One thing that stands out this year is the sheer amount of candy I got in my stocking. Most of it isn't even Christmas related candy, just random regular stuff like a four-pack of Kit Kats. Off the top of my head I can count 14 full-sized chocolate bars plus some Christmas-specific stuff like Christmas M&M's and Candy Cane Hershey Kisses. My Mom buys the stuff for the stockings and it all seemed very out-of-character. As a kid my Mom seemed very anti-candy and that kind of has carried on as her kids have grown up. So this was just utterly bizarre but I don't mind it.
I didn't get any videogame stuff at all. However my birthday in on December 1 where I got DKC Returns, Super Street Fighter IV for the PS3 and a Classic Controller Pro. With my birthday gifts being so abundantly videogame related it makes sense that Christmas, less than a month later, wouldn't be.
It seems the most common item I got this year were comic books. I got American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar, a collection of the Conan comic strip and the first book of Bloom County comics. I was especially thrilled to get American Splendor. All I have ever read of this comic is the first story of this book where the writer talks to the audience about his name and how odd it is and how there used to be two other people with the same name in the phone book. I read it on Amazon's preview and the story was short enough for me to read the whole thing. I just knew that I had to get the rest of this book. So I put it on my Christmas list and it has remained there for years and I kind of forgot about it. I figured I'd buy it some time on my own.
Getting it was a real surprise and I was so excited I started reading it that morning. I worry that I don't show much enthusiasm when I open gifts and that I may offend the gift giver as a result. It just isn't the typical way I react. I don't show much emotion so I can love the gift and really mean it when I say "thank you" but look like I'm just thanking out of politeness. Not so with this. With this I know I was visibly excited. Somehow I knew that this was going to be one of those special books that you always remember.
I'm halfway through it and I'm loving it. The best way I would describe it is mundane. That seems like it would be an insult but in this case it isn't. Pekar will write a two page story recounting a conversation he had with a guy on the bus. And the store has no point and goes nowhere but somehow this is interesting. Pekar is the writer and the main character and he's just some guy and he fails and succeeds but neither in a truly exceptional way. He's an everyman and he's relatable and this stuff is just working for me. Maybe a few years ago it wouldn't have and maybe in a few years it won't but right now I just get it. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone because I don't think it is for everyone. Some people will find it boring or pointless. If it sounds like it interests you, do what I did, go on Amazon and read the Harvey Pekar name story and that will tell you if it's for you or not.
Though the best gift I had this year was spending Christmas with my family. That probably sounds really cheesy and lame and phoney, especially since I spend every Christmas with my family. This was different though. On the 22nd I received some disappointing news. Don't worry, no one is dying or anything like that. But I've been bummed out nonetheless and have had trouble sleeping. I figured it would ruin Christmas for me. Well, it didn't and it is because of my family. Sometimes you just need to be with people that love you and support you and are there for you. And I didn't even tell anyone there was anything bothering me except my Mom. Sometimes just being with your loved ones is enough to get your mind off of your problems. I have a great family and I've very lucky to have that and ten years from now I probably won't remember the gifts but I will remember them helping me out, even though most of them had no idea they were doing it.
Topic: Merry Giftmas Everyone!!!! Xmas 2010 Bragging Thread (Read 8064 times)
