Christmas!

This is a few days later than I had hoped but...

My Christmas actually turned out pretty decently, which is quite the opposite of how I had originally thought it would. I did not ask for too many things, and the few I did, I pretty much got them. To name a few: 1 terabyte external hard drive, 4 gigs of RAM for my laptop, and my gym membership.

The Monday for Christmas I went up to my Dad's house, where I stayed until Christmas day. It wasn't too bad really. There is a weird kid that lives across the street from Dad, who kind of acts a little bit "slow" and I feel bad for him, but he certainly is persistent about coming over to my Dad's EVERY time we come in the damn door. But I got to finish Eldest and relax for a few days, which was pretty relieving. I got to hang out with my Dad a pretty good amount too which is always fun, haha. I saw my aunt and uncle some too, which was cool. All in all it was fun.

Christmas day I came back home to Wilmington and had my second part of my Christmas gatherings. I got to see my uncle Gary and all my other family for the most part. We had a good time, and as usual I was the one handing out all the presents from under the tree. The last few years I have had my little cousin Maguire helping me as well!

So that was my blog to sum up Christmas! Short but kinda sweet, I guess? I might post one to sum up 2008 like Ryan did, but I'm lazy and I don't want to spend the time typing up my favorite shows, albums and movies like he did! Haha.

Literature.

I've become interest in reading and writing even more as of late. I have tried to write some little fantasy type stories, but they've all been terrible and generic. Once I find my creative niche I'll post up some of the stories and stuff I've been writing.

Anyways, I was in the bookstore with Lauren a few days ago and she came across a book where a bunch of random authors are given a word and then 3 minutes to write about it. I think it was a really cool concept and I'm curious as to what I would write if I was put in that situation. Maybe I'll buy that book with some of my Christmas money.

I was riding home with Lauren and her Mom the other day and her Mom mentioned that she had set a goal last year to read at least one book per month. I'm setting mine for two a month, at least. There is only a little bit of December left, but I will probably finish Brisingr within that time frame, and will start reading my next book which will be either The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore or Twilight. I also have a version of Beowulf that I might read.

I figured since I had not posted in a pretty good while, I would post a little something. I will probably post something tomorrow that kind of sums up 2008 and explains how my Christmas went.

MORE Downloading. 11-30-08

• Ásmegin - Arv
• Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags
• Elvenking - Two Tragedy Poets
• Fimbulvet - Der Ruf In Goldene Hallen
• Guahaihoque -The Return Of The Ancient Gods
• Heralder - Twilight Kingdom
• Kivimetsan Druidi - Shadowheart
• Lothloryen - Some Ways Back No More
  
• Morlock - Reipapolk
• Russian Circles - Enter
• Russian Circles - Self Titled
• Russian Circles - Upper Ninety
  
• Stirnagard - Toner Fra En Ukristen Tid (Demo 2000)
  
• Thyrfing - Hels Vite

Was in the mood for some viking/folk metal type stuff and found loads of it on a torrent site. Also found some black metal stuff I wanted to check out. Gonna have plenty to listen to, ha.

Kivimetsan Druidi really caught my attention out of all these bands. They are sick ass folk metal with female and male vocals. Check them out here.

Downloads 11-29-08

• Abigail Williams - Gallow Hill
• Abigail Williams - In The Shadow of a Thousand Suns
• All Shall Perish - Awaken the Dreamers
  
• Architects & Dead Swans - Split
• Architects - Nightmares
  
• Architects - Ruin
• Botch - 061502
  
• Botch - An Anthology of Dead Ends EP
  
• Botch - The Unifying Themes of Sex, Death, and Religion
• Botch - Unifying Themes Redux
  
• Botch - We Are The Romans
  
• Carry The Torch - Dead Weather
• Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
  
• Dark Funeral - The Secrets of The Black Arts (2007 Remastered Version)
• Deez Nuts - Stay True
  
• Deicide - Til Death Do Us Part
• Disfear and Doomriders - Split
• Doomriders - Black Thunder
  
• The Fall of Troy - Phantom on the Horizon
  
• From the Pawn - Ambitions of Man
• Grave Digger -Ballads of a Hangman
  
• Grave Maker - Bury Me at Sea
• Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits
  
• Inside Out - No Spiritual Surrender
• John Legend - Evolver
• Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
• Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
  
• Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave
• Northern Kings - Rethroned
• Opeth - Burden (Single)
  
• Poison the Well - I-III EP
• Satyricon - The Age of Nero
  
• Slipknot - Iowa
  
• Slipknot - Self Titled
• Tears of Magdalena - Myths and Legends
  
• Trenches - The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole
• Twilight - OST
  
• Valencia - This Could Be A Possibility
  
• Walls of Jericho - Redemption
• Willie Nelson - Born for Trouble
  

Might actually post a blog again soon, just doing this since I'm downloading a lot right now, and I don't wanna forget what all I downloaded.

