Exam Writing - A short story told through Facebook posts

Post #1

‎10 days until Christmas but before I can party, I must do battle against 3 nasty exams that stand before me. They stand tall and imposing with stank and humid breath as they look to pummel me to the ground. But I do not relent. I lift my mighty pencil high and at the top of my lungs, I give a warrior's cry to my deity hoping for a response. Shall I survive or shall I perish? Shall the numbers crunch or will I instead be crunched? We will see ...

Post #2

With my pencil held high, and my voice gone coerce from yelling I charge at the first fell beast. and his name is Cost and managerial Accounting II. I shall remain pure of conviction and hold true to my mission. This exam will not best be in combat.

Post #3

The battle was fierce and I leave the exam's lair knowing that it was a close one. The beast almost did me in as we exchanged wounds back and forth but with a perfect parry followed by a thrust of my pencil, I slayed the beast by burying my pencil deep instead the exams beating papers. Now I must move forward, toward the lair of the second exam beast. This one sounds louder and harder than the last but I must push onward.

Post #4

I traverse the dang hallway known as the weekend and I see the exam beast towering before me. I do not feel prepared to challenge this 3 hour behemoth promises but I know I must find the courage and the wits to do battle. I take one last memorizing glance at my notes and then throw them to the side knowing they can do me no further good. I lift my pencil high and cover behind my calculator and charge forward. The time for battle is now and I will fight and conquer and hear the lamentation of the teachers ...

Post #5

After much hard work, I enter the final room. The final exam beast towers over me and I can feel the hate roll off of it in waves. Behind him I spy a door with sunshine trickling through the cracks. I slay this beast and I will earn my freedom. I do not feel prepared. My mind is soft, my body weak and my pencil is losing its edge. I must press on despite the obstacles. I do not did to slay the beast but simply wound it enough to get through the door. The time is now and I make my move...

Post #6

The battle is done, the beast still lives as do I. The battle was fierce, my body is tired and I took several deep wounds but I believe that I shall be declared victorious in the end. Now I shall sit at a corner table in some dimly lit tavern and enjoy some cool beverages while I await the results from my battles with the 3 exam beasts. And then I will sleep ... The End?

8 sleeps until Christmas

I Love Love Love Gifts ....

It doesn't matter if I am getting or receiving, I simply love gifts. Not much more to say than that. And at this time of year, I am reminded of the greatest gift of all ... Jesus Christ.

Christmas carols have told the tale of Jesus for years but I have never been a really big fan of them until now. I was recently listening to my fave radio station, RadioU, and they played O Holy Night (definitely not a fan of the song) by the band "Becoming the Archetype" and now I am a believer in what Christmas carols can be. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!

Exam Time and Music

It is exam time in my house and that means studying. Normally this is not a hard thing to do although with the passing of my mom and then being struck done with Pneumonia for the last week, there has not been a lot of time for that. Therefore, I sit at my computer with a measly 4 hours of study time completed, my eyes heavy from sickness and meds, and my thoughts scattered like papers riding a cool breeze. So I blog, half to waste the time away so I have excuses and half to focus my mind for the task ahead. I hope the latter proves true since I have three exams in 6 days and I would like to finish well. Well back to studying but before I go, a gift. The gift of song since it seems to be what helps me navigate the troubling times of life. This one seems to speak to me of Christmas and loss and hope. Enjoy!!

In Memory of my Mom 1947 - 2011

My Mom passed away today after a hard fight with cancer. While the loss of her life on Earth is sad beyond words, the knowledge that she is no longer in pain and in a better place with her heavenly Father is comforting to my soul and my heart. I am short on words and long in tears today therefore I leave you with a poem that has always brought laughter to my Mom and I. I believe she would want laughter today and not tears even though that is hard. I will miss you Mom!!!

When me prayers were poorly said

Who tucked me in me widdle bed

And spanked me til me ass was red?

