Two Steps Forward, One Leep Back

9:19pm: Another GWAR day
Has it been over two years since the last GWAR show? That's insane -- but according to my LJ entries, it's true. That was even an outdoor festival type show, in which I didn't even go in the pit, so it almost doesn't count. In fact, doing more perusing, it seems the last true GWAR concert experience I had was...January 2006? Crazy!

So, as you can probably tell, I saw GWAR last night. They were in town on their 25th anniversary tour, playing Hollywood's House of Blues. But before the show, I had actual business. See, I enlisted the services of lead singer Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus) for my little video-game project. He provided some kick-ass VO work that I wish I could talk about. I guess you'll just have to wait until fall 2010... But really, it was awesome to work with someone I've admired so much -- to direct his talents in a new way, and to get him some cash to boot. I have a pic or two I'll probably upload at some point.

That also meant I got plenty of time to spend with him, including an enlightening breakfast. After VO, I dropped him off at House of Blues, then chauffeured old boss/metaphorical big brother Brad back to the tour bus. Got to spend plenty of time with him, as well as his lovely-in-every-sense-of-the-word wife. Also had some good convo with Matt, though he's super busy on show days. They were kind of the three guys I was closest with in my time amongst Slave Pit, so it was a good day for me. Also chatted briefly with Bob, Derks and Scott. Saw Casey and Danyelle, but neither recognized me -- no offense taken.

The show itself was pretty bad-ass. I'll try to make this list-tastic:

- I got more facial-hair compliments than probably any other day in my life. Heavy-metal people appreciate individuality, I guess.

- Between afternoon hanging and showtime, I crawled back home (LA rush hour on city streets). But my timing returning was perfect: I strolled in about halfway through first act's set.

- I planned ahead with baggies for my wallet/phone and clean clothes/glasses in the car.

- House of Blues gave me 3 wristbands and a sticker to wear. Kind of excessive, no?

- Opening act Job for a Cowboy was good for roar-rock.

- I wasn't front-row center, but second-row center -- which gave me people to lean on.

- Distance between barricade and stage was tiny -- like 2.5 feet. This encouraged a lot of crowd-surfing. One guy made it up on stage, stood there looking at Oderus -- who punched him in the fucking face. Oderus said, "This is our stage. If you come up here, we will kill you!"

- Cardinal Syn was main monster -- bigger than ever.

- I poorly predicted which songs off Lust in Space would be played -- Where is Zog and Metal Metal Land were both among those I didn't think I'd hear, but were performed.

- They had a video wall, which played a clever Behind the Music style mockumentary 10 minutes before showtime (which actually started on time). It also helped in storytelling mid-concert.

- I forget it's not easy to sing along to songs when you're being crushed to death and getting bodily fluids sprayed in your face at close range.

- There was a chick to my front-left who seemed alone in the front row. She stayed the whole time. Good for her! I'll take a tiny bit of credit because I try hard to be the best mosh-pit member in the world.

- I felt cold/wet/sore/satisfied/deaf after show -- just like one should after seeing GWAR.

- Whilst changing after the show -- in the across-the-street hotel parking lot -- I had a rare moment of public nudity.

- My contacts were once again dyed deep red/black. I posted pictures on Facebook.

- I bought 2 shirts and got a program. They have band member-specific shirts now; I wanted a Jizmak, but they were out. I imagine Brad -- in a bout of self-doubt -- didn't order many of them.

- I stayed out until about 2am. It was a great time.

11:36am: Beating Abreva
I usually get cold sores pretty bad (almost always in the exact same place), and I can feel them coming. The other morning I woke up, and one was impending. I ran to the medicine cabinet, but the Abreva was absent. Looked on our end table; nothing. I call Kate, and she's got one in her purse, and lost the other tube. Argh. I'm mad, seriously. Like, I may have hit some stuff, mad. That's my elevated stress level for you. I wonder if that had anything to do with said upcoming cold sore! (Hint: It did)

So I get dressed and make a bee-line for Vons -- not hard, as it's literally across the street. Abreva's as expensive as ever: $19 for the tube, $20 for some new pump with the same amount of medicine. My eyes wander. Then I see this unassuming box with Cold Sore Treatment on it. It's $12, and from Safeway. Says it "Treats most cold sores in just one treatment." I'm sold.

Get it home, and it's like a freaking science experiment. Picture a Q-tip with a small vial attached. You pop said vial to get liquid medicine going to the swab, then rub that bitch all over your sick lip. There's a lot of medicine, and it kind of burns and sometimes gets in your mouth. But you rub till it's gone. One treatment.

And then a funny thing happened: It worked like a dream! Very little swelling, hardly noticeable at all. Only a little scab on there now. Not gross in any sense.

It came with a second vial, which I thought I'd need to use a few days later, but I'm solid. Save that one for next time. I have done nothing else to my lip since treatment #1: no Abreva, not even Carmex.

I feel like I found the secret that celebrities use to rid themselves of mouth-herpes. It's a generic version of Viroxyn, which I see goes for about $38. Would've been a bargain at that price.

And thus ends my gushing over lip-sore medication. For now...

10:52am: Write 20 pages per week of book
Study up on Japanese
Get in better shape
Take another stab at acting/stunts
Bike around to run errands
Get back into MMA training
Get the house in better order
Cook dinner for my wife
Eat more food at home all-around for healthier, cheaper lifestyle
Find something on the side just to pay bills (maybe remotely wearing one of the hats I currently wear)
Limit extraneous spending
Spend a lot less time/gas in car
Smile more
Sleep better
Improve my value as a person


It's amazing how thinking about what I would do if I quit my job makes me feel markedly better. At this point, I'll revel in anything (within my value system) that improves my mood.

