It’s been quite awhile since I wrote anything about what I did recently without including a photo. I guess this has been something of a photoblog for awhile!
This past weekend was pretty incredible. Unfortunately on Friday I was developing symptoms of a cold so I’ve been doped up on DayQuil/NyQuil ever since. That aside, we ended up doing a lot of really fun things!
Friday night we went with our friend Whitney to see Young Frankenstein at Central Cinema on Capitol Hill, which is pretty much the most awesome thing in existence. You see, this place shows an eclectic mix of films which you can view for $5, and also brings out pizza, beer, wine, hotdogs, etc while you watch. We had a hummous plate and I got a salmon burger while Jules got a pig in a blanket (kosher hotdog in a pastry.) SO AWESOME. We also rigged up Whitney’s Wii using the candle trick as a sensor bar since hers was FUBAR. It worked surprisingly well once we realized it needs a visible open flame to detect properly. Such a fun night!
Of course GTAIV had just come out so we pretty much spent all our weekend’s down time playing that. I am incredibly impressed with the amount of detail in the game and how well the storyline integrates with the gameplay. The driving is a lot more realistic than previous versions and doesn’t suffer from the same ridiculous physics bugs that plagued Saints Row (and why would it?) It’s a bit disappointing that you can’t jump on the hood of a car and teleport inside it like you can in SR, but that’s the sort of charm you can only experience with that quality game.
On Saturday morning we went to the mall to return some ill-fitting clothes and I picked up Folklore for PS3, which I played for about an hour. In that time I realized that it was one of the most awesome games I had ever seen, and I can’t wait to spend more time with it. My only complaint thus far would be their choice of in-game font, but hey, you can’t have everything. Nathaniel came over after that and we grilled some chicken wings for lunch (yay for outdoor BBQ!) and gorged ourselves so much that we could barely manage dinner when the time arrived. Despite that Nathaniel made some delicious onigiri for us (with smoked salmon and chicken karaage, OMG.)
Sunday we went to Ballard and checked out the farmer’s market on the way to Rudy’s Barbershop. Jules, Nathaniel, and I all got haircuts before we made our way over to Omni for D&D. My hair is now shorter than it’s been since I was 9 years old. I figured it was time for a change…so we’ll see how much I like it. Nathaniel also bought a pair of shoes that Jules had been eyeing for some time, so now he won’t have to worry about buying them anymore (since friends aren’t allowed to have the same things, right?)
Last night we had a Cinco de Mayo party at the office which was pretty fun. I ate way too many tortilla chips and far too much guacamole, but had just enough margaritas. With a sufficient buzz, Jules and I walked down to the Showbox and saw Elbow in concert. I had been so blown away by their show 2 years ago I wasn’t sure what to expect this time, but they succeeded in amazing me once again. The sound was properly balanced, which allowed us to hear (and understand!) the vocals, which really impressed me. The show was lively and upbeat, and Guy Garvey was, as always, extraordinarily charming. More than once I found my skin raised in goosebumps as his soulful vocals washed over the room. Even though it was late when the show ended I was sufficiently contented by the experience that I had no trouble staying awake and alert. Jules and I marvelled at our fortune in living in such a place where we can see practically any show we want and walk there and back at our convenience. We had arrived early enough that we were able to procure one of the coveted seats at a table near the second level in back. A perfect view and a soft, padded chair to relax in while experiencing one of the best English bands in existence. Ah yes, it is a good life.
Things have been good at work too. I finally got my Microsoft credentials so I can do my work remotely now without going on site at the client office or at Microsoft itself. This is handy because 1) I love my workplace and coworkers, and 2) it is so much less stressful. Also I can keep the badge in my wallet and pull the photo portion up over the pocket so my eyes are peeking out over the top and show it to Jules, which always garners a laugh. For some reason this is one of the most fun things to do when waiting in line at the grocery store.
