Our Little Girl

On Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 Amy and I found out that our first child is a baby girl. The moment was at the same time extraordinarily exciting, joyous, and a big relief. I say relief not because we were rooting for either a boy or a girl, but instead because now that we know, there is no more guessing, no more what-ifs and now we can just focus on preparing for the arrival of our daughter.

The ultrasound itself was something of a technical marvel. We were able to see much more detail than I thought possible, including portions of the brain, the spine, stomach, and even all four chambers of the heart. Measurements were taken on all the key areas that define normal growth, and all of them were exactly as they should be, which means she is growing at the perfect rate. At the time of the ultrasound she weighed about 14 ounces and was about 7 inches long.

Speaking of growing, Amy's stomach has been getting bigger at a rapid rate now, and she is almost exclusively in maternity tops and pants. We are still working out, but her gym workload is now decreasing (as it should be). Amy looks great but that, of course, is a forgone conclusion.

The response to the news has been overwhelming, and we appreciate it very much. So far we have two giant bags of clothing and other baby items from family and friends. It's all great stuff and she will never lack for a nice outfit to wear. My favorites so far are the ones that say "Daddy's Girl" and "I Love My Daddy", but I am a bit biased in that regard.

It is a bit hard to believe that just over five months ago our little girl was so small she could not me seen with the naked eye, and now she is as long as a root beer bottle and weighs as much as a baby kitten. I have watched her grow from just a small speck on a computer monitor to a small baby girl on that same monitor. I have heard her heart beat, seen her move, and just today I have felt her kick on her mom's stomach. Every day I am more and more proud of her, and of my wife.

We will meet in person soon.

Extremely Late Reviews: Gears of War 2

Warning: All of my reviews may contain spoilers!

It was almost a no win situation for Gears of War 2. The original Gears is one of the 360's signature titles, so the expectations for the second game were as high as could be. In addition to that, Epic Games had to finely balance pleasing fans of the original, while also implementing new ideas and fixing problems that stood out in the original.

They just about managed to do all they set out to.

Gears 2 once again follows the story of Delta Squad, a group of battle hardened soldiers in the C.O.G. army that are fighting a never ending battle against the Locust Horde. The story picks up right after the ending of the first game in which it was assumed the Locust were wiped out, but in true action movie style they are back and more aggressive than ever. They have recently started sinking entire human cities underground and humanity is on it's heels, it's up to you as Marcus Fenix (or Dominic Santiago in co-op mode) to shoot, shotgun, blow up, scorch, and chainsaw as many baddies as you can for the very survival of the human race.

If the story sounds derivative, that's because it is. Cliff Bleszinski, the game's lead designer has even said that his goal is to make you feel like you are the star of a summer action blockbuster. The nice thing about the story is that it serves it's purpose exactly as it should: it does enough to make you want to see where it goes and to keep the game moving along, but it never bogs things down or gets boring. Indeed you could even ignore the story altogether and still have a great time just blasting your way through the campaign.

As for the gameplay itself, the core of the game remains the same. Namely, you either stay in cover and lean out to fire, or you die very quickly - this is not a game where you can run and gun and expect to survive. The cover system has been greatly improved, no longer will you get stuck behind a wall with no easy way to move out, becoming easy prey for the enemy. The shooting is still visceral and fun, and every weapon save for maybe the standard issue pistol are powerful and fun to use. Large scale firefights happen early and often, there are bosses aplenty, and quite a few nice set pieces that add to the variety of the levels. The vehicle sections are much improved from the first game, and while still not perfect, they do add some variety to the campaign.

The campaign isn't perfect though. There are several timed events which are not clear the first few times what exactly you need to do to complete them. It's quite frustrating to only have 1 or 2 shots at completing the event and if you fail, it's game over. I don't understand why these are in a game that rewards careful strategic thinking when it comes to large fights against a a foe that outnumbers you. These events must be carried out to perfection in a short amount of time or you fail, it's oddly out of place. There are also some head scratching platforming sections in the game. While not too challenging, they really seem to stick out like a sore thumb in a game in which the main gameplay element is shooting bad dudes.

Gears 2 looks great, in fact it is the nicest looking game I have seen on any console. While it's not a giant leap in graphics from the first game, it is still very, very impressive. One of the nice touches is that it addresses many of the complaints from the first game, namely that it was too drab using too much gray and brown. Many of the outdoor areas in Gears 2 are green fields and snow covered mountains, adding a nice amount of color variety.

Multiplayer has all of the modes carried over from the first game but with the addition of one more player making the standard deathmatches 5 on 5 skirmishes. You can now play locally with AI bots which makes the multiplayer much more viable to play if you have some friends over. However, the real shining star in Multiplayer is the addition of Horde Mode.

