Zombie Goodness

So, to celebrate the new job (just waiting on criminal record from Jefferson County to make it official), I considered getting an Xbox 360. I've held out all this time by saying to myself that until it was "broken" by those special researchers or until it had a Grand Theft Auto title, I wouldn't spend the money. Well, that was before Dead Rising.

How to describe Dead Rising for those of you unfamiliar? Well, think of it this way: LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF ZOMBIES. A SHOPPING MALL. YOU AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SURVIVE UNTIL HELP ARRIVES. ANYTHING YOU CAN GRAB IS A WEAPON. GOOD LUCK AND GO TO IT.

Obviously I was sold at a single commercial for that game. I mean, geez. Zombies?! In a mall?! Fuck Reptilia Squamata Serpentes On An Air Transport Vehicle!!! Sold! So we took our gift cards and rewards checks from the camera purchase and applied them to an Xbox 360, Dead Rising, and assorted "extras." It was on.

Let me just state for the record. One, I love zombie films. Most horror films I could miss without a care. But zombie films? Oh yeah. Two, this game is like all of my worst nightmares come to video game life: zombies, trapped in circuitous routes, being constantly pursued, near impossibility of survival. My palms sweat just thinking about it all. Three, surround-sound was invented for the sole purpose of scaring the pants off of you while playing zombie games.

This game is just creepy. With 5.1 surround sound, it gets even creepier. I love it. I actually had to stop playing because my instincts were getting put on high-alert and I was having trouble calming down while playing. This wasn't just adrenaline rush of gaming...this was outright fight-or-flight craziness brought on by a video game. Ugh.

If you have a 360, I recommend at least a rental of Dead Rising. If you love zombie movies, I'd recommend you get this game. And if you have a 360 and are on Live, let me know...maybe we have a game in common and can play online sometime.

Sadnesses & Goofiness

So aside from the stress from changing companies and lots and lots of work, I've noticed a not so wonderful thing lately...

I'm losing my closest friends. I haven't seen one of my closest friends in months...I feel empty because of it. Another terribly close friend may be moving to California to enhance his career. And other such friends have moved away or moved on for some time now. I know life is constant change...but where are the people to replace the ones leaving?

Sure, one couple we love dearly...they are coming back to Louisville eventually and that will be wonderful. Mayhap others of my distributed bretheren will return some day. But that doesn't help right now, when it feels pretty darn empty of late.

Not that we're short of friends and acquaintances. But where are the new intimates? Those few people in this world that understand you deeply, who stand by you, who never tire of your presence even when you're both angry at everything. From whence shall they come?

When I received the call a week or so ago about my friend losing work and possibly needing to go to California, I had a minor panic attack. I couldn't focus. Breathing took effort. He has been a part of my life for over a decade, and the possibility of him not being around just downright shook me.

Thus my concern. Where are the new conspirators? With whom can I be as thick as thieves once these remaining few are no longer near?

On a lighter note, I thought I'd share a silly story. Lately I've been browsing Ebay for vintage cufflinks. I enjoy french cuff shirts, and rather than pay big money at retail outlets for cufflinks, I figured I'd get some a bit older with some character and/or history to them. I found one set from the 20s...abalone and silver; quite nice and affordable. Then I ran across ones that seemed perfect for me. Dice. Dice cufflinks.

Anyone who knows me knows I love dice. I usually have at least two dice on me at all times (yes, I know that is a bit odd). Vintage dice cufflinks?! Right on! They were late-60s, maybe early-70s gold cufflinks in good condition for a decent price. I was all about to snap them up in a heartbeat when I suddenly uttered noises of disgust and closed the auction window. Why?

Because the faces were wrong.

That's right. The faces were wrong. It was a two-dimensional representation of a three-quarter perspective of the die. To visualize, think of holding a die and looking at one of its corners...you can see three sides. Well, the three visible on the cufflinks were: 1, 2, and 5. And that just is NOT RIGHT! Left-handed. Right-handed. It doesn't matter! Not right. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to figure out why.

Smacky looked at me and my sudden turn from excitement to disgust and asked what had happened. I told her...in detail (I need to stop doing that). She simply sighed and reminded me that I'm a sick sick sick person. Probably only I would notice or care. Maybe she's right. But geez...get the dice right, people!

Slow But Sure

So I've not yet started the new position. Apparently there was a delay in the background check. I've accepted. I've done most of the paperwork. I've taken the whiz quiz and passed (the water) with flying colors (eww). All is in readiness except for them making certain I'm not a lying hooligan with bad credit or reputation.

Work is stupid-busy on top of all this. Hopefully after it is official things will get a bit less hectic. I'm putting a couple projects to rest right now, and a couple are about to spin up. But we're spinning up seven or more new guys for the team, so if all goes well the work will spread around a little.

So today is just going to be shopping for more clothes for work, and maybe taking care of more paperwork for the upcoming bennies. Anyone who has been keeping their fingers crossed, please keep doing so...I'm almost there.

Finally.

So after two years and three months of hard slog, I finally have a full-time job offer on the table. It is a full-time slot for the job I'm doing now as a contractor, just getting converted from contract pay, benefits, and employer, to direct hire. So still lots of high-end midrange systems, lots of storage administration, et cetera.

The offer puts me back on track to what I was earning before the fiasco, and the bennies should be more than ample since it is one of the largest firms in the world.

So any readers giving a damn, keep a good thought for me over the next couple of weeks as the deal proceeds. I can finally set aside the one big block of stress in my life if this all goes well.

Blog Suffering

Between a crazy work schedule, being behind on house work, not sleeping enough, and the heat, I've not had much energy for anything other than collapsing in bed with a book. No web, no programming, no blogging, nothing at all.

And work looks like it is about to get horrible for the rest of August. I'll try to pick back up on the blog and such... Maybe even post a few photos from the new camera.