I'm really bored.

...And I'm listening to Q107 via the internet. They're playing Pink Floyd.

So I went to the library today to pick up a book on Australia, a book on the history of airplanes, a book called I Am Rembrandt's Daughter and two U2 CDs - Achtung Baby and The Unforgettable Fire. Mom had nothing to pick up, which is a shocker, because she almost always has a pile of books and DVDs to pick up.

Then it was off to Michaels, where I got the new issue of Knit.1 and mom got some Bernat Handicrafter Cotton that was on sale. That location, which is the new one, has pretty much the same yarns as the one in Ancaster, but the aisles are roomier at the new location. Then we went to Indigo to get calendars. My calendar is an Artwork of John Lennon one, which is awesome. I can't remember which calendar Mom got. Dad didn't get a calendar, but he did get a coffee at Starbucks.

So I put some of the CDs I got for Christmas on my computer. I still have more to add to my iTunes library, but I put Maximum Cowbell, Planet Pop 80s, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Coldplay and Elton John on iTunes. Sweet :)

Also, with help from Mom, I got my left speaker to kick back on!

New Years Resolutions

I put this list together last night...

New Years Resolutions

1. Stick to a study schedule.
2. Try to read the books I put on booklists.
3. Compile a summer booklist.
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
5. Learn how to use Windows Movie Maker and eventually make a Bennie and the Jets misheard lyrics video.
6. Try to exercise regularly.
7. Learn intarsia.
8. Learn duplicate stitch so that I can make those Back to School washcloths.
9. Knit a hat.
10. Knit a sweater.
11. Learn cables.
12. Dye yarn.
13. Volunteer in a Music Sunday.
14. Make my bed by 11:00, every night.
15. Get my beginner's driver's license.
16. Practice playing my keyboard more often.
17. Learn to play guitar.
18. Read the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
19. Read up on black history.
20. Learn how to use Photoshop.
21. Design a knitting pattern.
22. Watch 'Labyrinth', 'Tommy' and 'Gangs of New York'.
23. Go for runs around the block when the weather's nice.
24. Knit a pair of socks.
25. Make something out of my Japanese cookbook.
26. Take an art class of some kind???
27. Read The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

So there you have it. I put down 'Read up on black history' because I feel like I should be reading more books on it than I have been. And I was too young to see 'Gangs of New York' when it came out, and it looks so interesting, so I'd like to get that out of the library and watch it.

More loot!!!

Yup. I got more stuff for Christmas. It came from Katie and Dan. I recieved...

It Girl Knits by Phoenix Bess (!!!)
Stitch N' Bitch Nation (!!!)
It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas (now I don't have to watch them on CBC!)
A pretty journal

Katie and Dan came over on the 27th, and then they picked up Justin and Breanne the same day. Justin liked his scarf (yay!), and because I hadn't bought anything for Breanne, I gave her some nice soap that Mom bought at Winners, and because we had these pen-and-pencil sets in the house, I gave her one one of them - they're rather nice, too. She liked the soap, and I think she liked the pen-and-pencil set, too.

Nathan came by today to get his pressies. He seemed to like the lamp I gave him.

Unfortunately, though, my keyboard is acting up again. Actually, it's the USB port, so my dad may have to take my CPU to Summit to have the USBs replaced. Whee.

Christmas loot!!!

I can't help it - I have to brag. I was spoiled rotten this year.

From my stocking:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
Coldplay: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
some Brittany double-pointed needles!
a white chocolate Terry's Chocolate Orange (my favourite)
three pairs of slipper socks
two pieces of a kind of chocolate bark
stitch holders
split-ring stitch markers
some balls of cedar to put in my yarn bins to keep bugs away
a huge mug

Main gifties

The Beatles edition of Monopoly!!!!
The 30th anniversary edition of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run! It has not only the CD, but also a concert DVD and a documentary DVD! And a 40-something page booklet!
a Van Morrison compilation CD (Dad'll wanna steal this one)
Planet Pop 80s (a CD)
The Best of Eric Burdon and the Animals (it has Sky Pilot on it!!!)
The Best of Steppenwolf
Maximum Cowbell (another CD)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Sinner
Tweed by Nancy J. Thomas (a knitting book)
Dingo by Charles de Lint (fiction)
Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman
Persepolis I and II (I can't remember the author's name)
Terry Pratchet's Hogfather (a DVD)
a cookbook
a book on ettiquette
some awesome clothes - two cute tops (one black, one pink), two waffle-y looking shirts (one white and blue, one black and purple plaid) and a fleecy zippered shirt

I think that's all from my parents.

From my grandparents, I got:

Elton John: Rocket Man Number Ones (the first time they've ever gotten me a CD!!!!!)
A red-purple top
Two knitting books - The Yarn Girl's Guide to Simple Knits by Julie Carles and Jordana Jacobs, and Not Another Teen Knitting Book by Vickie Howell

Grandma and Grandpa actually behaved themselves. I have a sneaking suspicion they'll make snide comments about us behind our backs (like how our tree-topper this year is a bat stuffy from IKEA!!!), but hey, what can ya do?

