I have a one week vacation next next week, Aug 22-26. Effectively, this turns into Aug 20-28 w/ weekends….though I’m working Friday night, the 19th.

I took it off because well, I needed a break (the last month and the next 2 months are gonna be tough) and because I don’t know yet if I’m going to go to FanExpo. I want to make sure that if I do decide to go, that I’m available to go. If I were to go, I doubt I would got all 4 days, like last year. The only thing I’d like to get are art books, or check out the artists alley. I’ve got almost all the toys I want.

I’m thinking either Thursday or Friday….despite that I may be able to get free admission on Saturday.
I think Saturday is going to be stupid busy. I think Thursday is going to busy with the hardcore people lining up…so I really wanna go Friday.

Anyways, back to vacation:
I want to be productive again. No “just chilling”. I want to completely finish warrenshea.com. I have no excuse not to finish by the end of my vacation. From that point, I’ll update my resume…and then the interesting things happen :)

What else do I want to do? Maybe some gaming…I’m not really having fun playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest….but I might give Majora’s Mask a shot. Or maybe finish Catherine.

I really need to evaluate my to do list….and prioritize. I’ll try to do that on the 16th, after my mid-month accomplishments post.

I pray/hope that allergies don’t get to me. This time is around the time when they start attacking. If I don’t leave the condo for 9 days, I’ll be okay right?! :D AVOID ALL SUNLIGHT AND FRESH AIR, THAT’S KEY!

Cue X-Files music.

I’m feeling good today. Well, good and bad but let’s focus on the good for this post. The truth is out there. I’ve been in honest mode lately and it feels good. Everyone knows everything and it’s not so bad at all :) I’m relieved.

And happy. Happy with where my life is going and pleased that those around me have been forgiving and supportive.

I mean, I didn’t go through any type of tragedy or anything….and the drama was self-inflicted >_< Gah, it seems really stupid when I write it like that. HEY! IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME. Anyways, I’m really happy :) Overwhelming guilt and inner disappointment aside when I’m alone and let my thoughts get to me, I’m quite happy :) Also, the weather’s nice. Today is a nice day to smile a genuine smile :)

Simpsons Trivia

Today marked the 1-year anniversary of the monthly Simpsons Trivia contest which occurs on the second Tuesday of every month. Generally, you get a group of 6 together, and well, answer Simpsons S1-S11 Trivia questions. How it works is you watch one episode (not related to trivia, just voted in), answer 20 trivia questions (you write them down). Watch another voted episode, answer another 20, and watch a third voted episode and finally answer 10 final questions.

I only stuck around for the first 20 questions…I had a small team consisting of a co-worker, myself, and Zena. I was probably the only hardcore Simpsons fan on my team and I didn’t feel like sticking around another episode for a new round of questions. I’d like to go back when I have a stronger team.

The questions were difficult, I will post them here, worded in my particular fashion (from memory).

1. In the Malibu Stacy episode, provide 2 names Bart suggested for the new doll.
2. Which cigarette company sponsored the “Little Miss Springfield” pageant.
3. Sideshow Bob plays this song over the radio for Bart.
4. Name 2 members of the bowling team: The Stereotypes.
5. What is the first thing to ever go wrong in Itchy and Scratchy Land.
6. When Springfield elementary school strikes oil, what did Groundskeeper Willie wish to buy (2 items).
7. Snake showed dismay when he stole this.
8. Bleeding Gums Murphy was addicted to what fifteen hundred dollar a day habit?
9. In Season 1, what was the name of the RV that Bob, the owner of the RV store, shows the Simpsons.
10. What is Ralph’s nickname for the school Superintendent.

Character focused questions: Mr. Burns.

