Whispers in the Windstorm

Before I post:

HOLY CRAP! They came out with a Fifth Element DVD - with extras! TONS of 'em!

OK, now back to the show.

( A LOTR deck you don't care about )

Events in recent history that have been up to now undocumented because I've been freaking busy at work (and my hips and legs have been plaguing me like the devil himself):

( Kinsey. )

( My one-year anniversary with Myra. )

( Christmas. )

There's more Christmas presents to talk about, and more that happened (Kat hit me with a shopping cart!), but I gotta get ready for work. Watch this space.

Eat Snacky Smores - this new Year.

...but first, I gotta get this out of the way.

Pork loin, soft-shelled turtle and bananas? What is Chairman Kaga smoking?

My Thanksgiving holiday was quite the blurry mess consisting of a few activities. I slept a fair amount, I had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner, I played some Half-Life (for which I have a separate post when I get home again, I remind myself), and we went to see National Treasure, which I thought was enjoyable and at least not easily deniable as a possibility. My brother tried to claim that he liked it, but his first words about it were "As long as you maintain a suspension of disbelief..." or words to that equivalent. He was already trying to talk himself down from calling the movie a load of unrealistic crap, in my opinion. Then again, the idiot went and ordered popcorn, too. I should have punched him more than I did. :(

The rest of the weekend, almost to an hour, was spent playing Ratchet and Clank 3. I think it was Playstation's magazine review that summed up the reason for that. "The game never gives you a reason to set it down." There are battle missions, Annihiliation Nation, Clank missions, Giant Clank missions (or rather, a mission), pebble missions (which is what I call the missions where the map view pulls back and lets you rotate the world), and I think between twenty-five and thirty weapons, all with different applications and different modes and evolutions as they become their Level 5 versions. (I still think Insomniac is right to deny the RYNO the first time through the game - it would be a LOT less fun with this thing in the standard loadout. I'm not sure I ever got it in Ratchet 1 - might go back to that.) I actually won this wonderful game (at least the first time) just as Chris was leaving Sunday evening. I believe the play clock shows I'd put in thirty-eight hours of play time getting there. (And I'd be willing to be a good ten of that was spent in Annihilation Nation.) The good news is that the second time through, the bolts, trophies, skill points and weapons are all still there - and the upgrading from Mega to Giga to Omega is two less steps than before. (I'm REALLY hoping that I'm not asked to make the Omega RYNOcerator, though - as good a weapon as that is, that'd be a LONG time, methinks.) I also already picked up the Nano Finder Trophy for getting my health to 200. Only trophy left to acquire, I suspect, is the Weapon Finder, when all the weapons are maxed out. Then it simply remains to take out Dr. Nefarious for the second time (as I'm actually already AT the final planet) and I can shelve the game as a wonderful set of memories and stories. Only a few PS2 games have achieved that honor for me - the only one I can think of now is Silent Hill 2, but even then I suspect there's a lot of unlockable stuff I might not have seen. I won Ratchet and Clank 2, but not 1 - still should go back to that. Oh, and fie on Insomniac for letting me keep the charge boots but making me equip them - that sucked.

Yesterday evening, after a morning and afternoon of relatively productive work, was pretty reasonable. But I had a wonderful lunch at Walker Brothers with Matt - making it three times I ate there in five days. (Chris only went twice - nyahh nyahh.) I still marvel at people who pick up the menu at Walker's. It's like going to Mount Olympus and asking about the chicken. You go to Mount Olympus, you order the ambrosia. Pure and simple. (And while this is my personal opinion, my experience with the sheer physical ecstasy that food can bring suggests that it might be more generally applicable than other, less weighty opinions.)