We had beef bourgignon (spelling?) for dinner, and banoffee pie for dessert. Mom wasn't too thrilled with the crust on the pie, because it was so thick and hard to cut. Next time, she says, she'll try a different crust. It still turned out yummy.

Happy/Merry everything.

ETA: I completely forgot - I also got the complete Black Books - all three seasons! Fromy my parents! Thanks, mom and dad :)

ETA2: I also forgot the book of Christmas stories, and the milk chocolate Terry's Chocolate Orange (which I've already eaten!).

The Christmas Eve post.

The only present I have to wrap it my sister's, but I can wrap that on Boxing Day, since she isn't coming over until the 27th.

Uncle Brent was supposed to come over tonight, but by the sound of it, his car was giving him trouble. Oh well. He said on the phone (before the car acted up) that Breanne is coming over on the 27th, too. I'll probably have to give her some nice soap, because I never got around to getting her a gift.

So this morning, like every other Christmas Eve morning, Dad and I went to an Italian bakery (our favourite bakery, might I add) to get these pastries called cannoli. They're really yummy. Afterwards, we went to the library, but they weren't open yet so we went to Shopper's Drug Mart because Dad wanted to get pop. Turned out that they didn't have any Pepsi, so Dad only got a lottery ticket. After that we went back to the library, and we were still two minutes early! And there was so much snow shoved against the sidewalk that Dad said to give him my card, because I would have had trouble getting out of the car. So Dad went in and picked up my two books and Mom's book, and we went home.

One of the books is called How to Build a House. It's about a teenage girl named Harper who, after her father and stepmother divorce, decides to volunteer in rebuilding a house that was torn apart by a tornado. It looks like a good read - I've started reading it already.

New Moon, on the other hand, isn't quite so... appealing? In a nutshell, I can't always concentrate on it. It must be Meyer's style of writing - her paragraphs can often go on and on a little, like how L.M. Montgomery wrote.

So... Christmas Eve. I'm kinda floating between excitement and dread. I feel like Christmas is coming a week too early - the month just sped by for me. Maybe it's just stress - after all, my brother is now engaged, and it's another Christmas without our neighbor Bill, who treated me better than my own grandfather. His wife, Norma, is still living on our street, but... she hasn't been quite the same since Bill died. Plus there's the added stress of Angela and her stupid Christmas/birthday party.

Maybe I'll sleep in.

IT'S DONE!!!!! IT'S DONE!!!!!

That's right, Justin's scarf is done! I decided not to seam the ends, though. Instead, I wove the tails in and left the curled edges alone. It looks nice that way. I should have pictures soon.

In other news, Mom's been baking, we still have to put up those garlands from Michaels, and I have to wrap three more presents - Katie's, Mom's, and Justin's. I found out the other day that Dan got me something for Christmas, so Mom decided that I would give him a shirt. Dan really didn't have to get me anything. Isn't it funny how my brother can't be bothered to get anything for his family, his FIRST family, and yet someone who isn't related to me decided to get something for me for Christmas? Words can't begin to describe how thankful I am.

Holiday movies watched thus far

Let's bring up the list again, shall we?

Holiday Movies To Watch This Year

1. Love Actually (not for younger audiences)
2. Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - the original, animated one. I don't like the one with Jim Carey. Watched!
3. It's a Wonderful Life - just 'cause.
4. Elf Watched!
5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Gotta love them Griswolds :) Watched!
6. The Snowman. Who says I'm too old?
7. Scrooged (Again, not for younger audiences.)
8. A Christmas Story - "You'll shoot your eye out!"
9. A Christmas Carol - if the black-and-white version is on, I'll watch it. Watched! I saw an American black-and-white version.
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol - because, although the black-and-white version is great, I love the Muppets. And Michael Caine was good in it as Scrooge.
11. A Charlie Brown Christmas - again, who says I'm too old? Watched!
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. Meet Me in St. Louis, which is a sort of multi-holiday movie, really. I might have to really hunt to find it on TV.
14. The Santa Clause, if Mom lets me watch it. We have the VHS tape somewhere. Watched!
15. The Santa Clause 2 Watched!
16. White Christmas - my mom put her name down on for a copy from the library!
17. The Family Stone (not for younger audiences)
18. Little Women
19. Olive, the Other Reindeer
20. The Holiday
21. Mole's Christmas (The Wind in the Willows)
22. Miracle on 34th St (the original, although I don't mind the newer version) Watched!
23. This isn't exactly a movie, but I wanna catch the Mr. Bean Christmas special :)24. Last Holiday
25. Shrek the Halls (another Christmas special) Watched!
26. The Polar Express
27. Not exactly a movie either, but I'd love to catch Robbie the Reindeer: The Lost Tribe
28. And the other Robbie the Reindeer TV special, if it's on.

Not bad so far. I watched Elf on CBC, and they cut it down for time, unfortunately. We started watching Christmas Vacation on CBC, but they cut out the whole shopping scene, so we stuck the DVD in :)

I'm pissed off that I missed Eight Crazy Nights, though...