For the past few days, I've been spending my evening free time playing through Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light on the 360. The game really grabbed me with its visual style and game mechanics. I really enjoy the platforming elements as well as the nearly twin-stick shooter combat mechanic. The mix of combat, platforming and puzzle-solving keeps things interesting, and the constant carrot of finding or earning some new weapon, relic or artifact has maintained my attention to this downloadable game, even when Read Dead Redemption showed up in the mail recently (thanks, Goozex!).
One element that I really enjoy is the challenge rooms in each level, allowing you to attempt a completely optional puzzle to earn a reward of an item, artifact or weapon. Another aspect I enjoy are the goals set for each level, which also reward you with a power-up or item. The goal may be "Destroy all the vases," or "Cross the river without touching the water." These add spice to the game and have made me change my playstyle to achieve the rewards. Little touches such as this add depth and replayability to a relatively inexpensive downloadable title.
Here's some footage of the game in action, in case you're interested:
Work has been rather busy lately, to the point where I've been struggling with the proper home/work balance. There are times when it would be far too easy to let everything I need to accomplish at work overwhelm my family time and free time, which isn't healthy. There's a wonderful wife and three amazing kids waiting for me every day when I come home, and they are the ones that keep me grounded and centered. To lose sight of that would be unhealthy, and to miss this time with the kids as they grow and develop would (in my opinion) be tragic, as there is no second chance. Finding special time to spend with my wife, that doesn't involve herding young 'uns, cleaning up the living room when it looks like Toys 'R Us has exploded in there, or wrestling with bedtime, is a challenge but one that I need to keep working on. Our connection is a special one, and even though it takes a conscious effort to maintain the 'spark', it's worth it.
My kids become more and more amazing each passing day. Isabelle has an infectious smile and boundless energy. She's the whirling dervish dancing around the house, her imagination running wild. Nick is the quiet one, content to play with his cars, but never ceases to surprise me with his gentleness as he entertains Emily with shared toys. Emily, on the verge of walking, putters around the house, never stopping, but content to entertain herself or join into whatever mischief her bigger siblings are causing. She is a mix of both her brother and sister, rarely stopping like Isabelle but able to happily entertain herself like Nick. The joy they bring to my life is something I can't put into words.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Random Thoughts, Sunday Edition
I figured I'd drop in for the annual update of this blog. It would be disingenuous to try to come up with a bunch of excuses, so let's just skip that part and move on, shall we? :)
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Here's to the Saints
Not much to pass on tonight, other than my hat's off to the Saints on winning their first Super Bowl, and beating the hated Colts in the process. I won't lie to you and say that the little kid in me wasn't going crazy when Tracy Porter took the 4th quarter interception to the house. From what little coverage I watched and heard over the past couple of weeks, it felt as if the Saints weren't being given a serious chance, so to have the upstarts come in and upset the favorites, after being down 10-0, makes it all the sweeter. Party on, Bourbon Street, you've earned it tonight.
Today felt like a good day all around. I spent a few hours in my basement, working on a project that's due at the end of this week. After that, I spent the afternoon with the twins, while Mommy and baby took a nap. Then, after the twins were settled in bed, the wife and I watched a movie. I know, blasphemy, watching a movie while the Super Bowl was on! All I can say is that my wife and I needed the time together, and the best way to spend it was watching a silly movie curled up on the couch together. Besides, I saw the best part of the game (last 12 minutes of the 4th quarter).
The movie, by the way? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I highly recommend it, as the art style and animation are great and the story is silly enough to enjoy at any age.
Today felt like a good day all around. I spent a few hours in my basement, working on a project that's due at the end of this week. After that, I spent the afternoon with the twins, while Mommy and baby took a nap. Then, after the twins were settled in bed, the wife and I watched a movie. I know, blasphemy, watching a movie while the Super Bowl was on! All I can say is that my wife and I needed the time together, and the best way to spend it was watching a silly movie curled up on the couch together. Besides, I saw the best part of the game (last 12 minutes of the 4th quarter).
The movie, by the way? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I highly recommend it, as the art style and animation are great and the story is silly enough to enjoy at any age.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Birthday and Reflection
NaBloPoMo enters the homestretch, here on the 24th day of consecutive entries. This entry deals with the birthday party we had today and some of the thoughts brought up because of it.
Today was the celebration of our twins' second birthday. They were born on January 25th, 2008, the day that changed my life forever. Watching them this afternoon, tearing around the house with their older cousins, gave me pause to think just how much my life has gotten better since they came along. I've felt deeper emotions than I could have imagined possible, from intense love and pride to fear and sadness. There's a very good chance that all parents will say the same thing, and for those without children it's a phenomenon that can't be explained with words alone. Of course, since this is a blog, I'm going to try.
Both of the stories involve my son, as one is very traumatic and happened to him, while the other (happier) story occurred just yesterday between the two of us. His twin sister, with her energy, intellect and personality, could be and will be the focus of another post in the future, and my youngest daughter is in the formative stages of showing us her personality. For now, the spotlight is on Nick. When Nick was less than a year old, he and his mom took a fall off some very steep steps in the front of his uncle's house. I wasn't there at the time, and received a hysterical call from my wife, asking me through sobs what to do. Her sister-in-law got everyone to the emergency room, as I raced from work down the highway to get to them. Fortunately, everyone came through fine, with poor Nick suffering only from some bruises, and my wife suffering more emotionally than physically. The part that sticks out from my perspective is the hour or so between when I took the call and when I joined them in the emergency room. No shortage of awful imagery and horrible thoughts raced through my head, and didn't stop until I had everyone in my arms and knew they were ok. I wasn't prepared for the fear and feeling of utter helplessness I experienced that day, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help him or protect him at that time.
The far happier story I can relay is that yesterday I took Nick with me to get our hair cut. This wouldn't be the first time he's had his hair cut, but the trips had been fraught with yelling, crying and other dramatic histrionics. To say he didn't enjoy the process would be an understatement. Since I was far overdue to get my own mop trimmed, he and I set out together to the local shop where I've been going to try a different approach. I set Nick up on the bench behind the barber chair I was assigned, complete with his little cars, and settled in for my cut. Every couple of minutes, I would look back to him and ask how things were going and make sure he was watching daddy get his hair cut. Once I was finished, I talked with the very nice girl who did my hair, Cassie, to see if she would be willing to try to cut Nick's hair and if she had any suggestions on how to proceed. We settled on having him sit in my lap while she knelt down and trimmed his hair. At first, he was a bit nervous and wanted to hop out of my lap, but after a bit of soft talking and convincing him everything would be alright, he stopped fidgeting and let Cassie cut his hair. After all of the antics that had accompanied the previous attempts, I can't begin to describe how proud I was of 'my little man' as he sat patiently while the hair floated down around him. In the end, we both ended up with great haircuts, a chocolate doughnut and (I hope) a routine we can continue together in the future, as a chance for some special 'father-son time.'
