I didn't feel it this year.

Normally I'm a sucker for the Christmas spirit. I enjoy Christmas songs, Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, Christmas shopping, and all the sappy Christmas movies that have happy endings. (My favorite is It's a Wonderful Life)

This year, though, I just didn't feel it. I feel sad that I didn't feel it, like something is wrong with me. I'm looking forward to January so that we can all move past the post-Christmas atmosphere and so there's no more reminder that I just had a pretty bad holiday.

Not that I didn't get anything good. Mrs. Sixline was kind enough to let me purchase some fish equipment from someone who was getting out of the hobby. Incidentally, that's the best way to spend your salt water aquarium money. I got a pump for $50 that sells for $220 brand new. Mrs. Sixline had a kitchen-aid miracle this year. She got a mixer from her parents, a blender from me, and a set of pots and pans from Santa.

I guess this is what happens when you treat it like a hype. Life's bound to have ups and downs, you just don't expect them to come on Christmas. Christmas is a given up. Maybe I should tone it down next year, and focus a little more on what it's really about rather than the ambiance and atmosphere.

A sweater vest?!

My first Christmas with Mrs. Sixline.

We bunked with family. Her sister, husband, and niece were living in Logan at the time and so we elected to stay with them Christmas Eve night, then drive down to Salt Lake for Christmas Day to see family down there. All that season I had my eye on this fancy remote for the TV. It lit up blue when you touched it and had a light-up screen on the remote that illuminated buttons that were relevant to the operation mode of the remote. You couldn't change TV channels, for instance, in TV mode. The remot was about $50, and we didn't have much money. I really liked it and really wanted it.

So that night, Mrs. Sixline spun me this huge tale about she got me an argyle style sweater vest so that we could get our pictures taken together on Christmas day. I don't know why I bought it, but bought it I did. I was so angry with her, and went to bed that night pretty upset. She handed me the box the 'sweater' was wrapped in, and it was a garment style box, and in a somber mood said "Here's your sweater, hon..."

I opened it, and she had the remote in there. I was so excited, it was great. She had me going, hook line and sinker.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Take some time to remember what the first Christmas gift was, and that'll be a reminder to you everytime you give and receive gifts among loved ones.

actually, no... i don't got milk.

All right, I'll admit it. I'm lactose intolerant.

I haven't always been this way. I used to be able to dine on breakfast morning, noon and night. Recently my stomach's kinda rumbled when I'd get done with a glass of chocolate milk, or I'd feel a bit nauseated after a particularly cheesy quesadilla.

The clincher came when I ordered my "Breakfast of Champions." It's where I get a personal sized milk jug from 7-11, and gorge on Hostess Chocolate Frosted Donettes. This is a mighty tasty breakfast, with enough sugar to power a small city. Yet I always feel rather queasy after eating it. Today I tried the doughnuts solo, without any milk. I finished the entire box of doughnuts minus 3-4, and washed it down with water and Powerade. I feel perfectly fine.

Looks like I'll be taking dietary supplement medicine from here on out.

I'm dying.

'Tis the season to get sick.

This year Mrs. Sixline and I haven't felt the holiday joy that normally accompanies the Christmas season. We've been sick, and as such we just don't feel like we're in the holiday mood. Couple that with a particularly stressfull finals week and Mrs. Sixline retail job, and it just drains you.

We're not bah-humbug, or anything, but not exactly filled with cheer. I hope we get better before Christmas day. At least then we can enjoy ourselves. Oh-- and I'm a pretty good husband. I got my wife something she really wanted, (I paid attention this year! Whee!), and I got her the new LG Chocolate mp3 player cell phone. Now I need to get her a little bit of memory so she can start listening to music.

Hooray for good husbands.

Hey dude.

You'll never read this, dude, but please... Remember a few things.

1.) When you call someone, never ask, especially brusquely in these exact words: "Who's this?" You'll guarantee to upset someone.

2.) If you've gotten the wrong number, take a second to find out whether or not you dialed incorrectly, or whether or not you actually have the incorrect number.

3.) Lastly, don't persist in #1 if the direct answer to your question doesn't result in the answer you're looking for. When someone calls me, and repeatedly asks "Who's this?" I'm going to continue answering by telling you my name. When you finally respond with "I didn't call you," you've broken the stupid barrier and you will get hung up on.

Dork.

Like butter scraped across too much bread...

Get flowers for wife.
Take wife out on dates.
Get home teaching feedback from other guys in the quorum.
Prepare primary lesson.
Fix the hole in the wall. (Long story.)
Prepare abstract for Dasu.
Begin testing MD.
Document finished MD project for future use.
Read journal papers.
Read MD journal paper.
Read Scriptures.
Pay Tithing.
Say prayers.
Pay lodge fees and dues.
Do Christmas shopping.
Study Finite Domain Constraints.
Finish concurrent programming project.
Get good grades.
Find a good job.
Save money.
Pay off debt.
Use credit wisely to get into a house.

Most of that (except the dates with Mrs. Sixline, obviously) is stuff I have to do and I don't particularly feel like it. I can't do all this. I have too many people I answer to. Lately I've been so apathetic. Even with all I have to do, I'm not doing half of it. So I feel lazy. So I feel like I need to do more. So I look at the list and think 'I have to do all this?' So it intimidates me, I put it off, I don't do any of it, I feel lazy, so I feel like working, so I look at this list, so it intimidates me, so I put it off, so I don't do any of it, so I feel lazy...

Oh yeah, and if you try to piss and moan about it, everyone else pisses and moans that their list is bigger.

What a crock.

owned by concurrent programming

I place a lot of self-esteem on being able to understand and do things. I've had some serious issues with a certain class this semester. It's been pretty difficult to grasp things, and I haven't been as engaged by the professor to pay attention and put a lot into it. That shouldn't matter, I know, and don't think I'm trying to throw blame around. I know that I should have done better throughout the year. Now I find myself in the midst of this class's final project. I'm sinking. I thought I had a decent grasp on the first part that was due this past Friday. I open my mail this morning to a plethora of messages along the lines of 'This had quite a few problems. Come see me.' 'Here is an example of what you should have done.' 'Please come see me.' (Evidently the bulk of these messages were sent over the weekend, I think he assumes I have access to email at home. I don't.

So now I'm burying my head in the sand. I don't really want to look at it. It's not like me to dodge issues. I normally face my fear. No, seriously, I do. I might not face it like a man, but I do own up to the things I have to do. I just don't want to in this class. I don't want to try to fix part A because I have to do part B, but part A is a springboard into part B.

I know that nothing in life that's worth having comes easy, but I sure do wish things were easier anyway.

all your base are belong to us

This is classic too. It comes from an old Sega game, Zero Wing. The translation is just horrible.

Coat of Arms

My family's coat of arms, according to wikipedia. Cool.