Well, the holiday season has been most kind. Some ups, some downs, but overall another nice visit home both to cap off one year and to begin another.

Christmas got off to the perfect start for me just by having a few inches of snow on the ground when I landed on a cold Sunday afternoon. I was really hoping for a white Christmas this time around, and boy did I get it. The residual snow was enough to start with, but a few days later, we were bombarded with two sizeable snow storms. I was up bright and early to shovel the driveway for both, and if you can believe it, with a smile on my face. Oh, yeah, look at me like I'm nuts, but there's something majestic about staring up at a silver sky with crisp new fallen snow scattering the landscape. Even if it is pelting you in the face. But I will say this. You will never know just how good a cup of hot chocolate tastes until you spend an hour in twenty degree weather in the snow.

My Christmas list wasn't that big this year, but I still got a very nice bundle under the tree.
- Naruto Shippuden - Episodes 221 - 242 on DVD
- Bleach - Episodes 120 - 140 on DVD
- Hand made pajamas
- Cell Phone
- FYE Gift Card
- GameSpot Gift Card
- A whole bunch of thoughtful stocking stuffers

I certainly ate better too. I got my fair share of homecooking early. I didn't get to eat out as much as I wanted to though. I had a budget designated for lunch and dinner whenever I wasn't being treated to dinner with the family. But we spent a lot more dinners together at home. With my Dad going in for surgery within the week, we just wanted to make the most of the time we had with him before he was admitted to the hospital.

On that note, I would like to thank everyone who offered their kindness and support in the days leading up to my father's surgery. I stayed up all day and night on the day before he was brought in. Not that I was worried, so much as I was anxious, hoping this would be his long awaited road to recovery. We left home at four in the morning and got him admitted at the hospital at five thirty. We were only with him a short while before he was wheeled off to surgery. The hardest part was the waiting.

We were told it would be around 3 hours to complete the operation, which we could wait out in the waiting room. Come nine o'clock, no word. And then at ten... still nothing. Eleven, Noon, time slowly dragged on, and still no word. Now, there were other people in the waiting room, all waiting for the doctors or surgeons to come in give them news and progress. Me and my mother were two of the first people in the waiting room. And every hour, it seemed like everyone but us was being seen too. Naturally, by twelve in the afternoon, my mother was starting to get nervous. So she asked. Turned out my father was out of surgery, but only within the last forty minutes. There were some minor delays before he was initially operated on. And to some degree, she was relieved. The nurse told my mother that the doctor would be down shortly to give her a more thorough report. So, she anxiously sat back down again. No one came for another two hours.

Finally, my Mom asked again, telling the nurse at the desk she still hadn't been seen to by the doctor. The nurse placed a call, and thereafter we were told we could have a few minutes with my dad in the recovery room. It seemed that his blood pressure was a little low from the anesthesia, so they were giving him some fluids. My mom instantly teared up as soon as we got there. My father looked okay. He was a little sore, and alightly weak from having just gotten out of surgery, but I don't blame her for being so worried considering how in the dark we were about what was going on. Turns out the doctor was seeing to another patient and was so preoccupied, he'd forgotten. He called first thing the next day, and apologized to both my mother and father in person. All the staff testified that behavior wasn't typical of him, but on rare occasions he does forget, it's obviously in a big way.

That aside, he's doing much better now. He had to spend an extra night for observation, but he's doing great. Before, he could barely make it up and down a staircase without having to sit down immediatley afterwards. It would take it right out of him, and really hurt him. The day after his surgery, he climbed two flights of stairs with no problem whatever. Plus he's walking straighter, and much better. It's gonna be at least a month for him before he can start serious rehabilitation, but he's taking it slow and steady. That alone is enough to make me happy about starting off the new year right.

Speaking of another year, I'm now a quarter of a century. Yup, as of now I'm twenty-five years old. And still no sign of my artistic wings folding up on me. My parents got me a brand new Ghostbusters shirt and The Simpsons Movie. No cake, but we ordered from my favorite little Italian bistro. I'm hoping to stop in for one more bite before its time for me to fly back to Florida.

So, a breif recap:
Christmas was good for goodness sake
My father is feeling better and will no doubt be walking all over me again in no time
I level up another year, making me a +25 Fan Boy

One other great thing about my time home was that while I may have sacrificed some rest time for the sake of my father, I got to work out a few pages in my sketch book, so I'll have plenty of base work for getting more artwork underway once I get settled back into my regular routine. And on the subject of my art, I'd like to ask a small question to any of my watchers who'd be willing to give an honest answer, just for the sake of input. With the new year upon us, do you think I should do anything differently? And by that I mean should I lessen my fan work?

I'd really like to know what you guys think. Do you feel:
- No. Stay the course. Your gallery is consistant and you keep giving us more of what led us to you.
- Possibly. It never hurts to try new things. Keep doin' what you're doin, just spread it out more.
- Yeah. How bout start dipping into other shows for fandom. Maybe even some OCs while you're at it.

I just want to get an opinion. That's not to say I'm growing weary of BeastBoy and Raven pic, or TT in general for that matter. I just wanted to ask out of curiosity. I'm not guarenteeing I'll change anything. I just want to know.

Anyways, Happy New Year everybody. Hope you all started off on the right foot. And if you didn't, then there's nothing wrong with the left foot either. Take care.


Quote of the Day: "A smile is the only curve that can set things straight."


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Artists Who Never Cease To Surpass Expectations---->
- One of the first artists who inspired me to join DA.
- A Teen Titans artist for shippers and art appreciators alike
- Her comics, artwork, and creativity in general are a must see.
If you're a BeastBoy/Raven shipper and you don't know who this guy is, you don't know what you've been missing
- Few things have brightened my day like an update to his BB/Rae comic, but his skill in general and imagination really make him one of my favs.
- A fantastic artist who's BB/Rae work and general style I've come to admire.
- A fairly new artist who's dedication and growing skill with TT based work continues to grow more and more towards an accomplished fan artist.
- Long absent, but not forgotten, another superb Titans artist.

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Artists worthy of respect and admiration---->

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Clubs---->