Quieter Days

Amy and I finally got our couch for the family room today. We've been waiting for it since the middle of August and the wait is finally over. It's a sectional couch in three pieces. We had to get a sectional couch because our older couch would not fit in the basement due to the shape of the stairwell that leads down there.

Of course, now that the couch is in there, it is apparent that we need a larger television. It feels like we're sitting a mile away from it. I can't say I'm exactly upset about this revelation, but I'm not sure when we'll be able to get a new television. Once again, it's time to save the pennies.

Work has been very busy for me, but I don't really mind. It's all job security and I'll take everything I can get! I finally finished three drum module books that have been pending on my "to do" list since July. I'm also working on an Interactive Play-a-Sound based on a very popular movie series, the final installment of which is coming out next summer. I think I've completed almost 40 projects now and that number will increase by the end of the year. It's comforting to know that I have some viable experience now instead of having to resort to pointing at my resume and saying, "Look! I paid a lot of money for an education."

I'm still making my way through Painkiller slowly but surely. It's a relatively fun game, but I must admit, I don't quite see what all the commotion was about. I remember reading that this was the first person shooter to play while waiting for the releases of Doom 3 and Half Life 2. Don't get me wrong, it is most certainly pretty. Everything looks phenomenal even with minimum spec hardware. The models, the textures, the animations, the backgrounds... everything is just gorgeous. However, pretty graphics do not make for a great game. To put it bluntly, I can only play the "shoot everything that moves" game for about 30-60 minutes at a time before I get bored. Every now and then, I get the fleeting feeling of elation I experienced when playing Doom II or Duke Nukem 3D, but game design has moved on and those moments only happen once every few levels or so, usually in the arena-style rooms. So far, my favorite levels have been the Asylum and the Opera House.

Currently listening to: Deerhoof, Get Along With Little Doggies