Yes, I went to the department-head meeting. Yes, I downloaded the Maximiser data at 10:00. No, I didn’t get sis’ CD-ROMs mailed off. (Whoops.)

We did, however, eventually get down to the Family Fun Center for some… er… fun. This time we started with the bumper boats. I love bumper boats, and these have squirtguns. Muahahahaha.

To dry off, we played 18 holes of minigolf. The huge group of kids (did their shirts read YMCA? I think so.) let us play through as they massed at the first couple of holes. Once past them, we had nobody in front of us (or behind, really) for the rest of our game. No pressure! At one point I got down on the astroturf and blew on Erica’s golf ball to make it go in. Needless to say we took very little of the game seriously, which is the best way to play minigolf anyway. Scorecards? What fer?

After that we split up, Wendi and Erica taking on the go-carts while Alex and I tried out the arcade. Oddly enough our first game was air hockey, and it was just about the most fun we had in the arcade. We’ve pretty much decided “to hell with the arcade next time.” The money would have been better spent on another round of bumper boats.

Once our arcade tokens were finally exhausted we decided to head out, grab some snacks and head for home. By way of Future Dreams. While at Safeway (of all places) we noticed the paperback for the most recent Raymond Feist “Krondor” novel. This computer-game-based series isn’t bad, but it also isn’t all that superb. We picked this one up anyway, and… it isn’t bad, but it also isn’t all that superb. (Why no, in fact, I’m not going to waste time with a full review. Why yes, I did finish reading it in a mere three hours.)

We came home, kicked back, prepared and enjoyed some chocolate chip cookies, read comics and novels and such, and then Wendi and her dad took off for another late night of karaoke. Meanwhile I got online, read and replied to my usual ultralight stack of email, then decided to post a recap of my vacation day.

Um, I guess that’s everything up to this point, isn’t it? Tomorrow it’s back to the salt mines for me. I hope I’m up to it. I’m a little depressed about the conjunction of my small raise and the increase in insurance deductions, but I’m trying very very hard not to let the depression get ahead of me. Wish me luck.

After a busy stretch at the office, and with both my newly-improved paycheck and Wendi’s double-gig-weekend payday coming, we decided that tomorrow should be a day off. We’re going to run errands, then we’re going to take the rugrats down to the Family Fun Center in Wilsonville. We checked it out on Sunday (we played minigolf, actually) and enjoyed it enough to want to go back during the week when it might be just a smidge less crowded.

I still have to show up for the department heads meeting at 8:00, and at 10:00 the Spring book Maximiser data gets released. *sigh* So I can’t leave until after that’s installed. Then we run to Future Dreams for the comics, and to the bank to set up my account. (I get my own debit card so that I can’t possibly screw up the family finances whenever I go out to lunch or something. This way I can pay my Future Dreams and Northwest Link monthly bills on my own, yay!)

In other news, I just finished burning and labelling the six CD-ROMs of anime music videos I promised my sister as a wedding present. I’ll package them up for mailing tomorrow morning while I wait for the Maximiser data to be released.

At least I’ll get most of a day off, dammit.

I’ve been playing more Diablo II again lately. I cannot resist the temptation to reach that “one more” level or waypoint or completed quest.

My current focus is on Barak, my werebear Druid. As of this weekend, he’s one of the only characters with which I’ve killed Diablo in solo play. (Yes, I’m a great big wuss. Quell surprise.)

We invited the Bourgos over last night for gaming and general family chaos. Amy and Michael and Wendi and I tried to remember what our “group-game” Diablo II characters were, then tried to remember how to play D2 effectively as a foursome. We made a lot of progress into Act 3 Normal, but Michael and I are chafing at the long wait ahead of us before we can use our best skills. (A werewolf Druid and a Javezon are both nearly useless until at least level 30, when Fury and Lightning Fury become available respectively.)

I suggested that we should get our best-of-the-best-of-the-best-sir characters from our respective homes for a superstar romp through Act V or maybe the Cow level. We’ll see what happens with that, as well as Michael’s idea to bring over his wheel for some head-to-head Need For Speed V competition. (Some challenge that will be. His wheel versus my gamepad should be no contest at all!)

Ah, I love multiplayer gaming. Who says that computer games cut us off from social interaction? “Hey, I wanted that amulet, you @#$%!” “Geez, stop hogging all the (gold, gems, runes)!” “Argh, I’m *#^%ing dying over here, help!” “Where are you guys?” “Would someone throw me a Town Portal please?”

Sure, tomorrow is Independence Day. Whoop-dee-doo. Today is my sister’s birthday!

Happy birthday to you
Dressed in Navy blue
Quarter-century old now
And we’re so proud of you!

Send Christine Ball your best birthday wishes at birthdaygirl@greyduck.net. (Note: This email alias will disappear in a couple of days to foil spambots.)

If you can read this (which may be one of the more inane phrases in the entire English language) then I’m happily back online and on my new server. There are still a few little quirks to work out, but for the most part things are under my control once again.

Yay!