Today, as my kids tore around the house, I couldn't help but think of the journey to get where we are today, and realized that I wouldn't trade those memories for all the money in the world. The love and pride I have for all my children knows no bounds, and it's something I never would have experienced if I hadn't been blessed with them in my life.
Today was the celebration of our twins' second birthday. They were born on January 25th, 2008, the day that changed my life forever. Watching them this afternoon, tearing around the house with their older cousins, gave me pause to think just how much my life has gotten better since they came along. I've felt deeper emotions than I could have imagined possible, from intense love and pride to fear and sadness. There's a very good chance that all parents will say the same thing, and for those without children it's a phenomenon that can't be explained with words alone. Of course, since this is a blog, I'm going to try.
Both of the stories involve my son, as one is very traumatic and happened to him, while the other (happier) story occurred just yesterday between the two of us. His twin sister, with her energy, intellect and personality, could be and will be the focus of another post in the future, and my youngest daughter is in the formative stages of showing us her personality. For now, the spotlight is on Nick. When Nick was less than a year old, he and his mom took a fall off some very steep steps in the front of his uncle's house. I wasn't there at the time, and received a hysterical call from my wife, asking me through sobs what to do. Her sister-in-law got everyone to the emergency room, as I raced from work down the highway to get to them. Fortunately, everyone came through fine, with poor Nick suffering only from some bruises, and my wife suffering more emotionally than physically. The part that sticks out from my perspective is the hour or so between when I took the call and when I joined them in the emergency room. No shortage of awful imagery and horrible thoughts raced through my head, and didn't stop until I had everyone in my arms and knew they were ok. I wasn't prepared for the fear and feeling of utter helplessness I experienced that day, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help him or protect him at that time.
The far happier story I can relay is that yesterday I took Nick with me to get our hair cut. This wouldn't be the first time he's had his hair cut, but the trips had been fraught with yelling, crying and other dramatic histrionics. To say he didn't enjoy the process would be an understatement. Since I was far overdue to get my own mop trimmed, he and I set out together to the local shop where I've been going to try a different approach. I set Nick up on the bench behind the barber chair I was assigned, complete with his little cars, and settled in for my cut. Every couple of minutes, I would look back to him and ask how things were going and make sure he was watching daddy get his hair cut. Once I was finished, I talked with the very nice girl who did my hair, Cassie, to see if she would be willing to try to cut Nick's hair and if she had any suggestions on how to proceed. We settled on having him sit in my lap while she knelt down and trimmed his hair. At first, he was a bit nervous and wanted to hop out of my lap, but after a bit of soft talking and convincing him everything would be alright, he stopped fidgeting and let Cassie cut his hair. After all of the antics that had accompanied the previous attempts, I can't begin to describe how proud I was of 'my little man' as he sat patiently while the hair floated down around him. In the end, we both ended up with great haircuts, a chocolate doughnut and (I hope) a routine we can continue together in the future, as a chance for some special 'father-son time.'
Today, as my kids tore around the house, I couldn't help but think of the journey to get where we are today, and realized that I wouldn't trade those memories for all the money in the world. The love and pride I have for all my children knows no bounds, and it's something I never would have experienced if I hadn't been blessed with them in my life.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Home Sweet Home
The 23rd installment of NaBloPoMo (not that far to go!) concerns being home after a week away, the horrors of long road trips with toddlers, and the simple joy of sifting through a week's worth of mail.
We pulled out of the garage at 4:15pm. By the time we arrived at our destination, it was 10:50pm. Six and a half hours, three stops and a pounding migraine was the tally for the latest sojourn of our fast-growing family. The trip was my idea in the first place, and also my folly. The week spent with my parents was very pleasant, but the excruciating ordeals masquerading as road trips on either end tempered my enthusiasm to repeat the process. For the trip last night, my amazing wife spent the vast majority of the trip in the back with the toddlers, trying to get them to (a) stop whining and crying, and (b) go to sleep. Eventually, they did both, about three quarters of the way through. Our infant, aside from the need to nurse about 45 minutes after setting out, slept the entire trip. I'll take the small victories where they occur.
There's just something about coming home after being away for an extended period, regardless of how good or bad the trip was. The sense of familiarity, comfort in known surroundings, and the chance to fall back into the old routines makes it a pleasure coming home. Finally, back in our own bed, with our own pillows, in our own room! Even though we're outnumbered by our kids again, three to two, there's no place like home. One of the things I look forward to most is the chance to dig through a large pile of mail. Some people may find it tedious or ridiculous, having to sort through the junk mail, political fliers, supermarket ads, charity donation requests, health club membership specials, and so on, but for me it's still fun. You just never know when something good is going to arrive.
One of the spoils waiting for me upon arriving home was a copy of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, from a Goozex trade. This particular copy had not been opened, so it was particularly fresh, and a great trade for me. During the toddlers' naptime, I loaded the disc into the XBox 360 and took it for a test run, to make sure it actually was the right game and that it did work as advertised. I caught myself snickering slightly at the humor in the opening cutscenes, especially considering the self-deprecating references to the older entries into this game franchise. I only had about 20 minutes to play, though, before one of the tots decided to wake up and need my attention. Considering how many other games I've started and never gotten back to, it's my wish to go back and give this more attention.
The impetus for my initiating the trade for this game comes mostly from this article at Kotaku, where the author discusses the bravery of the developers to take the game in such a radically different direction from the previous installments. This, combined with the review and subsequent discussions about the game by Anthony Gallegos, which I listened to during a time when I had given my 360 to my brother and had no access to a system to play the game on, made the decision simple. It was an experience best had myself, as opposed to vicariously through others.
Tomorrow should be an adventure in and of itself, as my wife's family are all coming by for a birthday party for the twins, their second. I know for a fact that the gift from my mother-in-law is a small trampoline, complete with handle for a toddler to hang onto while jumping. My daughter is incredibly fond of these, having used them at various classes and groups she attends weekly. When she's not at class, she substitutes the arms of our couches for the bar and the cushions for the trampoline. Another favorite substitute is her crib, as the sides and mattress fill in admirably for the trampoline, although it is much louder (probably a benefit in this case). All in all, it should be a great time, and who knows? Maybe I'll get some blog fodder out of it.
We pulled out of the garage at 4:15pm. By the time we arrived at our destination, it was 10:50pm. Six and a half hours, three stops and a pounding migraine was the tally for the latest sojourn of our fast-growing family. The trip was my idea in the first place, and also my folly. The week spent with my parents was very pleasant, but the excruciating ordeals masquerading as road trips on either end tempered my enthusiasm to repeat the process. For the trip last night, my amazing wife spent the vast majority of the trip in the back with the toddlers, trying to get them to (a) stop whining and crying, and (b) go to sleep. Eventually, they did both, about three quarters of the way through. Our infant, aside from the need to nurse about 45 minutes after setting out, slept the entire trip. I'll take the small victories where they occur.
