Day 42: Avocados

Avocados. No, I'm not talking about the fruit that commonly gets mistaken for a vegetable; I'm talking about our favorite local restaurant. Since we first discovered the little place on the Gainesville square, Katie and I have had countless dates there. It's our go-to restaurant. The food is ridiculously good and an ever changing menu means that the chef is constantly creating delicious new dishes.

With a name like Avocados it only seems natural that they would have the best guacamole I've ever had. Their burgers are also (in my humble opinion) the best in town. Or maybe anywhere. Pair the two and you get one of my favorite things on the menu: a burger smothered in the house guacamole. I'm salivating while writing this.

Katie and I went last night for their special valentines day dinner and we were not disappointed. We were given a couple different choices on the menu of different appetizers and entrees. Of course they also had an all-you-can-eat dessert table as well.

For my appetizer I chose the artisan steak salad with sliced avocados and Katie chose the steamed mussels in creamy basil sauce. For our main dishes I chose the T-Bone steak topped with caramelized peppers and french fries. Katie got the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and scallops. It was a hard decision because I would have easily eaten any of the items on the menu.

We were both pretty hungry and it didn't take very long for our appetizers to arrive. It was the first steak salad that I had ever had and it was delicious. There was just enough steak and avocado on it to get a portioned amount of each in every bite of salad. The steak was tender and the avocado was perfectly ripe. The salad dressing was some sort of balsamic dressing with cilantro. I tried one of Katie's mussels and it was also really good, particularly the cream basil sauce it was served in.

Shortly after finishing our appetizers, we were brought our main dishes. I ordered my steak rare, because that's the way I like it, and it was very delicious. It was cooked just the way I had asked and it was a very large piece of steak. They also have the best fries in town and I was delighted to see that the rest of the plate was populated with them. I would go there just to get the fries, seriously. I tried a few bites of Katie's plate and hers was fantastic as well.

I hate to say this and it may just be because I'm still sick, but I was not able to finish my entire meal. As I was trying to finish it off, it occurred to me that there was still a fully-loaded dessert table in the room. I tried a little bit of everything on that table and I hurt myself, I really did. I passed the point of being full by a mile, but I was also very satisfied.

We had such a great time there. The atmosphere was very romantic and the food was, as always, amazing. If you live here in Georgia, or are just passing through, you should definitely give them a visit. You won't be disappointed.


      

Day 41: The Snowcation

Katie and I really enjoyed the time that we had off due to the second coming of the snowpocalypse. It was like a much needed and unexpected vacation. We sat back and watched the snow, caught up on TV shows, played some video games, talked to family and friends, read some books, and cooked great food. I think I caught the sickness Katie had during the downtime, so there was plenty of time to rest and take it easy.

When we finally ventured out to Kroger yesterday, some of the ice and snow had started melting. Going out was an adventure though as the roads were still a bit dangerous. Kroger was fairly busy and their stock had seen a fairly significant decline because of the treacherous conditions. We picked up all of the necessities and some nice things for dinner and went back to our little place.

I made it back to work this morning after not having been there since Monday night. The roads were a little icy and scary, but I made it without incident. Being back is strange though, because nobody else had been here and several people are also feeling a bit sick. It's nice though because it is Friday. 

The weekend is almost here and it's Valentines Day. I'm really looking forward to taking my bride out on the town tonight for a date at our favorite restaurant!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!       

Day 40: More Snow

The bird feeder swayed back and forth as the snow-filled wind rocked it slowly like a baby's cradle. A small orange cat stepped timidly across the deep snow, leaving a trail of tiny footprints in the powdery turf. Frozen beads of rain played their music on the clay pots as they were buried in white. 

Trails of smoke escaped chimneys of the surrounding houses where people were cooking hot food and reading books. As the sun set, the lamp posts began to spring on one by one. They created round orange frames that were highlighting the falling snow in perfect orbs.    

Day 39: Scrawlings

Wax dripped below the tiny flames and trailed down the long waxy stems to settle in place like hardened lava. In the candlelight, there sat a boy dressed in dark robes. His eyes were fixed on a piece of parchment as he stuck his tongue out in concentration. His small hands slowly and carefully dipped a large quill into an inkwell and brought it back to the parchment. His fingers turned white as he tightened his grip and began to strike characters unto its empty surface.

The moon peeked through the lone empty window and spread a pale blue light across the floor in a perfect square. The trees whipped around outside causing the window to intermittently shake as if the wind were knocking on it and trying capture the boy's attention. Despite the wind's best efforts, the boy's thoughts remained unbroken as his quill continued to scratch across the paper purposefully.

The boy was writing about an extraordinarily strange dream he had the night before. There was a bespeckled man sitting by a frosted window, watching as snow slowly danced down from the wintry-clouds above. He had a square book-like item in his lap and a tapping sound could be heard as his fingers danced over what could only be described as small misplaced piano keys. An astounding light emanated from the flat music-less piano and reflected in his glasses. 