Blinded by the Sun.

The new Gym Class Heroes album "The Quilt" is awesome. My favorite tracks on it are "Blinded by the Sun" and "Drnk Txt Rmeo". The whole album is awesome though. I've been playing it almost non stop since I downloaded it the other day.

I had a pretty uneventful day today. I basically sat around, cleaned up my room to get it ready for turning it into a studio, and played some Xbox. Call of Duty 5 comes out soon, and I'm definitely gonna be getting that. I found two more records in my house too, one by some band called "Nutcracker" from like 1978, and one by Gene Johnson called "Always True" from 1981. I also remembered that I had gotten At Half-Mast's "Alive, Alone, and Waiting" on clear orange vinyl from where I made them a moving banner a year or something ago.

I also get my license next week, but I won't have anything to drive until next weekend probably, unless I can drive my Mom's car until then, which I doubt will happen. My family wants me to sell the van and get a little car, but I like the van a lot, ha. They're right though, gas is gonna cost too much to drive it a lot.

"You told me it's the truth
But I'm still afraid
I'm not the one
That would jump the gun
If I had proof
I'd take off my shades
And be blinded by the sun"

-Gym Class Heroes

Vinyl!

So I've been thinking about this for awhile...I've wanted to start collecting vinyl. I've had a few my Dad gave me sometime last year or so, and then tonight I bought about 10 more. Lauren is getting me something to play em on for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited on that. She said it has a USB connection too...so I can probably start working on producing beats and stuff. I wanna learn whatever I can that involves recording in any way since that is what I really wanna get into later on.

Anyways, here is a list of what I got today:

• Agallah - The Crookie Monster
• Anthrax - I'm The Man
• Aretha Franklin - Everyday People
• Bukshot - What's On My Mind
• Dre - Naomi
  
• Cheri Dennis - Freak feat. Babs
• Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us
  
• New Edition - Last Time/All on You
• Plan B - Life's a Beat
• Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker

I'll probably get more than just the value bin stuff pretty soon. I'll post up the stuff my Dad gave me before too, although, it was mostly classic rock type stuff though.

Zannah.

Ah, it's been ages since I've posted on here. But I feel the need to post something again.

I've more or less been in love with reading lately surprisingly and I have spent a lot of time reading. I read both of the Star Wars Darth Bane novels, and I am now anxiously waiting the release of the third book, which is said to come out in late 2009. Since I knocked out the second book, I've got awhile to read some other stuff. I finished Eragon and began on Eldest, so I'm gonna finish that one up and then read Brisingr. I wanna read some non-fantasy books after I get done with those, any suggestions?

It's just past one in the morning right now and I'm just beginning to show signs of being tired, which isn't a good sign for me since I have to be up for school in the morning around 8. But I am very relieved after today to find that I am passing all of my classes, with only one being below an 80. I have a 90 in Senior project/English IV, a 94 in Electrical Trades (I literally know less about that subject since I've started that class), an 84 or something in Digital Video Productions (Easiest class ever, but still fun, Mr. Halstead is awesome) and then finally, I have a 74 in Algebra 2. I'm just happy to get by passing a math class after my terrible failure in Geometry, haha.

I've gotta pass all my classes this year, and as long as things keep on going smoothly like they are, I'll be out of high school right on schedule. Report cards come out on the 10th, which means I will be able to drive. The van will be back on the road again, so expect to see the old brown stickered up van all over town all the time if you live here in Wilmington.

I think I'm gonna start posting on here a lot more often again and it will be less about just what I have been up to, but about stuff I've been thinking about and stuff I have ideas I want to share on.

Side note: The new Taylor Swift disc comes out November 11th, I'm pretty excited on that (Call me lame for it, but I don't care).