counting the hours
As the day approaches, i’m getting much more anxious.
I can feel myself starting to twitch, my feet crying out for me to stop already, even though I haven’t started.
Depriving myself of sleep, day after day, just to put on that shirt.
Being with like-minded friends and cohorts, who I get to see once, maybe twice a year.
What do I speak of? PAX of course!
If you’re going, see you there! But this time in Boston! New England baby!
Seriously, i’m excited. And I get to see a cousin of mine who lives out there. But I also feel like i’m going home. I haven’t been back to New England in years, and can’t wait.
-j
pax is dead … long live pax
So it was that time again this year. And god am I sore. PAX:Prime has come and gone.
Not much I can say about it that hasn’t already been published somewhere else, except to reiterate just how damn awesome this convention is. Getting see people I only talk with online, play games with, and occasionally speak with, is well worth the vacation time, the pain endured, and the bittersweetness of parting ways for another year.
But this time, it won’t be a year. Least for me it won’t, because I will be going to PAX:East. Yay!
So this year I was a Silver Assistant (Thanks PRD for giving me this chance <3). This entails me working closely with several exhibitors and helping out others and attendee's in the expo hall. All of my exhibitors were just friggin fantastic and I would like to thank each one:
Rooster Teeth: Gus, Geoff, Bernie, and the rest of you, thanks for gifts and not killing me for checking on you guys occasionally to make sure you were alright. You’ve been a barrel of laughs ever since I found you folks at my original PAX and look forward to the future.
Mega64: Rocco, Derrick, Shawn and Eric. You guys just plain out rock. And no, I didn’t forget Garrett, you sir, are just one crazy mofo. Thanks for being gentle with a first year SA and for the DVD’s. Look forward to the video you shot on the floor. And my wife loves you guys for helping her win one of the DSi’s.
Sweet Kitty: Thank you for the Yan Yan, the cookies, and the laughs. Meg thanks you for the Totoro pin, she gets the biggest grin on her face when I mention it. See you in the store soon!
Open Chord LLC: You’ve made me want to actually learn to play guitar now. The product you have developed is great and I would LOVE to get one. I had a blast the two times I actually had the time to play and know I will again soon. Good luck and hope to see you next PAX!
Fugazo: Frobots looks like its going to do well, I know we will be getting it as soon as it shows up on WiiWare. Hope to see more from you folks going forwards!
Art Institute of Seattle: Your video blew my mind. You have some very talented students and I just know I will see some of their work in future games.
A few things I am looking forward to from the show: The Old Republic, Kinect, Windows 7 Phone, Portal 2 (OMFG, hurry it up!!! :p ), Duke Nukem Forever (no joke, its coming, though it would of been classic if they would of said ‘psych!’ heh), Halo: Reach, TRON, and a few other items i’m missing.
I would also like to thank the folks that manned the Plantronics booth for their appreciation and understanding while I helped get their setup issue’s taken care of. It was a pleasure talking with you! And Lars, if you happen to somehow find this, if you guys get a headset that cups the ears, you’ve got a customer right here! Fell in love with my Voyager Pro the moment I bought it and have no doubt your headset would do the same.
And to Chinny Chuang of Zalman, pleasure helping you out and thanks for the smiles, they helped relieve the stress of the crowds.
And lastly, to my fellow Enforcers, we did it again. ELand kept us all alive! Love the hell out of you guys and see you all in the trenches again at PAX:East. And if I forgot anyone, my apologies, tired and it wasn’t intentional.
*UPDATE* I just realized that I owe a big thanks to SpyderZ, Zalvinar, and Ailadinya for their input and support for my first time in this position. Thank you so much.
what are the chances….
of finding out that one of your beloved past times would have not just one, but two opportunities pop up in a week?
Battletech
First, I find out from The Dark Overlord of a new series called Dead Mech by up and coming Jake Bible. Just think of Battletech with Zombies (two of my favorite things!) piloting. You must give it a listen if you like either of those.
There are 7 episodes so far. I will be honest, during the first episode, I was about to stop my Zune because the looped desert wind sound that was being used was quite distracting and getting a bit annoying, but i’m glad I didn’t.
Secondly!
I used to be a Virtual World Addict back in the haydays. I had amassed over 750+ missions and was on my way to my first Order of Burton when it closed. Quite a bit of money I tell you.
Anyhow, I went to VW’s website to just reminisce when I saw something about a possible shop opening up in the Seattle area. That’s when I ended up finding The Airlock. Newly opened. What are the chances?!
They’re running the Tesla two pods with the Firestorm software. Different from what I played on but from what was explained to me, there are about 500 mechs to choose from and the coolant loops and generator load balancing was removed from the game, stuff never in the game or books themselves. And alot of the old players love the new game.
