My day began with a trip to the hospital. Why is that you ask... I'll be happy :) to tell you.

After some routine blood work for an annual physical, something was slightly amiss. So I was sent back for additional testing. The results of the 2nd round of testing indicated possible hyperthyroidism, and an appointment was made with an endocrinologist to confirm the findings. There was an in-depth office visit, which consisted of a lengthy game of 20 questions combined with a lot of poking and prodding in the lower neck area. Next up... an ultrasound, CAT scan and a thyroid uptake exam. They all confirmed the initial diagnosis, and produced a new finding :roll:... a nodule or mass growing on my thyroid.

Which leads me to today's unique kind of fun time. A visit to the hospital for, an ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy. Because of the size and location, an ultrasound machine was used to pinpoint the exact location of the mass. Then a needle is inserted into your neck :shock: a minimum of 3-4 times to collect cell samples. I was lucky enough to get a total of 5 :cry: Now I have to wait for the test results before my hyperthyroidism can be treated.

It definetily wasn't like Trauma Center on the Wii :(

EDIT: Included 2 links to additional information... thanks to gohantech.

Some GameSpot users could care less about eblems, while others crave them... the majority seem to be somewhere in between. Like me :D This is just a little heads up for all my friends here, as well as anyone else who happens to stumble across this blog, you've got an opportunity coming up to add a new emblem.

It's pretty simple. Just tune in on... Thursday, February 7th at 7:00 PM PST, and watch the broadcast of the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. All the information can be found, by reading this article.

Only one day shy of seven weeks, it appears that I've managed to level up again :D It felt a lot longer than that, probably because December is such a bad month at work. Only 11 more months till I get to do it again :roll: For record keeping purposes (and my own personal amusement :)), how about a few stats.

Profile views: 4391 (+8 new)
Total friends: 132
People tracking me: 202
Games in collection: 1023
Blog posts:37 (including this one)
Emblems earned: 24
Messages read: 260674
Messages posted: 2454
Tags: 6696
Now playing: Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii) & Flash Focus (DS)

I picked up one new emblem during my time spent at level 31, and that is... Readers' Choice 2007 Chooser, which is nicer looking than last year's emblem. Speaking of emblems, my bright colorful Total Access has morphed into something less appealing :( As a result of cancelling my membership, I now have the bland black & white Registered Member emblem. Depending on how things go here at Gamespot, I might reconsider and sign up again for Total Access. Now it's time to go visit a few friends blogs and see what's new with them.

I'm returning from a self-imposed break from the internet... I need to make some progress in my gaming, which has been falling off dramatically recently. During my time away, I've manged to finish the first half of Super Mario Galaxy. I think I'm going to put off playing as Luigi for awhile, so I can finish a few other games. I also worked on Guitar Hero 3, and completed medium mode... finally! Two down, and only two more modes to go :roll: This has been the first rhythm/music game I've ever played, so the learning curve has been pretty steep for me. I finished Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. I was taking my time enjoying all the Zelda gaming goodness since there aren't any new releases scheduled for one of my favorite franchises anytime soon :( Lastly... I'm about three-quarters of the way through my one of my Christmas presents, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. The controls can be a little annoying at times, but the puzzles and story more than make up for it :) Once I finish Zack & Wiki, I'll get started on No More Heroes. Now I just need to find a new game to keep me occupied on my DS... any suggestions?

...for something completely different. If you know who made that line famous, ther'e a cookie in it for you :D

Actually... I'm going to try something I've seen other Gamespot users do, and that is way out of character for me :shock: My nature has always been a very private and introverted one. I'm the one sitting quietly in the corner, listening but not participating. Didn't raise my hand in class, and would rather have taken a failure than stand in front to deliver an oral report. I'll speak when spoken to in public, but it's impossible for meto start a conversation with a stranger. I'm sure I've missed out on more than a few opportunities, and probably hurt myself academically... but I don't have any regrets :D I wouldn't be who I am today, with out the life experiences I've gone through :)

The topic of this blog that I've been getting to in a round about way, is... it's question and answer time. I've let little bits and pieces of my life outside of Gamespot slip out, so feel free to ask me anything about myself, and I will attempt to answer. It goes against every fiber of my being :roll: but maybe by starting here, I'll be able to face my fear in the real world.

...a fresh start, a clean slate. The first day of a New Year filled with promise and potential. Hopefully your New Year will be joyous, healthy and productive as new challenges and opportunities present themselves with the passage of time. Happy New Year to all my friends and fellow users of Gamespot!

No resolutions or predictions for me, but how about a few modest goals to accomplish here at Gamespot this year...

- Advance to level 40
- Write and post my 1st review... at least 1, hopefully more
- Upload and post my 1st video... same as above
- Add 50 new games to my collection... trying to get my addiction under control, and cutting down on purchases
- Make my 3,000th post
- Add a banner to my bland little piece of Gamespot real estate

The calm before the storm, as all the preparation and planning comes to a climax... no preaching about commercialization and the religious aspects of the holiday here. I'd just like to take a moment of your time, and wish all my friends and fellow users here at Gamespot... Merry Christmas To All!

It seems that GlitchSpot has FINALLY :roll: gotten things straightened out and upward mobility has been restored. As a result, I've managed to level up. For record keeping purposes, here's a few stats to mark this momentous event:

Profile views: 3998 (+1 new)
Total friends: 129
People tracking me: 194
Games in collection: 1022
Blog posts:32 (including this one)
Emblems earned: 23
Messages read: 253467
Messages posted: 2178
Tags: 6470
Now playing: Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (Wii) & Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass(DS)

Christmas is almost here, so things are starting to slow down in the wonderful world of retail. That means more time to spend goofing off here at GS... and I'll be able to do that now with my computer, no more Wii internet surfing. After almost 6 weeks, my brother finally got my computer up and running. Thanks Ed :)

It's not just food and football, or the day before the retail nightmare known as Black Friday. It's one of the last unspoiled holidays we celebrate...not created by Hallmark or over commercialised with decorations/cards/presents. It's a day for family and friends to gather together, share a meal (something happening less and less in our society) and hopefully reflect on the many things for which we should be grateful. I do have a question for my international friends... do any of your countries celebrate something similar?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

One year ago today, give or take a few minutes... I was the first person in line at my local GameStop waiting patiently to pick up my reserved Nintendo Wii. It was a bitter cold Saturday night, made worse by a steady wind... but it was worth it. A little info for those who are interested. This is the fifth generation of home consoles released by Nintendo. Nintendo's latest was released on 19 NOV 06... and there were 23 games available at launch. On 12 SEP 07 the Wii became the leader in console sales for the current generation of systems, and it's the first time Nintendo has been the leader in console sales since the SNES. As of 30 SEP 07 approximately 13.17 million units have been sold. Happy first birthday Nintendo Wii!