Will Pablo Blog?

Babied!

2011-12-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I forgot to update since things got busy in the delivery room. Vincent is here, and he's healthy, and so's Ann. Trying to keep family and friends updated has kept us busy. He's going to be three weeks old tomorrow and it's weird how many differences we can already see in his growth since then.

Head spotted

2011-11-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

The nurse just felt Vincent's head and said "you're just about ready for delivery". It's real and it's happening soon?

Epidural engage

2011-11-23T10:42:00.001-08:00

So Ann's pain level went pretty high for a while so she requested the epidural. That's done now, and I think she's doing MUCH better. I got to call the parents to let them know we'd call when they should head over.

I'm hearing a newborn crying next door and thinking how that'll be us soon.

IV

2011-11-23T05:10:00.003-08:00

Ann got an IV a few minutes ago and after noticing some air bubbles in the line I had a momentary freak-out before the nurse said that it was normal. As I write this they're adding the Petocin to her IV, so apparently the inducing of labor officially starts now.

5:37 edit: Contractions slowly starting...that didn't take long!

At l'hopital

2011-11-23T03:40:00.002-08:00

It's 3:41 AM and we just got to the hospital. Ann wasn't scheduled till 6:00 but she couldn't sleep. She hasn't been able to sleep through the night lately anyway. We get an early start to Vinny!

Movies, Books, and Games in 2010

2011-01-02T07:58:00.002-08:00

I guess I had made a list of movies, books, and games I wanted to experience in 2010 sometime last January and I just now found it. This list looks like a combination of things I had been meaning to get to for a while and things that just came out in 2009 and got good reviews. After checking off the successes my dismal stats are 0/14 Books, 3/58 Games, 8/24 Movies. Thankfully I did finish some books and games that weren't on the list, but nonetheless, to hell with goals I guess.

Review: Black Swan

2011-01-02T06:57:00.001-08:00

Beautiful, scary, and really good.

Stupid Joke Saturday

2010-05-08T21:41:00.002-07:00

Do you know why the Na'vi are so stylish?

Because they have blue genes.

Chrome Dev Build Missing HTTP

2010-04-14T20:08:00.003-07:00

I just noticed my dev branch of Chrome is removing http:// from URLs in the address bar, but it's keeping https:// on secure sites. All I could find about it was this blog post, but so far I actually kind of like it. Copy/pasting URLs still works well enough, it copies the http:// into your clipboard if you select the whole URL.

Of course Chrome is telling me there's already another build update, we'll see if it disappears just as fast!

Hoover Dam Bypass

2010-04-11T20:33:00.003-07:00

This new bridge at the Hoover Dam is called the Colorado River Bridge, and apparently it's coming along nicely. When I saw in person for the first time, it was December 2008 and I had never heard of it before. It was still being supported by temporary cables and it looked like the beginnings of an arch. Now it's looking more like a bridge every day, and you can see some great photos of the progress by Jamey Stillings at The Bridge at Hoover Dam.

Played: Twitch

2010-04-11T20:02:00.004-07:00

In my attempts to learn how to manipulate the HTML 5 canvas element, the Chrome Experiments website has been a fun place to look for new ideas. Today I played a pretty unique series of minigames going by the name Twitch. They're not very hard to beat, and it's very interesting to watch how the JavaScript behind the scenes works.

If you find those interesting, you might like Google Gravity and Wavy Scrollbars.

Played: Continuity

2010-04-10T14:11:00.002-07:00

Continuity is a Puzzle/Platformer where you move tiles around the game board to create your own paths to your goals. The design is simple but the game gets complicated quickly, and I almost gave up on the last level...but today was not a day for failure. It was a day for triumph. TRIUMPH AGAINST A FLASH GAME!

Inglorious Bastards (Quel maledetto treno blindato)

2010-04-06T19:41:00.004-07:00

On Sunday, after finishing Julie & Julie on Netflix Watch Instantly, I noticed that Inglorious Bastards was available as well. Since neither of us had seen it, my wife and I made some dinner and sat down to enjoy another film.

