I don't mind the rat race but I could do with a little more cheese.

Spent much of the weekend running around in and/or reading about post-apocalyptia ("Fallout 3" and Oryx and Crake, respectively). I downloaded "Operation Anchorage" and "The Pitt," but I haven't begun either one. I've got kick-ass armor, guns, and companion; why should I give all that up to go someplace new? Oh yeah, because it's new and I'm starting to get bummed out by all the bleakness in my game and bedtime reading material. Perhaps I should focus on something with a happier ending.

I also downloaded lots of songs for "Rock Band 2." Spent a small fortune on downloadable content this weekend. And no, I'm not giving M$ my credit card number; I use the points cards. I've read too many horror stories about plugging one's CC into the Xbox.

Yesterday afternoon, before the cold front came in, was gorgeous. I was too wiped out from the little bit of packing and schlepping Hubbyfink and I did for smiep and thatpotteryguy on Saturday and the frenzy of housecleaning on Sunday to do much with the sun and warm temps. I still want to get a bike and see how far I can go on the trail.

While channel-surfing last night, we came across "The Incredibles." Hubbyfink's never seen it; I popped in the DVD so we could watch it without commercials. He loved it. I admit that it took a while before I was willing to watch it, but once I did I found it charming.

I spent my lunch hour at Tarzhay doing a little retail therapy my part to stimulate the economy and picked up a couple of 360 games for the Hubbyfink (Call of Duty) and me (Bioshock). The cashier asked for my ID when she scanned Bioshock. I've never been carded for a game before. Hee!

(Question for fellow gamers: should I go ahead and get F.E.A.R 2 without having played F.E.A.R.? Or will I be missing out by not having played the original? I didn't let skipping to a sequel bother me for Resident Evil or Fallout or even Legend of Zelda. I'm not why I'm so concerned about it with this game, but I am.)

"Xanadu" and "Don't Walk Away" have been on near-continuous repeat on my ipod. My coworkers should be glad I wear headphones. Damn, Olivia Newton-John's got a high voice. I can't follow her in a couple of places and have to drop into a more alto-friendly harmony. Oof. Happily, Jeff Lynne's falsetto isn't too high for me. (Err... I should mention that the singing along happens in the Jeepfink, not the office. I'm not That Guy.)

I've been Bobble-head hunting in Fallout 3 and found not only the alien blaster during my travels but also triggered (and found!) the Firelance. Muahahahahaha! Super Mutant Behemoths and Deathclaws vaporize reeeeeal good.

My reaction to seeing the first Deathclaw spot me and race towards my character with alarming speed? "Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit. Alien blaster!" Then, "What the [bleep] is that [bleeper] doing in Virginia?? I thought they were only in Maryland!"

I do a lot of talking back to the game and to myself when I'm really in the zone.

In Rock Band news, The Mooshniks have left the west coast and are currently playing in Austin. It cracks me up to see the band's name on banners in the venues and the logo I designed on my drumkit. I released my inner Mick Fleetwood (minus the skeeziness) and Simon Kirke last night. The drawback of that game is that it makes me want to buy more music. Need songs from Panic at the Disco, L7, The Donnas, and more. On the positive side, I have a LOT more respect for drummers. Seriously.

I was home with a migraine yesterday. Gaming didn't cause this one; maybe it was a weather system or stress? We've had a pretty collosal re-org at work and there are rumors of layoffs on the 20th and I'm trying not to worry my pretty little head about it all, but we all know how well that works.

Baby brother John the football star participated in National Signing Day yesterday and accepted a football scholarship to Lambuth College. Not bad for a kid who played football for only one and a half seasons. Mom says their current kicker -- who will be senior this year -- is very strong on field goals and points-after-touchdown but not-so-good with kickoffs. Perhaps Johnny will be groomed for that role. The school is a private college and I'm boggling at the tuition, but the football and academic scholarships should cover at least half of that cost.

Some of Hubbyfink's coworkers are coming over tomorrow night to play DnD in the Man Palace. The guys had been playing at the DM's apartment, but the addition of Hubbyfink and someone else meant they no longer fit in the tiny abode. Hubbyfink asked if it was okay for them to play at our house (so cute!) and of course I said yes. We've even got lots of leftover chips and coke from the Super Bowl party so they're set for snacks. Hubbyfink asked if I wanted to play, but I think I'll cozy up with Fallout 3 instead and wail on some more Mirelurks and Super Mutants.

I have played waaaaaay too much Fallout 3 this weekend. Like, staying up until 4am Saturday and 2am Sunday way too much. Like, playing enough to go from "very evil" karma to "good" karma too much. My character is a Paladin! How the cr@p did that happen?? Oh yeah, I guess ( GAME SPOILERS ) would do that. Too bad I lost Jericho in the battle outside GNR; he would have been a hyooge help at the Germantown PD. *sigh* Guess I need to find another companion before I tackle that quest.

