Methadone for Warcrack

I'm playing a pretty cool single-player RPG right now called "Fable: The Lost Chapters", on my Xbox. It's also available on PC, but the PC price is $49.99, while the Xbox price is $19.99, mainly b/c the watered down version was out on Xbox only last year. I have to say that this game has 90 percent of the cool attributes that World of Warcraft (Warcrack) had, with the exception of the person to person interaction and guild stuff, etc. The plus is not having to deal with major lagging and the hassle of not being able to just play for 30 min. or so. Warcrack was a 2 hour plus committment if you wanted to accomplish anything... The game play is pretty involved, with everything from fighting, questing, developing your character, etc. There are some interesting choices of things to do, including paying barbers and tattoo artists to change your look, buy and selling (or renting) real estate, boasting about deeds, etc.

What makes this game truly interesting, and perhaps separates it a bit from other RPG's is that EVERY action you take has a direct effect on your surroundings. And the more good you are, the more "pure" your character will look. The more evil you are, the "darker" your character will become. The game tempts you to the dark side frequently, offering slightly better rewards for committing evil deeds, in comparison to the good opposite deed, and promising a much quicker path to wealth and power. However, I'm banking on the possibility that being pure will pay off in the end. At any rate, you can play the game 10 times and have 10 completely different experiences, based on the fact that every action will alter your character, as well as the rest of the game. I'm just beginning to get into the real action (after a training period), but it seems like this is going to be a pretty cool ride.

s42

Something Truly to be Thankful For

Well, I'm now about 5 lbs. heavier from the overindulgences of the holiday yesterday. Between food and drink, I'd estimate 7,000 to 10,000 calories would be about right. Or would be so wrong!!!

I had a wonderful time with family yesterday, and somehow managed to FINALLY slow things down for a few hours and just enjoy life. Just really take things in. I had one of those life-galvanizing moments yesterday, and it all came from a videotape....

My holiday was spent at the house of my Aunt and Uncle, where we traditionally spend several "holidays" each year. Recently, our area had a good deal of flooding from one of the tropical depressions (former hurricane) that passed through. We received 9-11 inches of rain in a 24-36 hour period, and many people, including my Aunt and Uncle, had significant flooding in their basements. While many things were ruined, one of the items salvaged from a rather waterlogged box was a simple videotape. One that turned out to be 17 years old, and chronicled 2 hours of events in my family history from the year 1988 - Labor day weekend party at my same Uncle's house, Thanksgiving at my old house in Mohnton, and Christmas at my Uncle's house. The first thing that struck me about this tape, is that it was 17 years old, which is exactly 1/2 of my age of 34, meaning literally it was one half of my life ago. The other oddity was that the tape had time and date stamps on the playback, and Thanksgiving from 1988 was on November 24 - the same date as this year. Not exactly earthshattering facts, but I found them interesting, nonetheless.

As the tape played through the various holidays, I realized that my brother was about 3 1/2 years old in the video, the same age as my son is now. As I watched and listened to him, I was absolutely HAUNTED by the similarities in his behaviors and my son's. It was almost like watching Brandon in another body. And the fact that part of it took place in my old home, a home that Brandon lived in for 1 1/2 years, well, it was a bit eerie.

