One week before Christmas Eve (Dec 17th) my mom and I went out Christmas shopping at the local mall. We bought presents for my dad and niece and had a really good time together. You know family bonding and all that.

My niece was especially spoiled by my mom. My mom always asks her “What kind of love do we have?” and my niece always answers: “Forever love”. So my mom got her a customized heart pendent. On one side it says… well it’s obvious what both sides say I guess. But it’s really cute and apparently it was a huge hit with her when she opened it on Christmas Eve. She’s a good kid though and she’ll remember it forever.

We went to Red Robin afterwards. I’d not been there before but I certainly wish to go back. Mmm… their milkshakes are sooooo good. Great hamburgers and spicy fries too.

Got to use my new cell phone I’d just gotten that day when we had to split up and find a way to meet up. Having something ring in my coat pocket nearly gave me a heart attack. Take some getting used to.

Managed to get a treat for myself too. A new, fancy beard trimmer which is great as there’s no attachments you just move the dial to the setting you want, you can use it charged or with a cord, came with a case to keep it all in, and it even vacuums the hairs up as you trim reducing the mess. I also got a… uh… nose hair trimmer because apparently that is needed now. *sighs*

Mostly what I’ll remember though is just spending some time with my mom and getting a little Christmas cheer which almost managed to go by without my noticing this year. It came and went so fast!

Looking ahead to next year… I’m hoping… there might be another woman to spend my holiday with too. Where oh where are you my dragoness?

My favorite gifts that Santa brought me this year (i.e. my very loving family):

Dragon Ring: Imagine the ring with a very deep purple/blue stone depending on the light. I’ve named the dragon “Whimsy” of course! It’s my very favorite gift this year.

The Razer Naga MMO Gaming Mouse: It’s hard to get used to but once I do look out! Will I finally stop being a point & clicker? Hope so! It looks even sexier in person with the blue being daker and more eerie and the logo fading in and out. It looks like it has been enchanted. A mouse of the arcane indeed. Who needs engineers?

Dragon Age: Origins: I’m all about storytelling and Bioware always delivers. However this time I’m told they have really upped their craft. I’ve barely started but already the lore is the most in-depth I’ve ever seen from an original setting with no prior games. Even only having dipped my toes in so far there is a feeling of being part of a truly epic story. The music, the character interactions, the lore, I think this is going to be something really special. And the mapmaker is supposed to be incredible. I can’t wait to tinker with that too!

In addition I got the collector’s edition of the strategy guide which includes 50 pages of lore that the normal version does not as well as additional pages with concept art, an interview with the creators, and it is also hardback. I mention it because it is the most enjoyable strategy guide I can remember buying. Though it has the usual walkthroughs a good portion of the book is dedicated to FUN stuff. Lore, tactics, character builds, and how to interact with the characters. And the production values are fantastic. I enjoy just looking through it.  The World of Warcraft strategy guides could learn a thing or three from this one. I highly recommend this version of the strategy guide to anyone interested in the game.

To everyone out there I hope you got the sugar plums you were dreaming of as well.

If 2010 is the year that is supposed to be the turning point in my life then what exactly are my goals for this year? What am I aiming for?

After all if I were a character in World of Warcraft I’d be trying to do specific things to earn an achievement right?

It’s a good way to approach something in real life too. It helps keep you focused. So without further ado here are my goals for the year 2010…

The 2010 questline:

-Dragon Ring: I’ve found a ring that is just me. I must have it. It has nothing to do with changing myself for the better but the self-image I have of myself has me with this ring. It’s like I can feel it there on my finger already. It might be shallow or materialistic but I just want it and it will serve as a constant reminder of what I’m working for during the coming year. And when I’ve reached where I want to be it will serve as a reminder of how far I have come. I imagine it will become quite sentimental to me.

-Dragon Age: Origin mapmaker: This game really seems to have all the tools needed to tell your own epic story. I’d really like to delve deeply into it’s editor and see what I can do. Sounds like an awesomely creative thing to do.

-Find my dragoness: I hope to be settled enough in my life to at least be keeping a look out for a possible future Mrs. DragonWhimsy. And who knows I just might run into her this upcoming year.

-Get a dependable financial income & become more independent: Pretty simple. Time to become a real person. Like mature and stuff. Well not really but as close as I’ll ever get short of having children.

-Get mounted: Having done the above I really need dependable transport.

-Learn to draw dragons: Having completed and gotten decent in all the techniques and poses in chapter one of DragonArt. Have fun!

-Research/world building/outline for “the project”: Finish these for my novel series and hopefully begin full out writing. It’s a busy year so full fury writing will have to be one of 2011’s goals.

-Switch from briefs to boxers: For serious. Sometimes one does something just because they always have. But time for a change. Boxers are more comfy, can show more individual personality, and I personally find them both more relaxed and more sexy.

-Well groomed in an on-going manner: Not that I didn’t bathe or brush my teeth or anything. But there’s just being hygienic and there’s being SHARP. I’d like to err a little more toward the sharp side.

As mentioned in my last post I have set myself a goal of where I want to be… a person I want to become… and that I have a year to get there. Not being one to waste time I’ve taken the first few steps along that journey already.

Step one: I’ve always wanted to draw. Well no more excuses. With some of my birthday monies I bought DragonArt by J "NeonDragon" Peffer. This book is 127 pages of easy to follow instructions on how to draw dragons.

I’ll say right now I love this book.

It’s in full color, softbound but of high-quality glossy paper, and attractive and well laid out. The artist’s *cough* whimsical humor is evident throughout. And it is very easy to follow along.

She starts off with an introduction that introduces the reader to some basic concepts and then launches right into how to draw a basic dragon, slowly advancing the reader step-by-step to drawing ever more complicated dragons, covering many different angles and poses.

I have yet to begin my instruction using the book but it looks easy enough the way she has it laid out. And the fact the book is in full color is more than just eye candy, as the lines you are to draw in the current step are in red while the previous lines are in blue, making it very easy to keep track of what it is you’re supposed to be doing.

All-in-all it looks like a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see how far I’ll come on dragon drawing by my next birthday (see why it’s such a good birthday gift?).

Step two: I’ve been looking back into the past in recent weeks and I’ve realized I’d really wished I’d been journaling all these things. It doesn’t seem right that my character’s lives are chronicled so well but I pay so little to writing about myself until heartbreak comes.

All that changes now. I will be on a journey of sorts over the next year and it should be chronicled even if just for myself. It will keep me on track. Very important if I want to get where I want to go.

I’ve started a new blog which will act as my journal. You know… for the typist. Yeah seriously. For real even.

This has the added benefit that DragonWhimsy.net can go back to being what it was supposed to be about: character fiction and role-playing articles (the later of which I DO intend to start posting like I originally promised).

And for that reason, THIS blog was born.