I started Christmas shopping early this year, on the 21st.  I made it to one store, spent over $1500, and bought skis for me and a snowboard for Shelley.  I decided instead of PCA and copious amounts of $8 Kaliks that this year I'm going to spend a bunch of time in Colorado.  Very stoked with purchase one.

The next day I lasted about 15 minutes.  I went to Fry's Electronics at Town Center to buy a Kindle for my Mom, a video game for my brother, and perhaps something for Jared.  I left without buying anything.  Pretty tough for me to do that, but they didn't have Kindles and the salesperson knew nothing about the other readers.

I drove over to the Town Center parking lot, and most of southern Las Vegas was there.  It was insane.  I had my 5pm breakfast at Yardhouse, walked outside, and got blasted by the coldest wind I've felt in a while.  Screw it I'm going home.  That's why you start shopping early imo.  I stopped at a Best Buy on the way home, again bought nothing, and resorted myself to online shopping and overnight shipping.  I bought the Kindle, it made it on time, and decided that I'd finish the rest on the 23rd.

I did, Shelley came back to town that night, and we drove down to Cali on the 24th.  Had dinner with my fam and Mom's side grandparents.  Twas good.

My sister started school at Ohio State this semester and is broke.  Instead of giving her cash straight up I decided to have her gamble it.  I traditionally torture her usually with how I wrap the present, but this time I made the present a self torturing torturer.  We played "Let's Make a Deal".  I put values on 26 cards ranging from $0.01 to $1000, played it exactly as the game is played, and acted as the banker to make her offers.  Round one went great for her, and then on round two she got nailed.  By round three she was left with the $400 case as her only big one remaining.  She pushed on and eventually took an offer of $121 with 4 cases remaining; $400, $75, $25, and $0.05.  Her next pick would have been the $400 case, and she held the case worth a nickel.  Good deal.

That night drove down to Shelley's fam's house, did Christmas this morning, and are now on th en the way up to OC for my extended family gathering that's always a blast.

Peace and Good Luck,