Quick Update 12-24

Just stopping by to say I'm still here.

Wow, the clouds have parted right in front of the sun just as rain begins to pour down on the Hasting's patio I can see from inside. And now a few minutes later the rain has slowed but the sun remains to blind me out the corner of my eye.

Yesterday I played Santa too my friends. I handed out the gifts I had bought for them, collected a few hugs and went home happy.

My family had our Christmas get together last week so Christmas day is a free day for me. I'll probably just stay home and play Mass Effect 2 or watch movies.

Update on my housing situation: I was going to get an apartment with a couple of friends but they are taking a very long time to get their apps filled out. I've decided to get an apartment by myself. There is an apartment complex that doesn't do credit checks, there's no lease to sign, light, water, trash, and cable are included, the apartments come with a microwave, tv, bed, and fridge. In the short run it will cost me less to move in there but more per month than I would have been playing with my friends. I'd like to wait but I don't like imposing on the friends I'm staying with now much more. I've all ready told them that I would be out of their hair by the end of this month at the start of this month.

So I'll soon be getting my first apartment alone.

Gilly

big post

Ah been a few days so I have several things to talk about.

First up is my new MP3 player. I bought a Sansa Fuse with 4 GB which is plenty for me. Besides audio it also does video which is becoming a feature on any player big enough for a screen. The video converter works on avi files which means I could put some tv episodes or movies on it. I don't think I will because for one, it takes a long time for the converter to convert big files and two, I got a small headache watching while watching a twenty minute tv show episode I converted.

A few hard drive moves ago I lost all my music, about 4 gigs of songs. So I have nothing to put on it except for podcasts which is working out very well. I have three or four podcasts that my feed reader auto downloads for me. I've been letting them pile up because the only way for my to listen to them before now has been through my computer but when I'm at my computer I would rather watch a tv show or catch up on my feeds or just poke around wikipedia. I'm a little sad to say but I can't read a blog and listen to a podcast at the same time without losing some content. And there are some podcasts I really want to devote my entire attention to but when I'm at the computer well I wander. But with my Fuse I can step away from my computer and still listen to my podcasts.

And here's a picture of a Sansa Fuse(BTW mine is red too):



Now on to the package I recently received from Canada.

The package was from Leanne Franson writer/artist of Liliane, Bi-Dyke


Liliane, Bi-Dyke is a comic I found about two weeks ago. Quick disclamer: this comic is LGBT friendly(just to let you know in case the title didn't tip you off). I read through the archive in two nights. In 2006 the author's Saint Benard, Muesili, died which caused me to start bawling my eyes out when I reached those stories inspired by her pain. Why did it hit me so hard? Well, Liliane is based largely on the the author's life which included owning a Saint Bernard named Muesili who had been featured in a few stories. About a year later when she decided to get another dog she put together some very nice comic books from those stories featuring Musili and sold them on her site.

I was cautious in buying them because I wasn't sure she still had any left or that the prices listed were still valid. So I shot her a quick email asking for info and received a reply within minutes telling me she still had some and to go ahead and take advantage of any speacils still up. I ordered two sets of comics and two books of stories that had not been published online.


One set of all three Muesili comics for myself, which I got signed.


The two not online story books.



And one set of the two family friendly comics that I plan to give as a gift to someone(not sure who yet) at some point(not sure when yet).

Moving on to Roleplaying coincidences. Lets see, ok, first my friend Krystal has asked me if I wanted to form a small gaming group or possibly join a group. Soon afterward I began listening to the Penny Arcade/PvP DnD Podcasts on my MP3 player. And while listening to said podcasts, I see Will Wheaton has posted a hand full of links to free roleplaying guides and adventures. Maybe I'm overthinking things but it feels like I am being lead/guided to roleplaying. Not much else to say about that.

Guitar hero woes: I am without a guitar contorller. I lent mine to a family member and it has disappeared they have had said. I don't blame the familiy member. I know the risk in lending out stuff is to never see it again. I have been browsing for a new guitar in stores. I hoped to buy one in a bundle with a new game but could only find them with wireless controllers which I was told would only work with that game and other games in the same series but wired ones would work on both. Now after a quick search I see that Guitar Hero guitars(wired and wireless) also work with Rock Band but not the other way around. If I had known this sooner I would have bought one sooner.

Mother's Day is almost here. Normally a day to spend with family eating BBQ, this Mother's Day I will be at work. It's an unfortante side effect of working at a place that provides a sevice linked to the holidays. Not every holiday but those that involve buying tokens of affection cause a spike in our sales. Judging by the number of cookie cakes we've prerolled we will only be about half as busy as Valintine's day. I'm going to miss seeing my mom for most of the day. I might get to see her for a little while in the evening but I'm not sure.

Oy, I had one more topic but it's nearly 6am and I'm exasted, so it'll get it's own post tomorrow.

See ya.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is coming up in a little more than a week. In past years I've barely been aware that the day was coming. I've had little reason to keep track of it due to being single. It's a bit depressing for me to think about Valentine's day. I mean it's a day dedicated to expressing your love for your significant other, which leaves single people somewhat out in the cold.

This year is a bit different. No, I have not fond my true love or even just a love. What makes this year different is where I am working. The store I'm working for now sells cookie cakes and for Valentine's Day we sell heart shaped cookie cakes that come in gold and red foiled heart shaped boxes (they're very nice looking). This is the busiest time of the year for the store I've been told. We're expecting to sell around 250 heart cookie cakes and around 300 regular cakes over a period of four days. With that much business and due to my new position as team leader I'm going to be working open to close, fifteen hours, for most of next week. This is going to result in a very nice check. It will also mean I will have little to no free time during the days leading up to Valentine's Day.

The next part of my ongoing story is swimming in my brain. I am hoping to write and post it before V-week begins. In any event expect me to drop off the net around the 10th or 11th and to be back after the 15th.

Merry Christmas

I just want to wish you and all of your family a Merry Christmas.



And to those reading this on Christmas morning..

Get off the computer and go spend time with your loved ones.

That is all. Infowhore out.