There's just something about coming home after being away for an extended period, regardless of how good or bad the trip was. The sense of familiarity, comfort in known surroundings, and the chance to fall back into the old routines makes it a pleasure coming home. Finally, back in our own bed, with our own pillows, in our own room! Even though we're outnumbered by our kids again, three to two, there's no place like home. One of the things I look forward to most is the chance to dig through a large pile of mail. Some people may find it tedious or ridiculous, having to sort through the junk mail, political fliers, supermarket ads, charity donation requests, health club membership specials, and so on, but for me it's still fun. You just never know when something good is going to arrive.
One of the spoils waiting for me upon arriving home was a copy of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, from a Goozex trade. This particular copy had not been opened, so it was particularly fresh, and a great trade for me. During the toddlers' naptime, I loaded the disc into the XBox 360 and took it for a test run, to make sure it actually was the right game and that it did work as advertised. I caught myself snickering slightly at the humor in the opening cutscenes, especially considering the self-deprecating references to the older entries into this game franchise. I only had about 20 minutes to play, though, before one of the tots decided to wake up and need my attention. Considering how many other games I've started and never gotten back to, it's my wish to go back and give this more attention.
The impetus for my initiating the trade for this game comes mostly from this article at Kotaku, where the author discusses the bravery of the developers to take the game in such a radically different direction from the previous installments. This, combined with the review and subsequent discussions about the game by Anthony Gallegos, which I listened to during a time when I had given my 360 to my brother and had no access to a system to play the game on, made the decision simple. It was an experience best had myself, as opposed to vicariously through others.
Tomorrow should be an adventure in and of itself, as my wife's family are all coming by for a birthday party for the twins, their second. I know for a fact that the gift from my mother-in-law is a small trampoline, complete with handle for a toddler to hang onto while jumping. My daughter is incredibly fond of these, having used them at various classes and groups she attends weekly. When she's not at class, she substitutes the arms of our couches for the bar and the cushions for the trampoline. Another favorite substitute is her crib, as the sides and mattress fill in admirably for the trampoline, although it is much louder (probably a benefit in this case). All in all, it should be a great time, and who knows? Maybe I'll get some blog fodder out of it.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Travel Day
Today's post is basically uninspired, because of all the packing and yelling going on around me.
This post is going to be short, because we are traveling back from my parents' house to ye olde domicile this afternoon. I wasn't sure if there would be time upon arrival to post before the stroke of midnight, so to be safe I'm getting a post online now. I wanted to pass along a link to a touching story about a father trying to relate to his son, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought a tear to my eye reading it. There will come a time in my son's life that I'll have the opportunity to comfort or condemn, and I wish that I react as Elysium did. The article itself is refreshingly honest, a trademark of the author. I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Fathers and Sons [from Gamers with Jobs]
This post is going to be short, because we are traveling back from my parents' house to ye olde domicile this afternoon. I wasn't sure if there would be time upon arrival to post before the stroke of midnight, so to be safe I'm getting a post online now. I wanted to pass along a link to a touching story about a father trying to relate to his son, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought a tear to my eye reading it. There will come a time in my son's life that I'll have the opportunity to comfort or condemn, and I wish that I react as Elysium did. The article itself is refreshingly honest, a trademark of the author. I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Fathers and Sons [from Gamers with Jobs]
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Not Sure What to Call This One
On this, the 19th day of NaBloPoMo, I may have finally run out of things to talk about. A bit of exhausted exposition later, and the streak is still alive.
Today was not a banner day. Work went well, as I tried to implement some of the resolutions discussed in this post. The drive home did not go so well. The office where I'm working this week is about 85 miles from my folks' house, so it's a bit of a drive anyway, but this evening brought snow that made the roads downright treacherous. I fishtailed twice on the ride home, which took almost double the usual time. After crossing the center line (twice) and ending up in a school bus turnout on the side of a rural road, I began to think that someone must be watching over me. If anyone had been approaching from the opposite direction or following me when it occurred, my NaBloPoMo streak would have been over That's something I don't want to think about.
As awful as the ride home was, everything suddenly became much more bearable upon arriving at my destination, because my son was at the door waiting for me. Both he and his sister were still up, hoping to see Daddy before going to bed. It never ceases to warm my heart and bring a smile to my face to have them light up and run over to greet me when coming home from work. Just this simple act of unconditional love and excitement can bring clarity and truly underline exactly what matters in this life. It certainly isn't electronics, or work, or money, or any of a million other trivial, material things. The fact that my family loves me, and have such a wonderful way of expressing it, keeps me going. For anyone without children, there's no way to accurately convey that feeling of love, happiness, joy and peace when your children are happy and safe, but I surely wish I could.
Today's entry was not earth-shattering or particularly exciting, but I hope someone can relate to it. Leave me a comment if this strikes a chord with you. Until tomorrow, be safe out there!
Today was not a banner day. Work went well, as I tried to implement some of the resolutions discussed in this post. The drive home did not go so well. The office where I'm working this week is about 85 miles from my folks' house, so it's a bit of a drive anyway, but this evening brought snow that made the roads downright treacherous. I fishtailed twice on the ride home, which took almost double the usual time. After crossing the center line (twice) and ending up in a school bus turnout on the side of a rural road, I began to think that someone must be watching over me. If anyone had been approaching from the opposite direction or following me when it occurred, my NaBloPoMo streak would have been over That's something I don't want to think about.
As awful as the ride home was, everything suddenly became much more bearable upon arriving at my destination, because my son was at the door waiting for me. Both he and his sister were still up, hoping to see Daddy before going to bed. It never ceases to warm my heart and bring a smile to my face to have them light up and run over to greet me when coming home from work. Just this simple act of unconditional love and excitement can bring clarity and truly underline exactly what matters in this life. It certainly isn't electronics, or work, or money, or any of a million other trivial, material things. The fact that my family loves me, and have such a wonderful way of expressing it, keeps me going. For anyone without children, there's no way to accurately convey that feeling of love, happiness, joy and peace when your children are happy and safe, but I surely wish I could.
Today's entry was not earth-shattering or particularly exciting, but I hope someone can relate to it. Leave me a comment if this strikes a chord with you. Until tomorrow, be safe out there!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
LTTP - Harry Potter 6 Movie Review
Day 9 of NaBloPoMo finds me at home with the kids, so not much chance for a tech topic today. Instead, I focused on our Saturday evening entertainment, a movie we finally saw, only about 6-7 months late.
