Things are going well in the Lisa-verse! Life is busy but good and generally on the up-and-up, though Derby season always makes me a little homesick for Louisville.
Last night, Nick and Nathan and Ross and I spent the evening playing Arkham Horror, which was my first time playing the game. I liked it quite a bit! I'm a sucker for cooperative board games anyway, but this one had a nice adventure element going on with it. It is very much like playing a one-shot session of D&D without the planning overhead that the DM has to do. Thinking about it in this way made it much easier to stomach the fact that it's a 5 hour game.
Granted, we all were devoured in the end, but I'd happily devote another evening to it. Next time I play I'll have a much better understanding of how things work, and make a more educated choice in my character.
Other updates!
1. Mr. Davis is doing really well - he loves the clicker training, goes out on walks with me, and is generally all about affection and snuggles. However, he has recently taken up the habit of climbing up the screen door when he's riled up and playing, which is problematic. What I need is a long, narrow strip of carpet that I can mount on the wall for him to climb up. Any idea on where to procure such an item?
2. I'm going to Japan in like 2 weeks! SO EXCITED! I'll be visiting Scott Coffrin, who I haven't seen in years, so that will be fun. It's a short, week-long trip, and I'll be in Osaka for most of it, with a day trip to Kyoto somewhere in there. Can't wait!
3. I have a boyfriend! That's old news to most of you, but I know not everyone keeps up with facebook relationship status changes :) We are going out on a fancy-pants date this very evening, in fact.
4. Work remains busy and fun and exciting and awesome.
That's about it from me for now, I suppose.
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
2009 Review
On my birthday last year, I made the mental note that 27 was going to be a good year, and it turned out to be true! I feel like I have grown leaps and bounds in just one year, and I'm very grateful for everything that has happened thus far. Let's sum up 2009...
- I opened the year in the most restful of ways: a self-imposed 2 week sleep experiment, wherein I slept as much as I wanted and when I wanted. I not only caught up on much needed rest, but learned a good deal about myself and my biological needs, enough to no longer feel guilty about sleeping too much. In a way, it was a means of forgiving myself. I have since become much more accepting of myself and my peculiar lack of energy and rest needs. It's amazing how simply not feeling guilty about something can change so much!
- I finished off my last semester at the ETC with a game design internship at Schell Games, working on unannounced projects and doing design work on the Disney Fairies MMO. My time at Schell was amazing and full of fun and good learning. I think my favorite thing about the company is the commraderie of its employees, the quality of which I haven't run into any place else. Schell Trek, our some-months-long lunch time Star Trek marathon, complete with trivia quizzes and pez dispenser prizes, was probably the best illustration of this. Not a lunch went by where the Schell Games lounge wasn't packed full of studio devs, anxious to watch that day's specially chosen episode. It was a fanatastic close to the spring. I love you Schell Games!
- The spring of 2009 also saw a lot of my time spent volunteering at Animal Friends, an animal shelter local to Pittsburgh. The relationships I developed with the animals there greatly improve my quality of life. I am anxious to get back to shelter volunteering now that I'm in LA, but when I moved out here, all the volunteer orientations for the local shelters were full. I'll have to wait until later this January to get back into the swing of it. Volunteering in some capacity, I think, is an important part of my life that I am often prone to neglect.
- 2009 also saw my feeble attempt at internet dating. Spurred on by the recommendations and success stories of friends, I gave OKCupid a try, figuring a little social education couldn't hurt. I talked with a variety of folks, went on a smattering of dates, but it all confirmed that, while it works wonders for others, internet dating is NOT for me. I eventually identified it as a major stressor in my life, so I isolated and DESTROYED it (i.e. deleted my profile) and I am happier because of it. Dating still sounds like a chore to me right now, so I'm putting it off for a more appropriate time.
- The biggest event of my life this year (besides graduating and getting my Masters degree) was my accepting the game designer position at Insomniac and moving across the country to Burbank. Some people are all about following their dreams and all that, but if you'd have asked me even 5 years ago if I expected to be working in video game development and living in Los Angeles, you would have received the blankest of stares. People have frequently exclaimed at my good fortune that I am "living my dream," but while that seems to fit the perception of others, it's not really true for me in the sense that this was never really a childhood dream of mine. I just happened to stumble into it, and realize that I'd finally found the thing to make me happy! Regardless of the route, the destination was the same: I LOVE what I'm doing, and I'm grateful every day for the position I have found myself in. I hope to be making games for a long time to come!
- As I have done every few years, I have been watching through Fullmetal Alchemist again, this time with Josh. FMA is by far my favorite anime of all time, and I love to share it with people who have never seen it. I hear from Scott that Brotherhood is fantastic, and hope to pick it up after I finish my run through of the original. Hulu, you bring us such wonders!
