| Work has been going pretty well here at Trion. The people are cool, and I really feel like I can talk about some of the things that matter to me outside of work with people at work -- like Quality of Life advocacy. I also feel like I can be free to try out new things in terms of QA - like using alternate tools I find, or poking at the systems from a new angle and have it reflect well on me whether it works or not. Overall, it's been a very neat experience, and we even had Jon Van Caneghem, one fo the company founders, come by for a visit and talk a bit about his design philosophy. Despite the potential growth here, it's still a pretty small company. If only I'd brought my old World of Xeen box out...
The GDC this year was less exciting in terms of sessions and speaks than usual -- but the roundtables were pretty good. I got a lot of ideas for new tools to try out and methods to test which I'm looking forward to implementing at work (and maybe leveraging it into something in the future). As always, the Confernece Associate (CA) volunteer program was fantastic. This was the smoothest run con I think we've ever had, from the CA-side of things, and it felt good. I met some awesome new CAs, some of whom I'll be working with through the year if I can to help them get that little extra boost they need to show their awesomeness - like the people who have a great DS game, but lost their publisher.
Since I've been back, I've felt ok, but I finally took a day off - between the GDC stress, and some post-GDC QoL stuff, I think I neglected a bit too much sleep, and Austin seems to be an allergy haven. I'm not sure if it's just pollen, or if I finally succumbed to the GDC bug that people have talked about, but I spent most of today sleeping. And in the time I was up, I watched some Lost (still in Season 1, but I figured it was time I watched it so I could chat about something other than games or work with people), and I read some. There's a library right near my apartment - I finally stopped in before the GDC to get a book for the plane (Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card -- not bad, probably more enjoyable for me than most as the main character is a game programmer back in the Commodore 64 days), so I've decided to start reading regularly again (any suggestions are welcome -- Austin has a good system, so I can probably reserve just about anything people might have in mind).
So after my third nap of the day, I woke up just in time for my usual WoW raid (by chance -- I had even warned them I migth sleep through it). Since I was on, I joined in and we finally finished up the last achievement I had for the Heroic (25-man) raids. Only a tiny fraction of raids in the world have gotten this, so it's pretty sweet. And now, since I've slept all day, I'm not terribly tired -- but I am a little sleepy, so I'm hoping after an episode or two more of Lost I'll pass out and be well enough for work tomorrow. | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment   |
| | This just in: World of Goo is $5 on Steam this weekend. It's an awesome indy game, and for $5, you can't beat the price to entertainment ratio with almost anything (unless you are a cat, in which case the plastic bag it doesn't come in will be better). We now return you to your regularly scheduled lack of posts from me. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Tags: | politics | | Current Music: | Legend of the Seeker | | Current Location: | home | | Security: | | | Subject: | He did what? | | Time: | 07:52 pm | | Current Mood: |  impressed |
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| | I wouldn't be surprised to hear of other politicians needing treatment for whiplash from the way Obama has handled his first two days. | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| 7:42 PM me: Madness.
7:43 PM midknightrocket: haha
me: But it's ok, because my pan-frying experiment worked well.
midknightrocket: did it now?
me: Well, I bought soft burrito shells and cheese thinking "Of course there's a microwave in the kitchen." Only there isn't.
7:44 PM So today I got a frying pan and oil and I pan-fried them instead. With the Chipolte Salsa -- apparently it's ok in burritos, but I don't like it so much on chips.
7:45 PM And then I had to figure out how to creatively flip them when I had no spatula.
If only there were a Spatula City near here.
7:46 PM midknightrocket: ;P
sounds like you had quite the adventure
7:47 PM me: With a happy, and delicious, ending. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| I now have a bed, which is what I set out to get. I also have a futon (assuming I can figure out how to assemble it) which was tossed in for free when I got the bed. Next up: Computer Desk, Dining Table, Chairs. Possibly a TV (for use with gaming systems - I doubt I'd actually watch much on it). I also still need to stop in at Target or the like and get a basic set of plates. And a microwave. But none of that is critical, so I feel pretty good. I should be well set for a while... It's like I'm an adult or something.