Me Mudder

Who took me from me cozy cot

And put me the ice cold pot

And made me pee if me could not ?

Me Mudder

And when the morning light would come

And in me crib me dribble some

Who wiped me tiny widdle bum ?

Me Mudder

Who would me hair so gently part

And hug me gently to her heart

And sometimes squeeze me til me fart ?

Me Mudder

Who looked at me with eyebrows knit

And nearly had a king-size fit

When in me Sunday pants me s**t ?

Me Mudder

When at night the bed did squeak

Me raised me head to have a peek

Who yelled at me to go to sleep ?

Me Fadder

Noob View #1 : A Review of Cosmic Encounter

Welcome to my first in a series of reviews where I will give a broad glimpse of a board game through the eyes of a Board Game Geek after just a single play through of the game. For my first article, I will be reviewing the game, Cosmic Encounter.

Cosmic Encounter is a Sci-fi theme board game which was first published in 1977 by Eon Games. It has since been re-published several times by different companies leading to the most recent release by Fantasy Flight Games in 2008. This is the version that I had the opportunity of playing recently thanks to a kind individual who tabled the game at the most recent TABScon event.

In the game, you play an alien race that is trying to expand into five other foreign worlds which is controlled by the other player controlled alien races. This is done by invading other worlds or by supporting the other aliens as they push into foreign worlds.

The Components of the FFG release are very nice. The cards for the different alien races are sturdy, look beautiful and are easy enough to understand considering the theme of the game. The cardboard planets are of a nice and robust material while the ships are made of a sturdy molded plastic and they stack very nicely. The rule booklet is easy to understand and laid out very nicely.

As for game play, a player's turn is comprised of several phases in which they regroup, pick a target (which is done through a draw deck), attacking, resolving and if successful deciding on whether to try another offensive or to pass. The game is very interactive requiring players to call for aid in defending or attacking, or backing one side or another and at times choosing when to stay neutral. The game flows crisply and is very fun. While the game can be a little nasty, it rarely is ever intentional. Rather it is simply a decision of doing what is best for your alien race to survive.

Overall, this game is a must play for anybody who enjoys interactivity, science fiction and/or a deep and engaging theme. I look forward to the next time I get to play this game.

Components:  8.5 / 10
Gameplay:      9.0 / 10
Theme:           9.0 / 10
Replay Value: 10  / 10

Road Trippin'

Went to TABScon yesterday with some friends just to get away and take a break from School and family and life and I have to it was a great day!!!!  How to explain TABS? It is a giant gathering of people who all love board games  Upon entering the building, there is rows and rows of tables accompanied with noise, laughter, yelling, chaos and the occasional bad smells but it is so much fun. People play games all day long but their is also a bring and buy auction, a complex math-trade, a Toronto retailer who is hocking their merch as well as Snakes and Lattes supplying food and coffee.

As always, they had a bring and buy auction and once again I picked something up for super cheap. This time around, the steal was Zooloretto with 5 mini-expansions for $20 bucks. This works out to about a 50% savings and the kids are stoked to play it.

As for games I played. I first got to sit in on a game of Mob Ties which is a kickstarter game from Hostage Entertainment. In the game, you control a mob family trying to make a living in the crowded streets by killing and bribing and backstabbing the other mob families. This is definitely not my favorite game due to its gross out factor and very suggestive art but the interactions among players is very fun. If you can get by the art and theme then it can be a lot of fun.

Afterwards, I join back up with my road-trippin' buddies and we all sat down at a table with a dude who had a bag full of games and there we stayed for the rest of the day. We played Drakon, Cosmic Encounter and Ascension. This was definitely the high-lite for me since all three games were on my play list. After playing all three, I see why I was attracted to them in the first place but in the end Ascension would probably be the game I would be most likely to purchase.

