"Inside Every Cynical Person, There is a Disappointed Idealist." -- George Carlin

Greetings, all!

Back from my week away at camp. Didja miss me? I enjoyed the week away. I brought my laptop but never fired it up once... 5 days is probably the longest I have gone without being hours-a-day on my computer in perhaps a decade or more. It felt great, actually.

It was a good camp. The video camera behaved itself for me this year, so I got a lot of (what I hope is) good video. Next, I'll gather hundreds of pictures from everyone, and then cobble together a camp video. Yes, I remember the problems with last year's recap DVD, don't remind me! Hopefully, I won't have the same problems this year...

I went paintballing again, with basically the same result. I got shot head to toe so often it must have set a record of some kind. Of course, my paintball philosophy has everything to do with that. I just can't stomach crouching down and hiding behind obstacles and peeking around them to squeeze off shots now and then, like everyone else does. I can't help it -- I just stomp down the field, firing and moving forward, never stopping, like some brainless terminator robot. It really is a highly ineffective strategy, but that doesn't stop me. Hiding is for sissies. Come out and play! That's my motto...

...and I have the welts to prove it!

Before... confidence is high, ready to rumble!

After: Winded, sweating like a pig, peppered with welts. 

Can't really tell, since I took the blue vest off, with all the paint blotches on it. You can see the yellow paint on my favorite hat, however. Head shot! Two of them, actually. I have a welt on my forehead, right where my receding hairline is! Mr. Bushy Beard didn't take too many down with him, but he did put the fear of God into more than one... there's something about knowing someone is moving inexorably toward you, keeping you pinned down, knowing any moment he's going to be right there. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!! I just can't sit still. Must be all the years of deathmatch I play on the PC in FPS games. In those, if you sit still, you die. So it's ingrained in me to keep moving. Once I get some video from Abbie, I'll post it. It's amusing, methinks.

My good old, worn-out pair of hiking shoes finally fell apart during the paintball match.

Detached soles! How sad!

They were worn slick in any case, so they had to go. I kept them since they remind me of my brother. I got them right after my brother Bryan died, in 2000, right before my first trip with Tony up to Bear Flats. I've worn them for a decade! During the match, the sole on the left shoe just detached halfway, from the toe to the arch. I got some duct tape and taped it up on the fly. Shortly thereafter the same thing happened to the right shoe. Odd that it would happen to both at the same time like that. Must be because I kept them in my car the whole week before I used them, and the heat weakened the glue.

Other than that, it was a good week. Lots of good teaching, which (surprise!) resulted in numerous questions on my part. If something doesn't make perfect sense to me, I can't rest until I figure it out. At the same time, I realize how annoying that must be for everyone else (especially when people are trying to teach something), so I try to keep my questions to myself. Mostly theological stuff, really.

Once I gather my thoughts (and pictures) on camp, I'll post more.

Summary: Camp was good. Glad I went.

Also, I got to make a good dent in The Red Wolf Conspiracy, by Robert V. S. Redick. What an OUTSTANDING book. Absolutely exceptional. I will withhold final say until I finish the book, but man o man, this is up there with the best books I've ever read, easily. Wonderful, wonderful book. I can't imagine it tanking before the end, so really, I feel already I can easily recommend it, but I'll say more about it once I finish it.

On another note, Steam decided to put everything under the sun on sale! I thought the previous weeks' sales were terrific... you should have seen my jaw drop when I saw how they went all-out to make the most amazing deals I've ever seen, not just on individual games, but they've also made numerous bundles of games available, either by series or by developer. You can buy all of the Call of Duty games for $30!  That's just one example. I thought for sure I'd be able to resist, but today I had to pull the trigger on Left 4 Dead 2, for only $10. Couldn't pass that up. I also got the complete Commandos catalog for $5. Insane.

I hope to resist the other dozens of games I'm tempted to buy... I just KNOW that I won't play many of them! Still, I can't help but want to buy them! HELP!!! Star Wars Force Unleashed for $7? Supreme Commander 2 for $7? Ghost Recon 2 for $13? The entire THQ catalog (20 games) for $50? The entire id catalog for $35? Almost 600 games and bundles on sale! HELLLPPP!!!! I can't resist! I want them all!!!!1!

I also went to the Nathan's hot dog eating contest at the mall today, but I thought that warranted its own post, so read that after this post.

I'll be back to my normal goofy self soon, posting odds and ends and curious things, maybe in a day or two. Until then, I hope life is good for you!

Dave