The man continued to make the tapping sounds with random pauses in-between where he would suddenly stop and stare out the window to watch the winter storm. The boy thought that the music the man was trying to make by tapping his fingers was terrible - there was no reason or consistent rhythm to it. The boy finished writing his story, let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. He wondering what it all meant.          

     

Day 38: Favorite NPC Game Characters

The other day I was thinking about stories in video game and how important NPC's (or non-playable characters) are to driving the narrative. Since your character is usually the everyman, it's the NPC's job to bring you into the story and make you sympathetic to your cause. 

So here are a few of my favorites that stand out. I know I'm missing many others but these were the first ones that came to me (in no particular order btw). 

   

Cortana from The Halo Series

In the Halo series you play as Master Chief, a cyber-genetically enhanced super soldier. Like the Spartans of old, he was taken from his parents and trained for battle since he was a child. Cortana is an artificially intelligent being that is constantly on-board with Master Chief during his escapades. 

She acts sort of like his inner-monologue. Even though she is calculating and logical like him, she brings a more emotional side to the story. She's there to help Chief realize the big picture and the consequences that winning or losing will hold for humanity. Her role is so vital in the game that they few times she's absent from master chief's helmet, it just doesn't feel right without the sense of security that her constant calm and fluid logic imbues.

Wrex from The Mass Effect Series

Urdnot Wrex seems like an unlikely addition to the crew of the starship Normandy, where you get fill in the role of the captain. Wrex is a Krogan, which is basically a bullfrog-like Klingon equivalent for the Mass Effect universe. He is first and foremost a fighter, and an exceptionally brutal one at that. If you can keep him under control, he is probably one of the best members you can take into battle with you.   

   

Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite

I don't know if I've ever played a game where I cared so much about protecting another character. The game I'm referring to is 2013's Bioshock Infinite. You're thrown into a floating steampunk-inspired city above the clouds with the goal of kidnapping a girl named Elizabeth. You soon realize that there is more going on in the floating city of Columbia than meets the eye. You end up trying to escape the city with said girl.

Elizabeth is probably one of the best AI creations in current memory. When fights take place, she doesn't get in the way like many other AI counterparts. In fact she is extremely helpful, both in battle and out of battle. Thanks in part to the wonderful dialog and also her naivety, Elizabeth brings the wonderment of the setting to life as well as providing a compelling reason for leaving the seeming paradise.




GLaDOS from Portal

Probably one of the greatest things about the Portal games is the disembodied voice of the antagonistic female robot overlord, GLaDOS. Her dark sense of humor is one of the single most compelling tools driving the story's puzzle-centered narration. There are many moments during the game that will literally make you laugh out loud at its clever writing and brilliantly performed delivery.




Epona from The Legend of Zelda

Epona is your faithful steed as you battle the forces of evil in an attempt to save the mythical land of Hyrule from the grasp of Ganondorf. Whenever your equine friend is required, you need but to pull out your ocarina and play a tune to summon her. Epona is welcome company as you swiftly journey around the vast landscape upon her saddle. She's an ever silent but supportive companion.   

Day 37: Hanging Overhead

I hate that feeling when you have unfinished business hanging over you. You have so many things to do and not enough time to get them all done. My work days are usually pretty hectic, which is great because it makes the day go by fast. The bad thing though is that I just don't have much time to do anything else. I run the finances, so when I need to make a call during regular work hours (and I have to make several a week) I can only do so in the half hour during my lunch break. Usually it involves me stuffing my face with food while waiting for the person on the other end.

Then after work you need to find time to do things like pay bills, talk to customer support, speak to health insurance, finish taxes, and talk to rental people. I can't get all of these things done at once and I hate that, because like I said at the beginning of this post I can't stand the feeling of things hanging over me.

Well today I feel pretty good because I got a really big chunk of those things done. Granted I still have a lot to do before we move out at the end of the month, but I am so glad that I eased the burden a little bit tonight.  

Day 36: Seasons

The flowers on one of my succulents just started fully blooming today. It makes me happy to know that at least one little plant is acknowledging the coming season. One of the things that I love about living farther north is actually being able to see the seasons change.

Growing up in Florida we had a couple trees that were deciduous, but for the most part the passing of the seasons went unmarked. Up here the trees explode with color during the fall and then they are stripped and silent during the winter. However life returns in a brilliantly vibrant way when spring comes around. That time will be here soon.

Day 35: Childhood Shadows

Darkness engulfed the child as the candle momentarily struggled to stay lit and then finally died out in a swift puff of smoke. The dancing warm light that was captured in his wide glassy eyes was diminished. He sat in his bed shaking for a moment and then plunged under the covers to seek shelter.

While the candle was alight, it kept the monstrous children that adorned the walls from creeping past the dark edges of the warm flickering. The children were trying to board the train, over and over in the mural as it crossed one wall and intersected another. A different child smiled creepily from a black frame that was mounted high above. She rocked back and forth slightly as she continued smiling in her blue dress, like some ghostly figure forced to maintain the same composure until her painting finally crumbled and turned to dust.

In another frame sat a clown in a chair. The clown looked friendly but also sad, as if the features of his face held many secrets. Or perhaps he was sad that the children were constantly missing their train. The frightened child under the covers didn't fear the clown, perhaps the clown would actually come to his rescue. No, it was the children. There was something wrong with the children. The little boy did not want to be friends with them.

