There is so much to do and be done this time of year
I like that I get to celebrate almost all the holidays inherent in this time of year. Yule passed a week and half ago, and last week was Christmas which I hadn't gotten to tell everyone about yet. Thus, let us start off where I last left you -- with me hovering over the precipice of my Treasure Hunt from Earl, waffling on whether to go on it while he slept.
I chose to and here is the write up of fun.
The Original Golden Wrapped Tiny Box
Contained a letter, which read
Amanda,
11 years of friendship is by far the best gift you have ever given me. In my opinion the only way to top that would be to tack on another 11.
So by now you're probably wondering why I wrapped this letter. Well, there is a gift attached to this, but you have to find it. :) I have hidden a few clues for your throughout the house and it's up to you to figure them out.
So, my best friend, I wish you all the best this Christmas and I look forward to our continued friendship full of fun, adventure, and love. Merry Christmas and let your hunt begin!
Always, Earl
Also, contained a slip of paper
Titled "Open After Reading Letter :)"
Clue Number I
Our lives seem to be a Hollywood movie script. It may not win an Oscar, but it has won an Emmy! Your next clue lies within the comedic video "documentary" collection of our lives.
If you can't remember, let me remind you. I was dead asleep the first time I read this. On three hours sleep after staying up til nearly dawn doing....something. The clue was still in my mind when I woke up many hours later. Dithered on whether to go looking, contemplating the words. And especially the references to Hollywood and comedy and documentary.
I'm the documentary fan, and I don't really do comedy while Earl does. I thought about documentaries I'd given him, because the quotation marks kept coming back to me.
When I finally got off my bed thought the next clue was hidden the first place I chanced to look. The only thing we've ever claimed was out life on tv. Under the plastic at the top of the Will & Grace DVD box set.Clue II
The year of waiting for you to come home from Korea I'm sure was nothing compared to how long you waited for me. It was comforting to know would always be there and always willing to talk. It didn't matter where or when or even How. Phone, IM, letters, texts, or a message in a bottle if it came to that. But not just any bottle, because we have taste. And your next clue lies on one of your favorites.
I was already in love with this by now. It's a litany of our world in tiny hints and beautiful things. I went away to Korea for fourteen months, Earl had moved away from Texas much earlier. For almost a decade. We were peas a carrots when we saw each in his trips down. But we never talked as much crossing distances as we did finally last year all the time.
The clue is about wine. We bought a collection when I first moved in that was passingly not-terrible, and across the last ten months of wine classes and outings and tastings and events. Our wine collection went from something we could pick anything from to give anyone, to one where we have to buy things for others, because we have favorites and perfect pairing matches in it.
We make the joke to each other when talking about it now that "we have taste now." This clue would take me over an hour to solve. Even if I did go to the wine bottles first. I pulled all of them half-way out, turning them over. When that failed I check my favorite hard liquor bottles. Then back to the wine rack. Then through the wine class binder and the bottles near it.
But the clue said my favorite. Back to the wine rack. Turning them in circles in their holders. Nothing on my favorite D’Asti or my new Blanc or Demi. Frustrated and still knowing I should have been waiting and unable to figure it out I moved back to my bedroom to wait his waking.
This lasted about thirty or forty minutes. Before I went back to the clue, unable to forget it. Staring at it and reading it all over. One of your favorites. My undisputed favorite in my D'Asti. So I walked over and pulled it all the way out, finally spotting what I hadn't before a piece of tape adhering something to the very bottom of it. I nearly facepalmed.
So close for so long and I'd never pulled it all the way out to check the bottom. Clue III
We have a lot of things in common especially when it comes to food, wine, entertainment, religion, decor and music. In fact, it was our taste in music that started this whole thing. For your next clue the decor of the room will hide your next clue. Right next to another of our "Popular" favorites.
This one was easy and fun! The first reference is that we met over music. Which we did. We met in the library at high school, looking at a Phantom of the Opera website and garnering the attention of the other. Our mutual, obsessive love of this story and singing its music sealed this deal for life.