All in all, a great day filled with games and friends and fun. As a sidenote, I won 2 of the 4 games. :)

Now to start looking forward to the opening of our very own local game store and maybe pick up a copy of Ascension. ;)

A little word on Hobby

What is a Hobby? In my definition, a hobby is an activity that is not part of education, employment or training for the sole purpose of enjoyment and fun. Is this a technically accurate definition. probably not. Nonetheless, that is how I define a hobby.

What are my hobbies? My hobbies all reside under the banner of geek. First and foremost, I love board games. I love euro games (like Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Dominion) and deck-building games (like Dominion, Redemption, Thunderstone). I enjoy economic games and worker placement games. I like RPG video games (Role Playing Game) and fantasy based games. I like dice, cards, wooden bits and cardboard chits.

Secondly, I like Video games. I usually tend to stick to sports titles, racing games and RPG/fantasy games. However, I have been stretching lately into the world of action/adventure games and found that I am not half bad but I definitely play them for the story more than anything else.

Finally, I like reading. I like fantasy, sci-fi and graphic novels. My favorites are Shounen Japanese comics like One Piece, bleach and Naruto. I also like X-men and Batman comics. I have read all books written by R. A. Salvatore, Jim Butcher, George RR Martin and Ted Dekker. I also really enjoy the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

Why do I share this? To put to words my likes so that those you read this have a bit of context to the strange and wonderful things that I write about. What are your hobbies that you do for enjoyment and fun? If you could not come up with any maybe you could give one of mine a try. ;)

One mistake away ...

Picked up the new Seventh Day Slumber CD on Tuesday to plug into my ears and let me tell you, it is sweet tunes to the eardrums, brain and soul. The CD is definitely lighter than their other releases but the lyrics are far more meatier. One song in particular hit me so hard that I started to bawl while driving around town with Joshua. Once the song finished, Joshua turned to me and asked if we could listen to it again. I guess it struck a chord with him as well. The chorus  says:

I want to run and I want to hide,

I wish I could disappear tonight,

Cause I feel like I'm just one mistake away.

And I know that you'll never leave

But it's so hard to believe when I feel

like I'm just one mistake away.

I am not so sure about other people but this is definitely something I am struggle with these days. I feel like I am one mistake away ...

What console war?

I continue to hear people argue to this day which is better. Nintendo WII or Xbox 360 or  PlayStation 3? I have never really cared since I believe in the mantra "to each their own". That being said, I did find it funny when I read the nominee list for the 2011 VGA awards released today and found that the 4 contenders for PS3 game of the year are all exclusives while only half the games on the 360 list are exclusive titles for Microsoft. This leads me to believe that the console war may still be raging but the software war has been won. Well played Sony ... Well played!!!

Best Xbox 360 Game

• Batman: Arkham City (Warner Bros Interactive/Rocksteady Studios)
• Forza Motorsport 4 (Microsoft Studios/Turn 10 Studios)
• Gears of War 3 (Microsoft Studios/Epic Games)
• Portal 2 (Valve)

Best PlayStation 3 Game

• Infamous 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment/Sucker Punch)
• Killzone 3 (Sony Computer Entertainment/Guerrilla Games)
• LittleBigPlanet 2 (Sony Computer Entertainment/Media Molecule)
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Sony Computer Entertainment/Naughty Dog)

Dreams and Fears

Recently, I had the opportunity to cross an item off of my to-do-before-I-die list. This happened when I got to finally see my favorite soccer player take the field in a live match in Toronto against my boys in red. Who is this player you may ask? Well it is none other than French national player, Thierry Henry. This was only the second game I got to this season for the TFC but watching my soccer hero play made it all worthwhile. I can say without doubt that he is pure magic on the ball and as expect arrogant and brash as any Frenchman should be.

This got me to thinking about the dreams and fears I have for the future since I am in school

retraining and currently not working full-time. Ultimately, this proved to be a hard exercise. After much soul searching, I came up with simply this: I want to live a life of purpose that glorifies God, that honors my wife and children and is filled with lots of laughter, Board games, good music and good conversation and intimate relationships that care more about depth and honesty over frivolity and superficiality.