12:50am: Next week may be the busiest in my work history. Maybe not as busy as the week I played GTA: Vice City for the Game Informer in-issue guide, but definitely more stressful.

Basically, writing work is behind -- in large part due to abundance of design work on the project. I'm a man who seems to need to be wearing 2 hats, or at least swap them out with lightning speed. The money/schedule people are flipping their lids, and my quality-focused self has to go into crisis mode. I need to bust ass doing my own tasks, and manage several other individuals who are doing work on the project.

I don't like to rely on others so much. I do have some good people involved, but I'm a perfectionist and have already been let down once. I'm not a project manager; I am a doer. I am a writer and an idea person and a director. Of course, I have a cacophony of opposite types who are making money-money and clock-tapping finger gestures at me. There's a handful of them and one of me. And most of them likely make a good chunk more money than I do. I'm not a math guy, but it's a curious formula. How do I fight against those odds?

I'd like to think I manage stress well, and that it's pretty evident to those around me. But lately, I've been challenged. I'm not loathing work as much as maybe a month or so ago, but I feel the weight. I got my second "real" headache in about a month. Mind you, I'm someone who takes about 4 ibuprofen a year. I know this one was stress-related. I don't want bags under my eyes or wrinkles on my brow. I don't want to be sapped of energy to the point where I shun working out or karaoke. But it's coming. On the positive, I think it'll only be another week or two until the storm calms. Then it'll be mocap, which is my super happy fun time: I bring in great people, I call the shots, and the whole thing works beautifully. It had damn well better continue to be super happy fun time this year.

My second game to ship, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, is getting some good reviews. When you're nose-deep in a project, you're never sure how it will be received. The new stuff we did is getting praise -- and rightfully so. It takes the mode I write/design/direct out of the spotlight but that's cool; Road to WrestleMania has still received high marks from most outlets. The game comes out next week. I got a personal copy today, but playing that would seem like work to me right now. Instead, we chose to play Uncharted 2. Diggin' it.

1:20am: I feel myself getting more violent lately. I think that's how my inner circuitry deals with job dissatisfaction and a lack of physical outlet. Stunt class is far from cathartic, especially when I'm doing stick disarm drills with women; that's not exactly bad-ass.

I worked out for 2 days in a row for the first time in who knows when, so that's a good start. I feel a fitness run coming on -- where I might actually GO TO THE GYM! Of course, getting the testosterone flowing is probably not going to help my aggression. What can I say? I'm violent by nature.

1:56pm: A first for everything
One of my ex-girlfriends just had a child. She's the first of my exes to do so -- to my knowledge, anyway. For a stud like me, it's hard to keep track (kidding). While I'm well into the age of child-having, it's still kind of a weird feeling.

I go to San Francisco for another first tomorrow: my first press trip to pimp my video game. I'll be in San Francisco for literally only a few hours. How odd. We'll see how it goes, shall we? Other THQ peeps are coming along, so I won't be flying solo.

9:52pm: Thoughts on Cancer Treatment
I've always been a proponent of the body's ability to heal itself: I guess it's part of the reason I could be labeled "straight-edge." I never really was close enough to chemotherapy to haven an opinion on it. But Kate just visited a friend who's undergoing her second round of chemo to battle some nasty throat cancer, and it got me thinking. I hope my brainstorming isn't disrespectful to this person, because she is in my prayers constantly.

I don't know if I could abide by chemo on a personal level. I may be ignorant to the nuances of it as a treatment, but it seems like it removes all of your body's own natural defenses. Basically, it's a game of chicken: You vs. Cancer. You hope to be the last one standing, because you don't have a whole lot of means to fight if the cancer remains.

I've heard there are theories about other means of battling cancer -- more passive things. I wonder if that may be the path I would choose to take, Heaven forbid I get in that situation. The human body can put up with a lot, and adapt to a lot. Perhaps there's a way to have both organisms survive.

I don't take caffeine as a stimulant because I want my body to function on its own. Steroids screw up people because they supply so much testosterone that your body ceases creating it itself. Now, I'm not so bold as to think I don't need medical science. I would be dead were it not for having my ruptured appendix operated on, and I'm going for my second of 2 chicken pox vaccinations later this month.

I just find it hard to believe that the best course of action for a stranger in your house is to set the house on fire and hope the stranger burns before you do. Of course, if I had cancer and a doctor was urging me to get chemotherapy, I might be coaxed into changing my mind. I guess I felt differently before, when I thought this kid and his mother were crazy for refusing a second round of chemo for him; but that was more because they already made their choice to do it once. Kind of tough to switch gears at that point.

2:29am: Birthday Cake
I went to see Cake on Tuesday. Though I bought the tickets for Kate and me personally, it was sort of a birthday thing by its close proximity to that historical event. This was the fourth time I'd seen them live, and while I might not name them in my top 5 bands, I really do enjoy them.


CAKE (l to r): Horn guy, singer, guitarist, bassist. Between drummers, I reckon.

This was a general-admission show, which is how I like to see concerts of bands I dig. I get there early, and do my best to have the best seat in the place. Thus, Kate and I ended up front and center for the show, with me singing along to all but 2 songs. We did plenty of pre-show waiting: outside for an hour, then in the will-call line, then leaning against the barricade until the show started. But really, after the music kicks in, you're oblivious to the time spent waiting; though it'd be nice if they had more than 7 songs in a repeat loop over the PA.

Material from every album was played, including favorites like "Sheep go to Heaven," "Comfort Eagle," "Italian Leather Sofa," and "Mexico." "The Distance" and "Short Skirt Long Jacket" were saved for the encore, which came after 1 1/2 sets by the band. Nobody opened for them, unless you count their first half-set, which was followed by a short intermission.