My first thought, as I was reading, was that it would be the mask on the mantle with the rose through it. The first decor of Phantom to go up in the house, which is beside one of our high school pictures. But the reference to Wicked in the last line meant one thing and one thing only. It was to his art boarded masterpieces on the walls. Where I would find my next piece taped to the back.
(Huh. I just realized this pictures are the original set so they aren't decorated Christmas the house is. But I wanted a picture show of the fun, too. // Also, later I'd come to find out, the last line of my clue on this one was added so I wouldn't go directly to the fourth clue's answer.)Clue IV
Erik and Christine, How could it get any better? Well, your next clue lies with this line:
"You alone can make my song take flight.
It's over now, the music of the night."
It's not quite all over yet, but it's close. For this hunt, make the song take flight for your next clue. Be careful though cause there may be something else waiting for you as well.
This one was a no brainer! I have an ornament in the middle of the tree's front (heavy enough it takes two hooks) which is a music box playing these lines. It's the one Earl and Kat both loved playing with, and it's one that will always be on my tree, no matter not classic or colorful it ends up.
I was so excited I moved on to my next clue and forgot the warning/hint of its last line. (Some three or four hours later, when I did wake up Earl, he'd laugh and have to send me back to Clue IV, to find a pair of earrings sitting inside the hollow proscenium part of the ornamental stage.) Clue V
We've been through a lot, and only thing remains the same for me. You have always been my Angel and guiding light. So, it's no surprise your gift lies with ours. If ya look up, you'll notice. She's a little more shiny than normal.
Merry Christmas!
There I am standing at the base of my tree, peeling the hint off my ornament (which, who knows how that didn't knock the earrings out the first time) and looking up at our silver angel, who holds a snowflake (finally ending the jokes that her hand is out because she wants a 40). I took me actually pulling her down off the tree to finally realize what he meant.
There was a silver necklace hanging down across her, with its pendant hidden in the folds of her skirt. A gorgeous necklace in its own right, but picked because he knew I'd wanted another chain to wear my Glamourkins and small pendants on.
I totally bounded on his bed not too long after to thank him, which lead the earrings and laughing, and him sleeping more of course (because we really do live on completely opposing schedules for work and sleep), but it was a truly delightful Christmas Eve surprise. And I'm keeping even all my pieces of paper with their messages.
I chose to and here is the write up of fun.
The Original Golden Wrapped Tiny Box
Contained a letter, which read
Amanda,
11 years of friendship is by far the best gift you have ever given me. In my opinion the only way to top that would be to tack on another 11.
So by now you're probably wondering why I wrapped this letter. Well, there is a gift attached to this, but you have to find it. :) I have hidden a few clues for your throughout the house and it's up to you to figure them out.
So, my best friend, I wish you all the best this Christmas and I look forward to our continued friendship full of fun, adventure, and love. Merry Christmas and let your hunt begin!
Always, Earl
Also, contained a slip of paper
Titled "Open After Reading Letter :)"
Clue Number I
Our lives seem to be a Hollywood movie script. It may not win an Oscar, but it has won an Emmy! Your next clue lies within the comedic video "documentary" collection of our lives.
If you can't remember, let me remind you. I was dead asleep the first time I read this. On three hours sleep after staying up til nearly dawn doing....something. The clue was still in my mind when I woke up many hours later. Dithered on whether to go looking, contemplating the words. And especially the references to Hollywood and comedy and documentary.
I'm the documentary fan, and I don't really do comedy while Earl does. I thought about documentaries I'd given him, because the quotation marks kept coming back to me.
When I finally got off my bed thought the next clue was hidden the first place I chanced to look. The only thing we've ever claimed was out life on tv. Under the plastic at the top of the Will & Grace DVD box set.Clue II
The year of waiting for you to come home from Korea I'm sure was nothing compared to how long you waited for me. It was comforting to know would always be there and always willing to talk. It didn't matter where or when or even How. Phone, IM, letters, texts, or a message in a bottle if it came to that. But not just any bottle, because we have taste. And your next clue lies on one of your favorites.