Their located in Kirkland, Wa at 12093 124th Ave NE by Laughs Comedy Club.
Now, if only they get some Martian Football going soon, i’d be in heaven (and the poor house).
How many hangings under the red moon
build it and they shall come
Its almost that time.
PAX’09!!
The schedule has been released and it looks chocked full of goodness. And if you are going, this wonderful person, Chelseabot, made a google calendar of all the events. Check it out!
And if you’re interested in the unofficial events, click here
reading rainbow
Scott Sigler has just posted a pic to tease us die hard fans. This book comes out end of this month and is only limited to 3500 copies, each personally signed.
You can get your copy here: Scott Sigler’s The Rookie
The Story Synopsis:
Set in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, THE ROOKIE is a story that combines the intense gridiron action of “Any Given Sunday” with the space opera style of “Star Wars” and the criminal underworld of “The Godfather.”
Aliens and humans alike play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that literally want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assassinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or he’ll wind up just another stat in the column marked “killed on the field.”
Yup. It happened to me.
Last saturday, while walking down the hallway, I bent over to pick up something and had a sharp pain in me lower back and my legs buckled. On the floor I was and I couldn’t get up.
I spent a good 5-10 minutes trying to, but everytime I moved my legs, my lower back hurt like hell and would spasm. I think this had something to do with the night before when I had turned to grab something and felt a small pop and a twinge in my lower back.
But anyways, I luckily had my cell with me and called Meg who rushed home with Tim to help me get up. By then, I had crawled my way to the couch in the living room, but couldn’t even get up on that. A few hours later, I was able to at least crawl on my hands and knee’s, but not stand. So Meg took me to the ER, which really didn’t do much. Just a shot of morphine and that was it. It was hell getting in and out of the car as well.
I was able to get on my feet with the help of my cane a day later and have now been able to walk around at least. Still constant pain in that area of my back though. I can only bend over so far and the left leg seems to be far weaker then my right one. Usually get a shooting pain down it when I walk.
Spine Doc called today and wants to see me Thurs. I’m starting to think he’s going to say surgery. /sigh
We shall see.
In other news, Wedding invites went out. Glad that’s over with.
help thy fellow PAXonian
I don’t usually pass things like this along that often, but this one hits semi close to home.
A fellow compatriot of mine, Lori, who is an Enforcer (some know what this is, for others Please read this), was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder known as APS and may possibly have lupus. Because of this, she will have to have one of her legs removed.
Lori, along with her husband, have opened there house multiple times to us Enforcers to just hang out, play games, talk, or be rowdy. And we are now helping give back in what ever way we can to help these two friends of ours out.
Another Enforcer and friend of mine, who goes by the name of Liger, is hand making her own version of the LiveStrong bracelet. Please visit her site and take a look, and please purchase one if you can afford it.
20 out of 10
Had my discography yesterday, and the doctor and nurse prepped me as best as they could. But it still hurt like hell.
For those that don’t know what a discography is, its a procedure where they test the various disc’s in your back to see which one or one’s may be causing the issue’s that are currently plagueing you. In my case, the lower back pain and it causing pain in the knee’s, ankle’s and occasionally, the buckling of my right leg.
They inserted four needles into the disc’s at L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1. The doctor then injects a contrast dye, usually iodine, while watching the live xray on a monitor. It usually goes in stages. 1.5cc total in .5 steps.
L2-L3 – Some discomfort and a feeling that I needed to use the bathroom. 2 out of 10 on pain.
L3-L4 – Some discomfort and the feeling someone had kicked me in the nads. 2 out of 10 on pain.
L4-L5 – PAIN. OMFG… He had just got the .5cc into me and I had about jumped off the table. It even startled him as I saw him jump. And with the way the x-ray machine was rotated and positioned, I hit my head on it as it was right above me. It hurt so bad I actually started crying, it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my lower back. 20 out of 10 on pain.
L5-S1 – Pain, but not as bad as the other one. This one was felt down the legs as the other was just across the lower back. 7 out of 10.
So after we were done, he told me on the L4-L5 disc, there was leakage, and this is what is causing my pain. And more then likely I will have to have surgery to repair it. But that’s up to my doctor to decide.
Ended the day with a morphine shot to help with the pain, went home, slept, woke up with a fever, naseau, etc.
Fun day I would say.
hero? just helping
Back in March I had talked about a card I recieved telling me I was nominated for the 2008 Circle of Success – Hero of Valor Award. Today was the luncheon for the Washington Region where all the nominee’s were honored.
And the outcome? This:
I was totally not expecting this at all, and actually, don’t really feel I had done anything extrordinary. I saw people in need and helped. Thinking about what I had done afterwards though, yeah, could of been a bit stupid, but luckily, everyone was fine.
