It has been a few months since my first entry and I figure it's about time for another.
Well, after 6 months in the absolutely hectic city of LA, I got a chance to go home to the quiet, white northeast. Well it was quiet, but it was absolutely NOT white. The temperatures in the northeast this year seem to be quite a bit higher than usual. When I was home for Christmas 2005 the high for the 3 weeks I was there was 20 and the low was -20. But this year, the whole week was sweatshirt weather. I couldn't believe it. But being being able to go home to the woods was definitely nice.
I got some awesome presents for Christmas. First, I'll talk about the one from my parents. Then, I'll tell you all how well my brother knows me and got me an awesome present from when I was a kid.
I shook my present from my parents on Christmas Eve and it sounded like one of those large maze games. You know, the kind where you have to tilt it just right or else your marble falls through the hole and you have to start over. The tag said it was from Red Neck Santa. The wrapping paper was newspaper and it was tied together with twine rope. I didn't want to look disappointed on Christmas so I saved it for last. Well when I opened it, it was a wood box that my dad had stapled together. So in the middle of opening presents, I had to go out to my dad's work truck and get a hammer and a pry bar so I could open my Christmas present. When I opened it, there was a note inside that told me to look in the Christmas tree. And the rattling I heard? 3 nuts that my dad put in the box because he knows I like to shake my packages.
When I looked behind the tree I found a cheap green piece of posterboard about 3x4 in. in size. It was a Pennsylvania 7 day small game hunting license. Some of you might wonder why I was jumping up and down like a 5 yr old. Well, I like to hunt. And especially small game (squirrels, grouse, pheasant, rabbits, etc.). You get to walk around in the woods and you don't have to sit for hours at a time like when you hunt big stuff (deer, turkey, etc.).
It had been 7 years since I'd been hunting (2 yrs on a mission, 5 years in college). For me hunting has always been about a walk in the woods...solitude, peace and quiet, and time to think. Bringing home dinner was just a bonus.
Over Christmas break, I got to spend some time with my Dad, Uncle, and my cousin in the woods. It was awesome. Did I bring home dinner? Yep. Well part of it. I got 3 squirrels. You need 6 to make a good pot of stew, so my dad and uncle donated some to the cause. It was the best pot of squirrel stew I've ever had. Or maybe it's been so long since I've had any that I forgot how good it was.
That's present #1. Now for number 2. You all know how when you were a kid there was that one present that you had to have? Maybe it was a Carebear, a He-Man toy, or a Lego set. And if you got that one present, you would never ask Santa for anything else ever again. Well, at least until next November. Well, this year I got one of those toys. Some of you might not remember about this robot and others might be too young to know about it. But for those that remember, you will be totally jealous.
A few months before Christmas (like in October) I was talking with my brother and he asked, "What are you getting me for Christmas?" Most of you know how much I don't plan in advance. And I said, "I have no clue. Why?" To which he responded, "No reason, I just got you something really cool and fun I just wondered what you got me." I asked if it was a Lego set. And he said, "No. I got you something better." I answered, "The only thing that would be better than Legos would be _______." I can't tell you what I said, because that would ruin the story. He actually got me what I had said. And my brother finished our conversation on the topic by saying, "I don't know. You'll just have to see."
Now to Christmas morning. My present from my brother is the first one opened (by my bro's insistence). He demanded that everyone watch me open it. I opened the box only to find a bunch of packing peanuts. My brother said, just reach down in. I was a little scared because Ben (my brother) is the kind of guy that would put a mouse trap or something else nasty down there and think it was hilarious. So I cautiously reached in. My fingers found a sword. It was silver plastic, 5 in. long, and 2 points curving off the main one at the end of the sword. My jaw dropped. I knew exactly what it was. My brother was beaming with pride. Then I jumped back into the box and found red, blue, green, yellow, and black lions. Just like when I was 6, I put those lions together, and put the sword in his hand to form the might Voltron! The predecessor to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and 5,000 times better. I never had the toy when I was a kid and had to go to my friends' houses to play with it.
I played with it for a few minutes and put it back in the box. It's one of those things that I won't play with like when I was a kid, but it's still freakin' awesome. If I was still at BYU, I would put it up on my shelf and guys would come over and say how cool it was-just like my Transformer posters.
Such poignant memories of childhood might be some of the best presents we will ever get as we grow up. I hope you all enjoyed Christmas with your families and are back safe and sound to start the new year.
Recent Comments