A December to Remember

It is the month of Holidays, I’m currently on vacation, and I’ve stocked up on snacks just to enjoy it for the time being. I’m spending the time playing Final Fantasy 14, and just waiting for the snow storm tomorrow.

Christmas is over, and I want to thank Jim and Linda again for having me over, and thank everyone for the gifts. I’ll definitely make good use of the sardines, macadamia nuts, hot sauce, gift cards, and fleece hoodie. I enjoyed seeing everyone again for a couple days, and am grateful for the companionship and meals we all shared.

Jen went above and beyond, though. She snuck some of Luna’s ashes out of the container from the Vet and sent them to Spirit Pieces. I couldn’t really decide what to do with her ashes, and now I don’t really have to, because the art piece they sent is a beautiful testament to Luna’s memory. I’ll admit I cried a bit upon her passing even though I was expecting it given her age, so having this is a way to keep her memory alive.

Regarding Final Fantasy 14, I’ve finally made it to the Shadow Bringers expansion. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but the atmosphere is more adventurous somehow. The vistas convey a keener sense of exploration, complete with derelict ruins sinking haphazardly into forgotten sands. There’s not so much focus on political upheaval or banal militaristic posturing, but actual world-building. I’m definitely enjoying the story more, and I’ve heard Endwalker is similar quality. This should be interesting.

I discovered Netflix has Knight Rider and have been watching for old time’s sake. It clearly doesn’t hold up to my childhood memories of it, but that’s pretty much what I expected. I don’t really remember Knight Rider; the plots and drama are completely irrelevant to a 7-year-old’s brain. I remember the intro music, which I hummed during kindergarten class and is indelibly etched into my brain. I remember the action, where every episode featured a minimum of three jumps over various obstacles. I remember KITT.

Given all of that, I’ve amassed a series of humorous observations my adult brain couldn’t help but notice now that I’m halfway through season two:

• Obvious roll cage in a stunt car that another car landed on.
• KITT smashing through a camper that was clearly made from styrofoam.
• Several close-ups of KITT’s front end showing multiple paint chips in the “molecularly bonded” shell.
• Turbo-boost jump shots where KITT is definitely a model, complete with shiny smooth underside.

Night Rider was a live-action cartoon, and so it’s no wonder I loved it back then.

But now I have a date with my PC and a controller. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays of whatever description, and I’ll see you next year!