1. Mr. Burns’ natural parents had this childhood nickname for him:
2. Who directed Mr. Burns’ film for the film Festival?
3. When Mr. Burns goes grocery shopping, which 2 items does he have trouble choosing?
4. Mr. Burns bribed two judges for this title.
5. What was the name of Mr. Burns’ yacht?
6. Mr. Burns calls for an aggressive trading strategy when faced with financial trouble. Where does he put his money (2 items).
7. Mr. Burns remembers the day this dog bagged his first hippie.
8. Mr. Burns credits his long life to:
9. On Mr. Burns’ birthday, Smithers points of the number of wonderful things he has. Name 2 of these things.
10. Homer and Mr. Burns get stuck in an avalanche on this mountain.

Answers: CLICK TO SHOW

Being the Best of the best at something

I was pretty excited to go to this ^. I’ve always found myself particularly good at trivia for a few shows, Friends, Simpsons S1-S9, Seinfeld, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I wager I could beat most of my friends in trivia for these shows, but that’s not enough. I’d like to compare/compete on a city level. Wouldn’t it be great to best “top 10 in Toronto” or “top 50 in Canada”? The Best of the Best. Like Top Gun!

I’m skilled at many things but I don’t think I’ve ever been really exceptional at anything.

I think the closest I ever had to a national-level skill was my skill at Initial D: Arcade Stage. When I was in UWaterloo, I played this game like mad at the campus cove. I won’t go into how much I spent in the 4 months I was there, but it was over $350.

Anyways, you could register your rankings (time trials) over the internet. I always found this pretty interesting, I figure anyone who was skilled would be checking to see how they compare with everyone in their nation or around the world.

These were my records:

RX-7 FD3S (Takahashi Keisuke’s car)

Lancer Evolution VI

I know that globally, I’m not very high. Pretty impossible to compete with the asians across the world. But you can see that in Canada, I’m pretty high. I’m ranked top 15 in Canada for 4/5 races, in each of these cars. I don’t know how many people registered or didn’t…but I figured I was always in the top 30 at least, in Canada, for these.

I remember seeing an old Initial D Arcade Machine in Fan Expo one year in 2002 or something. It was old…but when the rankings went up, I was #1 on the machine for some races. I was like “whoa…that’s me…I haven’t played on this machine in months/I don’t know where it came form…but that’s definitely me”. My nickname was AEGIS. Anyways, it was just cool randomly seeing my legacy up there. #1 on that machine, an unbeatable record :) mwhahahaha.

Anyways, just wanted to write about being the best at something. I think I’ll try to train for the next Simpsons event :) Get myself some nifty swag!

What happens when an arrogant, egotistical, self-centered, cocky and finally, for lack of a better word – jerk, experiences an incredibly humbling moment?

I feel…different. Like, I don’t feel like myself. I feel like a shell of my former self. I’m looking at everything different now, what’s important and what’s not. For all my bravado and talk, for all the moments that I’m a dick to everyone else because I think I’m better than them….it all just seems so irrelevant. And foolish. Foolish of me.

I don’t know how long this will last…but I feel nicer. I appreciate the people in my life more…and I don’t feel like I’m on my self-imposed pedestal…like I sometimes/usually do.

My self-confidence….fluctuates. I would say I’ve always had low self confidence but I don’t really believe that anymore. But I feel less capable than before.

I keep asking myself “how could i have been so stupid?”. It crosses my mind as I’m falling asleep. It’s one of the first things I think of when I wake up. It keeps running through my head, multiple times an hour. My shoulders are heavier, my thoughts are slower (because I can’t seem to focus on anything), my doubts are higher…I’m not depressed…I’ve just lost a bit of faith arrogance in myself. I can feel myself shutting myself out from everyone, so I can heal myself before I come back to this world. I just have too many bottled thoughts and emotions right now.

I feel guilt. I feel sick to my stomach. It’s overbearing right now…but it’s keeping me in place. I hate the feeling, but it’s necessary. I can just feel myself building character with every moment (lol).

I wouldn’t have thought that I’d have 2 direction changing events occur to me in less than 2 years, especially when I (used to) feel like such a rational, capable, intelligent person.

Anyways, enough of this cryptic writing…

Time to do laundry. I know I can do that right.
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WTF ALL MY WHITES ARE PINK!
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…no that didn’t happen.