Everything’s updated. The link for the new Advert download is incorrect – I’ll fix that when I get home. It’s almost Christmas – this is probably the first year of my life that I’m actually more into Christmas itself that all the shit leading up to it. I’ve long touted the magnanimous glories of preliminary anticipation, but the combination of having zero time and having so much to do is making me look forward to what Christmas is really all about: a few days off and a fuckload of food. Finally finished shopping for my 10,000 relatives, and I must say, I am Santa Claus Reincarnate. I had no less than a dozen kids ages 1-15 to get gifts for, and through the magic of Amazon clearances and pot luck, it looks like I spent twice as much as I actually did. One of the best finds was for one of my younger nieces – it’s a big ass “Bratz” playset that normally goes for 110 bucks, marked down to 20. I’m living proof that people remember the gifts they got for decades and decades, and I know this particular niece will connect every success and moment of happiness of her life to the day I gave her the god damned stupid Bratz playset. Go me.

There’s a small group of us at work who order sushi for lunch roughly six times a day. In my short time being here, I’ve gotten much braver with what’ll try. (the Advent Calendar’s sushi entry was semi-inspired by this) I started off with California rolls, moved on to the many non-fishy fun rods, ultimately ending up where the party starts: raw fish, and lots of it. Though I’m not really down with the octopus crap and all that kinda junk yet, it’s becoming progressively harder to resist certain “specialty” rolls because the restaurants give ‘em such cool names. I mean, really, a “Godzilla Roll?” How am I supposed to turn down a chance to order food using the word “Godzilla?”
There’s a topical twist to all this: the pile of sushi shown in the lower part of that picture is called a Christmas Roll, a festive special combining rice, seaweed, avocado, caviar and too much raw tuna to create a Christmas-colored mass of something not from this world. I couldn’t really eat the thing (I can deal with the raw crap in small doses, but in fist-sized piles like that, I need hickory smoking), but it’s so pretty to look at. Perhaps I can have it shellacked and mounted on a stand among the many plastic Santas I sleep beside. Roe your boat.
What are you guys doing for Christmas this year?
Posted by Matt on 12/21/2004. E-mail me!










Chestnuts roasted by 







Hello everyone!
Welcome to the family again Jabo!
Those odds still sound good trajeal!
Details, details Jillybeann, we really want to know how big the rock is!
What did I get for Christmas? Well, since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell ya.
A new slimmed down verison of the PS2 (I feel bad as now I have three PS2s while my cousin still tinkers with his original and can’t get a new one due to not being able to find one)
(still hoping for that boy ya know?)
GTA: San Andreas (PS2)
Smackdown vs Raw (PS2)
Shrek 2 (PS2)
An Eyetoy (Why is it everytime a camera is on me I act like a total idiot?)
A Princess Bride book (with a heartwarming inscription by my wife, love ya babe!)
A Houston Texans nightlight
A Football remote control for the T.V. (I have the best in-laws!)
And a baby to be named later.
On that topic I present to you yet another reason (Reason 6,292) I need a boy:
I was in pink hell for Christmas. Not the pink hell you get by going down the girl toy aisles at stores, I mean right in my own living room. Other than my oldest getting a Cheetor Transformer (this due to her loving Cheetahs and my miserable attempt at trying to reform her a bit) and the younger one getting a Bratz doll (which I can’t stand to look at with those huge Angelina Jolie lips), everything they got was Barbie. EVERYTHING! Literally, Barbie all around: Princess and the Pauper Serafina talking cat, Princess and the Pauper microphone, Princess and the Pauper Castle, not one but two Princess and the Pauper Barbie horse drawn carriages, Princess and the Pauper Wedding Set, Princess and the Pauper Erika w/King Dominick, Princess and the Pauper Annelise w/Julian, Princess and the Pauper dress up clothes, Princess and the Pauper microphone (super annoying), Barbie Fun and Sun Power Wheels Jeep. Barbie Mermaid dolls (3), Rock and Roll Barbie, etc…
Funny thing is with all of this mounting debt, er I mean great gifts they received, my oldest was only upset that she ran over her Kinder Chocolate Santa while trying to drive the Barbie Car.
Reminds me of when I was 11 and running a real truck through my garage.
Good times, good times.
Semper Fi,
Erik Majorwitz
P.S. Oh Matt, the Advent Calendar ending was great, sorry if I didn’t heap enough praise your way this Christmas season.