The boy was considering his options. Should he attempt to go awake his parents and tell them about the moving people and their plight against him, or should he wait to just fall asleep and hope that they don’t meet him in his dreams. If the boy were to run to his parent’s room, there was always the chance that the children would stop him before he made it out of the room. Also his mother and father’s room may be locked. No, he had to wait it out.

As the boy was contemplating these options, the door opened suddenly and the room was flooded with a light that was brighter than the candle ever was. The light splayed across the dark blue and red walls of the room and the people in the paintings came to a frightening halt.

A silhouette entered the room. The little boy peered through a slit in the covers and noticed that it was his mom and that she was holding two cups of water as she neared him. A small figure in the bed across from him stirred under the blankets as she woke up, disturbed from the sudden brightness.

“I forgot to give you your “bity” water before bed”, the calm voice of the mother said.

She set the cups down on the nightstand that stood between the beds under the window and noticed that the boy was frightened as he peered from under his covers with wide eyes.

“Are you okay”, she asked.

“I’m scared,” the boy replied.

The boy explained, from under the covers, why he was afraid and the little girl in the bed across from him nodded fervently as he spoke. The mother sat down on the boy’s bed and motioned for his sister to join them.

“Let’s pray”, she said.

Afterwards, without the light of the candle, the boy was able to sleep once again.

Day 34: The Sparse Room

A long day means a short post.

Our living room seems so bare now that the TV, dining room table, chairs, and bookshelves are all gone. I had some friends from work come and pick them up this afternoon. We were so blessed with those things as wedding gifts and are glad to pass them on to someone else who can use them.

Katie has been feeling sick today and so instead of going out to eat, like we usually do on Friday nights, I got Chinese takeout. We sat at the couch and used the coffee table as a dinner table. We watched Netflix on my iPad that was sitting on top of already-packed boxes. It reminded me of the first meal we had together in this place. We sat on the floor and ate sushi off of the same coffee table.

Day 33: Home on the Waves

 

During the summer of 2001, my grandparents invited my family and me to embark with them on an incredible journey. The plan was to travel from Anacortes, Washington, up to Princess Louisa Inlet, in Canada. However, what made the whole ordeal special was the fact that we were going to do so without ever leaving my grandparents’ house. You see, my grandma and grandpa lived on a 48 foot yacht. 

My grandfather, who was always very careful with his money, had planned a wonderful retirement for him and my grandmother. Since he was young, my grandpa had been interested in boats and living on one had been a dream of his. Through careful planning and hard work, my grandfather was able to realize that dream and share it with others.

That summer was filled with so many incredible stories and adventures, that I could probably fill a whole book with them. But for me, one of the main characters of the story was the boat itself. Grandpa appointed me as the deckhand and in doing so I was bestowed with several major responsibilities on board the ship. I tied ropes, threw over buoys and kept the deck clean and tidy, all while the ship heaved and turned in the rolling water. Growing up, I had a certain fondness for books that dealt with life on the ocean, most of which usually involved pirates and buried treasure. So for me, it was a bit of a dream come true.

The ocean was a completely different sea than the Florida water I was accustomed to. It was cold, but nonetheless filled with life. Since I was on deck so often, I was given an awesome opportunity to spot seals and whales in the water. The sea was like our own personal grocery store, in that it provided food for us. We caught crab, clam and fish as we traveled its waters, taking shelter in coves along the way. But we were never too far from the comforts of home.

The first floor of the boat had a full sized kitchen, where my grandma was often busy concocting some delicious seafood meal. On the other side of the kitchen was the dining room area, complete with a full sized dining room table. When it wasn’t being used for meals, the fluttering sound of playing cards could be heard, mixed with an occasional yell of victory or cry of defeat. Card games quickly became a favorite activity on our trip, especially when the boat was cutting through the waves. It really helped keep those of us who struggled with seasickness occupied.

Directly across from the dining room table, there was a small staircase that led into the downstairs room. That was where my family and I stayed during our voyage. There was a small bathroom, four bunk beds and a closet. Light filtered through the many portholes, casting moving reflections on the ceiling and walls. It reminded me of an aquarium. The portholes were at eye level with the sea and looking out, you could imagine what a killer whale might see when it surfaces from the cold depths of the ocean.

The boat would sway back and forth ever so slightly and the sound of the waves could be heard as they lapped up against the walls. At night, you felt like a baby being rocked to sleep by the ocean. Sleeping in that room was pure bliss.

But the comforts and splendor of living and traveling on a boat paled in comparison to the excellent company. It wasn’t often that we were able to spend time with my grandparents, since they lived so far away, but they always made it clear how much they loved us.

A few years after our summer voyage, my grandparents found that looking after a boat had become too hard on them at their age. So they ended up selling it and moving back onto land for a quieter retirement life. But the things we did that summer will always stay with me and I will never forget the memories that were made on that boat. During that trip, my grandparents were fulfilling their dream, as well as ours.