Hello Campers! Its me again, your friendly, sometimes happy go-lucky webdiva, back with a whole new article just for your reading pleasure (and for my catharsis).

This year did not in fact bring me within the realm of possibility to be able to watch Die Hard for Xmas... grrrr... but I did get to watch Six String Samurai with a roommate and catch Return of the King in theaters with another roommate, so I can't really complain, save the fact that it well, it just didn't feel like Christmas.

It wasn't anything my roommates did or didn't do, it just was a number of things... No snow, no holiday fare, Pizza instead of the mountain of Mashed Potatoes at the Nielson household... and no legendary Aluminum glowing, rotating, strobing Christmas tree. No Christmas Eve party with friends gathered round, and generally no hullabaloo.

We had cookies... but its not the same. I'm not pissed or upset about it all though. Its just being in a new place away from so many and the traditions we hold dear that is contributing to the sense that Christmas isn't here yet. Ricky's probably feeling it too, though he and Joanie had a great Xmas together, I get the impression if we could've taken some Hathor personnel and packed up some stuff and showed up in Avenger's Shuttlebay for the Holiday, we would've been there like a shot.

In many ways though, these are the trials of moving to a new sector, a new region, and getting things going. Its precisely this sort of thing that shows us what we miss and what others may not know they've been missing out on down here. So next year, if Hathor members are reading this, we're throwing a Christmas Eve bash, and that's just the way it is (unless of course families intervene or some of us book Jersey bound, in which case, we'll still throw a Christmas party.. probably earlier or later to accomodate schedules).

KHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I also got some presents... Most notably I think was the Wrath of Khan DVD which, in absence of Avenger-folk and Die Hard, gave me the warm fuzzies. Seeing a Miranda (Avenger-esque) Class shiip on the screen was nice... and yes, I was stupid and waved at the screen wishing you all a Happy holiday as the Reliant passed by with registry numbers obscured from view ;)

...and I nearly scared the bejeezus out of my roommate Ben when I screamed the appropos, "THIS IS CETI ALPHA FIVE!!!!!"

(Then I had to explain how the last time I saw WoK at the Rupprecht Cinema 1 with.. well you know who you are ;) That it was so fun to hear 9 people scream that, on point without setup.) Ahh I miss you guys.

Going Out Today

Today will mostly consist of me going out and returning a Christmas gift for something marginally more me and picking up my last meager paycheck from Suncoast (5hours of pay.. wooohoo!.. not). The Xmas gift incidentally was nice and warm and fuzzy, but so not me it wasn't even remotely a thought for keeping, thankfully the gifter planned for this in advance dropping us gift receipts within to save us if their guesses were off. And considering Ben and I got the same gift, a nice velour shirt that made him extremely pleased, well you can guess why I'm returning it.... sorry just way too manly and not me for words.

Later Tonight

Later tonight I'll be trying to get in touch with Kathy and Steve again and wish them a belated (now) Merry Xmas. I tried reaching them yesterday but to no avail. Ah well, sometimes technology doesn't work in one's favor... but I tell you this much... If I can find a cheap copy of Die Hard, hidden away at Suncoast, Xmas may just come after all ;)

Niters Everyone! And if you haven't checked out the weblogs yet, Check out Todd's... he's got a great After Holiday Blog you must see ;)

(c 2003, Lourdes C., Recreation Dept., Medical Division, USS Avenger NCC-1860)