The band is so on point it's ridiculous. Every member is perfect at their craft. John McRea gets most attention as mouthpiece with his erratic rhythms and soothing timber, but the trumpet/synth player was a real crowd pleaser. The guitarist was quite overpowering but in a good way, and the drummer seemed to really be having a blast. And the bassist...kept rhythm...? To me, they're an impossible band not to like, unless you just flat-out hate music. Or if you're ignorant like I was once, thinking it was just stoner rock.

For "Guitar," a song about throwing a guitar out a high-rise apartment window, the singer asked us to sing something we could stand to give up. This is just part of Cake's famed audience participation segments. He was asking various people up front, and came to one guy we has stood near in line. He couldn't answer the question because he was deaf. It was a little awkward. I piped in "Xbox," to which John replied, "Xbox? Ah, fuck it..." and finished the song.

Later, they brought out an orange tree they were going to be giving away. John talked about how Americans needed to be fit and strong, and said there'd be a pushup contest. I volunteered, was selected, then effortlessly vaulted over the security rail and leaped the gap onto the stage. I must have made it look easy, because some girl tried the same tactic and fell on her face; luckily, she was either drunk or just had adrenaline on her side and seemed okay.

Ten of us filled the stage (5 guys, 5 girls), and got in position. Our task was to go until only one of us was left pushing up. I, being a pretty well-versed push-up aficionado, liked my chances. But I got ahead of myself by going really fast: After about 55 perfect pushups, I came to a point where my arms didn't really want to work. Oops. Probably should have paced myself, like one every 2 seconds rather than 2/second. I would've been a shoo-in. Doing them on my knuckles may have been smart, too. Still, it was awesome to be onstage and interact with the singer, not to mention mugging for the crowd. I even drew some support for my efforts.



I ended up buying my first Cake t-shirt after the show -- gray to go with my gray custom Kobe Nikes. They gave out free posters, one of which is now adorning my work cube. It was really an awesome show and a great night. Giving that tree to Kate as an office-warming present (she recently was moved into her own office at work) would've been the icing, but I was happy with just plain Cake. See what I did there? ;)

12:00am: Quick Work-Related Rant
I really don't feel like friend-locking this entry; but as a result it'll be a little...self-edited.

I wish there was more communication at my job. I find out late in the game that girls can now be in almost every match. Back when I was crafting the girl-centric story, that was not expressed to me as even an option. In fact, I don't remember hearing it until maybe 2 months ago. Thus, I was unable to include those more interesting matches in the game.

I try not to be jealous, but it's hard.
Exhibit A: Right now, gaming press is staying at the same hotel as WWE talent (we're unveiling the game in correlation with tomorrow's WWE pay-per-view). The press also got interview time with a bunch of wrestlers, and received a ton of swag. You know what I got? One (1) upper-deck ticket to tomorrow's show. Where are my perks? "Oh, sorry, they're going to some guys who write for a site that barely rates on Alexa's top 200,000 list." Oh, I apologize for being greedy.

Exhibit B: I am all for WWE talent getting compensated. However, it's hard when I bust ass all year writing/editing/directing/feedbacking on this project, and I make around the same as the WWE guys who get their likenesses put in the game and maybe do an hour of voice-over work.

I will now post this without going into my overall feelings, because again, this is not friend-locked. Feel free to speculate on your own.

12:44am: RPGs
Here's why I rarely finish -- or even play for a prolonged time -- RPGs: I can play an hour and not get anywhere. It's just kind of frustrating, because I don't play games like I used to. I just spent 60+ minutes in Lost Odyssey dicking around a dungeony area and couldn't even find a save point. So, I just fled and saved outside. That wasn't very fun, and I didn't make any real progress. Boo!

12:13pm: The Path
I try to support independent thought/production. So, when Steam offered up a multi-pack of indie-published gaming goodness, I jumped. After all, the special package price ($30) was tough to beat – even if I already owned a handful of the games.

For no real reason, the first game I chose to play was The Path. If this game doesn’t show how different independent games are from mainstream fare (Halo, God of War), I don’t know what does. It’s simultaneously relaxing and frustrating, beautiful and obsolete, complex and basic, narrative and tight-lipped.

“Don’t stray from the path,” we’re told. Do they think we’ll listen? I actually did, my first time through, and you can bet on my second go-around, I chose to rebel. Despite the snail’s pace of your walking, the forest hides plenty of intrigue – from 144 collectible flowers to creepy ambiance to items that are exclusive to each of the six sisters you can choose from.

I find myself scratching my head a lot, and even lamenting the lack of activity, yet I still push forward. Few things match the thrill of actually finding something between the tree trunks and puddles. It’s like it totally renews my focus – gets me back on my own path to playing the game.

I have completed my journey as one of the girls – eldest Scarlet, with her maternal obligations and suppressed love of art. The destination was even more vexing than the journey. I’m ready to play more. I’m ready to be haunted by the music, to see how far I can stray, to find out what’s actually in that well. Is The Path a good game? I can’t even say it’s much of a game. But I don’t think it was made to answer such rudimentary questions.

I’m driven to continue, so that should tell you something. But I doubt everyone will be. Many will likely proclaim that they don’t “get it.” I don’t know that there’s anything to get. But at the same time, one could write volumes on what makes up these seemingly simple characters, much less the adventure they find themselves on. And probably any complaint you could come up with would be valid: You don’t shoot things, have a clear goal, or get a story spoon-fed to you. Some of us just don’t care.

