The End of 2010

2010 ended with rain, warm weather and overcast skies. The temperature got up to around 55. Light rain melted away most of the old snow & slush that still remained from the snowstorm we had several weeks ago. We even had some thunder! The picture is of ducks in our backyard creek enjoying the rain.

I had the day off from work today, as did Tim. His last day off. Heh heh heh. We "celebrated" by going out for "lunch" (mmm... Chinese buffet...).

Got some gas for the van at $3.12/gallon.

My wife and I finished our Christmas shopping for the extended family Christmas party tomorrow. After Sarah joined me in the store (I'd started while she was working), I learned that I had been watched for a while by one of the store's undercover security dudes while I was looking at some books. That'll teach me to want to read!

Tonight, TCM was running an Marx Brothers movie marathon. Awesome. Sarah and I watched most of Animal Crackers and a lot of Monkey Business. If you've never seen one of their movies, do yourself a favor and watch one, such as Duck Soup. Though I'll be ringing in the new year by watching The Office.

I'm looking forward to the new year. Unlike most years, this time I have several new year's resolutions. It'll be interesting to see how they work out as the year progresses.

By the way, here are today's Chinese cookie fortunes:

• Good things are coming to you in due course of time.
• Your mentality is alert, practical and analytical.

Digital Story of the Nativity

The Nativity story, told using Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, and other social networks and web tools.

And Don't Call Me Shirley

Actor Leslie Nielsen passed away November 28, 2010.  Below is a video tribute I found... it contains clips from Airplane! and The Naked Gun.  Enjoy!

Wish List 2010 - New Oven Edition

For those interested, here is my Christmas and birthday wish list for 2010. Be sure to bookmark this post and check it often, as I will update it throughout the remainder of 2010.

Updates

11/26: added some movies
12/2: added a video games section
12/15: crossed out some things - Thanks!
12/25: crossed out some things - Thanks!

Things I Always Enjoy Receiving

These are in no particular order.

• chocolate chips cookies, soft & chewy with walnuts
• flavored coffees... sampler sizes are okay (you know, those small little 2.5oz packages they have in the coffee aisle, usually by the coffee grinder... actually, it'd be neat to have lots of different flavors of those, especially "holiday" or "seasonal" flavors)
• gift cards: Barnes & Noble, any restaurant so I can go out with my wife
• cheese puffs (not the crunchy ones)
• summer sausage, a block of sharp cheddar or pepperjack cheese, and some flavorful crackers (i.e. not plain Ritz-style crackers) Thanks!
• lasagna, especially with sausage and pepperoni
• nuts - deluxe, no peanuts
• bagel shop bagels with their cream cheese, especially jalapeño cheddar bagels (they are SO GOOD!)

Things I Would Like

These items ARE listed in order of preference in each section.

Each item has a link for it to Amazon or another online retailer with their listed purchase price. This information is included just for comparison purposes. 

movies on DVD

• Shrek Forever After (Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular Double Pack) widescreen DVD 2-pack $22.99 at Amazon Thanks!
• The A-Team (unrated extended cut) $16.99 at Amazon
• The Office: Overtime (Digital Shorts Collection) $9.99 at Amazon 
• Sherlock Holmes (widescreen) $11.99 at Amazon
• Up - Blu-Ray 4 disc $19.99 at Amazon
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - 2-disc deluxe edition (widescreen) $7.49 at Barnes & Noble
• An American Carol - $15.49 at Amazon
• The Bourne Ultimatum (widescreen edition) $8.99 at Amazon
• Dilbert - The Complete Series - $34.99 at Amazon
• Madagascar (widescreen) $14.99 at Amazon
• Kung Fu Panda (widescreen edition) 2-pack with Secrets of the Furious Five $24.99 at Amazon  
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (single-disc edition) $9.99 at Amazon  
• Robin Hood (single-disc unrated director's cut with Russell Crowe) $18.99 at Amazon (the 2-disc edition would be okay, too) 

Video Games

• 24: The Game for PS2 - $16.80 at Amazon 
• Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - $19.82 at Amazon 

Music on CD

• A Midwinter Night's Dream by Loreena McKennitt $14.78 at Amazon
• An Ancient Muse by Loreena McKennitt $9.48 at Amazon
• Nights from the Alhambra - (2 CD + DVD) by Loreena McKennitt $21.64 at Amazon
• A Mediterranean Odyssey by Loreena McKennitt $12.99 at Amazon
• The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Loreena McKennitt $10.88 at Amazon   
• Christmas Songs by Anuna $10.76 at Amazon 

Books

• The Lamb and the Fuhrer by Ravi Zacharias - $10.19 at Amazon (paperback would be okay) Thanks!
• New Birth or Rebirth? by Ravi Zacharias - $10.19 at Amazon  (paperback would be okay)
  
• Sense and Sensuality by Ravi Zacharias - $10.25 at Amazon  (paperback would be okay)
• The One Year Chronological Bible - hardcover edition $16.49 at Amazon Thanks!
• The Chronological Study Bible - hardcover edition $27.99 at Christian Book 

Dilbert Books

• 14 Years of Loyal Service in a Fabric-Covered Box - $5.12 at Amazon
• Try Rebooting Yourself - $8.79 at Amazon
• Cubes and Punishment - $11.55 at Amazon
• This Is the Part Where You Pretend to Add Value - $9.74 at Amazon
• What Would Wally Do? - $12.71 at Amazon
• I'm Tempted to Stop Acting Randomly - $8.76 at Amazon
• Problem Identified: And You're Probably Not Part of the Solution - $11.55 at Amazon
  

Miscellany

• Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit (allows our Xbox game console to play DVD movies; it's basically a remote) - $4.63 at Amazon 
• snow globe - preferably a nice one, containing a winter or Christmas scene of some sort
  

Things Not Inexpensive

• DVD Recorder/VCR Combo... I don't care about brand and refurbs are okay... example Magnavox at BestBuy for $89.99 
• DVD Recorder (without VCR)... I don't care about brand and refurbs are okay... tuner would be nice but not required... example Toshiba at BestBuy for $69.99
• external Blu-ray drive DVD burner combo - Plextor PX-B310U BD-ROM/DVD Burner $139.99 at TigerDirect
• Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) game console

Chopin Etude op.25 no.11 "Winter Wind" (video)

Amazing.  From the description on YouTube:

"by Yeol Eum Son. Finalist of Chopin Competition 2005.
Broadcast in South korea(KBS1)"