Happiness Is A Warm Bun

Another beautiful San Diego day comes to an end. No complaints, no worries. Just plug plug pluggin' along.

Working primarily on the Piranha newsletters. Getting close to the first of the month, gotta get some $$$ comin' in! A few of my clients will be getting invoices in the next day or so. Mother-In-Law was kind enough to supplement our income a bit, so we made a Target run today, basically filling the cart on her dime. Thank you M-I-L.

Yesterday, when I took the family by the mall (so Daughter #1 could get her work schedule), I was waiting on a bench with my youngest, who is 3 years old. She was in her stroller, playing her DS. She likes to "play" a racing game called Mario Cart. I put "play" in quotes, because, though I am amazed that at 3, she can find the power button and actually navigate the screens to pick a car, and a race track, and start the game, I didn't think she had a clue about the game.

I was wrong.

She asked "Want to watch me play, Daddy?" and since I was just sitting there, I watched her. Long story short, on a tricky track (I should know, I've played the game before), after almost 2 laps, she was in second place. Yeah, I knew that she figured out the "gas" button so the car would move, but I discovered (to my amazement) that she knew what was going on, knew how to stay on the track, how to run into the "goodie boxes" and avoid the banana peels, and when she hit a goodie box, she knew what each reward did, and how to trigger it.

Joseph, are you reading this?

Again, after almost two-thirds through the race, she was in second place. The reason she lost was she passed a row of goodie boxes without getting one, so she turned around and went back to get one. Who knows? If she hadn't done that, she might have won. But try explaining that to a three year old! Every time she finishes, she celebrates because she thinks she won.

Anyway, I guess unless you know this kid, you won't likely be as amazed as I am, but trust me... kids this little shouldn't know how to operate something like this! It's wrong!

EDIT: Here's a clip:

On a different note, I read more of The Darkness That Comes Before last night, and it continues to improve. Not only has the nonsense evaporated, leaving solid story-telling behind, but now, the author is occasionally sprinkling in a few zingers, such as:

"...the grand old sorcerer pursed his lips, as though leashing his next word like a dangerous dog..."

"His skin seemed an insult to the silks that draped him."

"Simas' gaze faltered. A small struggle darkened his face."

and

"He held the word in his mouth, as though it were a morsel of questionable food."

He's not off literary probation yet, but it's definitely looking up. Still way too many names and references to things that haven't been explained yet.

Here is tonight's Favorite Scene, taken from 2005's Batman Begins.

I tinkered with the resolution, trying to improve quality. This particular file ended up being huge and taking forever to upload. PLEASE give me feedback. Tell me what you like and don't like about what I do here with the clips. I want to improve! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Don't make me have to get all FRED on you. CLICK THIS if you dare! MUAHAHAHA!!!!

Gonna finish up some editing for the newsletters and hit the sack. Have a meeting at the rug shop tomorrow, as well as a trip up to my dads house in Murietta tomorrow afternoon.

Until tomorrow, remember, fish stink. They really do.