It took us 25 minutes -- during which we thought Tarantino was being a real genius in his re-enactment of cheesy 70s filmmaking -- before we backed out to the menu and realized that we were watching the 1978 "cult classic" Inglorious Bastards.

It took a few days, but we really did get April Fooled by Netflix.

P.S. I had spoken up about the title difference, since I remembered that Tarantino's title was misspelled deliberately, but when we saw names in the credits that were very obviously not right I thought that something was "off" on purpose. I fell for it!

Easter Earthquake

2010-04-04T21:07:00.004-07:00

I was at home today in Chandler watching Julie & Julia with my wife when I asked her why she was shaking the couch. She thought I was. Turns out it's Baja California's fault. We paused the movie and realized all of our blinds were shaking side to side...my first earthquake ever. Thanks Mother Nature!

I will be amazed if I get to use the earthquake tag ever again...

Working anniversaries

2010-03-21T11:24:00.002-07:00

I changed jobs back in September of last year. This was a big change for me, because I had been at my previous job since 2000, in fact yesterday would have been my 10 year employment anniversary. Today, however, marks 6 months at my new job. I felt a little unprepared for the change, but now that it's been a while, I'm very happy at the new company. I spent the majority of my twenties at that last job, and sometimes I have to remember that most people don't spend anywhere near that long at a job when they're that young.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2010-03-13T16:08:00.004-08:00

I guess I was lazy on Valentine's Day this year, because all I really did for my wife was cook her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I used a new recipe for the first time in a long while though, a buffalo chicken pizza straight out of Sam the Cooking Guy's book Sam the Cooking Guy: Just a Bunch of Recipes that my wife gave me. It was out of this world!

My wife's been making homemade bread recently, so she's planning on making a pizza crust for me this week so we can try the recipe again with some better ingredients. Not that I mind the pre-made Boboli crust we used, I've made some really good pizzas with it, but I'm looking forward to trying something new again.

And actually, now that I think about it, the last new recipe I tried might have been out of Sam the Cooking Guy's book also, his Gnocchi Alla Sarda. Can't go wrong with his stuff, I guess.

Challenge, Meet Pablo

2010-03-02T22:12:00.003-08:00

Turns out that when I said I had got 100% completion on Arkham Asylum last week, that would be what some would call a lie. I hadn't achieved three medals on every Challenge Mode stage yet, and it's amazing how much incentive the chance to correct a lie is. I just completed my last Challenge Mode, which puts me officially at 100% completion now. It says so right there on the main menu.

I actually still have one Games for Windows Live achievement left to get, which is play through the game again on Hard. I'll get to that someday. But let me say, unequivocally, I do not claim to have already done that. Officially.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

2010-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

I got to 100% complete in the latest Batman game last week sometime, and it really put into contrast how much less fun Lego Batman was when I played it last year. This Batman game was a perfect mix of everything it explored, and I was left with no unmet expectations. I can't believe somebody made a genuinely fun Batman game, and I can believe even less that we're going to have a (hopefully) faithful sequel relatively quickly.

I also haven't played a game in the style of Batman:AA in a while, I guess since Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time at the end of 2003. From friends I hear that the Assassin's Creed games are similar so I look forward to taking those for a spin soon.

In-between Games

2010-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Through January, in addition to Mass Effect, I had been playing Mr. Robot and Osmos. I got both of these games in a huge pile of even more games during the Steam sale, but these both came better recommended than some of the others. I haven't finished them for different reasons.

Osmos: This game is great! The atmospheric music works so well with the gameplay, but it gets pretty hard near the end. As best as I can tell I am actually on my last unfinished stage but I've played it dozens of times and have had no luck. I'm on F3C (epicycles 3), if somebody has some advice. YouTube videos didn't help.

Mr. Robot: This is very neat RPG/platforming hybrid. The interface was a little tough to get used to, and the isometric view makes me struggle in certain rooms. The viewpoint is actually part of the reason I haven't been playing it, I got to a room with rising water and boxes to move around, and I can't seem to get a good angle on things to know that I'm going to land where I want to. Still plan on finishing this though.