Interesting, to me, tidbit: the first-person perspective has finally made me nauseated. Running around in the museum is what did me in, I think. I had to pause the game and close my eyes for a few minutes and wait for the nausea to pass. I would have quit, but I wanted to finish the GNR quest which only took another fifteen minutes or so.

I raced home last night and immediately set to work drafting and cutting out a new overdress.

Yes, you read that correctly.

I cut out the front and back panels and back gore before Hubbyfink got home, at which point I took a break for dinner and realized I really didn't want to continue cutting out gores. I HATE (with the white hot hate of a thousand suns) cutting out gores. I whined. I moped. Hubbyfink reminded me that I could reset to Sunday night when I wasn't going to make ANYTHING this week. I decided he was right and played "Fallout 3" for a few hours (I fragged three Regulators! Took me forty-five minutes of getting shot down like a dog at the entrance to the Arlington metro, but I finally got them! I loves me some combat shotgun action, oh yes I do.)

I went to bed shortly after 11 and tossed and turned for a bit, working out the mechanics of the hat pattern danabren's been teaching me. I finally got up, grabbed scrap linen, and in two hours I had a reasonable facsimile of the inside of a flattish heart-shaped henin (the poofy hat thing underneath my icon's veil). I dug through my samples & leftovers basket and found a good fashion fabric with which to cover the infrastructure and a couple of choice fabrics for a new padded roll to sit atop the henin. And then I went to bed.

When I finish covering and decorating the hat, I'll post photos. I'm probably going to pass on the mucking huge veil for this event, but the headdress is still going to be soooo cool!

We've been without cable TV or internet since we left our respective offices Wednesday. Thankfully the Comcast tech was prompt this morning and ran a new cable to the house (our old cable had been cut). Of course, I'm a little worried about the new cable because it's strung above ground from the post and through our back fence. Supposedly, it will be buried in four to six weeks.

New Year's Eve was a laid back affair chez ballistabob et belfebe. We all dined on lasagne and flan and toasted the new year with sparkling cider.

New Year's Day was less celebratory for me as I awoke with a migraine which didn't slip away until about 10pm. I missed thatpotteryguy and smiep's party and spent much of day whimpering in a darkened room. Fun.

But it hasn't been all parties and migraines, oh no. I've finally jumped in to "Fallout 3" and am faily hooked, despite all the anxiety attacks. I swear. I don't think I was this jumpy playing "Resident Evil 4". Thank goodness my character has high perception so she can detect enemy movement in the distance, but I still feel like every single thing is going to kill her (probably because everything in the wastes except an ant has taken her out). Gotta get more XP and better weaponry.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Carly Simon's voice. I have her greatest hits compilation (Clouds in My Coffee 1965-1995) which is in book form, so I usually forget about it when picking out CDs for roadtrips and/or for ripping to iTunes. But I remembered her last night -- as well as Billy Joel's greatest hits book -- and have added her to my new ipod's playlist. Go ahead and revoke my deeply-closeted-goth card.

---

In other news, back in October I won an award at work (because I'm awesome like that) and got a not insignificant chunk of gift cards to Best Buy. I saved those gift cards for Black Friday and scored an Xbox 360 for Hubbyfink's Christmas present and an 8Gig Nano as a happy for myself. Hubbyfink asked if he could go ahead and play with the 360 while I was in Williamsburg last weekend -- I said yes -- and he picked up "Fallout 3" (which was going to be under the tree) and has been playing it ever since. I watched him play for a while Tuesday night and now I want a crack at it. Especially since you can apparently play it in either first- or third-person perspective. I prefer third-person. Plus, we can almost see the bombed-out remains of our house from there.

We watched X-play's giftmas game guide last night and the top pick for the season is "Fallout 3" with "Left 4 Dead" coming in a very close second. (HINT ZOMBIES! HINT ahem) Unfortunately, one of the games I'd picked up for myself for the Wii this past summer ("Alone in the Dark") made the list of Games to Get for Gamers You Hate. Alas. It's still in the plastic wrap; mayhap we'll trade that and the bundled games which came with the 360 in at Game Stop.

Also, I'm even more confused about which game to get after viewing the "Rock Band 2" vs "Guitar Hero: World Tour" report. zipmeister says Rock Band because he has RB. LJ-less brother John says Guitar Hero because he also has RB. Augh!

I was the second person in Best Buy and the first to check out. Apparently, znova was the only person in the area to realize that the Sterling Best Buy had Wii Fits. (If you're local and you want one, go NOW. They're stacked on and below a table near the Ipods in the middle of the store.)

I'm practically bouncing in my giddiness.