alabama_old_fart's Blog - 2old2play

Screwed again!!!

Well, it happened again. With 7 days to go until the release of GoW2, my xbox died. The last time it died was the Monday night before Halo3 released. In hindsight, that wasn't as much of a tragedy as I thought it would be since I didn't really like the game. But Gears of War?? Not only is it in my top 2 games of all time, it's my clan's title game. Woe is me. Not to mention my cheap plantronics headset died day before yesterday (1 year and 2 months after purchase). The good news (sort of) is the box is still under warranty from the last repair. The official word from MS is still 2 to 3 weeks for repair, although I've heard recently that the time has come down significantly. So to all of you that are going to stand in line to buy GoW, and took the next day as vacation or "cough, cough" a sick day, I hate you. Green is the color of choice in the Fart household until my xbox gets back. Just for my piece of mind, somebody frag mrs. meatshield a couple of times and tell her Bama told you to. I'm going to miss the pep talk.

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Changes in latitude

Well, I'm still doing the contract work, only now with a twist. For the last 3 weeks, and for 2 more weeks, I'm installing some equipment in ampitheaters. Part of the job is to monitor an "event". In the last3 weeks I've seen Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley with their opening acts, Miranda Lambert and Jewel respectively. I was supposed to see 3 Doors Down but they have canceled their tour. Both were good concerts, but Chesney was in St. Louis and Paisley was West Palm Beach. I thought the crowd wasgood in St. Louis. Never seen more halter tops, denim miniskirts or short, short shorts and boots in my life. The Copenhagen girl in the chaps and bikini bottoms was my favorite. Then West Palm. Bandanas as shirts, ass cheeks everywhere, and more boob jobs than a strip bar. Tattoos, guys in jeans and no shirts, and camo overalls of all things. This was by far the sluttiest place I've ever been, both male and female. I have 2 more places to compare, somewhere in PA and Irvine, CA. PA is Martina McBride and Irvine is some sort of comedy festival.

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Job found!! Sort of...

Well, after 2 months and 3 days, I finally found a job. Sort of. I fly out Sunday to do some contract work for a point of sale vendor in the new Carolina Hurricanes arena. The pay isn't all that great, but before taxes won't be bad and since taxes were taken out of my severance pay it shouldn't affect the bottom line. The company called me today and told me as soon as I get back (6/20) they have another job at 100 ampitheaters across the country and they want me to be the point man on that. Things are looking up a little, but I'm not really comfortable working as a sub contractor. The wife has benefits so that isn't a problem, and I can let my 401k stay where it is until I find something better to put it in, I just don't think it's my cup of tea. There is a very good possibility that a very good position will open up in the next couple of months and I've been all but guaranteed a position when it does. That's very good.(Sorry, couldn't resist the very good very good). The really down side to the contract work or the other job is I'm going to have to travel, probably 2 weeks at a time. That's going to cut into my gaming time. Good thing I already got my gold cross.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has expressed concern and sympathy during this time. Not to get too sappy, but it meant a lot to have people share their stories so I didn't feel like the Lone Ranger.

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Job Hunting sucks

All right, here's the deal. I've worked for the same company for over 15 years. In all that time, I hadn't even submitted an application anywhere else because I have loved my job and the people I work with, and made a decent living without having the boss looming over my shoulder. I set my own schedule, pretty much, had a new car every 18 months I could use for personal use for $160 a month, and the work was challenging and fun. Yes, fun. About a year and a half ago, the company was bought out and taken private. The new owner is egomaniacal, secretive, and a, well let's just say he believes a contract is written in stone and the stone don't break. So I'm not real happy with the change, but the job is still fun. A week ago, I get a call from my supervisor at 8:00 in the morning. The exact wording has become a blur, but the gist was this is your last day with the company, I spent the night in your town and I'm coming to your house to pick up your stuff. Well, now, over the years the line between my stuff and the company stuff has become a bit blurred so I tell him a need some time to seperate it. I get one hour. After 15 years, I get one hour. The company let go 17 people in the field, most of them with as many or more years of service than I had.

It's not all bad. The severance package will tide me over for about 3 months, and if I find a job shortly, I can replace the company car with no problem. The thing is, I"m spending about 3 hours a day job hunting. I'm sending resumes to everything, from wildly overqualified to wildly underqualified, trying to get an interview, or just some response. So far, nothing except one very nice guy who said I was wildly underqualified. About one more week of this, I'm going to get a complex.

Sorry, nothing profound here, just needed to write it down somewhere and I know many of you have gone through this before and I knew you'd understand. On the plus side, that gold cross in CoD4 has never seemed closer.

