fun times

Sometimes coming up with a title for my new post is quite a challenge. I've decided to stop worrying about it.

This has been an eventful week (especially by my standards). On Saturday Emily and Rick followed me through to the mini-ranch, where we met up with Mom, Dad and Murphy, Matt, and Taylor (Bradley) and Alice (his girlfriend of 4.5 years). The rain kept us housebound, but we were fortified by Mom's awesome beef stew and we passed the evening playing Trivial Pursuit and Cranium (this game gets 2 thumbs, 8 fingers, and 10 toes up). In the morning we were able to visit the cows and horses (including colt Pindar) and some of us rode around for a bit. Then people had to head back to their respective homes to prepare for work/school. I went back to Dallas because I had an appointment with Dr. Z on Monday, which meant I got to spend some time with the hubby. Also, Mom and I went shopping on Monday for my dress for Leslie's wedding (we found this, in bluebell). On Tuesday I went with Dad to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Museum of Nature and Science at Fair Park.

And now I'm back here. And I have a to-do list. Fun times.

Safe and sound

I made it back to College Station in one piece. I don't even have some crazy driving-in-icy weather story to tell. The drive was completely uneventful.

The Pipes is happy to see me, although I can tell she had all her needs taken care of by Auntie Em while I was gone.

I said my goodbyes to my WoW friends today. They tried universally to get me to stay, but I resisted. Another chance to test my willpower - I found out I did in fact pre-order the game expansion from Best Buy a looooong time ago and now I have to go into the store and return another copy. Also helping me just say no - I bankrupted all of my characters and sold everything that wasn't nailed down or distributed it to my friends. My friend Jack (aka Bissc) got 1000g...should help ease his pain of separation. I also deleted every character that wasn't on my main server, giving away all the items and money I could to people who seemed nice. I left my 4 level 60s and alts on Khaz Modan though, because my friend Brian (aka Doggill) may choose to take over my account and play them. That works for me too. It would be a shame for all that time to go to waste.

I've already asked Bryan, but I'll pose this question to my other readers now: any video game (non-MMO) suggestions?

Snow snow, go away!

I woke up this morning to find Dallas dusted with snow. I'm never getting back to College Station. Thank goodness Emily is down there to take care of the kitties!

Let the Mother#*^@$ Burn

The expansion for World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade - was released today. By purchasing it one can access two new races and level their characters 10 more levels to a max of 70. After playing on and off for two years, I fought the temptation and decided to not purchase the expansion. I still like the game and would have liked to see what the expansion had to hold, but 1) my guild recently imploded, causing way too much drama for a video game and scattering my friends, 2) there are other games I'd like to spend my time playing, like Final Fantasy XII, and 3) this was a great opportunity to move on. Without the expansion purchased, I have no motivation to play. And now it is totally sold out everywhere, so I couldn't get my hands on it if I wanted to. I actually had a copy pre-ordered at Gamestop, and I made some guy's day when he came in the store after me today and was able to purchase the only non-reserved copy in the store (perhaps all of Dallas!) as I traded it in for store credit (which I used to get a DS game). So someone else will have to go to Outland for me and do the male blood elf dance (it's the dance from Napoleon Dynamite).

In other gaming news, right now I am totally in love with Final Fantasy XII. I'd had it for a while but hadn't really played it. Once I started playing it I fell in love, as I did with Final Fantasy X. Any FF fan would enjoy this game, as it took almost everything good about previous FF games and added great new ideas, like no battle screens. And the story line is not, for once, about some anime boy having to save the world (it takes more of a political bent). I'm also playing Final Fantasy III for the DS, which is fabulous. An updated version of the game that really initiated the classic FF style, I'm having fun with it. My little thief, red mage, black mage, and warrior are so cute. And the graphical updates they included are really impressive on the DS. My next DS game - Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time.

