v40.7: December 2

Howdy folks,

-slurp-

I appreciate the company I work for.

I can hear the gasps already.  I've spent so much time bashing my job(s) that it feels strange to actually praise it.  There have been so many times over the past year that I've wanted to quit and find something else but every time I even being to entertain the thought, I'm brought back to compare what I have today versus what I'll have tomorrow.  My bosses are very understanding and very flexible.  They are truly good managers.  I have a lot of perks at my job that I just wouldn't get at another company:

• Being able to take comp time whenever I need to


• Ability to work from home in the event I need to and don't want to take a vacation/sick day


• Being flexible with my schedule so I can drop off and pick up the kids from school so my wife can rest


• etc.

There are so many things I've taken for granted and I highly doubt I could find another company in the city that would offer me these same benefits for the same money.  In fact, I would be very surprised if I could find a better job anywhere in the Maritimes.

-slurp-

Not much is new on the gaming front right now.  I'm debating on whether I want to create a new character in WoW to help pass the time but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it.  If you're an active WoW player and have logged in recently, you'll know that "The Shattering" has taken place and the entire world as we knew it has been changed forever.  For those who don't play WoW, there was a cataclysmic event which took place in the game and the entire landscape that has existed since WoW was released in 2004 was severely altered.  Most of the capital cities have been changed and almost all of the landscape has been altered and changed.  New lines have been drawn and places that were once occupied by the Horde are now controlled  by the Alliance and vice versa.  Blizzard has done an amazing job with this expansion and I'm really looking forward to experiencing what they have in store for us next week.  Of course I won't be able to experience the expansion when it comes out, but you can bet I'll be there the weekend after and loving every minute of it.

-slurp-

Well folks, that about all I have time for today.  Tomorrow is Friday and I plan on writing a bit about Eve Online since that is probably what I'll be playing most of the night tomorrow.  If you're interested in learning more about Eve, tune in tomorrow for an overview of the game.  Until then.

Cheers,

Al

v40.6: December 1

Howdy folks,

-slurp-

We are officially on the last month of 2010.  It's hard to believe another year is almost behind us, again.  A lot has been going on in our lives these past few months and while my mind has been on my musings, I haven't written anything.  That is about to change.

-slurp-

This month I've decided to write every single day.  The musings will take on a little bit of a different flow than most of you are used to, but I will definitely do my best to offer quality content while keeping you up to date on what I'm doing.

As most of you already know, we have a new addition to the family.  On November 23rd my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.  We have named him Mattius Graham and he weighed in at 7lbs 2oz.  This was probably the most difficult pregnancy my wife has gone through out of the 4 children and we are both very glad it is finally over.  The birth itself was an adventure.  Initially we took her to the hospital for other reasons and while she was in there we found out she was in labor.  The baby wasn't cooperating and we needed to have an emergency c-section.  I was home with the kids while this was happening and I got the call from my wife to let me know we were having this baby.  I contacted my youngest sister who came over to watch the kids so I could rush down to the hospital to be with my wife.  While on-route to the hospital I received a call from the nurse telling me that the baby was facing the wrong way and they were going to need to operate.  At first I didn't realize what she was talking about, but when I was half way to the hospital the reality of the situation finally hit me and I "quickened" my pace.

Baby and mom are fine and at home recovering now so everything went well.  Mattius got to meet his Auties, Nanny and Papa this past weekend and everyone is fine.

-slurp-

Gaming has also been slow this past couple months.  I started a brand new Blood Elf Paladin in WoW (yes, I'm playing Horde now) on the Medivh server.  I leveled him from 1 to 80 in a couple weeks with a total play time of 4 days, 7 hours and 32 minutes (103.5 hrs).  Up until around level 70 I was averaging 1 level per hour played.  After it was all said and done I averaged 1 level for every 1.2hrs played so I'm pleased with my progress.  I didn't use a "Refer-a-Friend" account, but I did have heirlooms which provided me a +20% bonus to experience gained.  My goal was to get to level 80 before the baby came but because the baby was early, I missed it by 1 day; at least he's level 80 before the next expansion hits on December 7th.

Since I hit level 80 I've been taking it easy on the gaming front.  I've been spending most of my "free" time playing Eve Online which is a much "slower" game and doesn't require 100% of my attention while playing.  I started playing Eve a few years ago but never really got into it.  Now that I've started to get into it and spent some time reading up on all the various things in the game, I've developed a new love for the game and spend as much time as I can playing it.  Perhaps I'll post more on Eve in another musing for those who may be interesting in learning more about it.

-slurp-

Well folks, it is time to bid you farewell for now.  Keep checking back every day this month for a new musing.  As stated earlier, I plan on posting every day this month leading us into the New Year.  Until next time.

Cheers,

Al

v35.6: Friday WoW

Good morning folks,

-slurp-

What a week this has been.  I wish I could say it is over but I still need to make it through this day before I can finally say my work week is over.  I won't say it hasn't been stressful but it has definitely been busy.  Between things going on in the office and things going on in our personal life, I've barely had time to sit and relax or even play any games.

-slurp-

v34.6: Time Flies

Good Morning folks,

-slurp-

I'm finding it difficult to believe it is already Monday.  This past weekend is a bit of a blur but at the same time, made up with good memories.  I've hosted a lot of LAN parties in the past but this was the first LAN party I hosted that nearly spanned a day and a half.

-slurp-

v32.3: Happy New Year!

Howdy folks,

-slurp-

Yeah, here I am on the 8th of January wishing everyone a Happy New Year.  I've been quite busy lately and to be honest I don't even think of writing here until I'm doing something else.  This is something I hope to correct as a New Years resolution.

-slurp-