Saturday, September 01, 2007

Co-Op


Okay, I admit it. I took this last night. This is the first time I've done this, but I had a lot of fun last night, and since it was the last day of the month, I was unable to blog about it. It's my blog, I make the rules, right? Right.

One of the best features of the new generation of gaming systems is the online component. For many of the newest Xbox games, you're able to play them over the internet with people all over the world. My dad bough a 360 a while ago, and lately has finally connected it. For the first time last night, he played Gears of War with me online. What fun! I have done this many times, but seeing through his eyes, it was like the first time all over again. I think he spent about an hour and a half laughing. It really makes me appreciate the lifestyle technology affords us in this country, and the pastimes we're able to enjoy.

Friday, August 31, 2007

August: In Review

Today was a big day: The end of August, the first of three days off, and some other things that I'll be talking about later.... Since this is my month in review post, I'll save some of the things that happened today for later. Guess you'll just have to keep reading! Anyway, we're looking at about two more weeks until I find out my fate at Chrysler. Every part of me feels like after September 15th I'll be a full time employee, but a lot can happen in two weeks.

The (second) best part of this month by far was being able to spend a little time with my sister Kathie and her son Noah. They were only here a couple weeks, and I didn't really see them for long, but with them being so far away, I really cherish the small amount of time we do spend together. Some other events this month:
All in all, it was a pretty busy month. I think we'll look back at this month as a big one.... Here's my favorites for the month:

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Minor Surgury


Today I received three packages from my UPS guy. One contained an DVI to HDMI cable that I will use to connect my Mac to my TV, one was my replaced DS Lite, and the last one held the 2 GB of memory I bought for Steph's new laptop. I must admit, I was a little leery of trying to upgrade a laptop. I've done it many time with my desktops, but laptop architecture is totally new to me, and I really didn't want to screw it up. My fears were completely pointless. It literally took me 5 minutes. Open the panel, remove the old memory, install the new, close the panel. Easy as that! I love how computers are designed now to be easily upgraded by even the lowliest Luddites out there.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Different Views


It's fun to play around. On those ordinary, average days that I complain about so much in relation to this blog, it's a lot of fun to try and take everyday objects and shoot them in odd ways. We bought this plant a few weeks back, and I was looking at it tonight, trying to see how I can make it interesting in a photograph. What I eventually decided was to set the camera inside the pot looking up. It really makes these relatively small trees look enormously tall. It's a nice technique that can be used in a lot of different ways to make boring shots (or boring days) interesting.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Pooped


I only think it's fair that since Bear is the only of our cats that has not been featured on the blog, he should at least get on there once. It's fitting, since how he looks is how I feel today. Some days when I wake, it feels as if I hadn't slept at all. Today (and yesterday for that matter) was one of those days.

When we bought this couch a few months back, it was as if it was made for these guys. The back cushions are really puffy, and they can sink in and make little nests for themselves. Bear, since he's a little on the big side, tends to hang off a bit.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Bioshock


If you're not a gamer, look away now. Move along, nothing to see here. There's your warning, don't say I didn't give you one.

I think I may have finished one of the greatest games ever. No exaggeration. I've played a lot of games in the last 20 years, so I think that's saying a lot. the game in question is called Bioshock, and it may just be one the most influential games of this generation. Set in the underwater city of Rapture, the game begins with one of the greatest intros since Half-Life, thrusts you right into the action, and never lets up. Everything about this game is nearly perfect. The voice acting, the story, graphics, pacing; all flawlessly executed and totally immersive. This is as close to art as a video game will ever get. I'm not much of a reviewer, so I'll keep it brief by saying if you own a 360 (or a decent PC) there's no reason that you shouldn't be buying this game. If you don't own a 360, this is a damn good reason to go get one. Here's a far better review than I could ever write if you're interested.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Flooded


Last night,on the way home, I drove through a small town called Kirkland. Kirkland is about 10 miles to the west of us, and has a population of roughly 1,500 people. The reason I mention it, is because these photos are from that town. Like most of the Midwest, they've been hit hard by storms and the resulting flooding has been pretty bad. Keep in mind these photos are from today and is hasn't rained in two days. The water has receded somewhat, and the level is still high. From what I can see, there hasn't been any significant property damage, but there are some streets that are impassable. I found this out passing through at around midnight last night. If I hadn't seen someone up ahead in my lane, I likely would not have seen the water until it was too late, plowing into it at 60 mph. The signs were not out far enough to warn you in time. Today they have that street entirely closed. Here's a couple more shots: The light was pretty low when I took these, so they're not the greatest quality, but I think they get the point across.