Next week one game is coming out that I want, and have pre-ordered. Sims 2: Nightlife. Scrolling through the releases that are coming up, though, the week after next we'll see the following:

• Dragonshard
• Fable: The Lost Chapters
• Indigo Prophecy
• Other titles that I'm sure will sell well, but don't interest me.

Now, as some of you know - I'm a PC gamer. That's it, that's all. So I don't even want to consider if I were buying for several platforms. So here's my question, to the game industry at large:

"Mr. Publisher,
Do you really expect me to spend $200 in two weeks on games? If so, when do you expect me to play these games?"

(Grrr. What will wind up happening is that these three games that I might have gotten will probably not be purchased by me. It would overstretch my gaming money budget, and also my time budget. By the time I get to buy a new game, something else will be out that I'm more interested in (Elder Scrolls, Oblivion, maybe?), or it'll be next year and I'll pick the game up in the bargain bin.

One would argue "Arki, why are you griping?", and I suppose the short answer would be because I don't have enough resources to enjoy all the games that I'd like to. That would require me being independantly wealthy, nay - filthy rich, even and probably that I foreswear any and all relationships.

And it also makes me sad for the game companies. Sure, they'll enjoy sales. But not as much as if they'd planned their release a bit better. Take Indigo Prophecy: an adventure game that is definitely an adult game in the level of darkness in the story and looks to be real good. But it's by a small company, and there's not a whole lot of buzz about it. And when are they releasing? The same week as Myst V: End of Ages? You got it. Somebody needs to be slapped on that one.

Anyway, enough of my griping. Here's hoping in the future they'll give me a month or two between hot releases.

PS: I would have linked you for Myst V, but the url contains http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/mystvendoF-A-Ges/index.html?q=myst, which is against TOS for me to post. Anybody want to take a guess at just how irate I am right this particular minute? And I swear, if I get modded for censor bypassing in this postscript, I'll be cancelling my GS complete account due to horsecrap.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I enjoy my job...for the most part. But I really wish I could take about 3 weeks off and not have my work pile up on me while I'm gone.

Then there's the house. There are so many things Cliff and I want to do on the house, but all of them will take money. I don't even have to tell some of y'all what a house will do to you. I love our house; don't get me wrong. There are just so many things that you want to do, new flooring, add on this here, change the carport into a patio, add a covered parking area, etc.

Anyway, it just kind of drives home the point that buying a house is always only the beginning.

And an angry one, at that. Thankfully, we don't live in south Louisiana, but we're still having some problems even in the north part of the state. Long distance phone calls are hit or miss, credit cards are as well, for the same reason, we've been told that if our power goes out up here, it'll be out for two weeks because all linemen have been sent to the coast area to try to restore power down there.

We're opened up our Civic Center for evacuees and people are donating time, food, clothes, etc. A lot of other cities are doing the same. I just feel badly for the people and wish we could do more.

Anyway, I'm very grateful that we didn't get any tornados up here, and my prayers are with New Orleans and other gulf coast cities. And I'd love to shoot the looters.

Cliff and I bought our house back in March. Just short of six months ago. We still aren't completely unpacked. This weekend is a three day weekend, though, and I'm planning on taking Sunday to finish up. There really isn't that much left, and I don't have much of an excuse, other than there always seems to be something more pleasant to do than unpack.

If I never have to move again, I think it will be too soon.

*sigh* I had a problem with my computer where it was shutting off out of the blue. Cliff thought it was a heating/cooling issue and bought me a new power supply and cooling system (that's true love ;)) and also a new hard drive. So now I have an empty computer and I know that I'm getting Dungeon Siege 2 next week, so I just can't work up excitement to install something and play it for a week.

I know, woe is me...

I tried to write this last night, and like an idiot closed the tab. Grrr.

Moving on, I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Dungeon Siege II, which I pre-ordered. It should be in next Tuesday - oh happy day! I haven't gotten a new game in a while, so it'll be nice.

As for Gamespot Community, I've formed both a UCB and a union. Neither of them are on traditional gaming topics, but I hope you'll stop by.

Arki's Book Nook
We try to read a book a month, which each member taking turns nominating the book. This is our first month :)

Kiss the Cooks!
A union for people who like to cook or want to learn how :)

I've been so bad. I don't think I've written in months. Between buying our house (YAY!), adopting stray kittens, and numerous other things, it's been hectic, to say the least. Anyway, I'll try to fix that :)

Seller counter-offered, we counter-counter-offered. Waiting 'til Monday to see how that goes.

I'm such a bundle of nerves today.

The house that got bought out from under us? The dream house? 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a game room, over 2 acres of land? The people couldn't get their loan....

So y'all - cross your fingers - we submitted an offer and we'll know by close of business on Monday.

*bundle of nerves*

About three months ago my husband and I went to dinner with his parents and sister. Things were going pretty well, unitl my father-in-law decided to be a joker (he usually is - it pays not to take anything he says too seriously). The waitress had just refilled everyone's drink, and both husband and FIL were drinking tea. Evidently she had been making cow eyes at hubby all night, so up pops FIL with the comment "Now you need to give him some sugar". :lol: The priceless part was the look on my husband's face when it looked as though the girl were seriously considering giving him a kiss - part disbelief and part fear ;)

Which brings us to the next part of smart waitressing - when there are two women in the same age range who could possibly be attached to the man in question, flirting can be detrimental to your health. It wouldn't have been a risk I'd have taken when I waited tables.

PS: Shame-us - what part of Phoenix? I lived in Glendale for a couple of years.