I also watched myself on tape.... 17 years old.... I just was starting my Senior year of high school in the beginning of the tape, and had just gotten my braces off about 2 weeks before the start of it. I was just starting as captain of the Cross Country team, and weighed about 113 lbs.! I was polite on tape, but had that "teenager attitude" going for me, which was funny to see, and a bit embarrassing, too! As I watched myself and my family from 17 years back, my laughter turned a bit to melencholy, and then to a tinge of sadness as I realized that so much had changed since then. I watched as my mom and stepfather got along so great, and functioned so admirably as husband and wife, mother and father. (they divorced 3 years ago). I watched as my little brother played with our cousins, Mike and Dave, and they were so fascinated by simple Ghostbuster toys, and toy cars and trucks and things like that, and hadn't a care in the world. (Mike and Dave are in/pursuing graduate studies, and my brother is entering culinary school, each in their 20's now). Tears streamed freely down my face as I watched my grandmother, my last living grandparent and resident in my home for 15 years. As I listened to her talking to everyone. Laughing. Helping my cousin open one of his Christmas presents. Brightening the room just by her sheer presence. (She died several years later from a massive stroke in 1993). I was shocked, stunned and devistated by just how simple things seemed back then, and how much happier we all seemed. We had a floor model wooden framed TV that sat directly on the ground, and used a single cable with NO CABLEBOX. There was no DVD player....no VCR....certainly no DVR to catch up with shows. Our furniture was simple, but efficient. Sofa, loveseat, recliner, and rocker. Several table lamps. We had one of the first commercial microwave ovens, though!!! It took up nearly the entire side counter in the kitchen. Our cars were basic, at best. What really struck me, though, was for the nearly 2 hours of tape, including three holidays, the tape was filled with CONVERSATION. People sitting at a kitchen or dining room table, or in a living room, TALKING to each other. Sharing stories. Not surfing the internet. Not listening to an iPod. Not watching movies on TV. The only time on the tape that the television was even a remote distraction was during the football games on Thanksgiving. (Hey, some things never change!). But overall, it was a scene of people tuning into their family members. Their BLOOD. Instead of tuning into multi-media blitzing sound and video clips. You watched that video and you could tell that everyone on there LOVED each other unconditionally. That we were willing to slow things down and give our time and attention to each other, because that's what really mattered. Today it seems like everything is moving so fast that there isn't enough time to just slow down and enjoy things. Everyone has to put their kids on two soccer teams, in a karate class, a dance class, girl/boy scouts, etc., all at the same time. Families don't even have time to enjoy dinner together anymore. It's all about being on the go 24/7. And if you don't keep up with everyone else, you'll be left behind somehow. It's a really truly sad state of affairs for this country of ours. Middle class, suburban America has stolen so many souls, and I'm part of it now, and it both scares and saddens me in a way. I need to remember my roots, and remember how to LIVE. Not through material things, or technology, but through family and love. For every year we get a little older... a little slower... a little grayer. And the family becomes smaller and more distant through life events like death, divorce, and relocation. We can never get these days back. And perhaps the most heart-wrenching lesson from the video is that our children, the ones we love with ALL of our heart, soul and being..... eventually grow up and move on. Every day I have an option to play with Brandon and his trucks, or continue reading my newspaper or working on the computer for my second job. And a day will come when Brandon doesn't WANT me to play with him anymore. And my heart, like those before me, will shatter... and I'll have to pick up the pieces and move on.

So I'm making my New Year's resolution early this year: I'm going to slow my life down. I'm going to focus on the things that truly matter (my family, my son), vs. the things that seem important in today's society (putting in more hours on a job to get more money to buy more material things, keeping up with the Joneses). I'm going to try, because we only have so many finite days to live on this Earth with those we love and those who love us.

Try to embrace just a bit of the past...

s42

And Then There Were Three!!!

Introducing the newest members of my family, from left to right (and front to back): Edge and Fiona. (I know it's not the best picture, but try catching two 8 week old kittens both sitting still!) These two unbelieveably cute creatures join Gina's older cat, Destiny. They are currently quarantined in my son's bathroom until Friday, to allow all de-parasiting medications to work 100 percent. At that time, they will gain free roam to the house, and probably cause wonton destruction and havoc.

s42

Indian Summer Sky

The title combines two things that I've been enjoying very much over the past few days. While it isn't exactly Indian Summer, MAN who can argue with the weather we've had?! For mid-November, this is PERFECT. Absolutely PERFECT. I got in a nice run tonight, and was in short sleeves and shorts. I was going to leave the house with long sleeves, but after two steps out the door, I wisely went back in and changed. Such a nice night. Just a mellow breeze and warm. If only it would stay like this for another month or so. T'would be nice for the heating bills, for sure!!!

The second meaning of the title relates to U2, and a song title from the Unforgettable Fire album. I've been eating up their new iPod commercial, which plays a live video version of "Original of the Species", from a Chicago show this year. It's a great spot for the iPod, but it's also a great teaser for their upcoming live DVD, which should be out any time now. Absolutely looking forward to that. The live DVD from the last tour was pretty good. This one should be phenomenal!

