What To Buy The Boy?

I am stuck on gifts. I feel like I need one or two more for Elijah. I got him a bonding gift... A racecar track for he and I. I want to get a remote control car or helicopter as a fun toy to also play together with.

I got him one of those Elmo live dolls back in October when they came out. Tons of little cars too from when Mervyns went out of business. I just think there is something more. He'll be all clothesed out by my mom and his other grandparents. Plus I will fill a stocking with junk too... But I think there just has to be one more $30-$50 item he can get and enjoy for when he comes here.

Hmmmm.... Any ideas my fellow bloggers?

It's That Time of the Year!!

Sunset out the back of the new house in the country.

When people starting searching for those who have a sucky birthday on Christmas Day... The searches get more intriguing every year.

Of course all the funny comments people left year after year are gone unless I re-install haloscan.

The house is almost finished. I still have all my tools to move. But I got Elijah's bed up so he can sleep elevated and not on the mattress on the ground when he comes over this weekend. I have put up all my shelves and music bullshit everywhere. I put up some decorative shelves in the dining room and I put up my trumpet and the trombone I fished out of my mom's attic. She also gave me her great aunt's accordion for a decoration too. It still plays. I have some cool stuff up including this poem about this old violin for sale that no one would buy until someone picked it up and played something beautiful out of it. That is how I feel sometimes.

Anyhow... with the 6 dozen placemats my mom gave me... I am pretty set here now. Just some tidying up. 2000 sq feet is a lot for a single dude but it is cool. Now I just need an old Chevy truck. I think that is what I am after this spring. A '68-'72 Chevy pick up. Something I can restore like the Porsche. It could be cool.

The Good Thing About Having Your Birthday On Christmas

Okay... So today is my birthday and I wanted to write the anti-thesis of my previous anti-Christmas Birthday posts. Some random acts of kindness have occurred through midday and there is one startling fact that I have one up on everyone on.

First the fact, the DMV is closed on Christmas. So if you are like me and you wait until the last minute to renew your driver's license when it comes do, you have to spend like two days in line to get processed so you can officially drive again after your birthday.

Nobody likes waiting at the DMV and neither do I. However... Nobody goes to the DMV on Christmas Eve. And if you think anyone is a poor soul working at the DMV try seeing them on Christmas Eve. Oh my God!!! The cool thing for me... No one... I mean no one was there. I got in and out like that. Even got a shnassy new photo of me in my leather jacket that I got for my birthday. Cool thing about a Christmas Birthday: No lines at the DMV.

The second cool thing, we rolled through Valley Springs and if you haven't been to this town in ten years or so, you'd be shocked to find that there is a Starbucks Drive Thru right on the east side of town. The town up until like 5 years ago had 500 people in it that suddenly exploded to 7,700 has a Starbucks. I mean... the town doesn't even have a signal light. Calaveras County has like two and they are both up in Angels Camp. But they have a Starbucks.

So we roll in with the Porsche full of Elijah's gifts and the voice in the speaker goes, "Merry Christmas, what can I get for you today?" So I gave the ole, "Actually you forgot happy birthday..." Surprised, they started singing to me!!! And then they offered a free breakfast sandwich which DW wanted. I told them it was going to her. So when I rolled up to the window they gave me my triple shot venti Latte for FREE!!!. Unfuckingbelievable!!! A free Latte. Made my birthday. Starbucks rules!

That and my wife sang happy birthday all the way home to different tunes that randomly popped up on the iPod. Unusually hearing Happy Birthday sung to the tune of , Nirvana's "Come As You Are" or INXS's "Devil Inside" or even "Disposable Heros" by Metallica

We are in the middle of Halftime for our day. Gotta head up to my bro's house next. Listening to U2's Joshua Tree remastered that my fine sister in law got me for Christmas. (lol "fine" sister in law) iTunes screwed up and dropped it into the middle of the old Joshua Tree album. It's interesting because you can hear such subtle differences in the drums and bass. Then all the extra guitar parts in Running To Stand Still, one of my alltime favorite songs. God, a 20 year old album sounding like new. I was 13 when it came out. The B side version of Silver And Gold is freaking awesome!!! It's played live on Rattle and Hum but this cool!!!

Anyway... good day so far. Gonna go drink some Spanish wines!!!