elanya

Christmas... I like Christmas. I like getting things for peple that I hope they will like. I prefer to surprise them than to get them things they are expecting... I think I generally do a good job of it. It is easier for some people than others. Joel is impossible to get things for. I think I did good this year, though. Hazel liked hewr dance belt and Shakira CD, mom liked her Gian cast iron and stained glass bee, and Joel liked his books (Of course he did, he told me specifically what he wanted, isbn, author and price and everything... *sigh*). For my part, I think I'm blessed with family and friends who know me well enough to get me presents I like, even though I'm not the list making type, normally. Some random things I got, as they come to mind...

A chinese style wooden practice sword, so I can practice sword fighting stuff. It would be perfect for learning the Kung Fu sword form too, if i can find a place in Ontario (from Joel's parents). A Tom Waits CD (my first, Blood Money, from Rob), a gorgeous turquoise silk coat from Hazel... She always knows how much effort it takes to hide my presents. I saw the box *once* for about 5 seconds and recognized it isntantly as a Cultures box. She sucessfully implanted doubt in my mind, however, by pointing out how many boxes she had brought home from work for other things. I knew it was clothes, too, when I shook the box, but I had no idea what... especially considering that when I went to show it to her in the store, she had alrady bought it! Clever girl.

From Bronwen, I got an awesome picture of one of my gaming characters... Alex, the coke-head with uncontrolled pyrokinesis. He's just perfectly lovely, his died black hair showing his blode roots, and his blonde eyebrows, and black nail polish, and his journal open, a fountain pen lying on his desk by the near-dozen lit cnadles as he cuts a few lines with a razor blade in the gloom.... perfect. From the other Robbins, I got a gorgeous scarf, more parts for my fire costume, and a jangly armlet/anklet made with some exotic hollow nut things.

I got a rice steamer, and a box with a place for photos on the cover from my grandparents. Technically, the rice steamer is for me and Joel. I got two Terry Pratchett books...

One thing about one of my presents this year.... It was a book that I already had not one, but two copies of. This is Barry Clifford's Expedition Whydah. Sorry Fishy :/

Now this is kind of onteresting for a couple reasons. The first is that this is the second time that someone has bouhgght me this book without knowing I already had it. The first person to do so was Ceiridwen, who got it off E-bay for me, when I had accidentally just got another edition of the same book, though I hadn't realized it at the time (the British version is called The Black Ship). C also bought me a book I already had a copy of for my birthday this year (Pratchett's The Last Hero). So it is kind of amusing, in a way. I don't remember what I did with the other two copies of the book. I think I may have lept them both, but if I did, I'm not sure where they are off the top of my head. One is in teh Shed, maybe, or maybe in Waterloo with other stuff I shipped over there. Anyway, I think it is interesting, in the case of this book in particular, because it isn't a book I've ever actaully seen for sale in a shop anywhere...