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CoD4 a unifying game???

I haven't had a chance or the will to blog lately, terrified of the new owner of my company, but I have been playing a lot of CoD4 (M$ crap not withstanding). Even with 5 days of my internet going haywire, I've probably gotten in a lot more gaming than normal over the holidays. I've got to say, I've never played a game that has brought so many 2o2p gamers together in the same game. I've played with more new people from different clans in the last week than at any other time in the year I've been around on Live. I have loved it. I've met some of the PMS women (Em's cool), 2old4duty folks, and more clans that I can remember right now. Don't get me wrong, playing with my clan has made the Live experience for me, I probably would have dropped down to a silver by now if it weren't for AoW, but talking to some of the other folks has been great. Every time I get in a room with Timmies now I'm reminded how much more fun it is to play with people from this site, and since I don't have Kracker's or iuney's or Ewok's skills I can't really just own and leave, I have to put up with the catcalls and questions about my heritage.
Speaking of Timmies, most of them have a fascination with my gamertag. I get "How old are you?" and "That's the coolest tag" and "Are you a pedophile?" Ok, the last one is the most common, but then when I speak (evidently, I have a distinctive voice) for the most part the attitude changes and "I wish my dad would play with me" is the frequent response. I know, we all complain about playing with kids but I think most of them are ok, it's just the knowledge that you can say anything and you're anonymous on Live that encourages most of them to talk trash. I guess my point is as adults, we need to set the example and for the most part the kids will respond likewise. That being said, I've made a New Years resolution that when I'm in a room with 2old2play'rs, I'm going to talk more trash. I'll never rival Pearl's level (Queen Pearl?), but I've always read your reach should exceed your grasp. Or is it your grasp should exceed your reach? Or maybe you should move closer to your grasp???

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Face to Face

Since I found this site about 3 months ago, I've been totally amazed at how much fun gaming has become. Well, we took it to another level this weekend. Myself and 4 other clan members met and gamed face to face. Art of War, at least a good chunk of the TX based ones, and a visitor from paradise (lower AL), met up in Houston and played our asses off. I found out all kinds of new things about my clanmates. Faux is a large man, YIG is cute as a button and just as sweet as she can be, Pearl us just as funny in person as online, and Phreak will make somebody a great wife one day (best shrimp creole I've ever had). Seriously, Phreak made some food Saturday night that if I had been stone cold sober would have given me a good reason to leave my wife. It was hot enought that you get that little cough after every bit and after about 4 mouthfuls the sweat starts to break out on your forehead. It was GREAT!!! As it was, the beer has deadened the nerves just enough that I could taste it but not have to cough.

We had a great time, and Pearl and YIG are the BOMB in Guitar Hero. They played all night and were amazing. Don't know how they do it, it looks hard as hell to me. Due to xbox, I had to play as Pearl most of the afternoon and since I'm a little bit more quiet than Pearl I had to hold up her reputation. Afraid I didn't do her justice, not just playing ability but trash talk as well. I had to play as Faux for a while and I know I took him down a couple of experience points.

All in all, a wonderful experience, and all hail Phreak for hosting this. I annoint him LAN KING, and the title is his to hold.

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Finall....

Good news, UPS tried to deliver my repaired xbox today. Bad news, nobody was home. They usually deliver around 4 to 6 pm but of course today they came sometime between 10 and 2. I have watched jealously while everybody in the clan has leveled up, gained gamer score, and generally had a good time with Halo 3, while I got 2 hours on it with a borrowed box the weekend after it came out. Got to level 5 on the campaign, but no online play. Finally, the wait is almost over. I'm on vacation next week and I plan to play every day all day to catch up with everybody (except for GoW night).
On a totally unrelated note, does everybody with kids have to run everywhere all the time? My son finished his last JV football game last night (in the rain, temps in the 40's, had to stand because I forgot a seat and the bleachers were wet), my daughter finished her last cheering session for the peewee team, and now my son has decided to play with the varsity the rest of the season. Then comes basketball, then comes tennis (he hates baseball). I have been to every practice except one, every game except one (working), and quite frankly, I'm ready to stay at home for a while. The really weird thing is, my son slightly pulled his groin while stretching last night. Not during the game mind you, during warm-ups, and yet he still wants to stand on the sidelines during the varsity games. Oh, well, if they win one more game they go to state at Troy University and get to watch the game in the luxury suites. I bet dear old Dad will be there as well.

