Imagine, if you will, a beach on the Texas coast. On this beach, a man sits on a beach chair. It’s obvious he’s been out in the surf more than once, but is relaxing for now. A small table sits next to him, behind which sits a cooler full of drinks. He’s got a Bud Light in a can he’s drinking from, and he’s eating chips and dipping them into a jar of salsa bean dip. He’s wearing cargo swim trunks, a grey tshirt, sunglasses, and a cap. A pair of sandals are waiting for him in the car. He’s relaxed, enjoying the sun and the sound of the surf. The only hints to his geekiness are the SolidWorks logo on his cap, and the copy of Snow Crash he’s reading.

If you had told me a year ago that that man would be me in a year’s time, I would have thought you were insane.

Things have changed a great deal over the past month and a half. At the end of May, I packed my things and moved down to Pearland, moving in with Jennifer. It’s been something of an interesting experience, as neither of us have lived with roommates in several years. Other than the room that we designated as my office (we’re kind of calling it the Bish-Cave), the changes in decor here have been more subtle than anything else, with my equipment or decorations supplementing what’s already here. As for my office, it’s pretty much everything me; I had brought my PC and equipment, desk, books, DVDs, games, artwork, collectibles, TV, TV stand, and consoles and got them all set up here, only needing to add a set of shelves Jennifer donated, and two sets of bookshelves I bought from IKEA. The artwork has changed, too; with Dad’s help I found a couple of my old Mortal Kombat II posters, and Jennifer and I found one of my old Star Trek posters. They’re all hanging now, complete with other collectible items. The only other item of note in my office is an elliptical, which I use on nights when I can’t get to the gym.

My clothing has changed somewhat, as well. Before, I wouldn’t even think of wearing shorts. With it getting even hotter in Houston than is usual, I decided it was high time I got some shorts. While we were over at Academy doing some shopping, I picked up two pairs of cargo shorts. On a whim, I also picked up a pair of sandals as well, which shocked Jennifer no end. I’ve been wearing them regularly since, and I have to admit they’re pretty comfortable. The cargo shorts have been so useful I’ve even gotten a pair of cargo pants… though, the cargo pants are currently out of commission due to a bit of an issue involving the button. :-( The main thing I like about the cargo shorts/pants is the fact that they have enough pockets where I can drop my iPhone in one and not have to worry about needing a belt clip. :-)

We’ve also been doing new things as well. A perfect example is grilling. Jennifer had never owned a grill of her own. Well, a few weeks back, two friends of ours offered to sell us their practically new propane grill dirt cheap. Of course, we jumped at the chance, and with our friend Louie’s help we brought it home. The weather in Houston hasn’t been cooperative, but we have had a couple of chances to try out the grill. The first time we grilled burgers and hot dogs, basically making it up as we went along. Tuesday night we cooked steaks, and we finally got them cooked and decent through trial and error. Tonight, I decided I was going to cook burgers on my own (as I haven’t really cooked for myself in a LONG time), and using knowledge remembered from when I used to cook at my parents’ house and tips online, I cooked the very first Bishburgers. :-) They came out very yummy, and I’m already planning on variations on what I cooked. I’m hoping to serve them when we have friends over for dinner…

So far, the past month has been pretty fun and a learning experience for both of us. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but based on what we’ve done so far, we’re looking forward to it. :-)

Well, it’s certainly been a big week for Mortal Kombat news. As would be my luck, I was out of pocket both times something big broke.

On Tuesday, while I was on vacation in Colorado, a video emerged on YouTube that frankly surprised the hell out of everyone. It was a teaser video that seemed to be a teaser for a possible live-action MK movie.

When I finally got home and watched it, I was surprised. Any urge to call it faked was tempered by the fact that the video starred Michael Jai White and Jeri Ryan as Jax and Sonya, respectively. It’s since come out that the video was done by director Kevin Tancharoen as a pitch to Warner Bros. to let him do the MK reboot film. The style was very different, with it being set in a far more “gritty” urban setting, and known “alien” characters like Reptile and Baraka being reimagined as deformed or mutilated and insane humans. It was also far more brutal looking than the first MK film.

What did I think? I actually rather liked it. I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Tancharoen’s vision brought to the big screen. It’s definitely not as if there aren’t multiple MK continuities out there (“canon” games, movies/TV, MK: Shaolin Monks, MK vs DC Universe), and this is definitely one of the most unique takes on it. Based on what little I’ve seen, I think Tancharoen could pull it off.

Then, yesterday, while I was at the gym, Warner Bros. released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming game reboot, which is appropriately titled Mortal Kombat.