What is my greatest fear .... that I will FAIL at accomplishing my dream.

Labour Weekend Wrap-up

Labour day weekend has come and gone and that means the kids have gone back to school. The Kids are happy for now but I know that the happiness will turn to loathing as the homework begins to pile up. The parents are happy but that will wain to mediocrity as the 100th sandwich of the school year is made. So in celebration of the annual tradition of sending the little ones back to school I played board games.

Friday night saw Andrew and Dave crash my place for some good conversation, food and gaming. We started the evening with a game of Quarriors!! and then wrapped it up with a game of Star Trek: Expeditions. Expeditions is fast becoming a favorite of mine more because Star Trek was my gateway to Sci-Fi than the game being any good (though it is). I got the opportunity to play Bones only because Scotty is not available in the base game. Either way it was fun and we solved the problem on Nimbia so all was good in the End.

I was invited on Sunday to play board games so of course I went. We played a total of 4 games over 12 hours which is so very amazing in my books. We played Cyclades, St Petersburg, Age of Mythology and Incan Gold. All were fun games, but the two holdouts for the best of the day were St. Petersburg and Incan Gold with the latter game being my only win of the day.

On Monday, the family and I sat down to tackle Agricola. This is a hard game to win so my younger kids grew bored quickly much more interested in played house with the farmer pieces than actually playing the game. In the end it was still fun and I will pull it out again to see how much they remember.

Now begins the wait until this weekend to play more games again. At least it is a short work week.

Weekend Wrap-up

Friday night started the weekend off with a bang as a couple of friends came over and we managed to get in a quick game of Quarriors! followed by a raucous 3-person session of Battlestar Galactica.

Saturday saw me ref a total of 6 soccer games at the Saugeen Cup where 4 Hanover Teams were also competing. HMSA walked away with one 1st place finish, 2 3rd places and a fourth. Sunday morning was more of the same as I traveled to Tara for a 4 game stretch of Ref duties at the U-20 boys tournament.

Sunday evening I was invited to a games night which I could not pass on even though I was tired from reffing soccer games all weekend. So I took my cookies and went over and was rewarded with two games of 7 wonders, components pictured below, (a top 10 ranked game according to BGG) and one play through of Condottiere. I had not yet had the oppurtunity to play either game and I was especially delighted to finally get to play 7 wonders. Although I enjoyed Condottiere just as much even though I got my backside soundly beat. :p

All in all, a very good weekend although a little more family time would have been nice.

The End is Nigh ...

It seems like yesterday ... a cool spring breeze blowing small life-giving raindrops onto the ground below. Inside the quaint brick house there is an anxiousness, no scratch that, an eagerness for the soccer season to begin. A new season filled with hope, dreams, fun and new friends. That was the scene in my house 14 weeks ago.

Now it is August and that means tournament season and the picture is much different. The weather is most times hot or sticky or both. The kids are tired of the soccer grind and anxious for the tournaments. They are asking themselves: Did I get better? Is this the year that we win? Will we win again this year? Can I have a freezie?

This time of year is always bitter sweet for me because I love seeing kids play soccer and not just my kids, but all kids. And tournaments mean that it is all coming to an end for this year. This is the time of year where goalies cry after losing in a shoot-out. This is the time of year that coaches will often lose their cool at a bad call from a ref. This is the time of year that the underdog team wins it all. This is the time of year that a rag-tag bunch of kids come together and show everyone the impossibilities that teamwork can do.

I am happy to see the end of a busy season come to a close which hints at the call of some rest in my near future but I am left with a unknowing question that haunts at the edges. The question I am left asking myself is far more removed than all the questions coaches, players and parents are asking themselves.

Did the kids have enough fun through learning, playing and socializing to want to come back again next year?

And the answer is never known until next year when the rain is falling on the brown winter-damaged grass and the refreshing breeze is no longer blowing from the north.