After burning up some of our plan's remaining 38 minutes for the month (which I suspect are now closer to one or two left), I managed to keep AIM radio silence long enough to build two LOTR decks. I posted them for Matt R. to review - for which I was widely chastised. Silly people don't realize I've posted probably eight to ten decks now, plus other LOTR commentary. Some of it is for my reference - so perhaps I will mark it private at some point. Some of it, I could consider deleting as entries, especially as the decks are built, tested, and probably taken apart already in one or two cases. But it's my history, too. I'm reluctant to get rid of it. But the current decks definitely need to be visible - unless someone can convince Matt to log in again, something I have decided is not terribly likely. I rewarded myself by launching AIM - deathly few people online at 10PM, apparently - and playing some RC3. At midnight, I reloaded my MP3 player and headed out to Dominick's. Picked up ingredients for the fiber muffins and a variety of sundries.

This morning's going well. I cleared out most of my day-to-day workload yesterday, so I'm...page counting between bits writing this entry. I've got some of my LOTR inventory with me, so I'll start pulling cards for the decks at lunchtime, and I'll clear out some sleeves at the same time. Haven't seen Brian since the 18th - looking forward to tonight.

Eat Snacky Smores - because I do, too.

Friday evening, after work, I stopped at Barnes and Noble. For once, a relatively painless transaction! I went in, stated the problem, a clerk pulled a duplicate from stock, it was opened and examined to confirm all ten tapes where there, and it was released to me! Ain't no thang. :)

But a blemish. Approximately twenty minutes after I left work, I realized that I'd left the phones on forward, not on night mode. Having done that last week, there was no way I could let it go again. So after I got home, the family went to Walker's (where we picked up a spare order of Forty-Niners that we gave to Chris later), then we went home and packed. Took me a bit to get everything I wanted, but the Bag O' Doom was not challenged. (The trunk was, however.) We loaded the car, got gas, drove out to work, and then picked up I-94 for the trip out. (Turns out that two calls had gone in before this, so I started today in a little trouble - but I wayyy outbalanced that by having come in from Lake Zurich that night to fix it. Yayyy!) By this time, it was after 9PM, so traffic was relatively non-existent, except for one stretch in (hah-hah-hah) the express lanes. I started my new book on tape over again, so that Dad could listen - but he fell asleep rather rapidly. So, I listened to it all again. I like doing that with the early tapes in a book - sets the central concepts in mind so that you can find your way better when things get complex and fast.

We got into Chris' place somewhere around 1AM. He showed me some Final Fantasy X-2 scenes he'd taped to VHS, and I checked email and chatted briefly. Then I went to bed, sleeping on his couch.

Saturday we got up around noon, and went to IHOP for breakfast. Lovely IHOP. Had their multi-grain pancakes and got to torment Chris a little while he tried to play Bejeweled for Palm at the table. The nerve of it! It's no better than reading at the table. I was highly offended.

(Wanders away for three minute laughing jag, returns.)

Very offended. After that, we went back to Chris', and I played 3 in Three while we waited for his friend Brian to join us. We drove out to what is probably the best comic/game shop in Michigan - Fanfare Comics in Kalamazoo. Anyone in the area is highly encouraged to visit. Comics, graphic novels, magazines, RPG books, board games, CCGs, CMGs, video games, DVDs (including Doctor Who, Lori), and most supplies that those hobbies entail. It doesn't compete with Games Plus as a game store, but it has more for someone interested in the many subparts of the geek/gamer spectrum of interests. We hung out there looking around for an hour. I got myself:

1 pack Rebel Storm
4 packs Champions of Kamigawa
1 RPG book
2 books of Fastner and Larson art (both of which were amusingly covered with little blue button tabs)
1 surprisingly found DVD
2 3-lane shoeboxes

Money spent - probably too much, but it was all good.

We went back home after that, and then Brian and his wife Chris met Dad, Chris (my brother) and myself at Hong Kong Kitchen for a perfectly wonderful dinner. I had the General Tso's Chicken, as always - and it was very good. (Though oddly enough, even though I first found Green Garden's General Tso's Chicken weird, I think I like it more now - it's spicier.) We went back home and watched Murder on the Orient Express. I had forgotten a line from near the beginning that tickled my fancy. Poirot is discussing the murder with the doctor and the line director near his first interview, with the murdered man's assistant.