Today was a Saturday and, as most Saturdays are, it was a blur of diaper changes, mini-tantrums (the kids had a few too) and endless circuits around the first floor, picking up a menagerie of stuffed animals, a shopping cart full of fake plastic food and tripping over wooden train sets. One of the highlights of my day? Escaping the house for a peaceful hour of grocery shopping. Yes folks, banging carts and fighting over deals with the old ladies at Shaws ranks up there on my list these days.THE highlight of the day, however, was the viewing of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince my wife and I shared after the twins went to bed.
Now I've long since given up being disappointed with what nuggets of story or scenes from the books that I felt should have made the translation to the big screen. It was a losing battle that ultimately made me think less of some pretty well done adaptations of source material that would have been impossible to cram into a movie. This movie clearly carried the ominous and 'this isn't kiddie stuff anymore' atmosphere directly from the book, which made for a rather sad experience overall. There were some brief moments of levity, mostly focused around the inevitable teens discovering the opposite sex and the joys of snogging all the time, but not enough to lighten the mood at all. In my opinion, they handled the entire climactic scene very tastefully, capturing the essence of the mood and characters well. I will give a specific nod to the actors cast to play young Tom Riddle. Even though I knew it was just a movie, the intense looks they gave the camera in their scenes gave me the creeps, and that's the mark of good casting and framing the scene.
The only part of the book which didn't make the screen version, and I wished had, were the scene where Harry and Ginny kissed for the first time. In the book, it was after a Quidditch match, and it felt probable, as harry was on such a rush from the victory that he just 'went for it'. It felt believable, and most of all (at least for me), it shined a ray of good feelings and hope through the dark cloud of impending doom hanging over the rest of the book. This movie could have used that hope and good feeling, although to be fair it's dealing with very dark events.
Long story short, I enjoyed this movie. It will be interesting to see how the material in the final book is handled, because let's face it, there's not a lot to be happy about there. It could be tough to ask audiences to sit through two multiple hour installments of dreariness and death without some levity. We'll find out later this year.
So, with that off my chest, I'm off to bed to dream about iPhones and dirty diapers. Leave a comment on what you thought of HP6, if you'd like. I'd love to hear what others have to say.
Today was a Saturday and, as most Saturdays are, it was a blur of diaper changes, mini-tantrums (the kids had a few too) and endless circuits around the first floor, picking up a menagerie of stuffed animals, a shopping cart full of fake plastic food and tripping over wooden train sets. One of the highlights of my day? Escaping the house for a peaceful hour of grocery shopping. Yes folks, banging carts and fighting over deals with the old ladies at Shaws ranks up there on my list these days.THE highlight of the day, however, was the viewing of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince my wife and I shared after the twins went to bed.
Now I've long since given up being disappointed with what nuggets of story or scenes from the books that I felt should have made the translation to the big screen. It was a losing battle that ultimately made me think less of some pretty well done adaptations of source material that would have been impossible to cram into a movie. This movie clearly carried the ominous and 'this isn't kiddie stuff anymore' atmosphere directly from the book, which made for a rather sad experience overall. There were some brief moments of levity, mostly focused around the inevitable teens discovering the opposite sex and the joys of snogging all the time, but not enough to lighten the mood at all. In my opinion, they handled the entire climactic scene very tastefully, capturing the essence of the mood and characters well. I will give a specific nod to the actors cast to play young Tom Riddle. Even though I knew it was just a movie, the intense looks they gave the camera in their scenes gave me the creeps, and that's the mark of good casting and framing the scene.
The only part of the book which didn't make the screen version, and I wished had, were the scene where Harry and Ginny kissed for the first time. In the book, it was after a Quidditch match, and it felt probable, as harry was on such a rush from the victory that he just 'went for it'. It felt believable, and most of all (at least for me), it shined a ray of good feelings and hope through the dark cloud of impending doom hanging over the rest of the book. This movie could have used that hope and good feeling, although to be fair it's dealing with very dark events.
Long story short, I enjoyed this movie. It will be interesting to see how the material in the final book is handled, because let's face it, there's not a lot to be happy about there. It could be tough to ask audiences to sit through two multiple hour installments of dreariness and death without some levity. We'll find out later this year.
So, with that off my chest, I'm off to bed to dream about iPhones and dirty diapers. Leave a comment on what you thought of HP6, if you'd like. I'd love to hear what others have to say.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Could Be a Rough Weekend
Day 8 of NaBloPoMo...Wow, have I really made it this far? I'm quite certain that there's never been a time in my existence that I've blogged for 8 consecutive days. Too bad it feels like I'm running out of things to say. This turns out to be a hodge-podge of unrelated topics that just jumped out of my head onto the screen.
After a rather uneventful but tiring day at work, which included multiple morning meetings followed by a trip to a job site that was over an hour each way, I arrived home to find my poor wife in the early throes of a cold. Normally this would be a simple inconvenience, but in a household with two adults and three young children, it becomes an emergency. The primary caregiver (let's face it, I'm borderline useless without her) could be out of commission soon, leaving me to hold down the fort. This is analogous to the Hans Brinker story, where the little Dutch boy plugged up the dyke with his finger, averting a catastrophe? Now imagine, in the Grant family, the little boy represents me, while the dyke is the relative balance and operation of our family unit, and hole to be plugged, representing the chaos that will ensue if Mom goes down with a cold, instead of being finger-sized is something large enough for a semi to pass through. Yea, it could get ugly...
On the upside, there's the chance that we'll bundle up this family of ours, throw them into the minivan, and troop them to my office sometime this weekend. It may seem strange to say that, or even be something to get excited about, but the twins have been there a few time and have an absolute ball there. There are so many new things to explore and look at, and what must seem to them to be endless hallways to run up and down. One area of our office hasn't been built out yet, and might as well be considered an arena for their antics. Here's to hoping we don't disturb any people there trying to do some real work.
The first of the final three episodes of Dollhouse just ended, and the only question I have is this: Why did they save writing and drama like this for the series as it ends? If only the writers had been able to pull together some story lines with the impact of the type we're seeing now, maybe the series wouldn't be ending. Hopefully my frustration comes through when talking about this, because the series had such potential, with a cast and characters that I cared about, and a premise that offered such promise. It's just too bad to see it end, but at least it's going out with a bang.
I'm somewhat ashamed to admit this, but it was difficult for me to sleep last night thinking about the fact that I would soon own an iPhone. It's been easy to downplay how much not having this shiny little technological bauble bothered me, when there was no real possibility of having one (due to financial reasons). Now that the dream is about to become a reality, I'm like the little boy waiting for Christmas day to finally arrive. The e-mail confirming my order and the shipment of the unit came this afternoon, indicating that the iPhone shipped from Texas today. With any luck, it should be here by Monday. You know what? Having been primarily around toddlers for the past couple of years, and seeing the unbridled and guilt-free joy they experience, I've vowed to try to grab onto feelings like that as much as I possibly can, because (as we all know) once you become an adult with real responsibilities, those feelings and moments can be hard to come by.
