Did you know it's still dark at 5:30AM?

10.21.2012

Who wants to get out of bed at 5:30 on a Sunday morning? Nobody in their right mind, I would say. And with that prelude, I find myself typing after 5 hours of sleep. But that's ok, I'm being productive instead of staring at a dark ceiling.

Last night was a game of Zombicide with the guys. The game went well although we had our normal bout of messing up a couple of semi-important rules that goes with with the inaugural playing of any game. Mainly it was fun, which is the most important part of any game we play. We thought we were going to die and lose a couple of times (before we actually did), which I think is a hallmark of a good zombie game. After the game we managed to track down the answers for the rules questions that popped up during play, and the odds are good we'll play again. Maybe even play the right way.

This morning I attribute my waking early to last night's game and associated rules questions, along with misc. other stuff, running through my head. Sunday has traditionally been my chore day, so instead of laying in bed waiting for an "appropriate" time to get up, I'm up and marking things off my list!

I've already got a load of laundry in the washer. At this rate everything will be clean and put up by noon.

I'm ripping my newly purchased complete series of Hogan's Heroes. I like to watch 30-minute sitcoms while I eat at home, and I've watched all my favorites at least twice - I'm wrapping up the final season of Frasier for the and time right now. I found I prefer watching sitcoms on the computer, and it's just more convenient to have them ripped and sitting on a hard drive than to dig around for the right disc. It'll take about a week to get all 6 seasons ripped.

After breakfast (yes, I'm cooking some eggs this morning) I've got some general straightening to do.

By then it may be time for a nap...

Permalink rambling

iDice

10.15.2012

This will have limited appeal to those reading, but I've found the 2nd best dollar I've spent on an app for the iPhone/iPad. Mach Dice in the iTunes store is the dice app I want (or wanted to) make. It allows for 4 to 20 sided dice, you can select dice to not re-roll, and nicely shows the total rolled. That's the functionality I wanted, and this app presents it beautifully. There's also a handful of updates that have expanded the functionality even better. If only there was a way to get some custom Formula D in there.

For any game that uses "standard" dice, especially a lot of them, this is a nice little app to have handy. Especially if you find you adding skills slowing down as you get older.

Permalink boardgames

Still falling apart.

10.04.2012

My latest malady seems to be a form of Plantar Fasciitis as it hurts when I put some weight on my left foot. If I'm upright and mobile, that's a lot of weight pressing down no matter which way you look at it. The short version of what's wrong is that I've sprained the ligament in the arch of my foot, which I think connects to the heel. At least that's where I feel it.

All of this started 2 weeks ago when I finally went back on the treadmill at the Wellness Center. After 2 days of 30 minute power walking, I suddenly had a hard time walking at all. It gradually got worse, culminating Tuesday after I was standing around at work too long - too much pressure on my inflamed tendon. By Tuesday night it hurt to take a step. So now I'm alternating soaking in hot gingered water (suggested my my chiropopper) and what has to be the coldest ice pack ever made. Mostly, I'm staying off my feet as much as possible, and I think that's helping the most.

While convalescing, I've remembered at least 2 other times this has happened, with the earliest being around the 6th grade. In the 6th grade I remember having foot pain I couldn't walk on, but I don't remember which foot. This has happened more recently, but I think I was chalking it up as a side effect to my back/knee problems.

I'm still healing up from my surgery in May. This has not been a shining year for me medically. Maybe I'm getting everything out of the way this year and next year I'll be bright eyed and bushy tailed?

Permalink random

Assembled

09.25.2012

Today may have been the shortest time for a movie to go from being delivered on my porch to playing in the DVD player. Today was the release date for The Avengers, a movie which I thoroughly enjoyed at the movies and I've been looking forward to a second viewing at home once the DVD came out.

I found out I still enjoy it.

I think the biggest reason that gets overlooked as to why this movie is so good is that it avoids the pitfall so many super hero movies spend anywhere from 25% to 90% of the focus - there's no origin story to tell in The Avengers. That's been done in 4 other movies. Here we have a bad guy (fronted by the bad guy from Thor) with a story that's been set up primarily by the end of Captain America and Thor. So all we need now is action. Lots and lots of action. And a helicarrier.

SHIELD and the helicarrier put the movie over the top for me. Ever since the Nick Fury VS SHIELD comic series I've loved SHIELD stories, and that's what Avengers is to me.

I think it took 10 minutes from the UPS man knocking at my door until I was watching the movie. Afterwards I watched all the bonus features, and I'm not sure of the last movie that had more than a gag reel that I watched extra. Odds are by the weekend I'll watch the movie again with the director's commentary.

Permalink books/comics random

Too Much To Do... Again

09.24.2012

A few months ago I restructured my Big list of Things To Do and started to make some headway. Then something happened. I think more things got added to my list. On top of that, some of the things already on the list got a little more complicated.

So now I'm revisiting my list and trying to get a grasp on it. My first pass found a list unwieldy and imposing. Scary even. So I've backed off and tried approaching from a different angle. So far it's working, but it's still a big list. Right now, it's a list of things to do. Soon I will have to turn in into a list of things to do and times to do them. That's the hard part right now.

I've got time available to do extra stuff, but I spend half of that free time trying to decide what I'm in the mood/mind-set to do. Not the most productive time for me. I'm getting little things done here and there, I just have to optimize and turn those little things into big things!

Or at least a train of little things. A big long train.

Permalink random