I'm baaack

Alright, so I've been away a long, long, long time. I know that the couple of people who were reading this blog have probably long since given up and gone away. I can't really blame them. However, I just started looking back over this, read some old post and came to a conclusion. I was kind of funny and shouldn't have stopped writing. So, into the fray once more and all that. Perhaps people will read, perhaps not. But, it will be a joy to me forever.

Video games mame and kill

S. Korean man dies after 50 hours of computer games - Yahoo! News

I couldn't believe when I read this headline. I mean I knew video games could hurt you. I was myself the victim of a physical injury at the hand, er feet really, of a video game. But, death? I had no idea.

My own run in with the dark side of the video world happened at christmas. My sister got her dream gift of a sony playstation and dance, dance revolution (DDR). DDR was the only reason she wanted the playstation and soon I knew why.

Let me tell you that is a fun ass game. Not just fun, but fun ass. For those of you who don't know it's that game with the pad that plays song and you follow the steps on screen. It's like a very active, and as I found out, very dangerous game of simon says. with music. and dancing. and did I mention danger?

So, my sister was out with her then boyfriend and I was home with the parents, DDR, and some wine. I was showing the rents the finer points of DDR. We were doing low level steps. I however was feeling ambitious and wanted to up the challenge. So I kept choosing higher level of difficulties that involved some jumping around.

And have I ever mentioned I'm klutzy? Oh yeah me and klutz go hand in hand. My friend Jenna that if I were a Desperate Housewife I'd be Susan, because I am the one who would lock herself out of the house naked and fall into a bush.

So, I'm sure you can see where all of this is going. I get up to take another turn at DDR thinking I'm so superior to my parents who are having trouble with step left, step right. Stay with the beat.
I get going and
I'm doing steps.
I'm doing little twist step.
I'm doing jump.
Jump.
Jump.
Fall.

Yep. I fell. But, I didn't just fall. I twisted my ankle and fell. My mom who has a long history of taking me to the doctor with sprained ankles immediately tells me to stop playing DDR. I having many times twisted, but not sprained my ankle, say no I'm fine. I just need to walk it off.

Which I do. I walked it off. Drank some wine. And that should've been the end DDR and me for the night. I should've listened to mother. But did I?

What do you think?

Nope, I go for another round and again.
Step
Step
Front
Back
Left
Left
Jump
Jump
Jump
Fall!

And this time I didn't just twist my ankle. I sprained it but good. Thus ending my short, but fun DDR experience from Christmas. And man did I sprain my ankle something fierce. I was limping around for a couple, almost a few, weeks. And it was a good two months wearing a ankle brace to the gym.

But, I healed. My ankle is basically back to full force now. And I'm kind of itching for my very own DDR. Although next time I play probably less wine.

But, I'm one of the lucky ones. I was only mamed. After reading the article I realized I could've been killed by DDR. Sharp objects could've been lying around waiting to pierce vital organs and I would've died. I narrowly escaped the jaws of death, people. Because as the unfortunate man in Korea found video games can kill.

He probably didn't listen to his mother either.

v.carri

PS: I don't mean to make light of a man dying or the grief his family must be going through. I just have a morbid sense of humor and sometimes you have to laugh at the absurdity of life so you don't spend it crying. So, I'll go ahead and make light of it.

Oye Gevalt

I'm not jewish but I've always found yiddish to be a very expressive language and oye gevalt pretty much sums up how I feel at the moment. I'm too exhausted to go into the all the details. But, the last four days have been pretty exhausting.

1) I was so wiped out in the middle of the week I took a three day weekend off and even skipped SNB.
2) Friday I had a very nice sushi lunch and proceeded to drop a butt load of money on a tv, vaccuum and tv storage unit from ikea
3) I fought the Swedes and the Swedes won. In fact, the Swedes via Ikea wooped my ass at least three times and may not be finished yet.
4) Saturday was go, go, go as the Swedes got a few more licks in, my apartment manger - sweet as she is - was very inconsiderate, and I had to spend more money at Targhetto and Big Lots
5) I learned that just because your roommate is moving out and your staying put does not mean the whole situation will be stress free.
6) Wine is good.
7) You can fall in love with a vacuum, if it's a Dyson
8) Having your own trash can is strangely cool

Let me know what you might want me to talk more about. I'm too tired to think.

v.carrie

Raise a glass of Romulan Ale

Farewell, Scotty - Yahoo! News

It's a sad day as James Doohan, better known as Scotty, died. I've been a star trek fan for what seems like all my life. Scotty was a particular favorite of mine with his: i'm giving her all she's got, captain. Done in scottish brogue. And of course one of my favorite movie lines of all time is from Star Trek IV (the one with the whales) when Scotty faced with an old fashion computer picks up the mouse and cheerfully says, "hello computer"

Whether Homer sitting on a hill reciting the Illiad or the television sitting in the family room beaming a show, it's a common story, myth that binds us together.. You can be standing at a check out line at a grocery store. Poor clerk is having a computer problems and just say "hello computer" Both of you laugh knowingly, and suddenly two strangers know a little something about each other. Storiese= from film, television, book, theater, or our personal lives give us all a common connection. Just ask all the freaks at the Star Trek Convention.

So at some point today, raise a glass of romulan ale (or wine, beer, coffee. the alian booze can be hard to come by) and give a cheers to James Doohan. Thank you for being a part of something that brought so many people together. May we all be so lucky.

v.carrie

sorry been away so long ... again

Sorry I've been away for so long ... again. I blame that place of which I cannot and therefore do not speak unless it is in the most general manner in which any such place it could be. (I think I just channeled yoda there. but without all the wisdom and kickass jedi powers)

However -- and notice how the word however always proceeds something that gets you into trouble -- however, this is too weird and funny not to mention. I just got an email from a person with the subject line ahem.

"If you are missing a black bra from last night. It is hanging by a pipe above the ladies bathroom.  Please come and collect it.  It's a bit unprofessional hanging there....

I won't ask anymore questions."

Oh, but I will ask a couple of questions. You know I will. I am a sagitarious

1) Why would you leave your black bra hanging in a public bathroom? Mind you I understand why you might need to remove a bra in a public bathroom. I myself have been in that situation. In fact I wrote about it. And if you really want to know the details you can just dig through the archives because putting that story up on the web once was foolish. Twice I'm just dumb.

But, sometimes life and memory throw you a curveball and it becomes necesssary to remove your bra in public facilities. Situations other than wet t-shirt contests, MTV spring break, and alcohol induced situations. But, to leave your bra IN such a place. That's just weird And not to mention rather disrespectful to the bra. No matter what state is in now, one should always show respect to a bra that has lent you support.

2) Why am I worried it's my bra? Now I'm positive that I did not remove my bra at work in the last few months. Yet, I still have this sneaking suspicion the bra is mine. But, I know it's not. Maybe it's that whole Catholic guilt thing that makes you think, ultimately, you're responsible for everything, inclulding the wayward bra abandoned in a public facility that someone needed to email a place that cannot be named about.

I just re-read that sentence. I share your headache.

cheers,
v.carrie