The Year in Review

OK, so maybe the title should be changed as not to mislead anyone, but it is my year in review.  I started posting last December with a renewed interest in gaming.  That hasn't changed but my dedication to chronicaling my adventure just didn't pan out.  It could have had something to do with my wife spending six months in Afghanistan but I think I can safely say I didn't really make the time.

I did get through some good games and managed to keep playing more than I thought I would half way through this year.  I don't want to sound like too much of a fan boy but I really like the games Bioware is putting out.  Dragon's Age and al the add-ons for it were great!  Even when my PS3 hard drive crapped out and I ended up starting from the begining even though I was 10 hrs into Awakenings.  I liked some of the newer DLC that came out this summer, I just wish it was a little longer.  I just finished playing through Mass Effect 2 and I am toying with the idea of playing both games again making different choices alon the way so I will have different options available when ME3 comes out next year.

I rediscovered my PSP recently.  It had been spending some time in the corner after I finished FFT and Jeanne D'Arc last year.  I am currently working through Brave Story and finding it quite enjoyable.  it is definitely a game I can handle.  I also picked up a few used games a couple of weeks ago; FFVII: Crisis Core, PixelJunk Monsters and Popolocrois.  I figured it is a good system to take with me when I travel.  My daughter received a DSi XL for Xmas and now I am pondering if I should trade up or wait for the 3DS?  All I know is the XL will fit into my hands better than my DS.

Well time to go find another game to play... been sitting at the PC for too long.

1UP's RPG Blog : Gotta Blog 'Em All #1: Isshu Starter Pokemon

via 1up.com

OK Robyn, this one is for you. Thought you would appreciate this look into the new Pokemon Black and White game.

PS3

PS3 hard drive crashed yesterday.  I really think it was my own fault.  I treated it like a computer and tried to multi-task too many things at once.  Should have known better.

At first I thought it was a major catastrophe, but really just a couple of game saves is all I really lost.  I had just started the Dragon Age: Origins: Awakenings expansion utilizing a completed save file from the original game.  I was really enjoying it, so I have lost about 12 hours of game play on that.  The bright side, if I continue to look at it that way, is I now get to play through Dragon Age: Origins with a different character, race and class.  This gives me a chance to see a different part of the game and unlock some additional achievements.

Going through the process of restoring the system did highlight a few things I never considered before.  The current generation of game systems are way more sophisticated than my old Sega Genesis or Sony PSOne.  Because of this I need to treat them differently.  There are options to save data to external devices and make complete backups of the hard drive.  I now need to make sure I get that on a schedule similar to my PC.  Need to go buy another external USB drive now.

Buying DVC Property at Disney

Well, it has been way to long since I have found my way back to this blog.  I wish I could say I have been that busy, but a more accurate reason would be I haven't spent the time in front of the PC except to IM with my wife.  I'm thinking I need to keep writing on this thing to get those ideas or thoughts out of my head.  Good for me but probably bad for anyone who wanders into this space.

Looking over the posts, the last thing I had been talking about was our vacation to Disney in December.  Keeping in that genre, I finally decided to pull the trigger on purchasing DVC property at WDW.  We know we will be returning to Disney as often as is possible (considering that we live in the northeast) and it seemed like a smart investment in our vacations.  Since we are so taken with the Beach Club it only made sense to find some re-sale property and jump in.  I looked over some of the companies that deal in used DVC and found one I thought I could work with.

Now don't get me wrong, the company I am using has been very helpful, even going so far as to warn me on my first bid that the chances of Disney of allowing the sale would be slim.  Me not fully understanding this "right of refusal" process, I said "Let's do it!"  After the second property was refused I started to think there was some sort of "scam" going on.  As I understand it now, Disney is getting property back at a price they would not allow it to be sold at, the seller is getting their money and I am left looking for a new property to try again with.

I just submitted a bid on the third property with the hope that I am offering a fair price (not in the seller's eyes, but Disney's).  The waiting game has started and I probably won't know until the end of next week, so I just have to put it out of my mind and let it happen.  I don't really need it to happen but I sure do want it to.  I'll keep the progress updated here.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Disney Here We Come!

Booked our vacation for this year, finally! With my wife over seas until October we decided it would be a nice treat/reward for our daughter to take her and a friend to Disney. Of course it will be a nice trip for us as well, but that is beside the point. We have gone enough times without the kids that it was time to bring her back. And seeing how our son will be in college it was worth it to us to bring a friend along.

So, after much debate about the best arrangement for this trip, we have decided to go with a 1 bedroom villa at the Beach Club. My wife and I had spent the land portion of a land and sea package at the Beach Club in 2008. It was the best vacation we have had at Disney. It was relaxing and leisurely. We went back to Disney in 2009 but going anywhere less just didn't cut it for us.

I am really excited to see the difference in the villas from the standard rooms.  This will probably go a long way toward making up our minds about buying DVC property at the Beach Club.  I have started to look but I am hesitant at pulling the trigger.  Seeing this side of the property will help.

Although the vacation isn't until December I am already getting excited.  Being able to get up in the morning and stroll over to the Boardwalk Bakery for coffee.  The ease at visiting Epcot or Hollywood Studios.  We will be spending 7 nights there this year so I am looking forward to exploring the resort area more.  The kids will be old enough to be on their own in the room so my wife and I can enjoy some quiet walks at night.

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody [Kermit's Commentary]

The MuppetsSTudio channel over on YouTube has released another video. This is a retake on their very successful Bohemian Rhapsody video. The characters that created the first video have a running commentary through this one. Classic Muppets mayhem!

Google Reader

I have toyed with Google Reader in the past but I think I honestly didn't understand what it was good for. Until today. I spent some time with the application now that I am getting more involved in the web. Rather than being a 'lurker' I am putting myself out there as an active participant. It is not usually my nature, but I am exploring and finding the fun in being a part of a community.

I know understand how an RSS feed reader is almost essential when the volume of sites/blogs you regular want to visit grows. Saving bookmarks seems so old school now. I can open up a single source and quickly navigate to the stories I'm interested in. It definitely makes it easier to find out new info and the suggested sites feature has opened up a whole new set of possibilities. I am finding more great content on the web than I have in the past few years.

I'm sure there might be better products out there, but I use so many of Google's other apps that it just seems to fit with what I am use to. I guess it is a lesson I should know by now. A little investment in time typically pays off in the end.