...no really, I don't feel like that :D ... I'm in good spirits right now, and just feeling whimsical in general, so I'll run things down quickly:
No, you're eyes don't deceive you: after 6 or 7 months, I've changed my avatar. While I still like the sniper kitten (it's always struck me as a perfect reflection of my personality: contradictory and whimsical), I felt the need to change to something else. So, after 15 minutes of fudging around to get the screenshot, and another 5 cropping it to fit, I present to you... the Daemonhammer from Dark Crusade, capable of slaying demons, daemons, and, of course, Orks (when they attack, of course ;) ).
The weekend was spent doing some clean-up with my wife and kids in preparation for the fall. With Labor Day on Monday (yesterday now), and the upcoming new job, my wife felt it was a good time to straighten up, move some furniture (what is it with women and furniture! The couch is perfectly fine where it is... especially when we guys are the ones who have to move it :lol: ), and get the older two kids ready for school. One of my good friends stopped by to wish me a happy birthday (which I celebrated very quietly until Sunday... more later), and hand me a card. He prepaid a reservation for a copy of Framing Armageddon for Sept. 11th along with my wife... very nice indeed!
Sunday saw us all up to my parent's house for a combination Labor Day party and birthday party for me and my older daughter. We all wandered around the huge backyard, talked school and computers, exchanged news (they've wanted me to get an internship for months now, because they realize how excellent the experience will be and how it will translate to success; to say they were overjoyed is an understatement), and just hang out. It would have been capped off with fireworks, if they were legal in NY... which they're not... so we didn't have any... right? ;)
Today (or yesterday) was the traditional hang-out with our oldest son. He's almost 13, and very anxious about all the sudden recent changes that have happened in the past couple of years: several job changes, school, two more siblings (he was an only child for almost 8 years; to have to share time with us has been very stressful for him), and junior high have made him very stressed out. So, just before school starts every year, I take him out, just me and him, and do something: an amusement park (like Six Flags in Lake George), a local fair, a museum, anything to give him some last few hours of quality time without his siblings bugging him and me.
He wanted to see the latest Harry Potter film, and good luck was with us: one theater in the area had it at late afternoon. We went to Crossgates (the local mega-mall), watched "Order of the Phoenix," poked in some stores and ate dinner. We talked about my new job, what 8th grade is like (wow, does that make me feel old!), people in general, and how the new school year would see him through. We even hit the arcade (there's still one left!) and shot up some bad guys on Time Crisis 3. We had a simple good time; what more could you ask for?
So now, I will wrap this up: I have to be to work in 6 hours or so (no more late nights here! :lol: ), so I have to try to overcome my natural insomnia, get some sleep, and be fresh for my first day of breaking software to fix it :D .
Have a fun and exciting week, and remember: when doing you homework, always wear your headphones (Thanks to Bill and Ted for that awesome, non-heinous advice :lol: ).