More Mass, More Effect

2010-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

After finishing Mass Effect last month I played through a second time to see 100% of the content, or as close as I could get. Shortly after starting a third playthrough of the first game, Mass Effect 2 came out and my wife gave it to me as an early anniversary gift.

Today is a week since we bought the game and we've both finished it. I played as renegade as I could but somehow ended up with a very significant amount of Paragon points. In fact, I missed out on part of the game by not having enough renegade points for a couple of crucial decisions. Despite that, I think Mass Effect 2 went far and beyond the first game in every way. The highlight for me was the lack of inventory management compared to the first, and the powers were more streamlined and much, much more fun to use. I almost wanted to play a tech hybrid character going into this, but after experiencing the Vanguard's Charge and Shockwave skills I wouldn't have it any other way.

My household will be anxiously awaiting Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect

2010-01-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Finished Mass Effect tonight. Holy crap! That was a ride and a half and I know I didn't do most of the side missions. I'm glad I got this out of the way before Mass Effect 2's release. Now I get to see if I can hold onto my willpower to keep from paying $50-$60 to play it as soon as possible.

As far as I can tell you could finish this game with half of your crew missing. Jeez.

Plants vs Zombies

2010-01-07T12:12:00.000-08:00

I finished Plants vs Zombies late last night, and was rewarded with more of my favorite parts of the game: puzzles and mini-games! Not that I didn't enjoy the actual Plant and Zombie parts, but when they switch around the rules in goofy ways the game is even more interesting to me. I, Zombie is probably my favorite part of the game, narrowly beating out the moment when I realized what the Cattails did. They rule!

The moment I figured out how to defeat a Gargantuan for the first time was pretty satisfying.

The final wave of zombies in several of the campaign stages do a very good job of making you feel like a supreme badass too. When you've got a dozen plants firing on your opponents and the support units doing their job, it smells like napalm in the morning. It smells like victory is what I'm saying.

Christmas Vacation

2010-01-03T20:51:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of my excellent vacation. I played more games than I care to say, went out to a few parties, helped somebody move apartments, and even went to the theater for three movies. I also got to celebrate Christmas with my parents and my in-laws, including opening presents! Last night I got to throw cash at my friends by way of a poker tournament, which I'm sure they appreciated.

Last year was pretty eventful and I think this one's off to a good start.

Games Finished in Aught Nine

2010-01-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of games I finished last year. Not in any particular order, except perhaps roughly the order of completion.

I Love Traffic
Fallout 3 (PC)
Trine (PC)
Crackdown (360)
Grand Theft Auto 4 (360)
Titan Quest: Immortal Throne (PC)
Portal (PC)
World of Goo (PC)
Lego Indiana Jones (360)
Queens
Cyclomaniacs
This is the Only Level
Gravitee 2
Death vs Monstars
Upgrade Complete
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity (PC)
Half-Life 2 (PC)
Half-Life 2 Episode 1 (PC)
Torchlight (PC)
Braid (PC)
Half-Life 2 Episode 2 (PC)
Defense Grid: The Awakening (PC)

New Year

2010-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

This may come as a surprise to you, and perhaps a seat is required, but this calendar tells me the year has rolled over to 2010.

I tried to look up what today is in the Aztec Calendar, but hell if I can figure that site out on my own. I'm dumber than an Aztec.

BioShock

2010-01-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

The sounds of BioShock and my frightened screams filled my house tonight. I had never heard about the possibility of horror action in this game, but it was a nice treat.

BioShock was a lot of fun. I had a few unanswered questions after finishing it, but maybe the experience is better left unspoiled by overanalysis. I'm looking forward to BioShock the Second now, but who knows if I'll get to it this year with the crazy abundance of games the Steam holiday sale has shot in my face.

The ending of BioShock was a little janky though, I watched the cinematic and got unceremoniously kicked to the main menu. I thought I did something wrong!