One last item of note, as least for me anyway. While packing up to leave the office and come home, my mind was humming away about how to approach the creation of standardized design documents, a task I've been wrestling with for a while. Just as I was walking out of the office, an epiphany hit me, one that I hope to follow up on. It has the potential to be just what we've needed for some time, and I'm ashamed that it hadn't come to me before this. The reason why I'm writing about it here is that it felt so good to come up with it, after agonizing over the same issues for so long, I just had to share it with someone else.
Well, there you have it, a veritable brain dump of the scary mess that floats around in my oversized dome. Feel free to leave a comment about anything you've read here, and hope to see you here again soon.
After a rather uneventful but tiring day at work, which included multiple morning meetings followed by a trip to a job site that was over an hour each way, I arrived home to find my poor wife in the early throes of a cold. Normally this would be a simple inconvenience, but in a household with two adults and three young children, it becomes an emergency. The primary caregiver (let's face it, I'm borderline useless without her) could be out of commission soon, leaving me to hold down the fort. This is analogous to the Hans Brinker story, where the little Dutch boy plugged up the dyke with his finger, averting a catastrophe? Now imagine, in the Grant family, the little boy represents me, while the dyke is the relative balance and operation of our family unit, and hole to be plugged, representing the chaos that will ensue if Mom goes down with a cold, instead of being finger-sized is something large enough for a semi to pass through. Yea, it could get ugly...
On the upside, there's the chance that we'll bundle up this family of ours, throw them into the minivan, and troop them to my office sometime this weekend. It may seem strange to say that, or even be something to get excited about, but the twins have been there a few time and have an absolute ball there. There are so many new things to explore and look at, and what must seem to them to be endless hallways to run up and down. One area of our office hasn't been built out yet, and might as well be considered an arena for their antics. Here's to hoping we don't disturb any people there trying to do some real work.
The first of the final three episodes of Dollhouse just ended, and the only question I have is this: Why did they save writing and drama like this for the series as it ends? If only the writers had been able to pull together some story lines with the impact of the type we're seeing now, maybe the series wouldn't be ending. Hopefully my frustration comes through when talking about this, because the series had such potential, with a cast and characters that I cared about, and a premise that offered such promise. It's just too bad to see it end, but at least it's going out with a bang.
I'm somewhat ashamed to admit this, but it was difficult for me to sleep last night thinking about the fact that I would soon own an iPhone. It's been easy to downplay how much not having this shiny little technological bauble bothered me, when there was no real possibility of having one (due to financial reasons). Now that the dream is about to become a reality, I'm like the little boy waiting for Christmas day to finally arrive. The e-mail confirming my order and the shipment of the unit came this afternoon, indicating that the iPhone shipped from Texas today. With any luck, it should be here by Monday. You know what? Having been primarily around toddlers for the past couple of years, and seeing the unbridled and guilt-free joy they experience, I've vowed to try to grab onto feelings like that as much as I possibly can, because (as we all know) once you become an adult with real responsibilities, those feelings and moments can be hard to come by.
One last item of note, as least for me anyway. While packing up to leave the office and come home, my mind was humming away about how to approach the creation of standardized design documents, a task I've been wrestling with for a while. Just as I was walking out of the office, an epiphany hit me, one that I hope to follow up on. It has the potential to be just what we've needed for some time, and I'm ashamed that it hadn't come to me before this. The reason why I'm writing about it here is that it felt so good to come up with it, after agonizing over the same issues for so long, I just had to share it with someone else.
Well, there you have it, a veritable brain dump of the scary mess that floats around in my oversized dome. Feel free to leave a comment about anything you've read here, and hope to see you here again soon.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Being a Dad is Hard
Day 3 of NaBloPoMo brings a different voice to the blog. It feels a bit like stream-of -consciousness, and definitely went to places I didn't expect when I first started writing, but it proved very cathartic for me nonetheless. Hopefully, as the reader, you get something out of it, because I know I did.
If you weren't aware, I am the very proud father of 3 children: fraternal twins (boy and girl), who will be 2 near the end of this month, and a nearly 7 week old daughter. This statement alone should clue you in to the fact that, on the best of days, our home is a seething mass of chaos. Toys litter the landscape for as far as the eye can see, Cheerios and Goldfish constantly crunch underfoot, and tantrums are almost as common as Brangelina tabloid headlines. It's a far cry from the life my wife and I once shared, as two professionals living the DINK lifestyle. Ah, the carefree days of being able to get up when you wanted to on weekends, not being afraid to go out for dinner and uninterrupted nights of sleep. And while I wouldn't trade my life now for anything, I'm here to say, without reservation, that it's damn hard.
To put things in perspective, while writing the introductory paragraph, I left the computer no less than 3 times, to comfort my son, who should have been asleep some time ago. It seems that he chose this evening to discover his shadow, created by him jumping in front of his light-up musical aquarium in his crib, and deciding that he really didn't like it. Both my wife and I were up in the twins' room, comforting both the little ones (my son because he was scared and my daughter because she was so worried about her brother), wondering exactly how to convince him that his shadow is nothing to fear. Clearly, the first time didn't work, as she and I alternated trips up to calm our slightly shaking and very upset son a few more times before sleep won the fight and they now both are quiet.
Also, my lovely infant daughter seems to be able to produce more gas than your average elephant, and as you would imagine that makes her rather uncomfortable. This in turn makes us uncomfortable, because a screaming infant that you simply can't console isn't the epitome of a relaxing sound or sensation. Just as a sidebar, I never thought it could be possible that a child that small could clear a room with her noxious emissions, but trust me, it's possible.
I'm running on less than optimal sleep, because our oldest daughter was up 4 times in the night between the hours of 2am and 4:30am. She was in some sort of distress, and for the first time that I can remember, she cried out, "Dada! Mommy!" in the night. Most of the time, she either just moans or screams us awake, so this must have been serious. Some big hugs and tucking in later, she finally settled to allow us at least a bit of uninterrupted slumber.
All of these things have happened in just the past twenty-four hours, so you can only imagine what else has occurred recently. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly why I'm relaying all of this to you, the faceless, nameless reader. Therapy, maybe? There is the possibility that if I just get some of these experiences out of my head that they won't seem that bad. It's just that there are days that feel like they'll never end, and even when they do, there's another one just like it waiting for me with the rising of the sun. I won't lie to you, or me for that matter, and say that it's not discouraging at times. Talking to my wife, I sometimes liken the experience of parenthood to a hamster wheel that you can't get off. No matter how much you desperately want to stop running and just 'be' for a moment, the inexorable march of time and the needs of your children keep you running, running, running...