- I closed off 2009, as I have in the past, with wonderful, restful times spent with family and friends. Ballermas in Louisville (which I consider to have spanned all the days of my visit) was full of delicious food and fun games and happy puppies and wonderful friends. My dearest Louisville friends, I always keep you close in my heart! It was so good to see all of you! Similarly, I rung in the New Year in Pittsburgh with the ETCers, and did a lot of crazy, cross-cultural New Years traditions, including running across the street and back with luggage in one hand and cash in the other. Let's hope it brings me prosperity and safe travels! I also spent a huge portion of time backseat gaming while Andy played Assassin's Creed II, but that is a post in and of itself.
Anyway, I hope that 2010 brings adventure and opportunity to everyone! Happy New Year!
- I opened the year in the most restful of ways: a self-imposed 2 week sleep experiment, wherein I slept as much as I wanted and when I wanted. I not only caught up on much needed rest, but learned a good deal about myself and my biological needs, enough to no longer feel guilty about sleeping too much. In a way, it was a means of forgiving myself. I have since become much more accepting of myself and my peculiar lack of energy and rest needs. It's amazing how simply not feeling guilty about something can change so much!
- I finished off my last semester at the ETC with a game design internship at Schell Games, working on unannounced projects and doing design work on the Disney Fairies MMO. My time at Schell was amazing and full of fun and good learning. I think my favorite thing about the company is the commraderie of its employees, the quality of which I haven't run into any place else. Schell Trek, our some-months-long lunch time Star Trek marathon, complete with trivia quizzes and pez dispenser prizes, was probably the best illustration of this. Not a lunch went by where the Schell Games lounge wasn't packed full of studio devs, anxious to watch that day's specially chosen episode. It was a fanatastic close to the spring. I love you Schell Games!
- The spring of 2009 also saw a lot of my time spent volunteering at Animal Friends, an animal shelter local to Pittsburgh. The relationships I developed with the animals there greatly improve my quality of life. I am anxious to get back to shelter volunteering now that I'm in LA, but when I moved out here, all the volunteer orientations for the local shelters were full. I'll have to wait until later this January to get back into the swing of it. Volunteering in some capacity, I think, is an important part of my life that I am often prone to neglect.
- 2009 also saw my feeble attempt at internet dating. Spurred on by the recommendations and success stories of friends, I gave OKCupid a try, figuring a little social education couldn't hurt. I talked with a variety of folks, went on a smattering of dates, but it all confirmed that, while it works wonders for others, internet dating is NOT for me. I eventually identified it as a major stressor in my life, so I isolated and DESTROYED it (i.e. deleted my profile) and I am happier because of it. Dating still sounds like a chore to me right now, so I'm putting it off for a more appropriate time.
- The biggest event of my life this year (besides graduating and getting my Masters degree) was my accepting the game designer position at Insomniac and moving across the country to Burbank. Some people are all about following their dreams and all that, but if you'd have asked me even 5 years ago if I expected to be working in video game development and living in Los Angeles, you would have received the blankest of stares. People have frequently exclaimed at my good fortune that I am "living my dream," but while that seems to fit the perception of others, it's not really true for me in the sense that this was never really a childhood dream of mine. I just happened to stumble into it, and realize that I'd finally found the thing to make me happy! Regardless of the route, the destination was the same: I LOVE what I'm doing, and I'm grateful every day for the position I have found myself in. I hope to be making games for a long time to come!
- As I have done every few years, I have been watching through Fullmetal Alchemist again, this time with Josh. FMA is by far my favorite anime of all time, and I love to share it with people who have never seen it. I hear from Scott that Brotherhood is fantastic, and hope to pick it up after I finish my run through of the original. Hulu, you bring us such wonders!
- I closed off 2009, as I have in the past, with wonderful, restful times spent with family and friends. Ballermas in Louisville (which I consider to have spanned all the days of my visit) was full of delicious food and fun games and happy puppies and wonderful friends. My dearest Louisville friends, I always keep you close in my heart! It was so good to see all of you! Similarly, I rung in the New Year in Pittsburgh with the ETCers, and did a lot of crazy, cross-cultural New Years traditions, including running across the street and back with luggage in one hand and cash in the other. Let's hope it brings me prosperity and safe travels! I also spent a huge portion of time backseat gaming while Andy played Assassin's Creed II, but that is a post in and of itself.
Anyway, I hope that 2010 brings adventure and opportunity to everyone! Happy New Year!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Stupid love
So, in light of yet another incarnation of my track record of becoming very close friends with someone, falling in love with them, and having it be unrequited, I have resolved to start dating this semester.
I am, fortunately, on the cusp of the generation where the use of online dating services is not only no longer a taboo, but is actually the norm for people meeting one another. I have been assured by many a friend that dating is not as miserable an experience as I think, and so far everyone seems excited by this new prospect.
Well, everyone but me, but I'm sure that will all change once I find someone decent to distract my affections.
So far my initial exploration of the famed dating site experience has yielded:
1) Some guy inviting me to a hookah bar (who was kind of an idiot) and
2) Some guy sending me a nice little email in which every single sentence in the ENTIRE email had the EXACT same structure.