Also of note, although not directly related to this blog entry title, is the further developments in the Genesis reunion tour. Apparently, Phil Collins has now officially thrown his hat in the ring, as well as Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel, with the intentions that Phil will sit behind the drum kit for most if not all of the show, and Peter will sing. All that's really left is the blessing of Mike Rutherford (an almost given), and Tony Banks (trickier, but if they got Peter, should be a piece of cake in comparison), and for the band to agree on terms (think tightrope walking). I'm cautiously optimistic that this could happen for real next year sometime. No sense putting it off any longer. They're certainly not getting any younger. Then again, either are we..... 42 out.

s42

The Wheels Fell Off

MAN this year is flying by. It's NOVEMBER already!!! I'm not at all ready for the cold (and subsequent killer heating bills), but I guess it is that time again. Looks like we'll have another week or so of decent weather yet, though. Maybe I can squeeze some shorts-wearing into this weekend...

Marathon looks like it's dead for this year. My knee is still not quite right from whatever relapse/reinjury I had over the past 2 weeks. I'm also still struggling with some other minor issues which seem to flare into major aches and hobbles whenever I stretch my training runs over a few miles. So I'm going to stare inevitability in the face and declare that I've been beaten. But I'm not really all that down about things. First and foremost, I DID make it through some pretty killer long runs, including the 16 miler several weeks ago. Second, I learned about my dedication. I stretched my battered and injured body about as much as I could without causing serious, possibly permanent damage. I've only run once in the past 2 weeks, and I STILL can't get out of bed, or my car, or a chair, etc. without my knee killing me. I'm still walking with a bit of a limp, too. In addition, it's been a full year now that I've had my plantar fascitis. It's better, but still there b/c I haven't given myself a good long rest. I should have heeded the advice in the running magazines that say if you suffer a significant injury, you should think twice about continuing with such high-level training. I would say a grade 2 ACL injury (plus God knows what else), qualifies for fairly significant. In hindsight, I should have found a nice 1/2 marathon and raced that for my goal race, but my stubbornness kept pushing me toward the whole 26.2 mile enchilada. One piece of advice for the first-time marathon hopeful: Remember that while the physical pain and endurance is very substantial at times, the mental drain is even worse. Motivation can be an issue, but for me it was more of an issue to deal with the mental strain of KNOWING that you were going to be sore ALOT. And not just right after a long run, but for DAYS afterward. Especially with the injuries. I think if I'd have stayed healthy, it wouldn't have been unbearable, but with the injuries, it just became too much. Limping on both legs from multiple injuries, almost every day for weeks on end, takes it's toll...

As things are, I basically lost a whole year of 5K/5 mile races because I was doing specialized training for the marathon. But these things happen. I think I'm going to take a nice long break from beating up my lower body, and try to heal up completely. Next year I'm vowing to have a very successful racing season, but with full emphasis on the SHORTER races. And I know my training partner will agree that we're going to brain the other person if either of us decides to pursue a marathon in the near future. I'm disappointed because I KNOW we could have finished this thing, but I know we are doing the right thing....

s42

There's a Paradoxical Pagan in Every Christian (or, Vampires, Mummies and the Holy Ghost)

Welcome to All Saints' Day. The day after Halloween. A Christian holiday following closely in the footsteps of a Pagan celebration.

I came to think of the irony in all of this last night, while I was escorting my son around the streets of our town for the annual "trick-or-treat" night. Halloween is just one interesting example of a Pagan-like ritual being celebrated by many people who probably claim to be good, practicing Christians. And let me get this out in the open - I don't think there is anything wrong at all with the holidays we celebrate, and how we celebrate them. I'm just using this forum to point out some irony....

Halloween was originally celebrated as the day before All Saints' Day. The day when, supposedly, spirits were roaming around the countryside looking for bodies to possess. So the inhabitants would wear all sorts of demonic like costumes and act all strange, dancing around and making lots of noise, to confuse the spirits. Interestingly enough, many church going folk allow their children to partake in the annual recreation of this "event", even though celebration of anything Pagan is strictly forbidden by Christianity.

Also of note: The Christmas tree, which we use to decorate our homes during the second most "holy" day of the year, is actually an old Pagan fertility symbol. Does the placing of "gifts" around the tree represent an old practice of paying homage to the fertility God? It is also widely believed that the celebration of Christmas on the specific date of December 25 has nothing at all to do with the birth of Christ. Rather, it is believed that Dec. 25th was the most important Pagan holiday, and the Christians that designated the holiday believed it was easiest for the Pagans to remember that day when they tried to convert them to Christianity.....

Interesting things to digest. I'm sure that most people are completely oblivious to the Pagan connections to our holidays, and instead celebrate them the way they do because of the traditions that have been carried down through our families and such. I'm certainly not going to forgo the tree this year, or forbid my son to dress up to get some candy.

s42