Doctor - "He did it."
Bianchi - "He could have. He had constant access to Ratchett."
Poirot - "And the dagger he might have obtained from working in concert with the chef."
Bianchi - "You believe so?"
Poirot - "Of course. And he stealthily crept to Monsieur Ratchet's beside, pulled back the covers, and plunged the dagger repeatedly and without motive into the body of his suitably surprised victim!"

It's pretty cool. After the movie, I played more 3 in Three, chatted online, and went to bed somewhere around 3. (3 in Three, done at three. Oooooooo.)

Sunday was another wonderful breakfast at IHOP, then gaming with Jeff Boes and his son Adam. We played a game I have been itching to try for some time - Alhambra. I haven't bought it yet because I found out there is a significant error in the English printing of the rules, and so I was happy to try it out. It's a neat game, having some resemblance to Carcassonne. Apparently, it started design as a stock market game, but a tile-playing structure was added, and it (at least in the game I played Sunday) was the determining factor in who won (me - yayyyy. I might pick it up sometime soon - especially if I crack open a copy at Games Plus and find it fixed.

After that, we broke for Magic trading. I traded a bunch of my Mirrodin-block stuff and a few Kamigawa rares for cards Jeff and Adam had. I'm edging closer to building my War Elemental/Ion Storm deck - but I'm saddened to discover Jeff had built it already. Oh well. Mine will rock, however - in many ways totally different from the way in which Mr. Boes' deck rocked. So nyahh.

We tried to play Goldbrau, but Chris was asleep at this point, and Adam had to go to work. So it was more of a demo. Then Jeff broke out a game still in the shrinkwrap, and we played Clippers, which was pretty good. (Of course, I might be saying that because I won - but I like games I win. :) ) It could be improved by making the port markers larger and/or more distinguishable, but otherwise it's a neat game with lots of "but I wanna do BOTH" - always a good factor for a game to have. Chris seemed to like it, too - but the end has a whole lotta math. (I'm still amazed how many people seem to have endless trouble with math. Not fractions and exponents and calculus (which looked so useless I never even touched it - but basic adding/subtracting! I frequently produce totals which, had I waited, would have cost someone two or three more extra seconds of thought. I dunno - 67 plus 48 is 115, and it looks pretty obvious to me. Oh well.

After that, we went back home to pick up Dad, who had fixed Chris' toilet, and then to El Rodeo for dinner. It was good, but I think Dad was pretty achy at this point. We went back to Chris' place, loaded up the car, and Dad drove home. Uneventful - but I slept from the Michigan state line to the first toll booth. Got home, yanked the Bag O'Doom upstairs, and talked to Myra for a while. She's doing well, but her beloved Cards are not, and she's losing hope. But the Series moves to St. Louis for three days, where they won all their games in the League Championship. So there's hope yet, I would wager. After that, I chatted with </a></b></a>matt and </a></b></a>lori for a while. Matt is still vaguely bummed out at college - but he's found a twice-a-week Heroclix group, so he's better. Lori is helping </a></b></a> deal with an impending tragedy, and her loyalty and deep concern for him reveal her noble nature. But even a Knight of the Cross needs a break once in a while, and I am pleased to spin a tale of happiness and joy (that might occasionally contain a nugget of wisdom or two) as comic relief. She'll return to the emotional meat grinder unhappily soon enough, I wager. About the only advice I might offer to him at this moment goes something like, "Friends of convenience will always show up to a party. Friends for life are the ones who gather around you in times of unique crisis." Not the best phraseology, but you get the point - if you're reading this, that is. You got my support, man - there but for the grace of God...

