06 Mar 2006
It happened! It dropped! Not only that, but I won the roll! After months in Zul’Gurub the epic sword I wanted, Bloodlord’s Defender, has finally fallen into my possession. It’s just so amazing!
I hope that this is a sign of things to come. Hopefully soon I will get my Legplates of Wrath and my Bracers of Might.
In life things are grooving. I seem to have found the root of my insane headaches that I was having Thursday, Friday and part of Saturday. Since news on Friday they have faded. Tonight, I’m supposed to get news about my future. I guess this is technically The Future: Step 5, where I consider the future to be everything after High School.
Step 1: College
Step 2: University
Step 3: HB Studios
Step 4: Ubisoft
Step 5: ???
I love it when people read my resume. I always have. Ever since I hit a certain experience level. I especially like that they are chronologically reversed. So people read backwards through:
- Handles audio for seven platforms over five languages for 35 SKUs solo.
- Technical lead on one of EA Sports’ highest ROI projects ever with a small team.
- Did everything on two games.
- Did everything on one game and worked on the port to another platform.
- Dropped out of University.
- Two year diploma in Artificial Intelligence.
If it were listed the other way around people would single in on the “Dropped out of University” part, and that would immediately cloud their judgement on everything else.
Listed as it is people read it and they think: OMG Code Ninja! We need this guy! All of a sudden instead of wondering why I dropped out of University they start thinking “He must have been so bored and confined by University.”
So, tonight when I know more, if I know more, others will know more. I hope I know more, and then I can plan the letter…
01 Mar 2006
I have to say, today started off on a very weird feeling note. Today was the deadline for deciding if I wanted to renew the lease or terminate it on my apartment. My lease is up on April 30th.
I went in and asked the building manager if I could have an extension on my lease for a month or two, or if I could just have an extra couple of weeks to make my decision.
They said the best course of action would just be to sign that I didn’t want to renew my lease, and then if things happened that made me want to stay I could go back down and tell them that I do want to renew it and sign a new lease.
It felt strange signing that paper saying that I would vacate the premises no later than April 30th. Mostly because I haven’t actually signed a deal yet that gives me a reason to leave. It was strange to think that this apartment, by far the best one that I have ever had, might not be mine any more.
What will it be like to be in a building in the future that doesn’t have an indoor pool on the top floor or a door man? What would it cost to have these same types of things somewhere else.
Hopefully all will be resolved soon.
28 Feb 2006
It’s the end of the month. How fitting. The end of the month. Potentially the end of a stage in my life.
By even mentioning it, I’m sure that I have broken the rules of the Jinx, and thus all hope might be shattered. Then again, maybe not. I’m not really that superstitous. I have been party to many happenings in my life that seem to go too far beyond mere coincidence though.
I had almost forgotten what dreams and goals were like. I was getting comfortable in my life. Settling down and accepting things as they were. Somewhere in the back of my head I was subconsciously having a problem with that. I know this, because I have been having a harder and harder time getting a good night’s sleep. However, since taking steps to change my world recently, I have been sleeping wonderfully. I go to bed late. I wake up early. I feel rested. It’s like it used to be.
I was sitting on the edge of my bed this morning and just couldn’t stop smiling as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I’ve wanted this job, this project, since 1993. I wasn’t even in highschool yet back then. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn’t anything I ever thought about because I just filled my head with crazy dreams every day. Now it’s right there. RIGHT THERE! Just sitting in front of me. I hope it goes smoothly and I can take advantage of this opportunity.
There are several aspects of the whole situation that make me not want to take it. Even all summed up together though, they aren’t enough of a negative weight. This is something that has to be done. Yes I will miss Montreal. It’s an amazing city overflowing with life. The music scene, oh how I will miss the music scene. I’ve had the chance to see some great bands play live here in small venues.
