On the Road
(This post was written about 11 AM this morning, in the car, and I posted it this evening at the hotel.)
Rain is pouring down, the temperature is hovering at freezing, and just a few hours behind us in Indiana, the folks there are buckling down for a real ice storm. People are stocking up on grocery items, and preparing for possible power outages. I must admit I'm glad not to experience *that* part of northern life.
A few days ago I experienced the Indiana phenomenon known as Steak N Shake. Maybe it's not limited to Indiana. In any case, I can almost see, from that restaurant, why people would want to dip their fries in a chocolate shake. Almost. :D
I greatly enjoyed a visit to my family over the holidays, but I'm ready to be back at school, to be in Texas. As I grow older I find myself liking Texas, and the South in general, more and more. I enjoy hot summers, mild winters, and almost never having to worry about frozen roads. Sure, it happens, but only once or twice a year.
And snow? I can remember wishing for a white Christmas many times when I was littler, but after a few weeks spent almost entirely in snowed areas, I will welcome not having to deal with it either.
I introduced my family to my blog last night, and set my mom up with her own. And her link should be available on my list, so this is my official reminder to do that. ::goes and does it::
I was up until 3 AM last night, watching the new Josh Groban DVD with my little brother and playing Dark Age of Camelot. (Benny! Go to bed! :D )
Sometimes people will wander into my room at school and wonder how on Earth I can entertain myself with a game like Dark Age of Camelot. I do it for the friendships. Last night was a great example of why I play. Several people were online and available, (mostly LeTourneau pals with a few others).
Talking with those guys last night, I burst out laughing several times. Gamers as a whole (and I speak very generally here) have a sarcastic, exaggerated sense of humor, and most talk consists of sweeping generalizations or gross exaggerations. The smack talk and rants are simply priceless, espeically when someone dies to an enemy player and begins a heated 5-minute soliloquy on why the game is flawed. And yet, we continue to play anyway.
We each pay for our own account, but since we all borrow and share our passwords, we all essentially have access to numerous characters and typically eight or so accounts. It is a very open, come-and-go relationship we have.
And I still kid Geoff (Schmorgan) that some of our friends who play online don't *really* have bodies. Since all I ever hear is their voice, and never have seen them, I am quite sure that they are disembodied spirits, psychically controlling their character and simulating a human voice through the microphone. :D
Another priceless gaming moment came the night before. One of our players (a Marine off active-duty for the moment) and his wife (an apparently patient and wonderful woman, considering she lives with her husband :D ) were listening as Geoff and I described our woodland creature experiences with Dex. We retold the deer skin incidents, the skinned squirrel incidents, etc. Every one burst out laughing at our horror stories (but we were nice to Dex) except the poor, horrified woman, who commented that "this is what I get for playing with a bunch of boys."
And then her husband asked every person there if he had a girlfriend, to which we all replied in the negative. There was an unknowing silence, and then she began giving us poor, anti-social gamers tips what not to say to girls. It was hilarious, to say the least.
And this conversation took place while we were waiting for someone to return after a computer crash. Sometimes the best gaming moments happen when you can pause the gaming to talk to people. I have certainly found it true many times.
Rain is pouring down, the temperature is hovering at freezing, and just a few hours behind us in Indiana, the folks there are buckling down for a real ice storm. People are stocking up on grocery items, and preparing for possible power outages. I must admit I'm glad not to experience *that* part of northern life.
A few days ago I experienced the Indiana phenomenon known as Steak N Shake. Maybe it's not limited to Indiana. In any case, I can almost see, from that restaurant, why people would want to dip their fries in a chocolate shake. Almost. :D
I greatly enjoyed a visit to my family over the holidays, but I'm ready to be back at school, to be in Texas. As I grow older I find myself liking Texas, and the South in general, more and more. I enjoy hot summers, mild winters, and almost never having to worry about frozen roads. Sure, it happens, but only once or twice a year.
And snow? I can remember wishing for a white Christmas many times when I was littler, but after a few weeks spent almost entirely in snowed areas, I will welcome not having to deal with it either.
I introduced my family to my blog last night, and set my mom up with her own. And her link should be available on my list, so this is my official reminder to do that. ::goes and does it::
I was up until 3 AM last night, watching the new Josh Groban DVD with my little brother and playing Dark Age of Camelot. (Benny! Go to bed! :D )
Sometimes people will wander into my room at school and wonder how on Earth I can entertain myself with a game like Dark Age of Camelot. I do it for the friendships. Last night was a great example of why I play. Several people were online and available, (mostly LeTourneau pals with a few others).
Talking with those guys last night, I burst out laughing several times. Gamers as a whole (and I speak very generally here) have a sarcastic, exaggerated sense of humor, and most talk consists of sweeping generalizations or gross exaggerations. The smack talk and rants are simply priceless, espeically when someone dies to an enemy player and begins a heated 5-minute soliloquy on why the game is flawed. And yet, we continue to play anyway.
We each pay for our own account, but since we all borrow and share our passwords, we all essentially have access to numerous characters and typically eight or so accounts. It is a very open, come-and-go relationship we have.
And I still kid Geoff (Schmorgan) that some of our friends who play online don't *really* have bodies. Since all I ever hear is their voice, and never have seen them, I am quite sure that they are disembodied spirits, psychically controlling their character and simulating a human voice through the microphone. :D
Another priceless gaming moment came the night before. One of our players (a Marine off active-duty for the moment) and his wife (an apparently patient and wonderful woman, considering she lives with her husband :D ) were listening as Geoff and I described our woodland creature experiences with Dex. We retold the deer skin incidents, the skinned squirrel incidents, etc. Every one burst out laughing at our horror stories (but we were nice to Dex) except the poor, horrified woman, who commented that "this is what I get for playing with a bunch of boys."
And then her husband asked every person there if he had a girlfriend, to which we all replied in the negative. There was an unknowing silence, and then she began giving us poor, anti-social gamers tips what not to say to girls. It was hilarious, to say the least.
And this conversation took place while we were waiting for someone to return after a computer crash. Sometimes the best gaming moments happen when you can pause the gaming to talk to people. I have certainly found it true many times.