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Trash talking

I've been reading some of the other blogs lately (since I can't play xbox for 4 to 6 weeks) and I must say I'm a little disturbed. There seem to be a lot more complaints about trash talking, rude comments, and downright meanness, especially around Halo 3. The biggest reason I joined 2o2p is because I got tired of the little kids doing that in all games. My experience on here has all been positive. Granted, all I've played is GoW and the CoD4 beta, but I've had a blast and what trash talking there is has all been good natured and taken as such. I think with Halo, it's the biggest and baddest game out, the hype was unbelievable, and people out there want to talk a good game because they think they're good. With GoW, it's a good equalizer. Even bad players can get a kill, or several, because it wasn't totally dependent on a quick trigger finger. Strategy played a part (that and the chainsaw). Halo is all about the trigger and headshots, and the pace of play brings out the animal in a lot of people. I guess it's the price you have to pay to play, but it sucks.
Also, I've been reading a lot of complaints from women players about rude comments. I just don't understand that at all. It's a proven fact that women have better reflexes than men (on the average), and better coordination. Me, I love having females play xbox. Most of why I game is the social aspect, and who wants to talk to a bunch of men all the time? The last thing I want to do is drive off what few women play.
Guys, turn off the testosterone (or at least turn it down a notch). Competition is great, but let your play speak for you. Personally, I know of 2 women on this site that could beat (could, hell, can!) me in Halo, and I will play with them every chance I get. If you have to learn, learn from the best.

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microsoft and the xbox

The gaming gods hate me. I got online tonight for clan night, joined a room, was getting owned (nicely of course), and my xbox froze. First time, so I rebooted. Got 10 seconds into the game, and it did it again. Went through the xbox support site, tried everything it said, still can't play a game. The stupid thing plays movies and cd's fine, just not a game. I thought maybe it was the drive so I tried the CoD4 beta thinking it would work since it's just a program loaded on the hard drive. NOPE. Called MS, they're shipping me a coffin. The night before Halo 3, I'm taking a trip to Wal Mart to pick it up, have the day off Tuesday, and the xbox dies. SHEEEIIITTT!!! My wife, who I love dearly, picks up the phone and calls MS for me because she doesn't want to listen to me whine and cry for the next 4 to 6 weeks. She doesn't have any luck. My 14 year old son is ready to shed tears, as am I. I'm still going to pick up the game, my son thinks he can bribe some of his friends to let him come over and play. I know a lot of people have gone through this already, and I always felt lucky, maybe even a little superior because mine had worked for 10 months with no problem. Karma bit me on the ass!!. I know I don't deserve it, but a few sympathetic comments sure would make me feel better.

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playing with folks on this site

Saturday and Sunday night I got to play with some people from this site. It was AWESOME. Played Rv6 Saturday night with a couple of guys (Jackal and plumber, enjoyed it), and Sunday night got caught up playing GoW with my son and after he went to bed hooked up with a full game with people from here. Everybody was nice (as much as you can be with chainsaws revvin') and the one female in the group was an absolute trip. (thanks Spooky). The thing is, the game gods must have known I enjoyed it too much because my second dsl modem in 2 weeks fried today. I'm out of town so I couldn't play anyway, but my telco takes about 4 days to replace.

I'm not sure what's happening with me, but I'm fascinated with Shadow Run. Can't stand to play it, but my son is really good and I watched him play for about 2 hours over the weekend. Is that weird? For some reason, the trash talking is at a minimum with this game, unlike say Halo2. Maybe it's because the games have to hosted by a pc user and since a pc that will play this game well is a little more pricey than an Xbox, you get a different class of people.

Anyway, looking forward to talking and playing with more people on this site. Although, I did see a post about anime gf/bf??? Interesting in a slightly kinky sort of way, as long as nobody starts off on DragonballZ.

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gaming at a certain age

I can't believe how hard it is to find people to play online with who want to play by the rules. I was in a R6V match last weekend and everybody on my team quit except me and the other team was still spawn camping and glitching. It was 6 on 1 for God's sake. It worked out allright, I got 2 achievements for it and has as many kills as the best guy on their team, but still, how about a sporting chance?
How unsettling is it to hear a kid who's balls haven't dropped yet spouting curses at you and suggesting you do things that are anatomically impossible? I usually don't respond, just own their faces the next round and gloat. Don't think I'm playing the bitter old man card, that's not the case, I just didn't talk like that at that age except to my friends after making sure there weren't any adults around.
The only problem with playing online with your kids is all their friends want to be on your friend list. That's fine except when they want to chat. How can I carry on a conversation with a 13 year old? Can we talk about work? I'm not going to be a surrogate father.

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