Could the holidays get any better?

Hey to the reader,

First and foremost, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you guys are all enjoying your celebrations as much as I have been. In case you are wondering, the picture above is of my beautiful girlfriend Steff and I. At the moment, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, as we're still going strong, and things keep getting better and better. I spent 4 days in a row with her in the run up to Christmas day. We're utterly inseperable, and I love her to pieces. But I'm sure all who know me have heard me go on about her far too much, so I won't anymore.

This year, our family broke tradition. Usually, all our closest relatives come and spend Christmas at our house, and chaos is unleashed. Fortunately, my Mum was able to sit twiddling her thumbs. She passed on the baton (or thrown down the gauntlet) to my sister in law - wife of my brother, Merlin - Jo. Considering that they had just moved into a new house, Merlin and Jo did exceedingly well. Despite being able to pinpoint the exact moment when fatigue triumphed over Jo, the whole day was fantastic. It was great to spend the whole day in a new place and get more time with some of our less close family (the Nintendo Wii also provided loads of fun and was very well recieved).

Although I didn't much on actual Christmas day, I couldn't be more satisfied. I got some really cool, if unexpected gifts. One of the best things was Pulp Fiction on DVD. I had always heard good things about the film, but nothing really prepared me for how wicked it is. It's the sort of film where there is a lot of dialogue, but it is so brilliantly written, that some of the best scenes are when nothing really happens. I thoroughly recommend it to all who love film.

I have recently got back into snowboarding, as I'm going to California in February half term with my school. Rekindling the sport has made me realise what a great feeling powering down a slope is. Although I've had some trouble on balancing on my toeside edge, I'm sure I'll be fine once I get back onto real snow and have a good instructor behind me. California will be brilliant, as we're going to places like Universal Studios and LA. One problem it presents is that I'll have to spend an entire week without seeing Steff - the longest time so far - and of all the times it could be, it clashes with Valentine's day. I'll make sure to treat her before or after that week though.

Hopefully we'll hit a time when the dollar is at its weakest, so anything we buy will be extremely cheap compared to in the UK. If you want anything from the US, now is the time to ask!

That's probably the most major event coming up in the next few months, I think I've also got a Science exam coming up in March, which should be, fun...
In the meantime, I hope you guys have a great time, however you're celebrating the new year. Don't get too drunk, and drive home safe kids. I'll probably see most of you at school on Wednesday, if not I'll catch up with you all next year!

Best Wishes and love to a certain special someone,
JoeMI6

Christmas comes early

Hey to the reader,

Been a while, but better late than never I guess. I've had some great times in the past weeks, and am eager to tell you guys all about them. I'll start at the beginning. Two weeks ago, our school had an occasional day (day off) on which I rekindled my love for snowboarding, and went to an awesome birthday party - the props go to Simon on that one.
Here's a pic of the winning team (our team):
I have also been to another great party recently, my friend Patrick had a house party, in which we all had to go as something beginning with the letter P. I went as a pimp. Here are some pictures from the party:

There were some great outfits and cool music, thanks to Patrick for letting us effectively trash his house!

I have also been to see the awesome Tenacious D movie, along with Casino Royale. I recommend them to anyone who likes action and has a sense of humour. Daniel Craig is probably the best Bond in the best Bond film yet.
I have also been counting down to the release of the Nintendo Wii (today), however, in the past few days, something much more important made me almost totally forget about that.

For an extremely long time, I have had feelings for a girl. Not just any girl. This is the sort of girl that blows you away, literally. She is visually stunning, but once you have picked your jaw up off the floor and start listening to what she has to say, you become even more amazed. I have talked with her for hours and not got bored, and there came a point where I realised that as close as I was being her friend, it could be so much more. After two days of trying and failing to tell her my feelings, I met her surprisingly, and just couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Her initial shock was worrying at first, but then I saw a smile break upon her face. That smile told me everything. Now, we're together, and I don't think I've ever been happier. That's why this post is dedicated to Steff.

Unfortunately, now I have to yield a little. My geeky side wants to do a review of the Nintendo Wii. So here goes, I'll try and make it brief.
Here's the box what you'll find inside:

I ripped the box open as if my life depended on it, and I was not disappointed.

These are the controllers I have. They are comfortable to hold, easy to get to grips with and really responsive.

These are the games I got. Originally, I didn't order Wii play, but the extra controller I got with the console came with this as well!

Here's the moneyshot of the little beauty. I can imagine this going well in any room in the house. It works like a charm, with no lag that I can see, and the whole thing is just brilliant.

Verdict: I think this is the best Nintendo console yet, and will continue to amaze me. It's not gimmicky, it is a whole new breakthrough in gaming. Buy one, or miss out.

As you can see, I've had a great time these past few weeks, and Christmas is yet to truely arrive. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to play some Zelda...

Best Wishes, and love to a special someone,
JoeMI6