To go along with all of the responsibilities of being a parent, there's also the struggle with my inner child. You see, this immature little beast really wants to still be able to get up at noon on a Saturday and do whatever he wants. He still wants to go out and buy all the latest and greatest electronics and video games. He still wants to go to as many sporting events as he can secure tickets for. He still wants...well, he still wants to do whatever the hell he wants to do. The cold, hard reality of the situation is far different, though. Now, he is at least partially responsible for the care and well-being of three little lives, lives that would not exist if not for him. The twins are an alarm clock with no snooze button. Being home on weekends is no longer a restful experience. The running joke with my coworkers is that, "Work is where I can go to rest," but it's only partially a joke.
I switched to the third person in the last paragraph, at least in part, to try to separate myself from that aspect of my personality with which I struggle every day. To give in to the selfish wishes of my inner child goes against everything I need to do as a responsible parent. I need to be the best that I can be for them, to provide them with a roof over their heads, food on the table, clothes on their backs, and the opportunities to prosper in the realities of today. Along with the material requirements, I need to be attentive to them, show them the love and care that I received while growing up, so they never have to wonder if their parents love them. These responsibilities conflict with my desires for downtime and 'goofing off,' and there is a daily struggle for the dad I need to be to convince the child I want to be to put down the toys and fulfill the grownup obligations that just won't go away.
Now, if you've read this far, there hasn't been a whole lot of upside or anything to lead you to believe that I enjoy being a father. To the contrary, there are so many moments throughout the course of a day that make me take pause and realize just how blessed I really am. A smile from my infant daughter as I lay her on the changing table and let her kick her feet and wave her arms; my older daughter running into my arms for a "Big hug!"; my son, giggling uncontrollably as I crawl on the floor toward him, threatening him with tickles the whole way; the way they say "Please" and "Thank you" as I hand them their milk cups; the amazing reception I get when I come home from work, consisting of the kids screaming "Dada!" at the top of their lungs and grabbing me around the legs as I walk through the door. These are but a few of the incredible, unforgettable and amazing moments that help me cope with all the harsh realities of being an adult and causing me to stop and think about how lucky I really am, and that I wouldn't want it any other way.
If you weren't aware, I am the very proud father of 3 children: fraternal twins (boy and girl), who will be 2 near the end of this month, and a nearly 7 week old daughter. This statement alone should clue you in to the fact that, on the best of days, our home is a seething mass of chaos. Toys litter the landscape for as far as the eye can see, Cheerios and Goldfish constantly crunch underfoot, and tantrums are almost as common as Brangelina tabloid headlines. It's a far cry from the life my wife and I once shared, as two professionals living the DINK lifestyle. Ah, the carefree days of being able to get up when you wanted to on weekends, not being afraid to go out for dinner and uninterrupted nights of sleep. And while I wouldn't trade my life now for anything, I'm here to say, without reservation, that it's damn hard.
To put things in perspective, while writing the introductory paragraph, I left the computer no less than 3 times, to comfort my son, who should have been asleep some time ago. It seems that he chose this evening to discover his shadow, created by him jumping in front of his light-up musical aquarium in his crib, and deciding that he really didn't like it. Both my wife and I were up in the twins' room, comforting both the little ones (my son because he was scared and my daughter because she was so worried about her brother), wondering exactly how to convince him that his shadow is nothing to fear. Clearly, the first time didn't work, as she and I alternated trips up to calm our slightly shaking and very upset son a few more times before sleep won the fight and they now both are quiet.
Also, my lovely infant daughter seems to be able to produce more gas than your average elephant, and as you would imagine that makes her rather uncomfortable. This in turn makes us uncomfortable, because a screaming infant that you simply can't console isn't the epitome of a relaxing sound or sensation. Just as a sidebar, I never thought it could be possible that a child that small could clear a room with her noxious emissions, but trust me, it's possible.
I'm running on less than optimal sleep, because our oldest daughter was up 4 times in the night between the hours of 2am and 4:30am. She was in some sort of distress, and for the first time that I can remember, she cried out, "Dada! Mommy!" in the night. Most of the time, she either just moans or screams us awake, so this must have been serious. Some big hugs and tucking in later, she finally settled to allow us at least a bit of uninterrupted slumber.
All of these things have happened in just the past twenty-four hours, so you can only imagine what else has occurred recently. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly why I'm relaying all of this to you, the faceless, nameless reader. Therapy, maybe? There is the possibility that if I just get some of these experiences out of my head that they won't seem that bad. It's just that there are days that feel like they'll never end, and even when they do, there's another one just like it waiting for me with the rising of the sun. I won't lie to you, or me for that matter, and say that it's not discouraging at times. Talking to my wife, I sometimes liken the experience of parenthood to a hamster wheel that you can't get off. No matter how much you desperately want to stop running and just 'be' for a moment, the inexorable march of time and the needs of your children keep you running, running, running...
To go along with all of the responsibilities of being a parent, there's also the struggle with my inner child. You see, this immature little beast really wants to still be able to get up at noon on a Saturday and do whatever he wants. He still wants to go out and buy all the latest and greatest electronics and video games. He still wants to go to as many sporting events as he can secure tickets for. He still wants...well, he still wants to do whatever the hell he wants to do. The cold, hard reality of the situation is far different, though. Now, he is at least partially responsible for the care and well-being of three little lives, lives that would not exist if not for him. The twins are an alarm clock with no snooze button. Being home on weekends is no longer a restful experience. The running joke with my coworkers is that, "Work is where I can go to rest," but it's only partially a joke.
I switched to the third person in the last paragraph, at least in part, to try to separate myself from that aspect of my personality with which I struggle every day. To give in to the selfish wishes of my inner child goes against everything I need to do as a responsible parent. I need to be the best that I can be for them, to provide them with a roof over their heads, food on the table, clothes on their backs, and the opportunities to prosper in the realities of today. Along with the material requirements, I need to be attentive to them, show them the love and care that I received while growing up, so they never have to wonder if their parents love them. These responsibilities conflict with my desires for downtime and 'goofing off,' and there is a daily struggle for the dad I need to be to convince the child I want to be to put down the toys and fulfill the grownup obligations that just won't go away.