Summer Update

Wow ... this place is pretty dusty. I guess that is what happens when the blog is ignored for nearly 5 months. Anyway, I guess I should update people on what has been happening. The spring semester exams have come and gone and I am carrying a 3.89 GPA into the third and final semester of my retraining from Electronics tech to bookkeeper/accounting clerk. The 2011 outdoor soccer season is entering into tournament time and my U10s are middle of the pack while the U12 team is towards the bottom. My wife has switched to a new job and I am working a few hours every week bookkeeping.

On the nerd front, I was able to find some time to hit the theater to watch a few flicks. Those flicks would be Harry Potter 7b, Captain America, X-Men: First Class and Thor with the latter being the best in my opinion. On a side note, 3 of the 4 movies were watched at my local single screen theater so that I did not have to violated with 3D.

I have also been watching a fair bit of anime as I continue to work through my DVD collection. I have polished of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Eden of the East and I am currently working through One Piece and Naruto. Speaking of the DVD collection, I finally found the nerve to finish Battlestar Galactica and the ending was not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I quite enjoyed it.

On the gaming front, I finished Uncharted and what a great game. I am part way through Uncharted 2 and enjoying it just as much. I still have to finish Dragon Age (I am on the last fight) but I cant seem to find the excitement to do so since I know what crap is waiting for me afterwards with the DLC and DA2. I have played little LOTRO this summer but I did manage to run a few raids and level the burglar to Level 52. As for my gaming list, I am well of pace to say the least.

I have been playing a large number of board games lately as it slowly becomes my favorite pastime. I currently own 13 distinct titles which includes several expansions per title and I have 4 more on pre-order. You check out my collection on BoardGameGeek. I have been getting together with a few game groups in the area but it never seems like enough. I would be happy gaming 4 or 5 days a week. Thanks to some friends I have been able to play a few new games with the best one so far being Star Trek : Expeditions. Also, D.P and A.S traveled with me to Toronto to be a part of TABScon in the early summer. We were able to play Battlestar Galactica and Cyclades which were both very fun games. I am so looking forward to our trip this September.

Anyway, there you have it, an update and a long one at that. Until later ... have fun gaming!!

I am the Power Lord!!!

Playing new boardgames is always fun for me because I am willing to play anything once. Therefore this weekend was very good since I got to play some new boardgames thanks to an invite to a family game day. The new games were Power Grid and Bohnanza ( the Bean Game).

I was not expecting Bohanaza be much fun when you see the set-up. It is a deck of cards full of different beans and the concept is to plant bean crops and accumulate the most money. Sounds lame right? Well like I found out, you would be wrong. Bohnanza is a very deep game full of strategy especially when you add-in the main mechanism of the game, card trading. The game is fun, frustrating , cut-throat and did I mention fun. For the price, definitely a must buy.

The next game was the true gem. It's a small game named Power Grid. In the game you buy power plants of different varieties, the raw material to power the plants and cities to power. The end-game is to power more cities and have the most cash. The game really is a bookkeepers or accountants dream come true. I simply love this game. I will be buying this game. I will become the next Mr. Burns ...

Welcome to OZ

My lovely wife and I sat down last night to watch a movie. As always, I was able to talk her into which movie but instead of the usual fair this time we sat down to watch Summer Wars, an animated film from Japan by Mamoru Hosoda. This is highly unusual in our house since Marie really dislikes most if not all anime but she was gracious enough to watch it with me which made me very happy.

The movie is about a young dude who goes to the country to pose as a young lady's fiancée for her entire family. Soon though, the entire family is caught up in saving the world from a malicious Artificial Intelligence which is taking over OZ, an internet-style full virtual reality world that everyone uses for everything from talking to shopping to banking to everything else.