11:53am: Close to the Edit
Kate and I dug into Wii Sports Resort yesterday, and had ourselves a fine time. I barely touched Wii Sports -- only dabbling in tennis and bowling -- but couldn't pass up the promised 1:1 swordfighting and Frisbee. Neither event disappointed, and I was actually amazed at how much content there is in each individual event: multiple modes, various settings, etc. Archery and Wakeboarding also proved competent.

What isn't competent, on the other hand, is my video-editing prowess. I already posted a link to my Beastie Boys karaoke vid, and also uploaded one of me performing Eminem's "Without Me." One would think getting these uploaded would be cut-and-dry.

1) Get video off camcorder
2) Do a little editing
3) Upload to YouTube

Simple, right? It hasn't been.

Issue #1: I don't have USB 2.0, so I can't just plug camcorder into computer. Instead, I have to plug camcorder into DVD Recorder and make a DVD of it. No problem, right?

Issue #2: DVD breaks songs into multiple .VOB files. That's okay though, right? I can just stitch them together with my nifty Adobe Premiere Elements software.

Issue #3: There's a second-long gap between audio/video in these .VOB files, so it isn't a seamless blend.

Also, DVD data isn't very edit-friendly. Sometimes, a .VOB has no audio. Other times, it's not in stereo. Then there were plenty of cases of operator error. As a result, I was up past 4am Saturday night/Sunday morning, and past 3am last night/this morning agonizing over this stuff. And the videos still have more than a few issues! ::rolls eyes, shakes head::

1:55pm: Check It Out

5:14pm: Kentucky - Summer 09
We jetted off to Kentucky to celebrate Kate's Granny's 85th birthday with the rest of the family. It was a longer trip than we usually take, made longer by the fact that our return flight was canceled. Thus, we hung out an extra day.

We had two main parties to attend. Party #1 on Friday night was a barbecue at Kate's aunt's place. It never takes me long to become a human jungle gym. I had 4 kids trying to bring me down at a time, but I fought them off valiantly. Then the "boss battle" against Kate's 6'+, 200+ lbs. 13-year-old cousin. It's fun to wrestle someone big enough so you can put a little effort into it. I got him in side control several times, letting him up each time, then capped it off by turning his arm grab into a trip that left him rolling down a hill. Also ate deviled eggs and baked beans and hot dogs and barbecue and ice cream and a cupcake. With just soda and beer, I had to scrounge up some tap water to rehydrate. Kate's bro Mike amazed us with an impromptu unicycle display, then we all donned glow-in-the-dark rods as it hit the 10pm mark.

Party #2 on Saturday was more formal, in Granny's new apartment building/retirement home. With Kate's uncle AWOL, I got roped into saying grace -- which I was mildly honored to do. I spent a good chunk of my time talking to the 13-year-old cousin again, as well as playing a game where every time my niece hit me, I would kiss her. Needless to say, it took a lot of kisses post-party to make sure Kate was the girl I kissed the most that day. My kind-of-sore wrist and the formality of the party meant there wasn't as much rough-housing. But perhaps there will be pictures!

Sunday we took a road trip to Jamestown. It's a historic place turned sad by economic downfall and the fact that some drunk dude ran into the beloved local monument, the Doughboy statue. Kate's granny saw its reveal in 1937, as well as its redux last year. We visited Kate's grandparents old place where we were greeted by a sickeningly cute puppy. We went to the lake, and climbed 72 steps down (the water level is very low) to eat at the restaurant. I ate a "local favorite" quesadilla which was actually really good.

That night, we hit up Kate's bro's place to deliver Fazoli's and hang with the kids. I'm still not used to young'uns running around either exposed or fully naked, but they don't seem to share my awkwardness so more power to 'em.

I gave Mike some good PS2 feedback on saving and such -- I consider this the 6-month follow-up to giving them my slim PlayStation 2 for Christmas. Mike's gotten okay at Guitar Hero, and I gave him a new copy of GH3. I also played some LEGO Star Wars and a few Activision extreme games with Noah.

Monday, we had time before our flight -- which, as you read above was canceled -- so we went to the park with the kids and Trahnel. An hour or two at the park goes a long way, but it was fun. I played as much as the kids did: flipping on bars, doing balance beam tricks, etc. Noah chased some geese around while singing a made-up rock song, but they were fortunately mellow enough not to retaliate. Then Calla wanted me to run around with her on my shoulders -- including up the steep hill I'd already ran up twice that day, unencumbered. How could I say no -- especially when she sang a freestyle song about my demise should I fall?

Our extra time there involved a spirited Scrabble game where Kate's dad came from behind, only to get nickel-and-dimed into second place by some stragglers. I won by 3 points, but he had a definite killer instinct.

To wrap it all up, I love Kate's folks, her granny, my little playpals, and the rest of her family. It was a very nice trip, well worth the time off. We got to visit everyone for a good amount of time. Kentucky was beautiful this time of year, as it is most times really. I didn't eat the best, but felt I got enough exercise to even things out. But I'm also happy to be back home, in my bed with my fun stuff and ways to be productive.

10:02pm: Trip Recovery
I've always been cool with picking up and leaving for a bit -- whether it's for business or pleasure. As I get older, trips seems to take me out of my groove more. I still have no problem leaving; it's the resuming normal productivity when I return that's tough. The trips I've taken this year have all been great -- Vegas, Japan, Milwaukee -- but when I get back, I just struggle. I either don't work out as much or I stay away from writing, or more likely both. Jet lag is quite the crutch: When you feel out of sorts, it's easy to just throw up your hands and chill out to recover. I shouldn't do that.

