With three holiday parties within the first week of December, it seems like the holiday season is starting earlier each year. For the ALTA party, we returned to Asian Pearl for banquet-style Chinese food and an OCT talk. Next was a holiday luncheon at my research mentor’s house, where he cooked up a storm for the 100+ guests in attendance. Our departmental holiday party relocated to Elk Grove this year, where we actually won the money tree raffle despite missing out on the dancing. Perhaps the most exciting holiday news, however, was the return of the Star Wars franchise. Having secured tickets weeks ahead of time, we left promptly after Friday clinic for noodles and ice-cream before getting in line with my fellows for the late night showing of The Force Awakens. The new cast of young actors was fun to watch, despite a somewhat dated script that felt like an Episode IV deja vu. We returned home seeking more retro fun and found it with Fallout 4. It has been 7 years since Bethesda’s last entry in this series, and the new journey through the Greater Boston Commonwealth did not disappoint. Playing a female lead, and this time accompanied by a canine companion, we set out of Vault 111 once again to battle raiders, ghouls, super mutants, and those darn bloatflies. With our upcoming long weekends, we’re looking forward to staying in for some hearty holiday gaming.