It Depends on the Burrito...

Run! Run for your lives! The dolphins are coming! RUUUUUNNNN!!!!!

Oh, sorry, false alarm. Dolphins always unnerve me... something about creatures that have blowholes... [shudder]....

So, you made it! The longest week of your life has officially ended. A whole week without a new blog post from Dave. I knew you could survive. I knew it would be tough, but you're one tough cookie to begin with. So, out with it... did you weaken at all? Did you have to lurk through the archives, when no one was watching, to get some recycled Dave? Did it scratch the itch at all, or was it just not the same? Could you have taken another day of withdrawal pains, you think?

But I'm back. Actually, I was planning on updating two nights ago, but I ate something for dinner that did NOT agree with me, and spent some time groaning in agony on the bed, before... um... how to put this delicately..? Let's just say... uh... yeah, it wasn't pretty. And I slept fast and hard until morning... and then last night, I started playing Minecraft at about 3 in the afternoon, and before I knew it, BAM! The midnight bells were tolling. I'm going to have to watch my time with that game...

Of course, for a couple years now I've harbored a certain level of despision for Minecraft... and the more love it received from the gaming masses, the more I despised it. I mean, how could a game that looks that bad be any good? And then, about a half-year ago, when it was reviewed in PC Gamer Magazine along with Skyrim... and Skyrim got a well-deserved 94% rating from them... and Minecraft got a 96%, I decided I would never play it... that seemed sacrilegious to me. I mean, look at these screenshots!

And look at these Skyrim screenshots!

How could anyone in their right mind even compare the two? Well, you know what? I finally broke down and tried Minecraft... and I was wrong. MAN, what fun! And all you do is build and destroy and dig. And occasionally fight big blocky baddies. But the feeling of being able to build whatever you want... really, there's no way I can put it into words. It's the ultimate sandbox. Yeah, it looks like absolute crap... but it might be the most fun I've had gaming...

OK, enough gaming nonsense. All that to say, Thursday night, instead of coming here and ending your agony, I made you wait an extra day.



"I think it's already starting!"

I've given up on The Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. I stopped at exactly 40% through it (according to my Kindle app), which I'd say counts for a very thorough chance to snag me. Really, the tale wasn't bad, but what sunk it for me was the strong vibe that the book was sooooo impressed with itself. It's hard to explain... the whole undercurrent of the book just oozed the feeling that the author thought he was so amazing, and the story took itself so seriously. Ultimately, it was off-putting enough to frustrate my ability to maintain interest in the story and the characters. I bailed.

Nothing is really screaming out for me to read it now. I'm sifting through some free samples, and yawning a bit. This may represent a reading lull for me. Don't worry, it will end soon enough. I know you were worried about it, see.... I can tell when you're worried. So don't worry! Be assured, I will read more soon!

Sheesh, the things you worry about...

So, I've officially let my beard grow longer than it's ever been. I know what you're thinking... "What's 'official' about it?" Well, good question... not sure what would be involved in unofficial beard growth. Anyway, no reason; I just started letting it grow. I'd post a picture of it, but I lost my digital camera a couple months ago. Anyway, yeah, it's getting all scraggly and unruly, I love it. My wife finds it repulsive, which just adds to my amusement. I was going to cut it short again, but I've decided to let it keep growing, and start referring to it in the third person form, as though it is a sentient being. The Beard wanted Starbucks tonight... and one does not deny The Beard.... that sort of thing. This also annoys Wifey... which, while increasing my amusement level, also is likely not a good move in the long term... so I'll probably stop referring to The Beard in the third-person soon... then cut it before Thanksgiving.

I'll have to find a way to incorporate it into my Halloween costume. Of course, every year, my Youngest Daughter has a costume party for her birthday (since it is only days before Halloween), and every year I threaten to dress up as something... and every year I fail. So the odds of me actually wearing a costume this year are not looking good. We shall see. If I do dress up, I'll need to include this bush I'm growing on my face.

Anyway, time to shamelessly pander to your Strange Pictures needs.... here's a laughing horse...

And here's a jack-o-lantern carved into an Indian head..

And here's an awesome bamboo forest photo...

And here are some Tetris couch pillows...

There, that should pretty much sum up how I'm feeling tonight.

Well, I guess that's enough for tonight. I'm off to lie to myself for a few minutes that I'm going to work on my screenplay, until I succumb to the overwhelming urge to play more Minecraft into the wee hours instead, and then go to bed, trying to dodge the guilt until sleep overtakes me...

Hey, just being honest!

Dave the Spineless