For the first time ever, I'm taking my Xbox 360 with me to work. It's been something many of my friends have suggested I do, ever since I participated Zaps' Guitar Hero League union (now rebranded the Rock Heroes Union, run by GabuEx). This came about because I had to bow out of a semi-finals round on account of it taking place during the week, when I was not at home with my 360.

What's the big deal about lugging it around? Well, when I fly to work, I want to be in and out of the airport as quickly as possible. I don't want to check my luggage; in fact, I've had a few bad experiences with lost luggage (once when visiting my sister when she was living in San Francisco, and once when visiting Taiwan and subsequently had to buy a week's worth of cheap faux-brand shorts and shirts - Hike is NOT the same as Nike, believe me). So, whenever I can drag my luggage on-board, I do it. Whenever it's *just* too big to fit in the compartment, I gate-check it so that I can receive it right there as the nice luggage thrower puts it right in the walkway attached to the plane. No waiting for it at the claim and wondering if a thrower put it on the wrong belt, lost it altogether, or ate the entire thing.

Putting my 360 in my luggage would cause two great inconveniences:

1) During security check-in, I'd have to unwrap it out of whatever shirt(s) I'm using to cushion it, place it in the bin, and then re-wrap it and put it in my luggage. The amount of time taken and annoyance caused was not worth the hassle. Plus, that's just another electronic device that the friendly security people might find mysterious residue on. No, it's not what you think, perverts. They swab devices for chemicals used in explosives or something or other. Hell, don't ask me, I don't know. I'm going back to my trailer...

2) I'd barely have enough space to put everything I needed for the week. It was either take the 360 and it's overly large power adapter, or take the numerous t-shirts I needed for playing basketball and working out at the hotel gym.

The first inconvenience is greater than the second. Naturally, this is why I can take the monster with me this week. I'm taking a train to Harrisburg, PA where I go about 50% of the time for this project. Now, I've been doing this for the past few weeks, but in addition it also dawned on me that I'm just coming off of a mysterious ankle sprain. I did not visit the gym the entirety of last week and instead resorted to doing sit-ups and push-ups in the room, which didn't generate that funny bodily fluid most people call sweat. Hence the need for a gym t-shirt every day diminished, as did the need for my oafishly large basketball sneakers.

So, out went the T-shirts and big kicks, and in went the 360 and its monstrous power adapter. No need to take it out for security checks since there would be none for the train; no need to stress about whether or not I'd make it on time. (I'm notorious -- to myself -- for making it to the gate barely 3 minutes before boarding. Hey -- I'm not a morning person, and these flights are at 7AM. Give me a break.)

With this decision made, I decided to run out and buy Too Human. Part of me half-jokingly wanted to buy Kung Fu Panda, just for kicks, to see if that would satisfy Mr. Pereira, but my brain decided to not deactivate for once and prevented me from making that decision. So now Too Human sits in my CD booklet, waiting to be unleashed on the blurry, SD television that awaits in my hotel room. I also brought Blue Dragon with me since, you know, I can play that and edit the podcast simultaneously (Mark MacDonald apparently played another game or read a book while playing Blue Dragon).

If anyone wants to send me a copy of Kung Fu Panda, feel free. (...riiiight...)