Now, if you've read this far, there hasn't been a whole lot of upside or anything to lead you to believe that I enjoy being a father. To the contrary, there are so many moments throughout the course of a day that make me take pause and realize just how blessed I really am. A smile from my infant daughter as I lay her on the changing table and let her kick her feet and wave her arms; my older daughter running into my arms for a "Big hug!"; my son, giggling uncontrollably as I crawl on the floor toward him, threatening him with tickles the whole way; the way they say "Please" and "Thank you" as I hand them their milk cups; the amazing reception I get when I come home from work, consisting of the kids screaming "Dada!" at the top of their lungs and grabbing me around the legs as I walk through the door. These are but a few of the incredible, unforgettable and amazing moments that help me cope with all the harsh realities of being an adult and causing me to stop and think about how lucky I really am, and that I wouldn't want it any other way.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Family +1
It's been some time since I posted here, mostly because of the birth of our third child, Emily Michelle. She's a wonderful, healthy little lady, but she seems to enjoy the nightlife a bit much. Since I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, and can't seem to get the dull ache behind my eyes to go away, sitting down to write hasn't been a high priority. Soon I'll get back into a more regular (if I ever was regular, ha) posting schedule.
I can say, without hesitation, that Emily is a wonderful addition to the Grant clan, and there is one very proud big sister in the house, willing and eager to help in whatever way she can. Isabelle loves her sister, and is proving to be quite the mommy's little helper. Nick, on the other hand, thinks his new little sister is ok, but is a bit disappointed she doesn't have wheels (his favorite things in the whole world being cars of all kinds).
That's all for now, but I'll be back to my uninteresting babble about games and such soon.
I can say, without hesitation, that Emily is a wonderful addition to the Grant clan, and there is one very proud big sister in the house, willing and eager to help in whatever way she can. Isabelle loves her sister, and is proving to be quite the mommy's little helper. Nick, on the other hand, thinks his new little sister is ok, but is a bit disappointed she doesn't have wheels (his favorite things in the whole world being cars of all kinds).
That's all for now, but I'll be back to my uninteresting babble about games and such soon.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sick Day (and more Borderlands)
In between gulping down Alka Seltzer, sleeping most of the day and hiding the basement while my lovely and patient wife watched the kids so I could try to fend off the cold that's coming on, I played a bit more Borderlands today. Not too much, mind you, as I felt guilty about playing when i should have been resting or at work. Nonetheless, I succumbed to the temptation and jumped in for a bit. Between a little while today and an hour or so last night, the hunter I started is now level 13. There's a lot to like about the hunter, but he really makes for a somewhat difficult solo character. His primary weapon proficiency (sniper rifles) is good only for the first few shots, as nearly all the enemies charge directly at you once alerted to your presence. The secondary weapon proficiency I can have (revolvers) may just now be coming into play, as the first revolver in my game just dropped. That will warrant some experimentation and adventuring.
The game really has shifted into a higher gear. The main storyline, as well as at least one sidequest, has me going to the Arid Hills. These aren't your father's Arid Hills, filled with lots of very fast, very tough skags that cause me fits to try to take down before becoming dog chow. It's clear that the strategies that have worked up to this point will need to be 'tweaked', which is code for 'throw them out and start again'. I'm determined to make this work, however. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from a successful headshot with a sniper rifle and I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
One of the few upsides about being sick at home was being able to spend a bit of extra time with the kids, who are also coming down with the same cold. It never ceases to amaze me that, aside from being a bit more grumbly or just plain tired, they have the same cheerful disposition they exhibit when completely healthy. Me, I'm miserable, and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it. Those little ones, aside from constant runny noses and a quicker trigger for frustration, are just as happy and curious and loving as always. There are days when I wish my life were as simple and innocent as theirs...
Happy early Halloween to all those who will be celebrating it tomorrow, and be safe!
The game really has shifted into a higher gear. The main storyline, as well as at least one sidequest, has me going to the Arid Hills. These aren't your father's Arid Hills, filled with lots of very fast, very tough skags that cause me fits to try to take down before becoming dog chow. It's clear that the strategies that have worked up to this point will need to be 'tweaked', which is code for 'throw them out and start again'. I'm determined to make this work, however. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from a successful headshot with a sniper rifle and I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
One of the few upsides about being sick at home was being able to spend a bit of extra time with the kids, who are also coming down with the same cold. It never ceases to amaze me that, aside from being a bit more grumbly or just plain tired, they have the same cheerful disposition they exhibit when completely healthy. Me, I'm miserable, and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it. Those little ones, aside from constant runny noses and a quicker trigger for frustration, are just as happy and curious and loving as always. There are days when I wish my life were as simple and innocent as theirs...
Happy early Halloween to all those who will be celebrating it tomorrow, and be safe!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think (Tuesday Edition)
It's another edition of everyone's favorite catchall! Yet again, I toss out five random topics that have been bouncing around in this head of mine, as a form of navel-gazing or simply to get them out of my head and clutter up the Internet a bit more.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
Friday, September 11, 2009
TGI Flippin' F
This week couldn't have ended soon enough. Several nights of working until 10, my lovely daughter deciding that sleep was optional for her, and the fact that I suffered with a random night of complete insomnia makes me hope, nay pray, that this weekend is quiet and restful.
Oh wait, I have 19-month old twins. Scratch that. Let the chaos begin! :)
There will hopefully be a moment or two where I can get back to fighting crime in Arkham Asylum. I'm itching to beat a bunch of anonymous thugs senseless, or string them up from a gargoyle, or something like that. You get the picture. It's been hard working so much, knowing that the game is just sitting, lonely and unloved, in my 360. Soon we will be together again, just a few more hours...
On the upside, at least the large amount of time devoted to work allowed me to 'make some hay' in the large backlog of billable project work staring at me. It also seems that I'll be transitioning into more of a project lead, while supervising the work of at least one or two other people. Could be interesting, could be terrifying. Only time will tell, but it feels like the right move considering the direction my career is going.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Oh wait, I have 19-month old twins. Scratch that. Let the chaos begin! :)
There will hopefully be a moment or two where I can get back to fighting crime in Arkham Asylum. I'm itching to beat a bunch of anonymous thugs senseless, or string them up from a gargoyle, or something like that. You get the picture. It's been hard working so much, knowing that the game is just sitting, lonely and unloved, in my 360. Soon we will be together again, just a few more hours...
On the upside, at least the large amount of time devoted to work allowed me to 'make some hay' in the large backlog of billable project work staring at me. It also seems that I'll be transitioning into more of a project lead, while supervising the work of at least one or two other people. Could be interesting, could be terrifying. Only time will tell, but it feels like the right move considering the direction my career is going.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day!
As any good American did, I celebrated Labor Day...by going to work. It makes sense, right? At least it was only for a few hours, and it allowed me the opportunity to escape the bedlam of the house and gather myself and my thoughts after a LONG, draining week of family drama, culminating at my brother-in-law's wedding on Saturday. It's over now, and the only hope is that things will settle down from here on out. There's trouble on the wind, though, which may cause this to be more than a one-time incident. Time will tell, and it may not be a pretty story. At least there were some attractive ladies in formal wear there, enough for me to deem the event worth attending. You have to take the little victories when they come...:)
Because of the wedding and the visit to my mother-in-law's house on Sunday (so my wife could see some of her family staying there before they departed for home), I haven't spent a lot of time with the electronic entertainment this weekend. When I could, I grabbed some time with Arkham Asylum, and in the evenings after going to bed I would wind down with some Final Fantasy PSP. Batman continues to impress, and I'm seriously considering buying this one, as it looks to have some replay value. Final Fantasy PSP is just a nice trip down memory lane, except for the fact that I played the original version of this game too long ago to really remember. :)
As I sit in the basement, sipping a Cap'n and Coke, I wish everyone a great holiday and hopefully your long weekend was much less stressful and drama-filled than mine was.
