Post-Holiday Thoughts

So, it seems that I took a little holiday break from the blog. Forgive me for the lack of holiday-themed posts before Christmas actually occurred, but the blog took a backseat to yuletide preparations.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, I've had a little time to gather up a few random holiday-related thoughts. In no particular order, here are some musings on Noel...

- I'm a 100% real-tree advocate. I know fake trees are so much neater and more convenient, but I'm willing to sacrifice this for the smell of a real tree. There's nothing like it! It's kind of ridiculous to like a tree for this reason, especially since the smell fades rather quickly and our tree dried up in about a week this year, but I still love a real tree. I know I probably won't always feel this way, but I'll getting a real tree every Christmas for the foreseeable future.

- Online shopping for Christmas gifts is convenient, but a crap shoot. I've had mixed results with Christmas shopping online the past few years. It kills me to spend so much on shipping to ensure that gifts will arrive on time, but not forking over the dough almost always means that the gifts will be lost or late. I also don't like ordering something without always having a clear idea of what it will look like in person. I ordered a frame for my dad this year from Amazon and I sent it back because it just looked much cheaper in person than it did online. Online shopping is really hit or miss...

- Ornaments make great gifts. I'm a big fan of giving, receiving (and collecting) Christmas ornaments. Every year, I enjoy decorating my tree and remembering where each ornament came from and the story behind it. I started a tradition of giving my Godson an ornament for a gift each Christmas and I hope it helps build a special little collection for him one day. This little ceramic Santa teddy was made by my Memere and I love putting up the ornaments she made years and years ago.

- Everything feels more festive with a white Christmas. Snow can be messy, dangerous and a hassle, but I love it at Christmastime! There's just something special about snow for December 25th. It makes everything look prettier and helps get folks in the spirit. And I hear that it makes Santa happy too.

- Overeating can absolutely not be avoided at this time of year. Maybe some of you would argue this point with me, but I love food and have weak willpower. End of story.

Exploring Alcatraz

One of my favorites things that we did in San Francisco was the tour of Alcatraz. The audio tour was very engaging and the history behind the island is fascinating. The buildings on the island were originally used as a military base and then a military prison during The Civil War. We almost got stuck on Alcatraz because high winds nearly canceled our ferry ride back to SF. It was a close one--A little too close for comfort!


There are numerous buildings and structures on Alcatraz that are crumbling or no longer open to the public. I found these ruins very interesting and fun to photograph. Before the tour, I had no idea that prison guards and their families actually used to live on the island. The crumbled remains of their homes are nothing more than rock piles now. The island also had a bowling alley and small market for the families' use.



Another aspect of Alcatraz that I didn't learn about until our visit was that American Indians occupied the island in 1969 in protest of treatment of Indian tribes by the US Government. (The island had closed as a prison in 1963.) The group wanted to re-develop the island for use as a cultural center and education center, among other things. While this never happened, the occupation did result in President Nixon repealing legislation that had denied federal recognition of Indian tribes. Traces of the nearly-two year occupation are still seen on the island through graffiti. Look for the word "Free" on the American Eagle crest. "Indians" is on the water tower, but the rust makes it tough to see.




I can't imagine ever being in jail-- let alone in jail on an island. Alcatraz also had a seriously scary section of solitary confinement: "The Hole." The Hole was punishment for those who needed more isolation than basic solitary confinement. When the doors in The Hole were closed, the cells were completely dark. Yikes. The Hole is the final photo and a typical jail cell set-up is the first.

Muppet Love

As kids, Chris and I loved anything with puppets in it-- especially Muppets. I still love all things Muppet and this new YouTube video from Muppets Studio is no exception. So clever!

The Future of Books?

Last week, we brought something new with us on our trip to San Fran: an Amazon Kindle digital reader. Rick bought the 6" version of the Kindle-- it's smaller than a hardcover book and about as thick as a pencil.

I couldn't believe just how small it was when I first held it. Its size certainly makes it convenient to travel with; and even though it's tiny, it can hold up to 1,500 books. Another great thing about the Kindle is that the majority of e-books only cost $9.99-- even new books and bestsellers. Magazines and newspapers are even cheaper and they all download onto the device in about one minute.

The Kindle's screen is also impressive. The screen display uses patented "e-ink" that is supposed to mimic the appearance of a book page. The screen is not lit up or bright, so the reader doesn't feel like he or she is reading on a large iPod or BlackBerry. I had initially thought that the Kindle would have more of a computer screen look, which was not appealing to me, so I was pleasantly surprised that it had a very book-like display screen.

Even with all the great features of the Kindle, I really hope that e-readers never replace good, old-fashioned paper-paged books. There's something about holding a book, feeling its weight and turning the pages that make reading an experience. Call me a nerd, but I also like the smell of books and the feel of its pages.