This introspection stems from a trip I'm leaving on tomorrow. We're taking a jaunt to Kentucky to see Kate's family -- most specifically her Granny, who's celebrating her 85th birthday. Going on a Kate-sanctioned trip always has an element of unpredictability for me, because I don't necessarily know the plan. Sometimes she doesn't, either. I just ask how many "nice" outfits I should bring, and that's about it. (Pro Tip: For this trip, the answer is 1)

I've run into another obstacle in my novel writing. I vibed so hard with the first act, and now that it's done, I'm having a difficult time jumping into act two. There's a definite separation, and bridging that gap isn't easy for me. I think I need to put some thought and planning into the story I want to tell in this second act. Once I get it flowing, I'm sure it'll come out of me. I'm working out more these days, and as long as I'm doing one or the other with some consistency, I won't beat myself up too much. And work is sapping much of my creative juices, whether I try to put on the blinders when I'm off the clock or not.

12:19am: The Platts Got Talent!
My buddy Cy, who with his sibs Boone and Cheetah are collectively known as The Platt Brothers, appeared on America's Got Talent tonight. The trio just got off a successful and acclaimed run as a three-man show in San Diego, and are set for national stardom. They're funny, athletic, and genuinely good guys. While they didn't fare so well on Fox's The Wall (that show where people try to contort through a scrolling foam wall with holes in it), they hit a homerun tonight.
Here's their appearance. Fast-forward to 3:15 in unless you want to see the aptly-named "Bad Girls."

12:21am: Bugs and Choice
Talk about getting off to a bad foot: I snagged Sacred 2 so Kate and I could play an action/RPG together, and have literally never seen so many bugs so quickly. When I kill an enemy, only Kate can pick up the loot; it's literally impossible for me to get it. There's literally no way for us to exchange items we have. And those are the little things. We went into a cave where neither of us could move. We had to quit out and load our game. That left us both stuck in the same area -- trapped between a border and the lid of an open chest. Multiple times. Plus the camera is way too far back, the VO is terrible, and the control often requires holding a shoulder button while moving the analog, then hitting a face button.

Getting away from games, I'm finding myself becoming a bigger fan of choice -- as in character choices. In acting and related fields, it's easy to just kind of go with the flow, being relatively ambivalent. Recently, mostly thanks to instructor Bob at stunt class, I've come to respect when people make character choices. Directing cutscene mocap for the upcoming WWE game hammered it home. These are just deliberate actions or reactions an actor will have -- saying firmly and emphatically that this is what your character would do.

I don't always agree with them, but I always respect the moxy to actually make a character choice. Saying something is always better than just hovering; it adds personality and believability. You'd be surprised how many times people don't do it, because they're nervous, or busy thinking about lines/choreography. But it makes such a huge difference in my eyes. I try to do it every time I act.

1:07am: Peaches for me!
We like fruit here in the Leeper household, but oftentimes we buy up more than we can chew. Such was the case with some nectarines and pluots Kate got from the farmer's market 2 weeks back. I decided to keep a few of them on the windowsill, hoping they would shrivel up to be some sort of dried variety -- y'know, like what nature does with grapes -> raisins.

It's been doing the job thus far, so tonight I decided to try one out. Knife and shrunken nectarine in hand, I cut off a piece and ate it. All I could really say was "Wow!" It was just so concentrated in its flavor; not alcohol-like, necessary, but overpowering. Kate thought the same thing after I eventually talked her into a taste. I then proceeded to eat the majority of said nectarine.

It may have made me a little high. Was it the concentrated sugar? Some weird chemical reaction? It could also be a placebo. I just got kind of hyper for an hour or two. Of course, I'm such a non-entity when it comes to consuming that it could be anything. Still, it was kind of funky while it lasted. And I didn't beat my wife, either! So, if it was some kind of influence, at least I didn't act like my dad. So I have that going for me.

7:01pm: Writing Update
I am really enjoying this writing stuff. I've been what could be classified as a professional writer for over 10 years now, but nothing has tickled me so much as attempting to write a novel. I'm not very far (let's say nearing the end of act one of three), but it's been great. I'm pretty ahead of my 1,000 word per week initial goal; but I'm behind on my aggressive 3,000 word per week aspiration.

I think it's the freedom to do whatever I want that's the big attraction. Also, when you spend so much time and so many pages with these characters, you really get to know them. You don't think about what you want them to do; rather, it's about letting them decide how they're going to handle situations.

My story is very action-heavy, which takes a lot longer than dialog. I need the fights to make sense, and I'm a stickler for detail. After the first act, though, there will be less action. I hope I can pull that off; we all know where my expertise lies.

It's a good release from the stuff I normally do. I constantly had editors shaping and dictating what I wrote as a freelance journalist, and the articles were all very tiny pieces I basically threw away upon completion. And at THQ, I'm a slave to many masters: WWE, my creative boss, the project management team with the money-money hand gestures, etc.

But like game design, you just need to put your head down and charge forward. When you get too close to a project, you lose some of your ability to judge whether it's good or not. It becomes an act of faith.

I'm sure if/when I seek a publisher, I'll have someone telling me to change things. Hell, I'll probably be uber-critical when I move onto the second draft. But right now, it's my world to play in. I'm very anxious to share it with someone; hopefully I can take criticism as well as I've taken it in other things.

As an aside, I'm not digging Friday night traffic. Sigalert.com has shown the 405 South as all red (standstill), which is why I'm babbling on LJ rather than driving home to KL.

7:07pm: Time for the quickie vacation recap: Vegas 7.4.09 edition!
We flew on Southwest. I don’t fly them much, so I forget that they offer decent leg-room and overhead space. We also had no problem going stand-by on an earlier flight home. Y’see, we anticipated the airport being gonzo, and ended up at the gate with 2 hours to spare. Gone are the post-9/11 times when I remember queuing around the entire top-floor to get through security. I guess part of that was because I was flying on Northwest, while the flight home require no changing of buildings, even.

