ladysprite (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladysprite) wrote2005-12-28 11:07 pm
ladysprite) wrote2005-12-28 11:07 pm
There's No Place Like It
Home. Home feels good. I've been doing a lot of appreciating home lately, mostly because I've been spending a lot of time away from it. In specific, the last several days have been spent visiting my mom, and my sweetie's parents. This was not an unpleasant experience, but no matter how good the company is, staying in someone else's house always feels a little awkward. It's not quite as relaxing as a vacation in a hotel, since the space is never truly yours.
On the other hand, I am incredibly and unfairly lucky in that I have both a family of my own that loves me very much and a set of in-laws who are amazingly kind, welcoming, and loving and who have not so much gone out of their way to make me family as they have seamlessly integrated me into their family. My mother-in-law apparently knows that the truest way to make me happy at any gathering is to let me cook, and welcomed me into her kitchen with a book of Latvian recipes and added lessons and commentary on how to make traditional holiday snacks, and my little niece is a pure angel who is finally relaxing enough around me to let me play a couple of games with her.
I was also amazingly blessed by the loot fairy this year. I'm as much a fan of giving as I am of receiving, and coming from a financially unstable family, I'm used to getting a bunch of little stocking-stuffers rather than a laundry list of goodies, and I'm not very good at making wish-lists to give to family and friends. But... I think they all conspired together to boggle me this time. I have a cuisinart, from my beloved husband, and a PlayStation and DDR set from my little sister (whom I think was just happy to finally find an interest that we share), and a bloody huge six-volume set of books and patterns of historical Latvian costuming from my mom-in-law, who I believe is ecstatic to have a girl in the family with an interest in their culture. And, also from mom-in-law (who understands a love of costuming and believes in indulging hobbies with a vengeance), a set of absolutely gorgeous vintage accessories for my character in the Victorian-era LARP I play.
This, of course, is entirely glossing over the tower of baubles and trinkets and treats and goodies that were packed in around the big, show-stopping items. I don't quite know whether to feel overwhelmed and delighted or vaguely guilty at getting so many amazing things that I really don't deserve.
Right now, though, what I'm feeling more than anything is glad to be home. I've ordered pizza from my favorite local restaurant, taken a lovely bath in my own tub with my favorite Lush bath bomb (Black Pearl, another holiday gift), and am curled up in my chair at my desk in my comfy fleece bathrobe, and soon I will be curled up in my ownbed, which should hopefully make my back much happier than it has been in many days.
Happy holidays, y'all. I missed you.
On the other hand, I am incredibly and unfairly lucky in that I have both a family of my own that loves me very much and a set of in-laws who are amazingly kind, welcoming, and loving and who have not so much gone out of their way to make me family as they have seamlessly integrated me into their family. My mother-in-law apparently knows that the truest way to make me happy at any gathering is to let me cook, and welcomed me into her kitchen with a book of Latvian recipes and added lessons and commentary on how to make traditional holiday snacks, and my little niece is a pure angel who is finally relaxing enough around me to let me play a couple of games with her.
I was also amazingly blessed by the loot fairy this year. I'm as much a fan of giving as I am of receiving, and coming from a financially unstable family, I'm used to getting a bunch of little stocking-stuffers rather than a laundry list of goodies, and I'm not very good at making wish-lists to give to family and friends. But... I think they all conspired together to boggle me this time. I have a cuisinart, from my beloved husband, and a PlayStation and DDR set from my little sister (whom I think was just happy to finally find an interest that we share), and a bloody huge six-volume set of books and patterns of historical Latvian costuming from my mom-in-law, who I believe is ecstatic to have a girl in the family with an interest in their culture. And, also from mom-in-law (who understands a love of costuming and believes in indulging hobbies with a vengeance), a set of absolutely gorgeous vintage accessories for my character in the Victorian-era LARP I play.
This, of course, is entirely glossing over the tower of baubles and trinkets and treats and goodies that were packed in around the big, show-stopping items. I don't quite know whether to feel overwhelmed and delighted or vaguely guilty at getting so many amazing things that I really don't deserve.
Right now, though, what I'm feeling more than anything is glad to be home. I've ordered pizza from my favorite local restaurant, taken a lovely bath in my own tub with my favorite Lush bath bomb (Black Pearl, another holiday gift), and am curled up in my chair at my desk in my comfy fleece bathrobe, and soon I will be curled up in my ownbed, which should hopefully make my back much happier than it has been in many days.
Happy holidays, y'all. I missed you.
no subject
[* Well, that's a Jewish quarter, so I have no idea how much my ancesters participated in the matrix Latvian culture around them, or were isolated in their own shetl culture.]
Off-topic
Re: Off-topic
Can I claim your time for lunch or dinner or something while you're here?
Re: Off-topic
Re: Off-topic
no subject
But I hope we'll get to chill at some point. It will be good to see you again. :)
no subject
no subject
no subject
Which disc did she get you? (I think there's 4: DDR, DDR 2, DDR Extreme, and DDR Extreme 2...those are the four I'm familiar with, at any rate.)
no subject
And, as if I needed proof of being a clod, it kicked my butt this evening. Can't even get through the tutorials. *sigh*
no subject
(Just make sure to turn off "Dance Mode" in the preferences. "Dance Mode" makes some of the corner squares "live" for purposes of dancing: for instance, stepping on the diagonally back-right square will trigger the left arrow, IIRC. This is a real pain for those of with with big feet; it means that if you don't keep your heel up while stepping right, you're also effectively stepping on left, which can be problematic for a variety of reasons.)
...it kicked my butt this evening.
Well, I've watched a fair number of people start to play - and while starting default-skill levels vary all over the map, I have yet to see anyone who didn't improve with practice. :)
[From my observations, there are three components of play:
1. Being able to read the arrows, figuring out what the game wants you to do in enough time to do it;
2. Having the physical coordination to step on the correct arrow;
3. Having the sense of rhythm to step on the arrow at the correct time.
I know you can develop #2; I've seen you do so in karate. (Not saying it'll be *easy*, but hey.) I'm pretty sure you have #3 from exposure to music. Not sure about #1; that's a video-game kinda thing.
Can't even get through the tutorials. *sigh*
How much of the tutorial could you manage?
no subject