The movie has won several wards and in my opinion the movie is deserving of every award it has received. It is a great movie full of family value, romance and science Fiction adventure. The movie does a great job of showing the possible doom that can come from the internet highway we ride in a satirical way that does seem like preaching. Ultimately, for me the take away was the importance of family and the beauty of simply sitting together and enjoying food and drink as a group. This is something Marie and I have always valued but have fallen away from since she started working nights. After watching this film, it stirs a passion in my to be much more intentional about carving out time for this important tradition of the family.

As for whether my wife enjoyed the movie or not I can not speak to. However, in church today listening to the Youth Pastor preach about engaging youth culture he rambled off a pile of stats on internet usage in todays culture and at that very moment Marie leaned in close and whispered "That sounds a lot like OZ." I take that as a win for Anime in my books!!

Enjoy the trailer below for the film.

New Music

Over the past couple of weeks I have purchased some new music to fill my ears. I am typically a-can-listen-to-anything kinda person however it appears from my purchases that my soul has been craving some rock.

First up, I purchased the new release from a lesser known band I Am Empire who is signed on Tooth & Nail records. I admit it was a blind purchase because it was super cheap but thankfully they were very pleasing to the ears. They have a very radio friendly rock feel but with the inner glam metal style lurking on the inside. My favorite on the album is definitely track 3 "Saints & Sinners". For the price, I highly recommend it.

I also purchased the new album from Red more out of curiosity than anything else. I admit I never really liked their music. Some songs on an album were solid gold while the rest kind of felt bland and boring. I was very disappointed with "Innocent & Instinct". It start out with such great promise then nose dived. So when I popped in "Until We Have Faces" and it cut immediately into the guitar heavy, in your face music I was skeptical but after a few listens through the CD, it has now called dibs on the player in the van. What a great well rounded release. Hopefully this is not lightning in a bottle and they can continue to make great releases like this one. Highly recommend!!

Finally, I picked up The "Covering" from Stryper. This is purely a fan-boy purchase. Stryper is Stryper and they could release crap and I would still buy it. This release is different from their past releases though in the fact that they have made a cover CD this time around. Just some of the bands they cover are Kansas, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and more. I have a friend who is very skeptical of a Stryper cover CD but I have to admit I really enjoy it. On the whole, they have been faithful to the originals and threated them with respect. It is not good enough to dethrone Red from the CD player in the van yet but it is in steady rotation at home.

Until later ... Now its time to Rock!!!!

Gaming Goals

I am a full-time student, full-time husband and full-time parent. I also work quarter time on top of all of that and do the majority of the house chores since my wife is very busy with work. This situation has lead to a drastic cut in the much coveted gaming time I so enjoy. As such, I am putting digital pen to paper and jotting down my personal goals for 2011.

5. Play Struttgar, my mid-30s Warden, to max level in LOTRO.

4. Finally beat the Story mode for Dragon Age: Origins and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.

3. Play through the Story-mode for Mass Effect 1 and 2.

2. Rediscover my first PC love, the RTS (Real-time Strategy) game.

1. Run through Barad Guldur, a 12-man Raid in LOTRO, with all of my level 65 toons.

I will post in the spring with an update.

Happy gaming

Gaming and Comic Update

School has keep me really busy over the weeks of January. I have finished all of my first term courses and already into a consistent schedule of study for the heavy term 2 course load. I am really enjoying all that I am learning in my accounting courses and get more and more excited the more I learn.

On the downside though is their is significantly less time for gaming and other geek-related things then I would like. Although, I am trying my best to fins some time throughout the day no matter how little.

On the gaming front, the only thing I have played is LOTRO (lord of the rings online) and I am consistently amazed how fun the game continues to be. The captain is now grinding for RAdiance gear and has started doing 12-man raids in Moria. The Captain , although not fun to level, has proven to be a real joy to play in group running dungeons and raids.

I am continuing to read through the monthly solicitations of X-men, Wolverine and Uncanny X-force and I am enjoying them a lot. I find 2 or 3 pages in between study sessions just clears the mind to focus better on the study and retain more information.