We stayed at the Luxor, which I’ve always had a space in my heart for – what with the awesome spa. The spa is very different now and significantly less awesome (biggest grip: it’s no longer 24 hours). Still, I enjoyed what the hotel had to offer. We had a large room, though in hindsight I would’ve rather waited for our Player’s Suite to be clean instead of taking a sidestepping upgrade so we would’ve had the big TV and DVD player.

We saw two shows. Fantasy is a topless variety show type deal at Luxor, which we went to on a whim. It was pretty fun and decent entertainment even without the boob aspect. Good variety of girls, good singing, and I even bought a calendar that all the girls autographed. I think Kate had fun, too.

The second show was “O.” Anyone familiar with Vegas has likely heard of it. I’d never been to a Cirque show, but this was like the coolest shit on Earth. The stage itself was a sight to behold – going from totally flat to deep pool before you knew it. Everything about it was awesome, and it was just an overstimulation on every level – but in a good way. If you can afford the tickets, I couldn’t recommend it more.

We had some memorable meals, too. We had the best broccoli/cheddar dish at Red White & Blue in Mandalay Bay; some excellent late-night Mexican mere minutes before the kitchen closed at Luxor’s T&T (Tacos/Tequila); late-night pizza in New York New York, and ended our hour-long search for breakfast Saturday afternoon by hitting up the generic-looking Pyramid Café at Luxor that really ended up hitting the spot.

I did get my visit to the spa. First, I got my first gym workout in months, then spent about 45 minutes in the sauna. Jumped right into the cold plunged, then poured out into the hot tub. Sat around the lounge drinking pineapple juice and eating a banana (no more big TV or granola bars) and shot the shit with some interesting peeps. Showers were missing the various scents in each one, but it was still a good visit well worth $10. May want to search out a better (24-hour) spa, though, and lodge accordingly.

Kate and I actually gambled a bit. I developed an affinity for roulette at an Indian casino in Michigan, and gave that a shot. $10 minimum kind of killed any vibe you could get for numbers, and my money didn’t last too long. I only hit on two numbers, and that doesn’t carry very long. Kate played a handful of slots – enough to be bored – but she seemed to enjoy me spending a good hour at video poker that ended with me down $10.

Most of our time was spent walking, though – a standard for all our vacations. It’s easy to walk a shit-ton in Vegas, of course. Just going to Bellagio to get our “O” and back was well over an hour. We also spent a long time perusing Miracle Mile, a mall within Planet Hollywood. Of course, outdoor Las Vegas has humid temperatures and those damn nudie index card hander-outer people who click the cards and shove them at you.

People-watching is such a great source of entertainment in Vegas, too, and it’s something both Kate and I really enjoy. There’s an unending parade of noteworthy people that pass any location. It’s the human aquarium experience.

It’s amazing that, even in a city like Las Vegas, my facial hair gets gawked at so much. We even developed a code-word when we saw someone staring. Kate would say, “Did you bring your ID?” or something like that. It seemed to increase as the day wore on and people got drunker.

Lots of foreigners visiting – odd, since it’s the 4th and of course prices were up. More Asians than anything, it seemed. Good for them spending their stronger currency on stuff here. I just wish they’d walk a little faster.

Also tons of kids. Do they really have a good time? I mean, we’re not drinkers or big gamblers and we stayed occupied, but pushing a stroller around in that much traffic just doesn’t sound like a good idea.

We also had a mystery: Where is that hip-hop music coming from? It blared from 5-6:30 both evenings we were there, and it didn’t look like anyone at the pool below our window was grooving. On the roof perhaps? It befuddles us quite a bit. Then we left on Saturday for “O” and peeked outside: It was by the pool! Mystery solved!

6:10pm: A Tale of Two Tasks
Task #1: Oil change!
I get expensive-ass synthetic oil changes, which means I only need ‘em like every 5 months. I also got a transmission flush, because I’m thorough like that. It’s nice for me because I wile away the 1-2 hours it takes by going to the large park across the street.

Today, I brought along The Dosadi Experiment – a novel by the irreverent Frank Herbert of Dune fame. Forty pages in, it’s pretty good. I also brought my DS, but it was far too glare-riffic to play. I took some time to stretch and do a few punch/kick drills, as I don’t get enough time on grassy lawns.

It’s kind of cool to have a mechanic. Like my mechanic. Or shop, anyway. That’s Santa Monica Motors for me. They treat me right.

Task #2: Doctor!
I haven’t been to the doctor’s in many a year – the recent bout of pink-eye notwithstanding. This was the whole getting-to-know-you-through-bloodwork visit with my new doctor. The place is literally blocks from my apartment so of course I A) drove, B) paid to park, C) got lost, and D) was late.

There was a cute kid in the waiting room who said “Hi” to me. I said “Hello” back, which threw him for a loop. He recovered quickly, dancing to disco hits on the radio. Meanwhile, I filled out the requisite phone-book of paperwork.

It’s really hard to pee when you didn’t know you’d be called on to pee. It’s like I was trying to sweet-talk my penis into performing – closing my eyes, focusing breathing, etc. As I hadn’t felt the sting of a needle drawing blood in a while, I made sure to focus/savor the feeling. I have kind of a weird thing with pain sometimes, in that I kind of like it. Not sure if that came before or after I started wrestling. I got to feel it twice, as the right arm wasn’t giving up blood very willingly.

