0126C: Christmas Will Always Be Christmas Even When It Doesn't Seem To Be

Image via Wikipedia

Well, I'm back home at the Sietch after my Christmas weekend with the family. If one were to compare our holiday with that has become "traditional" for the Christmas season, especially in commercials and other mass media pieces, you might say it wasn't much of a Christmas. We didn't have a big feast. We didn't step out for a family lunch or dinner at some great restaurant. Heck, I was the only one with presents this year.

But like what I tried to describe in yesterday's post (although I was falling asleep between paragraphs, I have to admit), Christmas has always meant one thing for us - being together. And it doesn't matter what we actually do for as long as we're together for the holiday. That's what makes it Christmas for us. Through the years we've gone through a lot of ups and downs. Sometimes we'd be all cool and book a room at the Disovery Suites or some other hotel and stay there for the holidays. Other times we'd have to be a lot more austere due to budget concerns and just prepare a meal for ourselves at home. You know how it is - every family goes through those sorts of transition periods and changes in circumstances to varying degrees. But as long a you're together, then the holiday remains just as special.

Austerity wasn't exactly the rallying call for this year though. We were just too comfortable at home to even think of leaving the house. We certainly tried to make plans to head out for Saturday lunch, which eventually got pushed to Saturday evening, and then Sunday...and then POOF! But I'm not complaining. I was perfectly fine at home with the amazing home entertainment system the folks have set up and of course some good PS3 time with my brother.

This weekend was a lot geekier than I had expected as well. I mean seriously, I came home to find out my parents were in the middle of thonning all six Star Wars movies. And once we finished up with that franchise, Mom felt like she was in the mood to watch the first season of The Big Bang Theory again. And so we did - considering the alternative was to watch Game of Thrones again just so we could talk about it in the context of my having read the first two books recently. Gotta love your family when these are our primary viewing options for the weekend.

Of course part of the reason is the fact that Mom finds it funny since she knows a lot of the jokes can somehow relate to me. There's nothing that can add humor for the show in precisely the same way as personal experience. I completely own up to my own Sheldon-ness at times, although it's a good thing that I'm not THAT bad. Right?

On the flip side, my brother and I spent most of the time between shows playing Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga on the PS3, which is sort of ironic since we had previously played the older PS2 versions of this game a few years ago. Then again, my brother and I seem to be constantly playing the same "old" games that we used to when I was still living at home like Dynasty Warriors, albeit not necessarily the latest installment. I suppose it all makes sense one way or another. After all, it's not like our interests are going to change all that much over the years. We just seem to gravitate back to the same console franchises because we still find them fun.

Image via Wikipedia

As much as one can finish the LEGO-themed games on your own, there's nothing quite like playing with a companion in local co-op mode to really help the puzzles go by faster. And yes, this includes all the silly bits like falling off ledges or accidentally killing one another with friendly fire. And as much as my brother and I are more or less "skilled" the ways of such LEGO games, we still seem to manage to get into a lot of hilarious moments of repeatedly dying when we are too far apart on the screen or just when we miscalculate the depth of the platforms that we need to jump onto. And that seems to happen to us a LOT.

Oh, and it's only when you're playing the game with your brother do the weird "disguises" seem to be suddenly hilarious. I can't quite explain why.

I'm glad that everyone liked my Christmas gifts for them. It's never easy to pick out gifts for family, but I think we had a pretty good set this year. Naturally I have Tobie to thank for most of them - he's just that sort of a creative guy who really does well in coming up with quirky gift ideas. And as my Mom mentioned, it's a nice feeling when "the kids" are the ones buying presents for a change.

Well, enough of the holiday stuff. Will be getting ready to head off to O Bar Ortigas again in a bit. The holiday celebrations continued with our extended family over there.