It's been an exciting day, here in Lake Wobegon....

[bzarcher]

I miss Garrison Keilor. None of the radio stations near that I can get do Prarie Home Companion, far as I can tell. But. It really has been an exciting day, starting from when I missed my alarm this morning.

(demeterschild, I'm afraid that's why I was so brief in our morning chat today. Was dressing and trying to make sure I had everything needed for work.)

So I get into work, and I find out that email is being screwy, and I had 45 things to do IMMEDIATELY AS CRISISES, and why didn't you get the emails we sent you?

Eh-heh.

Anyhow. I set about on my merry way to do what I could and had to do, and I was even doing a nice job of keeping up on things, despite several other things falling in my lap.

Then, about 11 this morning, it all changed.

I was working on setting up the school's new cybercafe in our student union, on the phone to the office, when I hear the most sickening -CRUNCH-.

"What the fuck?" All the sudden, the lights flicker, flash, and go out. Emergency lights flicker, then slowly crawl to life. Over the phone, I can hear the UPSes in the server room screeching.

John tells me the Server room's dark, and he has to go NOW.

Yes, this is bad. I go back into work, and notice an EMS screeching down Beall Ave. There are no traffic lights. I actually have to get let into the office because the swipes are down and the doors went into lockdown. Walk into the office: "A semi got cut off by some guy. Semi swerved, and it took out some of the telephone/power poles."

We go to lunch. Because we are morbid, we try to get a look at the accident. We're waved off and detoured. "It'll be 5 hours, maybe 6! Don't even try it!"

While at lunch, we get a phonecall. Nobody has to stay at work. Classes will keep in session, but the computer department is a bit useless without the power, huh? So we decide to hit the EB. (THE SOUL STILL BURNS...and we were right there, anyhow.) I get in line with 1 guy ahead of me....and sit there for 20 minutes.

First the guy wanted to trade in a game they won't take. It's too scratched. Then he wants to buy a game but doesn't have the cash. Then he decides to use his credit card. Then he talks football with the clerk. Meanwhile, I and the other 4 customers behind them stare. It's clear most of them are on lunch breaks, and this guy is fucking with us all.

Guy finally leaves...without his credit card. Clerk spents 5 minutes putting it into a lost and found thingy. Then a UPS guy shows up...and the clerk leaves to go deal with him for another several minutes.

The customers aren't just restless, we're actively bitching at this point. So I hand the guy my pre-reg ticket for SCII (which he doesn't read, since he has to ask me what game, and what platform, yet he insists he has to hang onto it.) and my credit card.

"So. Um. Do you want the strategy guide?"

"No."

"You sure? Everyone always says that, and then they come back...it's on sale today!"

"No. Thanks. I played the first one without it, and I think I'll manage."

"Dude, last guy who said that came back and paid it out later..."

"NO. I just want the game, thanks."

"Trust me, dude. You'll come back. You want this."

"NO! I don't! I just want the game!"

"Dude. You will. It's harder than in the Arcade. They've got this dude..."

"I don't care. Please. Just ring up the game."

"DUDE, I have to show you this. Here. Look." Drone proceeds to shove the guide in my face and open it up. "You /have/ to see this guy...he's so not even beatable without the guide!"

"NO. Ring. Up. The. Game."

"You'll be in here next week for the game! I know you will!"

"I rather doubt it."

There's another few minutes of this while he rings me up. The people from work I went to lunch with are watching me. John's cracking up. Michael T. is afraid I'm gonna punch the guy. Roger's playing F-Zero GX and wondering what I was talking about. Linda is in line and wants him to stop fucking around so she can buy her copies of Red Faction II and Tron 2.0.

(Linda is a 60 year old mother of 5 and grandmother who used to be in the Navy. She plays TFC hardcore, and beats ass at almost every FPS. She's just that cool.)

Fuming, grumbling, and finally, we leave, but not before I take some time with F-Zero EX myself. It's rather good! If I had a Gamecube, I'd probably have bought it, and I took to it remarkably quickly.

So I realize I have a FedEx to look for that's supposed to be delivered around 2:30. So we go back to the office, and go upstairs. No lights, no a/c, and it's dead quiet. Pretty cool, actually.

Now, fortunately, I'm not alone in waiting. Mike B's girlfriend works over in the Public Info office, and she got told she'd be able to leave at 3. So he and I play around on our laptops. Pocket tanks, some Risk, and then comparing the various movies we have on our computer. (I introduced him to Halo Machinma. He was hooked! Hah.) We also shot the breeze about Bungie games, gaming, and stuff. It was a remarkably good time.

So, the package was the video card for litagemini's new PC, and the cable ties I ordered for it and any others I do in the near future. I go home, and to my surprise, my house still has power. Neato.

So, we sit down to work. I have the card installed and the cables retied in about 3 minutes or so. The case looks far cleaner and much neater through the window now, particularly when I turn the neon on. I get the drivers in, I set the resolution up, and it's running /fine/. Shut it all down, give Amanda a call and leave a message so she knows the good news, and then I go crack open SC II.

If you've been thinking about getting Soul Calibur II, you should. It's beautiful, it's fun, and the new modes and storyline features only add to the game, far as I'm concerned. And to my surprise, Spawn and Necrid were actually remarkably good and usable characters. I expected them to be pathetically weak and difficult to use, and I'm glad to be wrong. Then, I chatted with daemi0n (one of my old SC buddies) about his potential impending visit and my impressions of the game. Finally, I decided to go hit the PC and MechCommander 2.

It works! And works well! And I'm kinda hooked! And I keep blowing shit up! Right now I'm about halfway through the Liao campaign after blitzing through Steiner. Mmm. Battlemechs.

So, now, I'm chilling out, checking in on the MUSHes, talking about good cunnilingus techniques and motorcycles, and I'll probably be going back to the Xbox soon...it calls me, you see....Soul Edge has found me...and I can hear it's siren song....

Oh. Wait. skarlette's on.

Xbox replaced by a far more seductive and wonderous Siren. ;D I guess I'll be on for awhile.

Comments

[tarzxf.livejournal.com]

npr.org and mpr.org have realaudio feeds of all the current (and some older) PHC shows from all over the US

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. True. But it's not quite the same, you know? And I'd have to install Realaudio, shittiest streaming software on earth.

[nachitor.livejournal.com]

Cunnilingus and Soul Calibur.

Two things the mainstream media would have you think do not mix. Take that, corporate America! ;)

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

And let's face it, they're made to go together Look at Ivy in either the purple bondage outfit, or her 'Pirate Queen' outfit, and tell me that you wouldn't eat her like an ice cream cone.

Hell, I'd spell the Greek, English, Cyrillic, and Arabic alphabets on her!

[grandmoff.livejournal.com]

Taki is very, very cold.

Very.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

It's those skirts. They're just so drafty!

[grandmoff.livejournal.com]

I think it's probably that what they want you to believe is a red bodysuit is actually merely paint.

If Sports Illustrated can do it, so can sexy D-Cup ninja.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

In the case of the bodysuit, true enough. But that battle armor/quasi schoolgirl outfit...that's so a drafty skirt. Now, I'm perfectly willing to believe that her undergarments in that one could be paint...