I have also been able to find time to read through The Message and have now finished genesis and exodus. Although not a direct translation of the bible, I really enjoy the flow and contemporary form of it offers. I seem to retain the information better. On top of my bible readings, I have been reading through the latest issues of Bleach, One piece, Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist manga. They are a good quick read although I am finding the Naruto story is kinda flat at the moment. I hope it picks up again soon. FMA is winding down and is simply awesomazing.

Well, back to studying. The books are calling.

War is .....

One of my favorite war dramatizations ever produced was HBO's "Band of brothers". It was a 10-part mini-series depicting the experiences of E "Easy" Company from basic training all the way to their taking of Hitler's Eagle's Nest. It was because of my appreciation of that mini-series that I have now started to watch HBO's "The Pacific" since its release to DVD.

The Pacific is the sister to the previous mentioned show and depicts the Pacific theater of war and the exploits of the marines. I was not sure what to expect going into it but so far so good. I am nowhere near done the series yet but from what I have seen the show is very well produced and very gritty, realistic and engaging.

I am not sure if it is the show itself , my own growth or a combination of both but this show is really getting to me emotionally. Where before I would be desensitized of emotion this form of media violence, now during a typical one-hour episode I find myself laughing, crying, swearing and sometimes even laugh-crying. This show will take you to the lowest points of human emotion yet someway have an ability for bring hope from despair.

It is definitely a watch alone for me. I will post a full review once I am done.

Koffee ... mmmHmmmm!!!

For Christmas this year, my wife blessed me with a Keurig brewer. She did not understand why I wanted one (since I had a coffee maker), she did not understand the reason for getting one (since I had a coffee maker) and she got it for me anyway. It's an understatement but my wife is awesomazing.

I love Kuri (my brewers name) ...

She makes the best coffee and tea around. She makes a great light roast, dark roast, earl grey and even chai. Want decaf? Kuri can do that as well. She even brews it at the perfect temperature for immediate satisfaction. I no longer need Tim Hortons burnt beans now that Kuri is around. I am loyal to Kuri and she keeps on pumping out the brew.

Come on over sometime and try a cup. You will not be sorry.

Today's coffee ... Timothy's Extra Bold Rainforest Espresso

An Update

WOW, it's been a while!! A lot of nothing important has happened in the geek realm since my last update. That being said, I a lot of big things "non-geek" did happen since my last update.

I wrote two final exams in Accounting and English. As people who follow my infrequent Facebook updates will already know, I hated taking this English class. Anyway, I went into both exams with marks in the high 80s and low 90s and coupled with the strenuous studying I think I did okay but no final marks have been received yet. Time will tell.

I was also in a drama that was performed for the Christmas Eve service at the community church I am apart of. It was loads of fun even the frustrating times during rehearsals. Both performances went well and I did not forget any lines. WooHoo!! It was a great tech heavy service and the message delivered by the pastors was top-notch and challenging. A great evening.

On the geek spectrum, I have been playing a lot more Wii lately now that we have the old broken one replaced. No LOTRO, No WOW, No STO. I have been playing a whole lotta Dragon AGE: Origins and Peggle on PC. I am also trying to do my daily Wii Fit Plus routines to see if it really does help people lose weight. I am happy with my size and do not need to get any hotter than I all ready am because I am "Smokin' Hot" but I am curious to see if it works.

Wii Fit Plus update: 10 days of Wii fit Plus and down 1.6Kg.

As is tradition in the Bezeau house, we stay in on New year;s Eve and go to bed early after a movie or two however this year that did not happen. Instead, we went out and stayed up way too late celebrating with some friends and it was a very fun time.

Now it is January 2011 and school continues on and seems to take most of my time. My geek plans this month is to continue playing Dragon age, watch Burn Notice Season 2, read some more of the Fire and Ice novels( currently half way through book 1) and keep up on the Wii Fit Plus stuff.

One last thing, if you are looking for a great daily pick me up to your spiritual life than check out my buddy's blog the Narthax ... very good read!!