Tag: tradition

Photos: Thanksgiving

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I can’t really say that I’m thankful for a whole lot outside of the typical generic ones, like the people around me, but one thing that I am genuinely thankful for is that my life is, although often times erring on the side of boring, but somewhat stable.

My family drives me nuts from time to time, but that’s what family does.  My job might be kind of mundane and boring, but it affords me the ability to pay the bills and sustain my fairly simple life.

The benefit to stability is the fact that when things aren’t going so well for others, I can be at my peak condition of being able to offer help and support, because things aren’t necessarily that complicated in my own life.  And it’s cyclical; it goes without saying that stability isn’t achieved without a decent support system in place for me, if and when I ever need it.

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Maybe a Blue Friday this year

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Blue Steel Friday, that is.

I know it’s pretty much the Armageddon of capitalism every year, but I don’t really mind Black Fridays.  Sure, they’re stressful, exhausting and I’ve had my massive share of failures in the past, but I’ve also experienced triumphs and successes in acquiring big ticket items for substantial discounts and/or rewards.  Whereas there are lots of people who see Black Fridays as miserable commercial holidays of chaos, greed and materialism, I often see them as opportunities to make some smart purchasing.

Especially now that most merchants have actually moved into the twenty-first century and actually do as much peddling online as they do in-stores, it makes things a hundred times more efficient and less stressful, since I don’t have to wake up at 3 AM in order to wait in a line to get something I really want.

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Photos: Annual Pumpkin Carving

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I’m the kind of person who believes in the importance of having traditions and annual occurrences.  Without them, sometimes there aren’t always things to look forward to, and sometimes it’s just nice to know that there are going to be times when you know you’re going be in good company and have a good time.

Pumpkin carving at Stu and Allison’s is one of those traditions that I look forward to every year, and every year, I like to put a little bit of effort into carving out something unique and not necessarily easy.  This year, I decided to parlay my fandom of LoL into my pumpkin and carve out the most important things in the world – wards.  And since I’m apparently a try-hard overachiever, I decided to do two wards, so it didn’t seem like I was just doing it to say I placed one.

The green lights are LED lights and not actual flame, because I think burning copper or mercury or whatever it takes to generate green flame would have been somewhat of a hazard, for just pumpkin carving.  Maybe another year.

Anyway, I took a few pictures, and here they are for us to all admire the creativity and an enjoyable annual tradition.

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Photos: Thanksgiving and dog pictures

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

As has been a tradition for a few years now, Jen and I opened up our home’s doors to those of our friends that did not go home and/or to see family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  So instead of listening to awkward lectures and reasons why I’m living my life like an imbecile, I instead have the company of less judgmental friends, and we dine just like the majority of Americans do on Thanksgiving – with a big fat turkey, and tons of fatty rich sides, and then we play games all night long.

Oh, and I was also taking a lot of pictures of my dog in his awesome shark costume.

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Okay, it wasn’t really ruined

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Despite my proclamation that Black Friday was ruined, in the end, it didn’t turn out so bad for me in spite of my judgmental claims. I started shopping on the afternoon of Thanksgiving, and while the food was cooking, I made a few purchases, and felt pleased with myself for tackling things that I wanted, at good prices, and eliminating the need to wake up at 3:30 in the morning the following day.

All in all, I have to boast the things I managed to procure without even having to leave my house:

  • 23″ monitor
  • Canon point-and-shoot camera
  • 32GB SD card
  • Three sweaters
  • One pair of jeans

I stayed up until almost 3 am, after all my company had left, and perused through the varying sales that were already in full swing or were just beginning since it had turned midnight on PST. I didn’t buy anything else for myself, but I was so drunk with online shopping, that I helped acquire other things that they were looking for.

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Black Friday has been ruined this year

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I’m one of those weirdoes that in spite of whatever I may say, occasionally indulge in the insanity known as Black Friday.  Throughout the year, the closer it gets to November and Thanksgiving, I assess things that I either need, want, or both.  Over the last few years, in participating in Black Friday deal-seeking, I have come out with a variety of items, such as an Xbox, a Shop-Vac for my garage, and the stereo system in my bedroom, among various other things.

Whenever I succeed at getting the rare items and the things that I want, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, victory and smugness.  In the instances that I have failed to get the things that I want, I am upset, disappointed, and swear to never participate in Black Fridays ever again.  But typically, I do.

This year is kind of different, though.  I don’t have a very extensive list of things that I think I want or need; sure there are a few things, but nothing extravagant really, and nothing that seems to be an insanity doorbuster by any means.  I have my televisions, I have an Xbox, I have my gadgets; among the things that usually cause people to trample each other or shoot each other in parking lots, I’ve already got.

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Holiday tradition

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Jews have Chinese food on Christmas.  I have Waffle House.

As depressing and desolate as the imagery of Waffle House on a dreary, rainy Christmas afternoon is, believe it or not, it’s one of the things I most looked forward to doing on this day.  Two years in a row now.

I got a Keurig coffee maker today.  I’m on my second cup of coffee now.  Weekends and non-working days will never be the same again, but for the better.  No more no-coffee headaches, as long as I have K-cups.

Merry Christmas, everyone out there.