The doctor was a decent guy – very affable. And not just because he looked at my rectum. I get some enjoyment out of telling doctors how squeaky-clean my lifestyle is. Aside from my throat, I really have no complaints. And I try to stay away from stuff that is bad for me. My blood-pressure is still right-on, maybe a few points from 120 over 80.
If you didn’t know already, I plan to live to be 125. Of course, I’ll go blind way before that, as even with contacts I’m not much of a dynamo at the eye-chart.

During all this questioning, he said, “Single…I assume?” Not sure what that meant. I joked around with him why he’d say that. He insinuated it was because I’m a game designer. It was funny, but a part of me wonders what really made him think that.

I didn’t get a chicken pox vaccination – half the reason I went in – but they’re going to check my blood to see if I ever had it or if I am immune to it. The doc was unconvinced that I never had it, saying maybe I had a very minor case when I was very young. I told him the longer I’m his patient, the stranger he’ll find out I am.

This not-going-to-work stuff sure is awesome – on a Tuesday during an already 4-day week, no less! And I’ll have you know I barely thought about work at all, and I’m proud of it. This makes me long for freelance days when I could slack off if I wanted to. Working is kind of stupid, y’know – especially when you don’t see the dividends of all your effort.

2:03pm: The Trailer
I just watched some E3 trailers, and now I'm a little more excited about what the show produced -- especially the new, non-FPS Metroid. I don't bother watching trailers for stuff I'm already sold on, like Mass Effect 2, because I don't want anything spoiled.

I finally watched Sony's motion-control demo. It's impressive tech, to be sure, but again I'm stumped at the gaming ramifications. Contrary to the buzz these days, it's just as immersive to put the controller passively in your hand and focus on what's onscreen in front of you. Never once did I curse having a controller while playing Deus Ex, Fallout 3, Oblivion, or any other kick-ass game. Never once did I think it'd be better if I could swing my hand for the sword, or pull a more realistic trigger.

In martial arts, when they talk about "the weapon," it's not the sword or club or whatever. The weapon is your hand, and whatever is in it becomes an extension of your hand. So, to me, a controller is just fine.

And Molyneaux's Milo is a little creepy. I'd rather spend time with the blonde Brit chick with the big butt from the demo than some 8-year-old AI boy.

11:12pm: Free Day Rundown
Today was my personal day in Japan. I always dig on these, even if I basically do the same thing every time. To make things different, I'll do my chronicle in top 10 format -- potentially from least interesting to most interesting.

Top 10 things I did on my personal day in Japan
10. I ate stuff
Pastry breakfast with Makiko, Chibuya ramen at the Yodobashi department store in Akihabara (my favorite ramen in Tokyo), and chicken cutlet curry w/green salad at Curry House CoCo in Shibuya (my favorite curry place in Tokyo).

9. I walked
Basically, from 12:30 to 10pm, I was walking. There were lunch and dinner stops, but those were the only times I wasn't on my feet. I adore wandering in my travels. Shibuya and Akihabara are familiar enough that I rarely come across new ground, but it's not like they're quite my second home, either.

8. I rode in trains
Getting from the hotel to Akihabara entailed one subway and 2 train lines. I'd put it at a 45 minute trip. Going from Akiba to Shibuya was another half hour, but only one train line (I plot my course in advance). Shibuya back here was also one train, but it was a local. And there were 19 stops. Took over 45 minutes easy. Fortunately, I got to sit the whole time; but I didn't plan to. More on that later…

7. I shopped
I bought some stuff. In Akihabara, I of course hit Super Potato first. I was tempted by a copy of Vib Ribbon, a funky PSone rhythm game, but declined. Only game I bought was some Namco classic mini-game thing for DS. It was only $10, so I imagine it's bad. I was tempted by Picross 3D and Afrika, but both are coming to US later this year. Also pondered Retro Game Challenge 2, but I'd be lost without English. Other Akihabara purchases include a 500-piece puzzle of Mt. Fuji and a pair of puking character cell phone charms that came from a vending machine.
In Shibuya, I got a couple of shirts. My goal of getting something weird and Japanese came true. It doesn't have Engrish and doesn't have a video game theme, but I still liked it. The other may be too bling for me -- an Ed Hardy long-sleeve shirt with some hand grenades and sequins on it -- but I splurged.
One thing about me: When I spend a lot of time looking in a store, especially if the staff is very service-oriented, I have a hard time not buying something partially out of obligation.

6. I looked at people
Akihabara has so many nerdy guys, it's insane. I've said it before, but Japan has the biggest dork per capita percentage in the world. At the same time, I stand by my assertion that 50% of the girls I see are attractive. Now, maybe my standards are lower because I'm an admitted "horny Spets bastard" but be that as it may, girls here are cuties. I look forward to being around the cutie of my own when I get home. 0% of Japanese girls I saw were natural redheads. :)

5. I did not rent a cat for 30 minutes
I could have, though -- and it costs about $8. True story. This is another reason Japanese are nerdy: There's money to be made in letting lonely guys fondle a pussy-cat for a little while. Okay, maybe that's more obvious that I thought at first.

4. I saw too many maids
The number of maid cafes seems to be over-saturated. I think that fad is on the down-turn, not that I peeked my head in these places to see. The fad of paying a girl to walk around Akihabara with you, act interested in your awkward bullshit, and maybe even hold your hand seems to be thriving, though. I saw many a guy who definitely wasn't "with" the girl on his arm. I hear that costs around $100 for an hour. Money better spent that renting a cat, I say, because at least it helps your cred when people see you rather than destroy it.

