Turkey and Jobs and stuff, oh my!

Two weeks since any real sort of update. Crazy.

Also, I should apologize for my fervor over Mario Kart DS. It’s fun and all, and online play seems really neat, but I’ve had very little luck with it and I burned out on it after just a few hours of play. I still have it, but I’m seriously contemplating trading it in.

So, let’s see, what’s happened in the past two weeks?

Lisa and I play a lot of Warcraft. Her priest is level 25, but my warlock that I play alongside her is only level 22. I did some play with my 60 priest a bit while she was playing, so I’ve fallen behind. She’s a flirt, so she’s got all these guys lined up for miles to walk her through quests. I’d complain, but I had a sugar mama of sorts from levels 19 to 45 or so myself. Besides, I have her all to myself in real life, and that’s notably better than anything digital. I’m reminded of an old Penny Arcade strip.

Thanksgiving was really good. There weren’t quite as many leftovers as there may have been in years past, as there were something like five or six unexpected guests, but it turned out okay anyways. I got to eat a full plate of Thanksgiving goodness on Friday, so that was good.

Speaking of Friday, Lisa and I actually went out to brave the malls on Black Friday, but we weren’t purchasing anything ourselves (at least, intentionally). We went with our friends Anthony and Audra, who were shopping for rings. I think that it’d be neat to get a new ring, as there are some neat ornate ones, and a new ring for me is notably cheaper than a new one for Lisa. Also, as we were shopping, at one point we wandered into a Victoria’s secret. Anthony and I dicussed how if it were just the two of us, we’d probably look like perverts. At one point we were left to stand by the bras whilst our women went off to try things on. It was paralyzing to be left there, but at least we were also left there with purses, so it was fairly obvious that we were with women and just waiting. I never thought I’d say I was glad to be holding a purse. I also managed to pick up a copy of Pit, so I’m super happy. Pit is such a great game.

I’ve now used the word “notably” twice. It disturbs me a little, but I don’t want to replace either instance of the word.

Lisa and I caught the new Harry Potter movie on Sunday. It was most grand. I’d heard that the stuff with the Dursleys at the start of the book had been cut, and while that bothered me at first, the way the movie handled things was really well done. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I did cry at the end. It’s hard not to cry these days at scenes like that. Losing someone really close to you seems to open up the ability to cry. Overall, it was really a great movie, and I can’t wait to get the DVD and watch it again.

Our TV died last week – somewhere around Wednesday or Thursday, I can’t remember exactly. Lisa turned it on, and the screen was all goofy and distorted, then there was a loud pop and the image went out and you could smell the burn. The entertainment cabinet sits closed, a monument to entertainment, now a technological tomb.

Our Christmas tree is up, as well as a beautifully lit mantle. The tree glitters with red, green, and white lights, adorned in thousands of ornaments collected over the years. It is most grand. There are no presents under it yet, but I am sure over the next few weeks, we’ll get around to that.

Today, I started a new job. This may strike you, oh faithful reader, as something very odd, considering that I posted about a new job just a month and a half or so ago, but I’ve gotten a new job as a contractor. Initially I was very excited and thrilled with the joy of telling people where I work, but after the security video I sat through, I’m not sure if I’m really allowed to say who I’m actually working for in this large and public of a context. Sufficed to say, it’s a sizable pay increase and I am quite pleased with the new job thus far, even after just one day. I get to sit and learn a new web-based programming language and apply all of my skill to rebuilding the navigation interface over the next few weeks/months, followed by and mingled with some great other stuff. While I don’t have the same level of freedom that I did at UNM, it’s a worthwhile sacrifice. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, when I’ll get my system login information and will be able to actually use the shiny new dual-processor system that sits at my desk right now.

I need to try and post more. This post is getting very long. I’ll wrap up by saying that I’m sitting in a super comfy chair in our living room, totally untethered by wires, typing this post out on my iBook in the Safari web browser, with Christmas music thanks to Magic 99.5 FM, and waiting for my lovely wife to get home from a girls’ night out with some coworkers, and I’m feeling quite happy right now. Life is good.