023 for sure!
Merry Grinchmas everyone!!
The Wingspan Nesting Box.
And it's a doozy!
Look how big it is compared to the original box. Mine was bursting at the seems with so much content added over the years, I took out solo mode and anything uneccessary and still had issues keeping it in the same box.
Not anymore.
The only down side is they are very expensive so I can't recommend them unless you're an UBER Disney fan.
They also don't have a "smell sheet" or something of that nature to where you can smell each scent which is a bummer.
Meanwhile, I've found some pretty cheap candles at my local Big Lots which smell incredible! I think I'll be sticking to them for now.