The idea of Horde Mode is simple: wave after wave of Locust descend upon you and up to four teammates. After each round, the Locust get tougher and more and more show up. Up until about the 5th wave, you can go out on your own and do pretty well, but after that you have to work together if you expect to survive. Horde Mode is simple, fun, and addictive and has proved me many hours of gameplay long after I had finished the campaign.

Gears of War 2 isn't a revolution or reinvention of the first game, it's simply a refinement and improvement of all the things that made the first game great.

Week 19 = Six Inch Meatball Sub

Quite a bit of time has passed since I wrote about Princess Peach, and for good reason: it's the Second Trimester. The difference between the first 13 weeks and these last few weeks has been night and day, and as a result I have had less time to write on this blog. The most noticeable change (besides Amy's growing stomach) is the fact that Amy feels great, and we are much more active because of it. Now that we are both in good health and the sun is starting to shine, we are working out, taking walks, and generally enjoying life.

Speaking of working out, we are now both back in the gym full time. This is a very good thing as we both just feel better overall when we are exercising. As an example of how good Amy feels now, she is 5 months pregnant and she still out-lifts 95% of the women at the gym. When we walk I find myself catching up to her pace, and we still go the same distance in the same amount of time that we always have. We are not running at the moment, but I can live without that anyway.

Our little guy has gone from Princess Peach, to Baby Potato Head, to Pickle Face to Six Inch Meatball Sub as of yesterday. In the wold of submarine sandwiches, it is well known that the Meatball Sub reigns supreme over other inferior sandwiches.

Amy is showing now and she has been able to feel old Six Inch Meatball Sub move around a couple of times. She has been wearing maternity jeans for some time now but can't find any that are just right for her. She has also worn some maternity tops but she is waiting until her stomach is a bit bigger before she wears them full time. I keep putting my ear up to her stomach to see if I can hear Six Inch Meatball Sub singing songs about being the king of sandwiches, but I guess his singing voice isn't quite there yet.

On the 17th we will be finding out the gender, think you know what it is? Leave a comment with your guess, because we sure don't!

Week 13 = Princess Peach Will Bake You a Delicious Cake

Quite a bit has happened since little Teddy Graham was a the size of a Teddy Graham. First off, his name changed to Shrimp in week 10, and he got his first look at the hospital where he will be born thanks to my emergency. Little shrimp also visited the doctor again and Amy was able to hear his heart beat for the first time (I sadly was unable to go, since I had just returned home from the hospital). For those of you that believe in the myths of gender predictors, Shrimp's heartbeat was a relatively fast 171 beats per minute which would suggest that Shrimp is female. Of course there is still no way to know at this point and Amy and I still have no guesses on what Shrimp may be.

In week 11 Shrimp became a British sailor when his name changed to Limey. Old Limey had an uneventful week, and quickly tired of sailing the high seas for King and country.

Week 12 was Christmas week, in which Limey once again changed names, this time to Egghead. Christmas gifts were already being indirectly given to Egghead, as Amy received some very nice maternity clothes for the upcoming months. Egghead used this week to demonstrate his superior intellect by solving many quadratic equations and suggesting that I wear a shirt that spells 'Dad' in binary code.

Finally we are in week 13, and Egghead's name has changed once again, this time to Mario's best girl, Princess Peach. Peach is known best for baking Mario delicious cakes after he saves the kingdom, as well as being a formidable go-kart racer. What this means in reality, is that our baby is rapidly growing and developing now (over 3 inches long with developed hands and feet and even fingerprints). The excitement is growing as well, as the pictures of development in this stage look much more human and real, and the realization that our little guy will be here soon is sinking in.

The other exciting news is that week 13 is the official end of the first trimester of pregnancy. The first trimester is the most critical time in the baby's development, and generally the hardest on the mother, but Amy has passed with flying colors. The second trimester is usually the easiest and it seems to be headed this way with Amy as well. First off her nausea seems to be getting better and she feels better throughout the day now. She is able to eat and drink most things that before she had to avoid, and just seems like she is feeling better over all.

As we move into the new year Amy and I are happy and healthy, and most of all excited that Peach will soon be along to preside in her castle and bake us delicious cakes.

Back In Action

After a short hiatus from updating Big Rock Ending, I'm back and ready to roll. One of the reasons I haven't updated in a while is because Amy and I were away for Christmas spending time with family. However the biggest reason is simply because after I went back to work after my recovery, I was simply exhausted at the end of the day and did not feel at all like writing when I got home.