I was already in love with this by now. It's a litany of our world in tiny hints and beautiful things. I went away to Korea for fourteen months, Earl had moved away from Texas much earlier. For almost a decade. We were peas a carrots when we saw each in his trips down. But we never talked as much crossing distances as we did finally last year all the time.
The clue is about wine. We bought a collection when I first moved in that was passingly not-terrible, and across the last ten months of wine classes and outings and tastings and events. Our wine collection went from something we could pick anything from to give anyone, to one where we have to buy things for others, because we have favorites and perfect pairing matches in it.
We make the joke to each other when talking about it now that "we have taste now." This clue would take me over an hour to solve. Even if I did go to the wine bottles first. I pulled all of them half-way out, turning them over. When that failed I check my favorite hard liquor bottles. Then back to the wine rack. Then through the wine class binder and the bottles near it.
But the clue said my favorite. Back to the wine rack. Turning them in circles in their holders. Nothing on my favorite D’Asti or my new Blanc or Demi. Frustrated and still knowing I should have been waiting and unable to figure it out I moved back to my bedroom to wait his waking.
This lasted about thirty or forty minutes. Before I went back to the clue, unable to forget it. Staring at it and reading it all over. One of your favorites. My undisputed favorite in my D'Asti. So I walked over and pulled it all the way out, finally spotting what I hadn't before a piece of tape adhering something to the very bottom of it. I nearly facepalmed.
So close for so long and I'd never pulled it all the way out to check the bottom. Clue III
We have a lot of things in common especially when it comes to food, wine, entertainment, religion, decor and music. In fact, it was our taste in music that started this whole thing. For your next clue the decor of the room will hide your next clue. Right next to another of our "Popular" favorites.
This one was easy and fun! The first reference is that we met over music. Which we did. We met in the library at high school, looking at a Phantom of the Opera website and garnering the attention of the other. Our mutual, obsessive love of this story and singing its music sealed this deal for life.
My first thought, as I was reading, was that it would be the mask on the mantle with the rose through it. The first decor of Phantom to go up in the house, which is beside one of our high school pictures. But the reference to Wicked in the last line meant one thing and one thing only. It was to his art boarded masterpieces on the walls. Where I would find my next piece taped to the back.
(Huh. I just realized this pictures are the original set so they aren't decorated Christmas the house is. But I wanted a picture show of the fun, too. // Also, later I'd come to find out, the last line of my clue on this one was added so I wouldn't go directly to the fourth clue's answer.)Clue IV
Erik and Christine, How could it get any better? Well, your next clue lies with this line:
"You alone can make my song take flight.
It's over now, the music of the night."
It's not quite all over yet, but it's close. For this hunt, make the song take flight for your next clue. Be careful though cause there may be something else waiting for you as well.
This one was a no brainer! I have an ornament in the middle of the tree's front (heavy enough it takes two hooks) which is a music box playing these lines. It's the one Earl and Kat both loved playing with, and it's one that will always be on my tree, no matter not classic or colorful it ends up.
I was so excited I moved on to my next clue and forgot the warning/hint of its last line. (Some three or four hours later, when I did wake up Earl, he'd laugh and have to send me back to Clue IV, to find a pair of earrings sitting inside the hollow proscenium part of the ornamental stage.) Clue V
We've been through a lot, and only thing remains the same for me. You have always been my Angel and guiding light. So, it's no surprise your gift lies with ours. If ya look up, you'll notice. She's a little more shiny than normal.
Merry Christmas!
There I am standing at the base of my tree, peeling the hint off my ornament (which, who knows how that didn't knock the earrings out the first time) and looking up at our silver angel, who holds a snowflake (finally ending the jokes that her hand is out because she wants a 40). I took me actually pulling her down off the tree to finally realize what he meant.
There was a silver necklace hanging down across her, with its pendant hidden in the folds of her skirt. A gorgeous necklace in its own right, but picked because he knew I'd wanted another chain to wear my Glamourkins and small pendants on.
I totally bounded on his bed not too long after to thank him, which lead the earrings and laughing, and him sleeping more of course (because we really do live on completely opposing schedules for work and sleep), but it was a truly delightful Christmas Eve surprise. And I'm keeping even all my pieces of paper with their messages.