The M-1 Abrams Holiday Roundup

Since I have been home, I haven't really had a spare minute to just sit and relax, much less post something on here. With various errands, chores, Christmas shopping, and working, I've been as busy during this break as I am up at school. Let me catch all of you (and I honestly doubt there are many) up to speed:

- I have been working non-stop at News 12 since I've gotten home. Being the holidays, people were taking vacation days and calling in sick all over the place, and I was there to fill in. This is fantastic, except I still had a fair amount of shopping to do, and it was hard to get done when I would be called in a lot. Fortunately, now that Christmas is over, I really have nothing more to do, so the work will be appreciated. However, I suspect that since the holidays are over, less people will be calling out, and I will be getting fewer hours. Such is life.

- Work was real hectic the first week, simply because of the transit workers strike in New York City. Since breaking news and new info was coming out randomly and at all hours, everyone there was pretty tense; their nerves were shot, and you could feel it in the air. In fact, during one news conference where we had to break in live, I saw people screaming at each other, producers and directors running around at full tilt, and just general hysteria breaking loose. Before the strike was officially announced, nobody was sure when the word might come from the transit union, so they needed to keep the place staffed 24 hours a day, and one night I worked from two in the afternoon to three in the morning. It was all rough, hectic, and stressful, especially considering things are still relatively new to me and I'm not there all the time, but hopefully I made a good impression with the boss and I made some good money.

-I was having trouble thinking of a Christmas gift, and I was coming down to the wire searching for something my parents could get me for the holiday. I told them all I could think of was a big TV, since all the other gadgets and gizmos I have are still in good working order, but that was out of the question, since they're thousands of dollars. One morning, I walked downstairs, and my parents confronted me, saying that if I wanted as a combined Christmas and graduation gift, they would get me a new TV. We searched around all day for one, and finally settled on an LG 37-inch LCD HDTV. I know, I know, I'm spoiled rotten, I'm aware. But I don't really get spoiled by them anymore, and I do feel guilty.

That is until I turn it on. We got an HDTV cable box, so I can get HD programming in various sorts. We bought the set about a week before Christmas, and since it was so big and wouldn't really fit anywhere else, we set it up in my room early, however I was not allowed to watch it until the 25th. I had to sit with my regular TV plugged in in front of it for days.



Looking at the picture gives you a good sense of not only how huge the new TV is, but also how crazy it was making me to have this beautiful piece of technology sitting in front of my face and not being able to partake in its sweet, soothing digital glow. Finally, Christmas day came, and I was free to wallow in my own crapulence.



The TV has been the focal point of my life for the past few days. I only get a handful of channels which take advantage of the HD, so I've been watching shows I have no interest in just to look at the amazing picture quality. I've watched more PBS in the last four days than ever in my life. I'm anticipating the release of the PS3 even more now so I can take full advantage of the new games/Blu-Ray system.

- Despite getting arguably the best Christmas gift I've ever received (Red Ryder BB gun excluded), I still did fairly well on Christmas Day. Kristin got me about ten books, including a cookbook designed for those who want a big variety but have limited cooking appliances/experience. I got a remote control holster thing to hold my now plethora of controllers next to my bed, the obligatory socks/underwear, the seventh season of the Simpsons, a samurai sword set, and other knicknacks making for all in all a very merry Christmas.

Today I have a day off, and it is miserable outside, cold and raining, so today has become a good day to just sit in my room and do absolutely nothing. I might go to the gym later, but that's about it. Our New Year's plans are still up in the air, still might be going into the city, but not in the same nature as previously thought. I also have to work New Year's Day at 12:30, so I can't really go overboard.

Now you're all caught up on my life. Hopefully I'll still be working a lot, and maybe try to sneak some fun in on the side, before I go back to school.

Until then, Happy New Year.




Happy Holidays from Black Mamba!