Because of the wedding and the visit to my mother-in-law's house on Sunday (so my wife could see some of her family staying there before they departed for home), I haven't spent a lot of time with the electronic entertainment this weekend. When I could, I grabbed some time with Arkham Asylum, and in the evenings after going to bed I would wind down with some Final Fantasy PSP. Batman continues to impress, and I'm seriously considering buying this one, as it looks to have some replay value. Final Fantasy PSP is just a nice trip down memory lane, except for the fact that I played the original version of this game too long ago to really remember. :)
As I sit in the basement, sipping a Cap'n and Coke, I wish everyone a great holiday and hopefully your long weekend was much less stressful and drama-filled than mine was.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Family Drama
What is it about large gatherings of family (weddings, funerals, etc.) that cause such drama to occur? My wife's family should be celebrating the wedding of the last sibling to get married, but instead the drama is flying. Makes me wish I could just run away from it all.
I guess it's like the old saying, " You can pick your friends, you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friend's..." Oh wait, wrong saying. You know what I mean.
I guess it's like the old saying, " You can pick your friends, you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friend's..." Oh wait, wrong saying. You know what I mean.
Monday, August 3, 2009
What I Did This Weekend (in checklist form)
Let's see...
- Play Bookworm Adventures, Volume 2 demo. Check. (Seriously considering buying this)
- Patch PC version of Fallout 3, so it doesn't crash every time I close out the game. Check.
- Inspired by release of Mothership Zeta on Monday, finish Fallout 3: Broken Steel DLC. Check.
- Download and start Fallout 3: Point Lookout DLC. Check.
- Spend time with wife and kids. Check. By far the highlight of the weekend.
- Foist kids off on their aunt and uncle (to go see farm animals) and spend a nice quiet lunch with wife. Check.
- Assemble used plastic jungle gym for kids, and discover strong animal urine smell. Check. (Note to self: clean jungle gym after work on Monday)
- End the weekend by getting puked on by overtired, overexcited 18-month old. Check.
All in all, a good weekend!
- Play Bookworm Adventures, Volume 2 demo. Check. (Seriously considering buying this)
- Patch PC version of Fallout 3, so it doesn't crash every time I close out the game. Check.
- Inspired by release of Mothership Zeta on Monday, finish Fallout 3: Broken Steel DLC. Check.
- Download and start Fallout 3: Point Lookout DLC. Check.
- Spend time with wife and kids. Check. By far the highlight of the weekend.
- Foist kids off on their aunt and uncle (to go see farm animals) and spend a nice quiet lunch with wife. Check.
- Assemble used plastic jungle gym for kids, and discover strong animal urine smell. Check. (Note to self: clean jungle gym after work on Monday)
- End the weekend by getting puked on by overtired, overexcited 18-month old. Check.
All in all, a good weekend!
Monday, October 20, 2008
A Plague Upon Our Home
...Or at least that's how it feels. My wife and nearly 9-month old twins have all come down with colds, and I'm the only healthy one left. Boy are they in trouble! Trusting their care to me is like trusting the care of a china shop to an angry bull; it's bound to end badly. Right now, it almost feels like we could recreate the scene from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," featuring the cart being pulled through town and a crier announcing, "Bring out your dead!" Well, it's really not that bad, but let's pretend it is, for literary purposes anyway. If I weren't their father and love them more than life itself, I would probably say my children look pretty nasty right now, with their runny noses and their tired, expressionless stares. Since I'm their father, I think they're the best babies ever and wouldn't trade them for the world, even when they're sick!
This drastic turn of events limited my free time this weekend, so I wasn't able to finish Half Life 2 (for the second straight weekend). However, I did make some progress, in the hour or so I was able to sneak away while everyone was napping. I'm now at the beginning of the Entanglements sections of the game, trying to help Alyx save her father. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to keep her alive through this stage, but since I've already gotten her killed once, I'm not optimistic. This feels like a glorified escort mission, one of my least favorite mission types in any game. Valve does have a way of surprising me, though, so I haven't completely given up hope yet. My wife is on the gaming rig downstairs, while I type this on the communal laptop up in the kitchen, so there's no chance of advancement this evening. Maybe tomorrow evening some game time will avail itself of me, but I'm not holding my breath.
The Red Sox season ended last night with a loss to the Rays in Game 7 of the ALCS. I'm proud of both teams, but sad that the Sox won't be vying for the World Series crown this year. They can't win them all, and if they had to lose, I guess I'm glad it was to the Rays. Of course I'm rooting for the upstart Rays to take home the title, from the perspective of the perennial doormat making good on a phenomenal season. It would be a great feel-good story for sports in general.
Well, that's all for now. I'll be back soon with an update on my HL2 progress. My new goal, which is a bit more conservative and attainable, is to have the game completed before Fallout 3 arrives in stores next Tuesday. I refuse to buy another game until finishing this one. Wish me luck!
This drastic turn of events limited my free time this weekend, so I wasn't able to finish Half Life 2 (for the second straight weekend). However, I did make some progress, in the hour or so I was able to sneak away while everyone was napping. I'm now at the beginning of the Entanglements sections of the game, trying to help Alyx save her father. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to keep her alive through this stage, but since I've already gotten her killed once, I'm not optimistic. This feels like a glorified escort mission, one of my least favorite mission types in any game. Valve does have a way of surprising me, though, so I haven't completely given up hope yet. My wife is on the gaming rig downstairs, while I type this on the communal laptop up in the kitchen, so there's no chance of advancement this evening. Maybe tomorrow evening some game time will avail itself of me, but I'm not holding my breath.
The Red Sox season ended last night with a loss to the Rays in Game 7 of the ALCS. I'm proud of both teams, but sad that the Sox won't be vying for the World Series crown this year. They can't win them all, and if they had to lose, I guess I'm glad it was to the Rays. Of course I'm rooting for the upstart Rays to take home the title, from the perspective of the perennial doormat making good on a phenomenal season. It would be a great feel-good story for sports in general.
Well, that's all for now. I'll be back soon with an update on my HL2 progress. My new goal, which is a bit more conservative and attainable, is to have the game completed before Fallout 3 arrives in stores next Tuesday. I refuse to buy another game until finishing this one. Wish me luck!
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