End of Summer Update

Long time, no update blog.

It's been a busy summer, and I've been too preoccupied with stuff to blog much.

Facebook is one culprit. It's too easy to post micro-updates there -- and far more convenient for my lazy tastes! I also started a Twitter Feed, so I got a little overwhelmed will all the places I could say something -- and didn't know what to say. (I've also got a LiveJournal, but hey, I can haz moar overload?)

I also was also blogging a lot about my cocktail adventures, but I eased up on the drinkin', so I haven't had many recipes or stories to tell.

But for those of you who are following along at home, here's How I spent my Summer Vacation.

1) Chicago - We spent a week in the Windy City with our friends Bryan and Sara and had a wonderful time. I think I promised to blog about our time there, and never quite managed to. As a lazy shorthand, you can at least see some of the trip here.

2) Work. The animated feature I am working on is due out March 2010, and work has gotten a lot busier as we race towards our deadline. We're well on target though, and I'm really proud of the work we have done. I haven't had much time off, and Herself and I have been sticking close to home, enjoying food, drink, and friends without breaking the bank. Read more about our local adventures at Herself's blog, The Hungry Passport. (Really looking forward to aiding and abetting Herself's '52 Weeks' project!)

3) House Stuff. Owning a home is never dull, and we've been wrestling with a number of home improvement projects. Well, that is to say, we've been trying to figure out which ones to do! We've finally settled on redoing the bathroom -- and I'm sure some of that will leak it's way onto the blog in coming months. Other than that it's mostly been yard improvement and cleaning! Yuk!

4) Gaming. We got a Nintendo Wii, finally, and we've enjoyed the heck out of Wii Sports. But it's gotten a little stale. Anyone else have some recommendations on fun party games? I'm still doing a little RPGing, but it's mostly online now, as my core group has scattered somewhat to the four winds. Thankfully, there's this free Java-based app called MapTool, which has enabled us to keep playing despite the distance. Certainly beats carrying heavy books & minis around!

5) Movies. (and TV). We've cut way back on the hours spent in front of the TV. Too many other things we'd rather do. But Netflix and Hulu have been there for us -- in particular we've enjoyed Carnivale and True Blood. I don't mind saying that I have a definite preference for shows that aren't afraid to embrace fantastical talent. Carnivale is a particular gem whose time came too soon. HBO should have let this one play out. True Blood is also good, and its sense of humor keeps it fun -- but it still feels like a guilty pleasure -- a bag of Cheetos compared to the complex feast that was Carnivale.  Speaking of guilty pleasures, my friend Ix finally convinced us to take a look at Top Chef (Las Vegas) and we've been enjoying that, too!

6) The Beach. We've been a few times this summer but not nearly so much as we'd like. Ventura's been "discovered" and you have to go a little farther afield to avoid crowds and score a little space from the teeming masses of L.A. We did manage to get to Oxnard and take a boat cruise out to Anacapa Island a few weeks ago. We'd hoped to escape the heat and the smoke from the terrible Station Fire -- but the island was kind of a desolate piece of scrub-covered rock. Not smokey, but still hot. The best part was the boat ride -- and our dolphin escort!

7). Politics. I've been reading way too much about the Health Care "debate" and the only conclusion I've really come to is that I'm sick to death of what passes for political discourse in this country. Why all the yelling, people? Both sides seem unable to get their  &$#% together to reach any meaningful resolution to the issues. Americans want reform, it seems, but are rigid in their ideological positions, and unable to see the forest for the trees. /end rant. The Ink Gorilla does not really want to discuss politics on his blog - but just couldn't help himself this once.

8) Writing. Doing a lot of offline writing, and got myself on a schedule that allows me 1-2 hours a day. I'm loving it, and have been more productive than I ever was before. It seems I'm more of a morning person than I thought I was!

Fall is officially here, I guess, and there's a lot to look forward to. My folks will be visiting in a few weeks, and it's always great to visit and find fun things to do around SoCal while they are here. You can bet that it will include plenty of eatin' and drinkin'!

Aside from that, Herself and I will be celebrating 12 years together come October! Many w00ts, all 'round.

Take care of yerselves out there.


p.s. - trying a new look for the blog. 'Rounders' template just isn't doing it for me anymore!