Christmas 2009: That's A Wrap (Take 2)

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFTS: OK, maybe I'm not supposed to have a favorite gift or two, or maybe I am supposed to keep quiet about any favorites, but I just can't help it. ALL of the gifts I received this year were amazing, and I appreciated each and every one, but there were a couple that really made my day...

1. I-Turtle: I LOVE my melancholy bee-bopping pet. My nephew Jacob saw him and said that Aunt Mel just had to have one, and so now I do. (There is a long story behind how I came to like turtles and ended up with several decorative turtles and even a stuffed animal, but that is for another day.) Anyway, isn't he adorable?

The I-Turtle is great company when he gets enough tunes to groove to, but we’ve got to work on his moodiness. He gets pathetically sad or tragically ill when he doesn’t get fed (i.e. there is no music playing). Yes, his food (music playing near him) is rather cheap, which works great for a girl on a budget, but I'm not always here to "feed" his need. He also doesn’t like his tail being touched at all, and he lets you know it.

He loves music, but he can be finicky at times. He was sure head-banging to the new Switchfoot CD last night, but he wasn't quite as enthused with an older Michael Buble tune, which made me laugh. Not sure what that says about his musical tastes really. I'm not going to judge him. He's young. And my music collection is pretty eclectic. Hopefully after repeated exposure, he will adapt and come to appreciate more musical stylings. I want him to be a culturally well-rounded I-Turtle after all. What parent doesn't want that, right?

He indicates his mood or delight in the music by his behavior: head bobbing, foot tapping, tail wagging, buzzing noises and his shell raising up and down. He also indicates his mood through the color displays on his shell. Different color sequences indicate his present mood, and there is even a small handbook that explains what the various color sequences mean. Talk about a complicated little pet. He’s adorable and all, but now I have some serious pet training to conduct as well as more research. Hee hee!

Actually, he has been good company for me this week and has kept me rather amused. OK, so he technically prefers to hang out with electronic devices like my stereo or MP3 player rather than cuddle or play tug-a-rope. BUT he does communicate how he is feeling, and everyone knows that communication is key in a new relationship, and so I think this could work long-term, provided I have batteries on hand. But first things first. It is time this turtle had a name. What does one name a pet I-Turtle? Any suggestions? I'm stumped.

2. New T-shirt: My sister and her family got me a new t-shirt that I love. It makes me laugh every time I see it in my closet or wear it. It says: Does this shirt make me look tall? Isn't that great? You know, I feel taller when I have it on. Ironic! I'm posting a picture with me wearing the shirt. You probably can't see the added height in this snapshot since I was sitting down, but I'm guessing you all can sense my tallness...