I understand that the world of publishing to paper is costly, endangered and outdated, but just because the technology to solely publish digitally is available, doesn't mean traditional printing should be abolished. Digital publishing will most likely make the written word more available to the masses--something I heartily support--but I believe everyone should at least have the chance to physically hold and read a book.

I may be old-fashioned, but there is something about printed books that e-readers will never be able to capture.

San Fran Sneak Peek

I just got home from an amazing trip to San Francisco with Rick and his family. San Fran is awesome and I really enjoyed my first visit there. Northern California is just beautiful and has such impressive topography.

I went photo-crazy and took about 600 photos last week! It's going to take me a while to sort through and edit them, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites here as soon as possible.

I'm so lucky that I had the opportunity to explore such a cool place, especially during a week when we're reminded to count our blessings...

Toyland

Like it or not, Christmas season is in full swing. Decorations are out, carols are playing in stores non-stop and commercials for the toys every kid will be begging for are all over TV.

The commercials and mall decorations and advertisements drive me crazy this time of year just like anyone else, but they also make me sentimental for my favorite Christmas toy.

We all know that consumerism and commercialism dilute the true meaning of Christmas, but admit it: you probably got an awesome toy one childhood Christmas that rocked your small world. Whether you believed that it came from Santa or not, you unwrapped a present that made one Christmas extra special and unforgettable.

My top Christmas gift came the year I was in third or fourth grade. (It was a memorable year, but I can't recall exactly what year it was...) All fall and winter, I had my eye on the Playmobil Victorian dollhouse. I had seen plenty of dollhouses before and they never really interested me, but the Playmobil dollhouse was different.

I loved all the different accessories that you could buy for the house like the room kits and townspeople. I also loved the old-fashioned Victorian element to the house. There were endless little details that Playmobil included in their toys and my overactive imagination was itching for one.

That year, the Playmobil dollhouse was the only gift I asked for. I was fairly confident in my good behavior, so I figured I was a shoo-in with Santa. Christmas morning came and I just knew my dollhouse would be waiting for me under the tree.

When I first came downstairs, a quick scan of the gifts underneath the tree didn't reveal a large box with my name on the tag. Having studied the dollhouse for months at the local toy store, I knew the dollhouse box would be sizable. I didn't see anything huge, but I was still confident that my Christmas dream would come true.

As Christmas morning progressed and more presents were unwrapped, I kept waiting for my Playmobil magic. Finally, everything under the tree had been unwrapped and while I had some great new gifts, there wasn't a Playmobil dollhouse. As we were cleaning up, I remember telling my mom that I hadn't gotten the dollhouse from Santa. I was trying to be tough and thankful for what I received, but little tears welled up in my eyes as I said, "Oh well, maybe for my birthday..."

Just as I said this, my dad came down the hall with two big gifts that Santa left in the den. My brother and I both jumped up with excitement, ripped off the paper and became the proud owners of the Playmobil pirate ship and the Playmobil dollhouse (respectively). Since Playmobil requires quite a bit of assembly, the four of us spent the rest of Christmas Day putting together our new masterpieces, but it was worth it. (Well, maybe it was worth it for me and Chris. I later found out that all the assembly drove our parents crazy that day.)

My Playmobil dollhouse is now safely dis-assembled and stored away at home. I look forward to giving it to my kids one day and sharing the story of my favorite Christmas gift...and the story of how tricky their grandparents were.


Photo via Playmobil.com

Dog Envy

I realized a long time ago that being a writer was a solitary occupation and different from most jobs. And while I do enjoy having co-workers and the social aspect of working in an office, the freedom and creative control of being a writer outweighs the benefits of reporting to an office every day.

My current status as full-time job-searcher/wannabe freelance writer finds me indoors and glued to my computer most days. And while it may be good practice for my future dreams of being a novelist/writer, it's not too fun. It's tedious, boring and sometimes lonely--especially in a small apartment.

But I know there is one thing that would improve this scenario and will one day make me a better writer when the time comes: a dog. That's right, woman's best friend would be a welcome relief to the long and lonesome work-from-home workday.

What could be better for a writer than a furry friend who provides welcome periodic distractions and won't judge you when you start brainstorming and talking to yourself? I've always been a dog-lover and I've spent many recent afternoons thinking that a canine companion would make the job search more fun and could provide some inspiration for writing. A little unconditional love from a pet goes a long way when you're frustrated.

I know a dog is out of the question for me right now since they're not allowed in my building and I definitely couldn't afford one. But I look forward to having a dog someday soon and hope he or she will be the ideal "office mate" when I write the next great American novel (or short story/essay/children's book).

For now, I just have to visit some of my favorite four-legged friends below: