Happy Thanksgiving!

Ours was a quiet one with a lamb roast, couscous with pine nuts, and candied yams. Followed by lots of pumpkin pie :)

No, we didn't do the sales thing on Friday/Monday. Its never at a good time of the month for us, coming after two family bdays. Besides the best deals tend to be big ticket items we wouldn't be looking at anyway.

We spent the day putting our Christmas tree up and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. We watch it every year, if nothing forbids. It adds so much to the day, like everybody in New York City is celebrating with you. I think its amazing those parades are never taped & repeated on television later or online anywhere, you know? They repeat everything these days...except for the Thanksgiving morning parades.

People work all year to make it happen and even with all the recording media handy and all the sponsors for this national shindig, when its over - its over. Unless you make a copy for yourself, your memories are the only thing you can share.

I suspect it must be too long to host. Mind you, if the ads & lengthy interviews with the 'stars of NBC's hit show XXX' were dispensed with...they could probably get 3 hrs down to 1. :)

It just occurred to me that I have never seen a full-length "Hits of the Macy's Day Parade" dvd or video or anything like that...ever. (I just checked Google, and I don't see a record of one either.) On the one hand, it guess gives my kids some slight experience with what tv was like growing up...no VCRs, DVDs or ipod files - on the other hand, its seems kind of weird that that these clips are the best I can do to share an annual institution with you.





A lot of these were in this year's parade too, so that helps a bit. :)

Zelda gets to play!

Okay..so I already mentioned on Facebook that Muzzled - the 3rd episode of the Wallace & Gromit adventure series is free this weekend on the TellTale site (its free through Nov 9th)

AND that all their seasons are $20 through Nov 9th - almost half off!

Still...not everybody who reads this blog, reads my Facebook page, so while I apologize for the repetitions, I felt it worth mentioning once again. ;)

After looking into the Telltale goodies...I checked another email and found more video gaming wonderfulness - if you're a Zelda fan, anyway. The upcoming Zelda: Spirit Tracks looks very promising, as far as gameplay goes. Its about time Zelda got a turn alongside Link.

I am very happy Nintendo has continued the Wind Waker world. IMNSHO The Wind Waker is as iconic as Ocarina of Time or Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. Its my personal favorite. Since I've been a fan of the Zelda series since the first game, I feel that's saying something. I just wish they would make a Wii version with the original cel-shaded look of the first game. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass suffered a bit for being shrunk to DS size. The trailer suggests Spirit Tracks is going to be just the same. If the game is good enough, this is forgivable. Honestly, it was that irritating timed main labyrinth...which you had to start from the very beginning EVERY TIME that ruined Phantom Hourglass for me (and MANY others, according to the reviews)...and even that lead balloon didn't get too heavy until I was more than halfway (maybe 2/3) through it. I was happily immersed for some time in the ship challenges & little islands quests. Phantom Hourglass was quite fun aside from that one central dungeon. Hopefully they won't repeat that error...and since its the same team & pattern, I feel quite hopeful that Spirit Tracks will be a keeper.

Video Games | Zelda: Spirit Tracks | Exclusive Zelda's Secret Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Where'd I go?

I just realized how badly I've neglected this blog since being talked into joining Facebook. Don't get me wrong, I also neglect my Facebook page quite a lot. lol It has, however, been a getting a lot more of my blog time than I figured it would.

I've been offline mostly. DH is still healing slowly but surely. I finished those crochet ponchos for the other family members just in time for the cooling weather (My Mom finished mine. :) I also sewed some pillow cases (some I embroidered) and I made a few clothes. We're back into homeschooling, of course...and tis the season for some family birthdays. No matter how much is made or found for those, it all takes time. Maybe I will get some pictures up soon of some of my recent crafts. I've been meaning do that too. heh

We actually have some fall weather this year! I am LOVING it. Usually its late November before we have many 'cocoa' days, but we have had a number of mildly chilly days since early October. The leaves are just gorgeous. I've been too busy to get many pictures, sadly, but perhaps DH or DD have gotten some extra I can share. We'll see.

and then there's how I spend my 'free' time... I think I admitted to playing Legends of Zork awhile back. Its still free and still family friendly. I still like it, and check in occasionally, though its seeming a tad repetitive now. Wish they would add other gameplay bits sometime this year...

Years ago, a number of online friends recommended a free online game to me called "Kingdom of Loathing," and lately another group of friendly acquaintances talked me into giving it a whirl. Its turned out to be a very amusing rpg, but not precisely family-friendly fare given its emphasis on alcohol use, its moderated -but largely unfiltered- chat room (optional), and a number of PG - PG 13 refs.

They do keep the naughtiness down a bit. I'd say KoL is on par with, say, a COPS 2.0 episode. Its a little more restrained than current prime time dramas, but not nearly as family friendly as Funniest Home Videos. Maybe that will help you decide if its in your comfort zone. Its pushing mine at times, and after too many hours watching TV with my recovering spouse (especially in hospital rooms where we didn't have that much program control) I am a lot less sensitive than I was during the years we chose not to have cable.

I had planned to finish the story, at least, but - honestly- I am already having trouble fitting it in anywhere. There have been enough references to classic games in the RPG & adventure genres that I was looking forward to spotting the next allusions. I have enjoyed much of the humor too. In fact this game has a lot of the fun of the old text adventures, given that most of its 'graphics' are actually silly descriptions. Who knew you could have so much fun with stick figures?

and..oh yes, we've still got a number of irons in the fire in other directions too, as some of you may remember. I don't care to announce those until I am finally ready to show you something substantial. November is now writer's month, and that's where I am concentrating my other efforts....when I can find the time. In the interim, I recommend some lovely cocoa.