I will also really miss my raid group if things can’t be worked out to allow me to keep going with them. I’ve been there with them since day one, and not very many people can say that. I want to be there as they continue to knockdown challenge after challenge. It has been a long, hard road for us all. Many friendships have been built and destroyed. Many people have come and gone.
I know inside, that this is the right thing to do. Just like I know coming to Montreal was the right thing to do. There are none, and there will be, no regrets over this. No matter if the change ends up costing me more than it gains me. Tigers must run free and let their pugmarks tell the tale.
– “Go west young man, and grow up with the country” –
23 Feb 2006
Tonight I went to the Montreal stop in the Bluebird North 2006 tour at Main Hall. It was wonderful. Several schools of music were represented and each of the performers had great stories to tell between songs.
Let me first introduce the players of the evening:
Dave Gunning is a modern day minstrel spinning amazing stories with his music (website).
Emm Gryner the insanely amazing unknown Canadian pop goddess (website).
Peter Elkas the only soulrock artist I know of (website).
Kardinal Offishall of Canadian hip-hop fame (website).
Andy Stochansky the anti-hipster (website).
Jonathan Cummins from the Montreal punk band Bionic (website).
Oddly enough, even with all of these people showing up the venue wasn’t packed. It isn’t even really a large venue. It is by far the most obscure venue I’ve ever had to track down. The first time I looked for it I walked past it twice. It is literally just a door in the side of building with a number on it. No signs. No labels. Nothing.
Once you do manage to find the door you walk up a flight of narrow steep stairs, which isn’t a problem on the way up while sober. On the way down, they can be a different story. Inside there isn’t anything special. A few chairs. A stage. A bar. Sometimes a coat check. However, it is still a pretty good venue because it has a great sound system.
The night started off slow and quiet. The host Shari Ulrich opened up with a song. Then the rotation went roughly Stochansky, Elkas, Cummins, Gryner, Gunning, Offishall and repeat all night. The host would play a song each round as well.
It was amazing how Stochansky would play a slow, but loud and intense song to kick off each round. Then Elkas would slow everything down with his twangy soul rock. Cummins would play random trucking and drinking songs. Since this was pretty much an accoustic event and he’s a punk rocker he wasn’t playing any of his own music. It was great when he got the crowd shouting “Weed! Whites! And Wine!” Then Gryner would simply stun the crowd with her voice and intensity. Gunning would carry the crowd away with a wonderful musical story. Then last, but certainly not least, Offishall would finish each round. As he was up there rapping he would get the whole crowd into it. Yelling out and singing along. Standing and grooving to one of his tracks even.
For me the highlights of the night were:
- Emm Gryner. Always and forever.
- The banter between the singers
- Offishall calling his DJ “Instrument”
- Stochansky losing himself in every song
- Gunning’s great stories. The songs, and the stories between songs.
In going out to see the tour I did miss Molten Core. Apparently my character got to tank Ragnaros. However I don’t regret anything. Nothing is more magical and wondrous than Emm with a keyboard/piano. I could listen to her forever. Just ask my friends :p
22 Feb 2006
Last night I gave out my WoW account information to a friend so that tonight, while I’m out enjoying the sonic bliss of Emm Gryner, they can play my warrior and get me the Legplates of Wrath if they drop.
I have to say, I felt a little uneasy about giving out my information. It doesn’t even have anything to do with trust. I do trust them. I think it’s more about a sense of identity. That avatar is me. It’s always me. For over a year, countless raids, instances, pvp events, it has been me. Every piece of armor, every enchant, every potion, every trinket; it’s all me. Tonight though, it won’t be.
Tonight when that avatar logs on and the guild says hello or someone whispers me, they aren’t getting me. It’s a very surreal thing to me.
I know it’s not a big deal for my friend. They play a half dozen different accounts. For me, I just play my own. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have another account so that I could power-level myself.
It looks like there will be 6-10 of us going to the show tonight. I think it will be a good time. I may not stick around for the whole thing, but I will definitely hang out until Emm plays. God that girl can sing!