So, I bought a Playstation 3 this weekend... For many of you, this may illicit no reaction; for others, those of you who are gamers, will see this as a good decision; for fellow blogger and blaggart Mike, it no doubt generates scorn (oh how I miss Mikescorn). For me this was a rather difficult decision. On the one hand, it is an expensive luxury during a time when many are in need. Yet I know that that line of reasoning can be taken too far, and that buying luxuries for yourself is necessary and good, as long as it hasn't become the focus of your life. I debated about it for awhile, but eventually I decided to go for it.
Here was my path that led to the PS3 (and the path that led my lovely wife to okay the purchase). For Christmas Sara and I went to Philly to visit my mom. My brother, his wife, and my two cool cousins came as well. My cousin Tim brought his PS3, and I remembered then how much I enjoyed wasting time playing video games with people. Also, we saw Planet Earth on BluRay, which was breathtaking, to say the least. Then, during our trip in Chicago I was quite impressed with James's setup. Through his PS3 he was able to watch the streaming video from Netflix, which includes a lot of movies and tv series, on his TV. We're planning on cancelling our cable soon because of the cost, but I really enjoy unwinding after work by watching TV or a movie, which this setup allows for less money (well, the PS3 is expensive, but we're only paying Netflix $10 a month) and no commercials. Lastly, the PS3 is a fun way to keep in touch with friends who live across the country.
I was worried that I would be sucked into spending too much time in brainless activity, but last night, the first night I had the PS3, I quit after an hour of playing and read for awhile. I guess I have a little self-control afterall. We'll see if it lasts...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Travels in the Windy City (I wonder if anyone still reads this)
Yes. It has been over two months since I last posted. Shameful.
Worse, I have not finished Ulysses since my taunting post that proclaimed that I would maim that beast or die trying. Worst, I have actually put it down for the time being to read a few other books.
Nonetheless, it is time for an update. For those of you who did not hear of the ice storm that swept through the midwest, there was an ice storm. It swept through the midwest. In all seriousness, it was one of the worst winter storms in Fayetteville history. Mostly, our lives were just inconvenienced since we only lost power for a day, but many people lost power for over a week. Several-inch-thick coatings of ice weighed most of the branches down so that the trees looked inverted, with downward, ground-seeking limbs. It was eerie and devastating, as power lines and houses were damaged by countless upturned trees and broken-off branches. But it was beautiful. When the sun was out, it hit a whole panorama of glistening ice, as far as you could see. Check out my wife's blog entry about it. There are a few pics here as well.
That was a few weeks ago. Last week, as Fayettevillians were still cleaning out the debris (and they still are), Sara and I treked to Chicago for a writing conferencs and to visit my college friend (asian) James and his lovely wife Mandy. It was great! We spent a lot of time just roaming about and trying new restaurants and in the evenings we hung out with James and Mandy and played games. Also, we got to hear some great writers read their work, among them Marilynne Robinson (of Gilead and Housekeeping fame), Dorothy Allison (Bastard out of Carolina), Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suckcity), Donald Hall (former Poet Laureate), ZZ Packer, Joe Meno, and Aleksander Hemon.
The most engaging reading was Friday night. It featured Dorothy Allison, ZZ Packer, and Joe Meno, and it had a performance by Mucca Pazza, a circus punk marching band (yes, that's right. This thirty person ensemble had elements of all three of those ingredients). All three readers were great, though I have to say I was surprised by Dorothy Allison's piece, which began with a raucous "Frog F-ing!" and went on from there.
The highlight of the trip was probably Saturday night. James, Mandy, Sara, and I went out for some Chicago-style pizza and then headed to the Signiture Lounge, a bar at the top of the John Hancock building. We were on the 95th floor, and the view was staggering. Seeing skyscrapers dwarfed from above is a bit dizzying, but still spectacular.
Anyways, it was a full week, but not overwhelming. A good vacation.
Worse, I have not finished Ulysses since my taunting post that proclaimed that I would maim that beast or die trying. Worst, I have actually put it down for the time being to read a few other books.
Nonetheless, it is time for an update. For those of you who did not hear of the ice storm that swept through the midwest, there was an ice storm. It swept through the midwest. In all seriousness, it was one of the worst winter storms in Fayetteville history. Mostly, our lives were just inconvenienced since we only lost power for a day, but many people lost power for over a week. Several-inch-thick coatings of ice weighed most of the branches down so that the trees looked inverted, with downward, ground-seeking limbs. It was eerie and devastating, as power lines and houses were damaged by countless upturned trees and broken-off branches. But it was beautiful. When the sun was out, it hit a whole panorama of glistening ice, as far as you could see. Check out my wife's blog entry about it. There are a few pics here as well.
That was a few weeks ago. Last week, as Fayettevillians were still cleaning out the debris (and they still are), Sara and I treked to Chicago for a writing conferencs and to visit my college friend (asian) James and his lovely wife Mandy. It was great! We spent a lot of time just roaming about and trying new restaurants and in the evenings we hung out with James and Mandy and played games. Also, we got to hear some great writers read their work, among them Marilynne Robinson (of Gilead and Housekeeping fame), Dorothy Allison (Bastard out of Carolina), Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suckcity), Donald Hall (former Poet Laureate), ZZ Packer, Joe Meno, and Aleksander Hemon.
The most engaging reading was Friday night. It featured Dorothy Allison, ZZ Packer, and Joe Meno, and it had a performance by Mucca Pazza, a circus punk marching band (yes, that's right. This thirty person ensemble had elements of all three of those ingredients). All three readers were great, though I have to say I was surprised by Dorothy Allison's piece, which began with a raucous "Frog F-ing!" and went on from there.
The highlight of the trip was probably Saturday night. James, Mandy, Sara, and I went out for some Chicago-style pizza and then headed to the Signiture Lounge, a bar at the top of the John Hancock building. We were on the 95th floor, and the view was staggering. Seeing skyscrapers dwarfed from above is a bit dizzying, but still spectacular.
Anyways, it was a full week, but not overwhelming. A good vacation.
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