Soap MacTavish is My Scottish Lover.

So, by this point I'm sure you all have figured out that I am terrible at blogging when I say I will. Sorry if you got your hopes up, but really I haven't blogged because most of the time I sit around watching DVR'd programs and crocheting. It wouldn't even be interesting for me to post my crocheting since I'm making six of the same scarf...damn you friends and our mutual love of Doctor Who. Another thing leading to my downfall of doing anything interesting so I can blog is that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 came out on Tuesday. But, when I was peeing thinking about writing a blog post I realized that I can write something semi interesting to me about the role of Xbox in my life as...a bad hipped teen. (Also I finally did stuff worth blogging about). LET'S GET THIS JOURNEY GOING!
I guess I'll start with a life update since technically Xbox is my "what makes me happy blogject" item.

I had my first adventure out into the real world this past Friday. I finally convinced my parents to let me drive and by convinced I mean I said "I'm going and that's that". I didn't go too crazy with my new found driving freedom; I just went to hang out with friends. It was awesome being able to drive again.

Last Friday was also my last day of home physical therapy with Cherry Anne. She told me how amazed she was at my progress and said that I should be making huge strides once I begin out patient physical therapy (which happens next Wednesday).

On Tuesday I went down to see Dr. Kress's PA, Eddie. My gastroenterologist wants me to begin my Cimzia shot again, but since it slows healing Dr. Kress wanted to make sure my incision was healing well enough before I started Cimzia again. We got there and they made me put on the "x-ray cloth shorts" (afterwards I was like "Why did they do that? I could've just pulled down my regular pants").

Eddie said that my incision looked great and that once I hit a month out from surgery I can start my shot back up. He also gave me my orders for out patient physical therapy and explained how to use my recumbent bike. I really want to start exercising again, for my leg strength and weight loss (yeah, it's continuing, it wasn't just for surgery!).

Then when I was leaving the most exciting thing happened - I. Saw. Santa. Obviously on his days off Santa comes to get his bones checked out at the orthopedist! He's hard to see because I had to be stealthy while taking the photo. But, his beard was looking fabulous and his red suspenders made his belly look extra jolly.

After the surgeon my mom and I hit up the mall and I got red pants. Yes, I'm excited about red pants - it's the small things.

Now that the life catch up is out of the way: Xbox.

Whilst I was peeing I started thinking about how different my life would be if it wasn't for Microsoft and an internet connection. I got my Xbox when I got home from the hospital when I was 12. A friend had brought his over to play with me since I couldn't really go out or do things any normal 12 year old would want to do. My parents decided to get me my own Xbox since I was A) house bound, B) lonely, C) bored, and D) depressed.

When I first got my Xbox, Xbox Live wasn't even around. I used to hook mine up to a computer and access a jerry rigged fake Xbox Live. When Live did come out I got my gamer tag and started playing online. At first it was me just entering random matches, but soon enough I found a..."crew" of people that I still play with regularly. It's odd how much people on Xbox Live or my hip support forum or random internet places can feel like friends you know face to face.

Without my Xbox I wouldn't have grown into the geek I am today. I wouldn't be able to talk about pwning noobs with an assault rifle and sticky grenades (Halo). Every game I get is like an adventure into a new world - and while I don't really take gaming as seriously as some people, I love every game, every match, every new green game case as much as the last. Gaming is a large part of my life and probably will be up until I'm too old to understand the new fangled technology. I can't imagine the person I'd be if I never held an Xbox (or NES, Nintendo 64, Playstation, or Wii) controller, and honestly I don't even want to try and imagine the lame-o non-geek I'd be.

Jessica

P.S. Bigs in boxes. He actually climbed all the way up the shelves and was in the sewing machine box, but I couldn't snap a photo fast enough.