This week is a different story though, since I am happy to report that my stamina is returning and I even plan to be back in the gym (with a reduced workload) and maybe even running again by next week.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a great holiday and enjoyed relaxing times with family throughout the week. The travel to and from our destination was treacherous with the freeways closing right behind us. I got some great loot that I will no doubt be blogging on here in the next few weeks. I have been playing Gears of War 2 over the last few days and so far it improves on the first game in almost every way, which is high praise indeed.

Lastly I would like to thank everyone that has left a comment or told me personally that they enjoy my writing, I really appreciate it. Your feedback has made me strive for improvement, and made me want to post articles of substance, humor, and class. I hope that I can continue to improve in the new year, thank you for reading.

The Tale of the Emergency Appendectomy

Saturday morning just after 5, I awoke with an incredible cramp in my lower right stomach. It takes something extra special to consider any pain in my stomach serious, as I have lived with acid reflux for most of my life. At first, I thought it was just a case of overeating from the night before, and I was simply paying for it now. Soon it was clear this was not the case, as the pain increased in intensity and persistence as time went on. Thirty minutes or so later I told Amy that I needed to go to the emergency room, and since she knows how I prefer to tough most everything out, she knew that it must be something serious.

Typically, going to the emergency room simply means that you are going to have to wait in the waiting room until your emergency can be dealt with. This was not the case for us, as there was literally no one else there at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday. We were taken directly to room 102 immediately after the admitting nurse took my vitals and asked me my symptoms and my pain level.

The doctor who saw me initially asked me his questions and narrowed down my problem. The highly localized pain in my abdomen typically meant one of two things - kidney stones or Appendicitis. The doctor ordered a specialized CT scan to look specifically for inflation in my Appendix, which I unfortunately had to wait about 30 minutes to get because the CT machine takes anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes to start up and calibrate for the day, and I was it's first scan. During this time I was fitted with an IV and drugs were administered that eased my pain a bit, and certainly relaxed me.

The test required me to drink 24 ounces of barium sulfate contrast which basically tasted like Sprite mixed with salt water. Needless to say my nausea did not improve after drinking the contrast. The test was basically me lying on a table while I was moved back and forth underneath the scanner. During the scan a second contrast was given to me via the IV, and it made my whole body feel flushed and warm.

After I was returned to my room we both waited for the results with a pretty good idea of what was to come next, I was going to need surgery as quickly as possible. The doctor returned and informed us of what we already had suspected, I had Appendicitis and needed an Emergency Appendectomy right away, and he had already paged the surgeon.

Before the surgeon arrived I had steeled myself to the prospect of going under the knife. While this operation was fairly routine, I was still frightened by the prospect of it. After all the only other surgery I had ever had (on my hand) was when I was a small child, and I don't remember it. I quickly got over my anxiety and by the time the doctor arrived I was ready to have the procedure.

The surgeon was no nonsense and straight forward, he explained Appendicitis and the risks of letting it continue (basically certain death), and the risks of the surgery. He told me that I was a good candidate for Laparoscopic surgery which is much less invasive and is (typically) quicker to recover from. I agreed to the surgery and everything was set into motion.

At just after noon, I was on my way to the operating room, 90 minutes later I was awake and my Appendix was gone.

There are problems with American health care. Indeed I witnessed some of those myself during my stay at the hospital, but as soon as it was clear that my life was in danger, everything moved very rapidly to help me. These people cared about making me well, and their skills, technology, and compassion saved my life, and for that I am very grateful.

For the patient, the operation is the simple part. I was asleep before I knew it, and then awake as if no time had past at all. The recovery is when the going gets tough, and it was true for me as well. Generally a Laparoscopic Appendectomy patient only has to spend one night in the hospital, but I ended up having to stay an extra night due to some nausea and headaches that I wasn't able to shake. The nurses that cared for me were very helpful and attentive and the room was comfortable for a hospital room.

I would like to thank the doctors and nurses that cared for me during my stay, and for my family for their calls of concerns and their gifts*. But of course the true hero of all of this is Amy, my amazing wife. Amy was there for me from the time I arrived, to the time I left. She only left to get things that would make me more comfortable and to take care of our animals at home. She held my hand when I was in so much pain I was in tears. She brewed my tea and helped me out of bed when I was unable to. She looked after me when I was asleep and she put up with all the bad TV shows I watched. The care I received from her made me recover that much quicker, and I will always be thankful for her.

Today I am well on my way to full recovery. My three incisions itch and still hurt but they are improving. I am able to walk around the block (slowly). I am eating some solid foods and am able to use the computer for short periods. If anything I am now more ready to care for Amy when she delivers in July, as I have first hand experience of being on the receiving end of loving care.

