Ramblin' On

Wow, I guess it's been a while since I've visited this space. I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything. What few readers I had have probably wandered off in boredom now. For those you still out there, I'm still alive.

The most interesting thing that has happened has been the addition of two new dogs to our family back in April(Can you hear them barking?). It was supposed to be just one with the second a surprise for my parents. My mother decided she did not want another dog (their dog passed away a couple of years ago), and we could not bring ourselves to part with the little fellow. Our menagerie is holding at six. Hubby keeps saying no to the penguin and the pygmy hippo! Getting everyone settled took quite a bit of time, but we've all survived mostly unscathed.

Nothing interesting on the movie front in quite some time. I loved Iron Man! Hated Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Zack & Miri was sweeter than I expected, but not too saccharine. Very enjoyable. I'm still waiting to see Quantum of Solace and Twilight.

Oh, that reminds me! I achieved a dream of mine! I got to go to a Kevin Smith Q&A. He actually did on at the local university. The night was phenomenal! Ok, a few of the questions sucked, but Kevin was amazing!! I laughed until my entire body hurt, and then he made me laugh more. The man is awesome!!!!

I have not been able to read as much as I'd like because I started taking a few classes. Textbooks are not as interesting as novels. Someone should do something about that. I have managed to read The Dresden Files up through White Night. I can't wait to get my hands on Small Favor. I also read the first three Twilight books. Not nearly as angsty as I expected. Most recently, I've read the last two Goldy Schulz mysteries (well, I'm still reading the last one.)

One other thing that has consumed a lot of time has been Rock Band! The second is even better than the first. The DLC lately has been nice. Still haven't persuaded hubby to dl the Foo Fighters and RHCP yet, but the day will come. Oh, and Netflix on the 360 freakin' rocks!

I've developed an addiction to Deadliest Catch and Surviorman! Dirty Jobs too! I'll watch these shows whenever they are on, no matter how many times I have seen them. Ok, that's the real reason I haven't been blogging. Damn you, Discovery Channel!!

Just a brief update, more to come -- maybe. :)

Hey, Hey I Wanna Be a Rockstar!

I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame

I'd even cut my hair and change my name

'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars and

Live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars

-"Rockstar" by Nickelback

The latest sensation in my household is Rock Band. Since it's release in early November, the hearth in front of my fireplace has been occupied by the glory that is Rock Band. If you're not familiar with it, it's a video game that allows you & your friends to pretend to be a real band performing songs you know. It comes with guitar, drumkit, and microphone. It's like Guitar Hero on acid.

I eagerly anticipated Rock Band's release for weeks, and it did not disappoint. The set list is awesome (though it could use some Nickelback & some 80s power ballads). There was a bit of a hassle getting the game, as GameStop screwed up my preorder, but I was still able to get the game the day of release. After supervising the husband in setting everything up, we were ready to play. I quickly called dibs on singing for two reasons 1)I love singing, even though I do it badly 2)I lack the coordination to do guitar or drums well (imagine things breaking & drum sticks flying around the room -- it wasn't pretty). And thus, DeathTüff was born!

Many happy hours with the husband and several friends have been spent rocking out (one friend liked it so much, he went out and bought a PS3 just to play the game). I've agonized my way through Gimme Shelter and Train Kept A'Rollin' (thanks for all those saves, guys), and I can't recall how many times I've sung In Bloom (I'd be happy to never sing it again!). Rocking out to Metallica & Bon Jovi was awesome, and I've found a new enjoyment of songs I didn't think I liked (Celebrity Skin, I Think I'm Paranoid) and learned the hard way that I was not meant to sing Iron Maiden or R.E.M songs!

The customizable aspects of the game are pretty cool. While not a shopper in real life, I find a certain joy in creating just the right look for my rocker. The options are endless. If I have one complaint about the game, it is the "rock band" aspect of the game where you go from gig to gig & sing the same songs over & over again in band mode (guess I wouldn't cut it in real band very long --"But I don't want to sing that again. ") The game also makes band members gradually increase the level of difficulty, making it harder to progress (especially difficult if you're coordination/vocally challenged). For group fun, though, quickplay works great for everyone to just rock out! Despite all of that, I love the game & jump at every chance to play.

I'm waiting for the husband's obsession with the game to end so I can solo the vocals on the game, and one of these days I actually want to finish solo with the guitarist I made. Hmmm...maybe I can just get his boss to make him work overtime. *evil grin*