Update: Futon assembled. It's a good thing I have tools for my bike. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| | When they're above you, and they accidentally open the drainage valve for their hot water heater just a little when moving some boxes, they totally suck. At least I noticed it early. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Tags: | life, work | | Current Music: | Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog | | Current Location: | home | | Security: | | | Subject: | First Days | | Time: | 06:52 pm | | Current Mood: | cheerful |
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| I doubt I'll update a lot once I've gotten into a rhythm here (much like I stopped really posting in L.A.), but there are new things happening for now, so posts will happen.
Went to work for the first time at the new job yesterday. Waded through the paperwork fairly quickly, and then got to sit around poking at the various updating systems they have in place to get a functional build running. Due to some unknown additional issues the system I was assigned seems to have, it took all of yesterday and most of today to get it working... but it does work now.
I'll need to check at work to see exactly what is public knowledge about the game (and therefore what I can write about without breaking the NDA), but I expect I'll have a decent amount of fun testing, and for the first time since F.E.A.R., I think I might actually recommend a game I worked on to other people. ;p Well, that's not entirely true -- World In Conflict was pretty well done, though I only really worked on the console port which, I believe, has yet to hit stores.
Anyways, they seem to have a solid business and development plan in place, so I'm a lot less stressed now that I know I should have a job for more than 2 weeks before the company folds. ;p Tonight is my usual WoW raiding so I headed home directly, but tomorrow night I'll probably explore a little before coming home, and I'm planning out my weekend trips already. Life in Austin may not be what I expected, but with the exception of missing the people I'd gotten to know in L.A., I think I generally like things better here... we'll see if that lasts. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| So, as per my last post, I've moved to Texas. Initial packing could have gone better, but the drive itself was uneventful, and with the exception of not having any furniture here besides a computer chair, I'm pretty well settled in. Overall, things are pretty good - apartment isn't everything I might have wanted, but it's better than I was expecting (or fearing, I suppose).
Earlier today I went out biking to explore the neighborhood -- sidenote: it's odd, but this area reminds me of home (as in Upstate New York) a great deal, due to trees and the general flow of streets and such -- and also pick up a few things that I'd managed to forget the first time I went shopping (which was when I still had the rental car, meaning I could get most of the big and heavy stuff). So first I stop in at the general grocery store called H.E.B. (Here Everything's Better) - nicer than most, but not quite a Wegman's.
I was originally just going to get some laundry detergent, but then I remember I could also use dish soap. So I'm scanning the shelves and spot this product. This is either the most blatant abuse of Native American culture I've personally seen, or one of the coolest companies ever. I'm still not sure on that, but the idea is damn keen, coming from the Great Law of the Iroquois. I'm just surprised the first place I found this was in Texas.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any of the laundry detergent or anything else they make -- I wasn't even sure those things existed at the time, but now I know they do, so once I check into the company to ensure they're really trying to live up to the name I'll probably buy from them for various cleaning products in the future (Zay, I'm looking at you for help on whether this company is legit).
The rest of my ride around was mostly uneventful, though I found I'm also close to a Fry's Electronics. All in all, I've enjoyed being here so far. The city seems like it's very bike friendly; similar bike racks on the buses to those in L.A., and a lot of "hike-and-bike" trails all over, along with designated bike routes and bike lanes around. I'm not terribly looking forward to summer, but for now I think things will be pretty good. Still have to see how work is on Monday. | | comments: 10 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Tags: | la | | Current Music: | WoW - Borean Tundra | | Current Location: | home | | Security: | | | Subject: | Ashfall | | Time: | 03:58 pm | | Current Mood: |  thoughtful |
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| So I went out today to meet up with a girl. The date had been set up by a friend from work, and went well, but that's not really the point of this...
While were were sitting outside, I kept noticing flecks on my arm -- at first I thought I just had really bad dandruff or flaky skin or something (unusual, but not entirely impossible, particularly this time of year). Then I noticed black flecks I as well -- and that the air seemed to be filled with tiny insects, which is even more unusual.
It was neither dandruff nor insects, but fine ash slowly floating down. Now, I know there are wildfires around here, so it wasn't entirely unexpected that this might happen, but I don't think I've ever sat outside as the ash sifted down like snow. It made me a little homesick - as it did greatly remind me of snow, and of the gnats that buzz around in the woods - but also made me notice how the ash looked right as it landed amongst the birds and plants, but not so much when it was on the cars and windows of the buildings near by.
It put me in mind of some of the darker visions of the future -- when the war comes and fire rains down, the ash that falls will only be returning the world to a good and natural state. | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
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anguirel's journal
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