Anyway, after that, I was about to log out, when I noticed Karen logging into MSN Messenger. A brief ping to say hi...resulted in her logging off! How wude! (But what I suspect happened was that someone else with access to her computer accidentally launched it. But if he happens to read this (hint, hint), I would welcome an opportunity to talk with HIM, actually. I understand he might not be interested/able, given his busy schedule of the moment, but we are actually playing a game together, hmm? (She just now issued a formal denial, saying her PC was just acting up on its own - but what would he have told her to say if it happened the way I describe? Hmmmmm?)

Regardless. After that, I set up Katamari Damacy and played through the demo level and the first level of that. It's neat, and pretty hard. But it's one of the only games I've seen where the intro made me think, and I am certain would make most people think, "Dang! This game is SO gay!" But that's just the intro, and the game play was fine. It's certainly no Big Gay Monkey.

Sleep at last. Today's been nice - I'm moving along in both Amber games, the Cthulhu game, and I finished this rather extensive entry. Tonight's Everquest RPG, ideally. In fact, a brief rundown of this week's schedule:

Monday night - Everquest RPG, with Ernie, Mike and Sebastian
Tuesday night - LOTR CCG, with Brian, Charlie, Ken and Rob
Wednesday night - Scrabble most fair
Thursday night - Random boardgaming, with Brian, Ernie, </a></b></a>noel and </a></b></a>rich
Friday night - LOTR CCG with Ken and Charlie, conversation with Noel and Rich
Saturday night - Possible spectating at Mike's house
Sunday - dunno yet; recuperation?

Eat Snacky Smores.

Hello, avid readers!

Well, Collateral was quite a good movie. Tom Cruise usually does at least passable work, at least when he's trying to do someone with a cool and confident attitude. Jamie Foxx is actually pretty good. (But then again, I go to the movies to BE entertained, not to find fault, so my reviews are usually nicer than those of my contemporaries.)

After that, we went to Walker Brothers, home of the best pancakes this side of Mount Olympus. (Put it this way - Mom, Dad and Chris went to Walker Brothers on Saturday, and when I asked on Sunday, the only question was whether Dad would come with us - and he did. They're that good. Then we came back home and I fooled around with a combination of Okage, SW Battlefront and MTGO. Played an incredibly amusing game of Magic, two-headed giant. Somewhere about four to eight Beacons of Immortality played - PER SIDE. My partner would play Beacon of Creation, and the other team would play Wrath or Vengeance. Our opponents played Standstill - with NOTHING on the board! They continued to Vengeance/destroy our creatures - after they'd crossed into 1,000 life points and more! It started annoying, as my partner told me that he had to -unblock- one of our opponents, so he was pretty confident we were facing blue steal. I would say literally ten turns per player got eaten up with draw-go thanks to that Standstill. I managed to hold my partner off until they broke it themselves - with a Madness-inspired (and I'm not really kidding) Obsessive Search. Not an Armageddon, not an Upheaval - a stupid draw-one-discard-one. The game became quite comical, actually - it finally ended with my partner getting Opportunitied out of the game, myself pulling the Phage/Endless Whispers combo on one of theirs, and a final game loss by decking, as the opponent had two cards in deck. I should have cast Phage on my second-to-last turn - not sure what I was holding out for. Sigh.

I was starting to develop a rarity for me - a rather nasty headache. It came on slow, but really started ramping up on me as I was playing Literati. I took some Advil - something I haven't probably done since my last bout of sciatica - and then laid down for an hour. I felt better, and wasn't tired, so I played more MTGO and finally cleaned all the unmatched socks off my bed. Next stop - the laundry all over the floor. :)

The morning was nice. Showered, little traffic, work was three cover letters and a few labels. Looking forward to pelting Garvey (there, Matt, I said it again - and I know too many Matts) with nags after he gets in - both about the ACD game and that I have installed ActivePerl and might get the script running tonight with his cooperation. I also need to spend some time scoping out Selyna's online games, and I have responses to write for Demon and Cthulhu. Ah, a busy morning at work.

Eat Snacky Smores.