It's a start, I guess, because I'm already learning about things I want in a relationship. I've learned that I need my potential other to be eloquent, and I've learned that I'm SEVERELY annoyed by people who respond to a casual question by asking "why?"
I'm also being forced to take into account what I find physically attractive in males, versus my typical means (which is to fall in love with the brain and then become attracted to whatever body it happens to be in).
Granted, I probably won't go on any actual dates until my 2 week sleepathon is up, but baby steps count as steps.
I'm kind of miserable about the whole ordeal at the moment, but if stupid emotional brain wouldn't keep going and screwing up my friendships, then I wouldn't have to drag her through this nonsense. So it's her own damned fault!
Stay tuned for a most likely more-positive outlook on dating. Give it a month or so.
I am, fortunately, on the cusp of the generation where the use of online dating services is not only no longer a taboo, but is actually the norm for people meeting one another. I have been assured by many a friend that dating is not as miserable an experience as I think, and so far everyone seems excited by this new prospect.
Well, everyone but me, but I'm sure that will all change once I find someone decent to distract my affections.
So far my initial exploration of the famed dating site experience has yielded:
1) Some guy inviting me to a hookah bar (who was kind of an idiot) and
2) Some guy sending me a nice little email in which every single sentence in the ENTIRE email had the EXACT same structure.
It's a start, I guess, because I'm already learning about things I want in a relationship. I've learned that I need my potential other to be eloquent, and I've learned that I'm SEVERELY annoyed by people who respond to a casual question by asking "why?"
I'm also being forced to take into account what I find physically attractive in males, versus my typical means (which is to fall in love with the brain and then become attracted to whatever body it happens to be in).
Granted, I probably won't go on any actual dates until my 2 week sleepathon is up, but baby steps count as steps.
I'm kind of miserable about the whole ordeal at the moment, but if stupid emotional brain wouldn't keep going and screwing up my friendships, then I wouldn't have to drag her through this nonsense. So it's her own damned fault!
Stay tuned for a most likely more-positive outlook on dating. Give it a month or so.
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
2003 Year-end review
Hooray for 2004! Time for the 2003 year-end review...
-2003 rolled in with winter term, rebuilding the furnace, and blissful blissful free time. Sitting quietly and watching D Flo, Brendan, Eric, and others play Gauntlet for 12-18 hours each day was like heaven. Heaven I tell you!
-Spring term was quiet front-loaded, and I remember most of the beginning was spent preparing for SETC, which was a great and fun experience. I'm really glad I went, and hope to go again this year.
-Getting the job at Berkshire was a great relief in the spring, because it meant I had no foreboding worries about the summer. It was also helpful that my scheduling for school worked out perfectly, and that I was able to get my first choice in campus housing for the next year. That spring term really was apologizing for all the hard stuff I'd had to do before, I think.
-The summer and The Berkshire Theatre Festival. I'm so glad i took that internship; I learned so much, had tons of fun, and that's where I met and developed my initial friendship with Carleton.
-Fall came around and school was tough, but I started dating Carleton, which was a big deal for me. Like, it goes down in the "Notable events of Lisa's Life" section.
-New Year's Eve. Hanging out with Brendan and Maria. Playing video games. I always have a rough time at New Year's parties, because I don't drink, and many of my friends who do would rather do that than sit and play video games. This year I decided to have fun, and I feel bad for not seeing Darren or Will, but I will see them again, and I actually had fun this year! Woohoo!
2004 is looking out to be scary and exciting, as graduation and for-really-real life is right on the horizon. I'm ready for it, though, i think. Hope everyone has a great year!
-2003 rolled in with winter term, rebuilding the furnace, and blissful blissful free time. Sitting quietly and watching D Flo, Brendan, Eric, and others play Gauntlet for 12-18 hours each day was like heaven. Heaven I tell you!
-Spring term was quiet front-loaded, and I remember most of the beginning was spent preparing for SETC, which was a great and fun experience. I'm really glad I went, and hope to go again this year.
-Getting the job at Berkshire was a great relief in the spring, because it meant I had no foreboding worries about the summer. It was also helpful that my scheduling for school worked out perfectly, and that I was able to get my first choice in campus housing for the next year. That spring term really was apologizing for all the hard stuff I'd had to do before, I think.
-The summer and The Berkshire Theatre Festival. I'm so glad i took that internship; I learned so much, had tons of fun, and that's where I met and developed my initial friendship with Carleton.
-Fall came around and school was tough, but I started dating Carleton, which was a big deal for me. Like, it goes down in the "Notable events of Lisa's Life" section.
-New Year's Eve. Hanging out with Brendan and Maria. Playing video games. I always have a rough time at New Year's parties, because I don't drink, and many of my friends who do would rather do that than sit and play video games. This year I decided to have fun, and I feel bad for not seeing Darren or Will, but I will see them again, and I actually had fun this year! Woohoo!
2004 is looking out to be scary and exciting, as graduation and for-really-real life is right on the horizon. I'm ready for it, though, i think. Hope everyone has a great year!
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