3. I saw a dude wreck his face
This was actually from the first day of work, or it would've rated #1. Me, Arnaud and Makiko were walking out of Yuke's to go to dinner at the restaurant floor of a nearby multi-story department store. Ahead of us, two other guys were leaving. The older one -- maybe 60 -- went out of the main entrance into the glass porch-like area. He turned right, I assume thinking he was already outside, and sped face-first into an immovable wall of glass. Like a bird hitting a window, he seemed okay and tried to walk away and no-sell it, but that had to HURT!
We all watched it happen mere meters in front of us, and were silent. Once we walked a little ways in the opposite direction, the three of us burst out a snort followed by uncontrollable laughter. Some things are just universally funny. After all, we were a 30-year old American, a mid-30s French guy, and a late-30s Japanese woman. And we all found it hilarious.
Upon returning, we observed the face stain the guy left on the glass -- which Arnaud dubbed the "bloody booger." Every time we'd walk by, we'd check and sure enough it'd be there. I guess they don't clean the windows that much.

2 & 1. I was an idiot but regained some faith in humanity
I got cash when I landed in Japan, hoping it'd be enough to last -- since I've discovered credit cards charge about 4% when you use 'em in foreign lands. But when it came time to buy that fancy-ass shirt, I didn't have enough cash and the place didn't take credit cards. So, the dude (who oddly pinned me as being from LA the second we started talking out side the shop -- unless he says that to all Americans) was cool enough to take what cash I did have (about $10 short of the total price) and call it even. Good man -- maybe Kenyan though he'd lived in New York.
Then, I went to Curry House CoCo for dinner -- cashless after getting the shirt. No big deal, right? Oh, wait: Curry House CoCo is cash only. Shit! I'm trying to figure out what to do at the register -- leave my passport and hit the Citi ATM I saw…somewhere -- when the white dude who'd been sitting 2 seats down from me and was also waiting to pay decided to buy me dinner! Holy crap! I said we could go to the ATM and I'd repay him, but he said it was fine. What a guy!
I started to walk away, but went back and found him walking down the street with his girl. I said, "If you won't let me pay, at least let me donate some money to your charity of choice." He said it was no big deal, but I continued. "What do you like? AIDS? Cancer? Feed the children? Save the puppies?" He finally decided, saying cancer, since he'd probably get it (he was smoking). I said cool, and thanked him again for his good karma move. So I have to remember to donate to American Cancer Society or somewhere similar when I get back.
And finally, on the train back from Shibuya, all seats were taken. A woman came in with a 3-year-old in tow, walked through our car, and was going to leave. Before I could, the guy next to me leapt up and gave them his seat. Seconds later, I offered mine to her husband. He insisted "No problem" and stood in front of them. When they got up to leave, he said with sincerity, "Domo arigato gozai'mas." (Thank you very much). I told him "Do itashi mash'te." (You're welcome).
All three instances are things I don't think happen too much in LA. But Tokyo is an even more populous city. Kind of makes you think. And if not, at least it makes me think.

And not related to the top 10, I'm dreading eating dinner at Tokyo Narita Airport. There are a ton of restaurants and shops there, but I've never had any better than a mediocre meal there, and it's the most stereotypically Japanese of food: noodles or cutlets or octopus balls. My 2-hour shuttle leaves at 11:37am, so I won't have time to eat a very hearty meal then. I know I'll get to the airport way too early -- they say it gets there at 1:37pm, but it's usually 20 minutes ahead of schedule. My flight is at 4, but I don't want to risk getting there at the estimated 2:40 if I took the next shuttle, as that would be cutting things close.

Speaking of cutting things, it's past midnight. Time for sleep. I hope I arrive home safely 7 hours before I left (flight leaves Sunday 4pm Japan time, arrives Sunday 9am LA time).

11:33pm: Some Japan Summary
It's nearing the end of my final working day here in Japan, and since I didn't forget my AC adaptor to my laptop -- unlike yesterday -- I figured I'd update on what's been going on here. For some reason (blame Facebook), I'll ignore my first full day and go from there. ( Read more... )

12:36am: No Notice
I found out Friday I'll be flying out to Japan on Monday. I need to hammer home my mode, as QAV us upon us. And what better way to do that, than to be in the same building as our developers? It's just me and the talented Makiko: translator extraordinaire on this trip, as the mode's producer quit a few weeks back. When the cat's away, this mouse will...well, still try to think about schedule and budget as I request fixes/changes.

They want me to work four days, which seems a bit excessive but no biggie. Amazingly, the flight was still only about $950 despite short notice. Flying American, per usual, and staying at the same hotel as always. I'm not excited (did this 3x last year), but I'd say I'm looking forward to it. I'm definitely going to miss Kate, though -- especially since she has her big awards thing all day Monday.

I'm going to check out portable DVD players tomorrow. It's a bit excessive to bring one, a DS, and a PSP (not to mention iPod and reading materials) for a week-long trip, but 20+ hours on a plane is nothing to sneeze at -- especially when I am notorious for not being able to sleep during transit. If only PSP batteries lasted longer, and ripping DVDs to MP4 was easier (I lost my programs in the transit from old to new computer). The thought of having a dozen DVDs at my disposal with 6 hours of battery life is drool-worthy. Any suggestions?

I got my first annual review this week. I'm pretty happy with how it went. You always think you're doing a good job, and hope your hard work is recognized. And sometimes you get that validation, and it's a nice little pick-me-up. Of course, there are no bonuses/merit increases this year, but I won't complain: My bills are paid, I can afford to treat myself to stuff, and I like what I do.

And now to get some writing in before bedtime. I slacked quite a bit today -- napping, NBA Playoffs, and The Wrestler on Blu-ray -- so I have tons to do tomorrow. I need to do laundry, call some folks, shop, pack, and get enough Kate time in to last me a week.