So I'm stuck in Dallas right now. I came back on Friday night because Murphy is having some health problems (herniated disc) and I wanted to see him (and Matt too). He's responding to his steroids and painkillers, so we're feeling better about him. But we've had this winter weather thing, and I haven't been able to get back south. Yesterday it was the roads in Dallas that were the problem; today it is I-45 and roads to its south. A&M actually canceled classes today because of the ice. Speaking of A&M, I sent my letter into the vet school saying they shouldn't hold a spot for me in this fall's class. Reasons: 1) I'm not 100% sure that's what I want to be doing so I don't want to take the spot of some person who has applied 5 times and wanted to be a vet since she were born, 2) although things are going really well for me mentally and physically right now, it really hasn't been that long since they weren't and I don't want to commit to something as challenging as vet school without some more time under my belt. So yeah...

Matt's living in Dallas right now because busy season is upon him. I'm going to be coming back between Emily at the duplex and Matt in Dallas during this time. Right now I don't have any obligations in either city, but I'm hoping to maybe introduce some part-time employment into my schedule soon just to make a little cash and give me something to do (I've been perfectly happy relaxing so far, but once Emily is back in classes and I have more time on my own I imagine I'll want something more to do). As far as life after busy season, Matt will come back to College Station and work from home again. Additional plans for us will have to be made after he returns from the black hole of taxes.

The Holiday Scoop
The promised Christmas and skiing info...Christmas was great. We kicked it off with Bryan and Leslie's engagement party brunch at Amore the Saturday before Christmas. It was awesome to not be the couple of interest! Leslie and Bryan hid with us at our booth for a while to catch their collective breath. Christmas Eve we had the traditional Hall family duck dinner which included all the usual suspects (M&D, Carolyn, Leslie/Bryan, Cameron/Matt) plus Bryan's parents, the Klingners. We all crowded around the dining room table =P Then the whole group sans Carolyn headed to the Roberts' to play games, a new tradition in the making (how many years before it is officially a tradition? I think this was year 3). We played Apples to Apples and Quiddler (both fabulous games everyone should own, and both games played only with cards - no boards or pieces or small things not appropriate for children under 3). I spent Christmas Eve night with Matt at his parents' house (the first Christmas Eve without Leslie, ever - we always sleep together).

Christmas morning we opened presents first with my family and then with his. Christmas evening we spent at Uncle Bob's house doing Susie's side's Christmas. It involved watching the Cowboys and opening presents and lots of pictures (and cousins!). A couple days later we did the whole thing again with the Roberts side at Grandma Roberts' house. We scooted down to College Station the next day to check on the duplex but returned to Dallas in time to spend New Year's Eve with Leslie and Bryan.

On January 1, Matt, Dad, Emily and I flew out of DFW to Salt Lake City. We got in, got our super-cool minivan (no sarcasm there, it was a neat one) and got to our condo. The condo was boring personality-wise, but perfect for our needs. #1 priority = hot tub! Then we picked up our skis and Emily and I settled in while Dad and Matt picked up Leslie and Bryan from the airport. Day 1 we skiied Solitude as a pack, my favorite of the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts. Day 2 we split up at Snowbird, letting Emily and Matt dive down the double blacks while Dad and I cruised down some blues and blacks and Leslie and Bryan did their own thing. Day 3 brought tons of snow, and I stayed home to finish the jigsaw puzzle and recover from days 1-2 while the others hit up Brighton and had their powder experience for the trip. On Friday Leslie and Bryan headed back home to California while the rest of us returned to Texas. I left Matt in Dallas and returned to College Station with Emily (for all of 6 days, before coming back to Dallas on my own...probably first time doing that drive since August).

Okay, I'm all caught up now! Now I'll try to do better so the posts don't become so out of hand. =P

Back in CS

Emily and I returned to College Station today, cats in tow. No Matt though - the beginning of busy season is upon him and he will be living in Dallas until at least March 31. *sigh* But I can go back to Dallas and see him whenever I want, so we'll get by.

I will most certainly be posting about our Christmas and Utah skiing adventures, but right now there are bags calling to be unpacked and perhaps a Netflix movie to be watched. =D

More later!