* The gifts I received were;

• Blue and Orange Bronco colored flowers (thanks to my mom and her husband)!
• A great potted plant (thanks to my boss and my workplace)!
• A lasagna dinner and a 1600 point Xbox Live card (thanks to my younger brother and his wife and family)!
• Dragon Quest IV for the DS (thanks to my older brother and his family)!
• Alstroemeria flowers and the 2oth anniversary edition of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (thanks to Amy)!

Thoughts on Deadwood Season 1

After we finished off The Sopranos and Rome and with Lost and Battlestar Galactica seemingly both taking their sweet time to get back on the air, we recently looked to another HBO series, Deadwood, to fill the gap.

First impressions: it's good - I'd even say so far it is superior to Rome. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is set in the city of Deadwood in the South Dakota territory before it had been annexed into a state. The 'camp' as they call it therefore has no laws, which provides some pretty interesting characters that are not bound by laws or even morals.

The most interesting character so far is that of "Wild" Bill Hickok, based in part on the real life gunfighter/lawman. The writers really knew how to set him up so the audience didn't know what to expect. In the very first episode, everyone is aware that Bill is coming into camp, and everyone has a different story about him, and it really leaves you wondering what he will be like when he actually shows up. When he finally does, he's portrayed essentially as a gentleman, he's soft spoken, well dressed and relatively cultured. I have no idea what the real Wild Bill was like, but the way he is portrayed here is pitch perfect.

The local saloon owner (well one of them), Al Swearengen is basically Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine if Quark had no laws to bind him and no lawmen to watch him. So far he's portrayed as the main villain of the show but I have a feeling more is in store for him than just evil deeds.

One thing to mention is the language, the show is almost legendary for gutter mouth dialogue. I'm not really opposed to cursing in any type of media, but I will admit that Deadwood seems to stretch it a bit thin. In The Sopranos, cursing was just a regular part of speech, it rarely if ever seemed forced or out of place. In Deadwood the cursing gets to a point where it seems to smack of laziness, or to just add a bit of shock value. I have no doubt that people of the old west used salty language, but it gets to a point where cursing loses the value to shock and serves little purpose. Still, it has not hurt my interest or enjoyment of the show and I look forward to the next discs heading our way now.

Week 9 Ultrasound = Sleeping Teddy Graham

Amy and I went in for the week 9 ultrasound today, and as you can see little Teddy Graham is much larger and looks like a little sleeping bear (with a giant head). He is right on the mark for 9 weeks, 2 days, measuring in at 23.4 millimeters (or just under 1 inch long). Needless to say it was thrilling to not only see the size difference from last time, but little Teddy was also moving around in his happy home.

Again Teddy's heartbeat was racing along and his mother and I were as proud as we could be, our hearts racing in return.

Parents instinctively look towards ways in which their children are like them, to see pieces of them handed down to live on for further generations. I got a very early look at how my child is like me as Teddy was sleeping peacefully and soundly. Every time he was poked or jostled, Teddy would move and wiggle as if to shake off the intrusion so he could get back to much needed sleep. There is no doubt that this trait has been passed from me and Amy to him.

My kid is just chilling, kicking it in his mom's comfortable bed until he makes his grand entrance. We patiently await his debut.

Week Nine and I'm Feeling Fine

But unfortunately Amy is not. At this point, the notion of 'morning sickness' is absurd since she basically feels nauseous to some degree 24 hours a day. Typically when I'm feeling like I want to throw up I just want to lay down and die, yet Amy handles it all like a champ. Smells, tastes, movement, and now even colors will make her sick to her stomach, yet she never complains. In fact, the only way I know she feels bad is because I ask her every few hours how she is feeling (which I'm sure she is sick of as well).

I had no doubt that Amy was tough, but she is the first place winner of the the tough it out championships.

In other news little Peanut is now little Teddy Graham. Next week we will be going to our next ultrasound in which we may actually get to hear the heartbeat and Teddy will look more like something resembling a human. The journey is just beginning!

Rock Band Weekly - 11/25

I got just two songs today - Mr. Brightside by The Killers and Red Devil by Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force.

Mr. Brightside is like The Killers other Rock Band song, When You Were Young, not too difficult yo play yet not too easy, and really fun throughout. The guitar part is constantly moving up and down the fretboard yet isn't really all that complicated.

Red Devil is, really, really freaking hard. I failed at around 73% on six straight runs. It's a shame too since the main riff and chorus sections are great, and the song is really catchy, too bad I can't finish it. I'm sure I'll get through it eventually but it wil have to wait for another day.

I might pick up the Laid to Rest by Lamb of God later, but it was never really a favorite of mine form Guitar Hero 2, so I may just save my points.