Unlike the Rebirth trailer, which was a radical reinvention of MK, the reboot game appears to be a “back to basics” approach, featuring characters clad in costumes close to their original appearances, 2D gameplay, reinvented classic arenas, and very brutal fatalities. From what I saw, the game looks like it’ll harken back to the old days of Mortal Kombat II, especially with the Outworld setting. A great number of fans are looking forward to it, and I have to admit I’m one of them. While I really enjoyed Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and wish I had taken the time to get a proper fighting controller so I could really play it properly, I’m glad Netherrealm Studios (the MK development team that went to WB Games from Midway) is doing a dark true Mortal Kombat game. I’m also kind of glad they’re doing a reboot, as I’m not sure how they’d resolve the Gordian knot the plot became at the end of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon…

The only question for me, now, is what happens to the Rebirth trailer. Both Rebirth and the game are reboots, but are so completely different from one another as to make them incompatible. On one hand, Ed Boon did admit on his Twitter page that he thought it was awesome. On the other hand, he did say it probably crossed a line. I’m kind of hoping the movie gets a go-ahead, but I’m not putting any money on it.

Ah, well. Either way, Mortal Kombat is definitely getting a rebirth. Here’s hoping it turns out to be well worth the wait. :-)

I suppose I should be up-front. I’m sitting out on my parents’ patio writing this post using the official WordPress iPhone app. This is a kind of “because I can” post. :-)

Moving right along…

Something occurred to me the other day. I was checking my LiveJournal friends page, and I was noticing how dead it was. Where I would once see numerous posts on there, requiring me to check a few times a day in order to keep up. These days, however, it seems like that only two or three people constantly post in LJ anymore, and of those three, one most posts stuff that she originally posted on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s not a complaint, mind. It’s a natural progression. These days people are moving on to the newest things, like Twitter and Facebook. Hell, while I started using LiveJournal in 2001 or so, I stopped updating it directly in 2005 when I opened my site blog. I’ve even moved past the site in a way; for short posts I use Twitter, and for lengthy posts I use the site.

It’s a tad of a shame, though, as I always liked having a central site to read my friends’ blogs. Now I use TweetDeck to watch my friends’ tweets and Facebook postings, and Firefox’s RSS feed reader to watch my friends’ blog postings. Ah, well… sometimes a bit of inconvenience is the price we pay for progression in other things. :-)

It’s amusing how completely different two restaurants can be, even when at the same location.

About a block or two from my office, there’s a little island of land bordered by Old Spanish Trail, Yellowstone, and Ardmore. In this bit of land, there are two major restaurant buildings. One of them is occupied by Guy’s Meat Market, which has been there for YEARS (it looked old when I started working down here back in 2002). The other has had two occupants that I can remember. Then again, my memory only goes back as far as 2008 or thereabouts. While the two restaurants have had the same building, they are so different it’s unreal.

The first one was called Steve Vietnamese Bistro. It was apparently a favorite place of the higher-ups at where I work to go for lunch, seeing as it was so close to the office. The two times I went in, it was because I and my coworkers had been invited by our boss. To say they weren’t good experiences was something of an understatement. The food was overpriced and not very good. The waiter was especially slow. We were especially turned off when more than once, one of us found an insect in his water. One time, one of us went there by herself… and was kept waiting for over an hour for her pho. When she confronted the waiter, he kept protesting that it was coming, even though she could see into the kitchen and saw them standing around. (For reference, when we go to Pho Saigon our pho comes out in less than five minutes.) We could never understand how the place stayed in business, as there were never any customers that we saw.

Well, after Ike hit, Steve closed for good. We kept a wary eye on the place to see what would open in its place. We soon got our answer, as several months ago a new restaurant opened called Beaucoup Bar &Grill opened in its place. We didn’t go right away. as we were still suspicious given what happened at Steve. Then, Jennifer told me that her coworker Michael had been there multiple times, and he loved it. So, we decided to give it a try.

We were impressed. The wait staff was friendly and attentive, and the food was very good. As opposed to the pseudo-Vietnamese of Steve (we never saw any Asians working there), Beaucoup is Cajun cooking done pretty well. One of my coworkers who is originally from New Orleans now goes there for lunch weekly. I went with her today for lunch, and other than the crowded parking lot it was a pleasant experience. The wait staff were even kind enough to ask us if we wanted water while we waited for our lunches, which we were just picking up to take back to the office. All in all, Beaucoup is definitely a “have-again”.

About the only problem at Beaucoup is the parking, and to be honest it’s not entirely their fault. The small parking lot is shared with Guy’s, and Guy’s has signs all over their side saying that their parking is for Guy’s customers only. According to a note on the doors at Beaucoup, the owners of Beaucoup tried to work with the owner of Guy’s to get parking for Beaucoup customers, even offering to pay, but were angrily rebuffed. Fortunately, the owners of Beaucoup arranged to get parking along Ardmore and Telge for customers, but it’s offputting that Guy’s would be that way. (To be honest, I believe the Beaucoup note, simply because of how clear Guy’s makes it that they don’t allow parking for anyone else.) I’m a lot less willing to go to Guy’s as a result; my experience is that if you’re a dick to your neighbors, you’re a dick to your customers as well.

Ah, well. Still, like I said, Beaucoup is everything Steve wasn’t, with good food and good service. I’m glad the restaurant space there is now filled with a decent place, and I’ll definitely be going back… hopefully with Jennifer, as she’s been wanting to try it too. :-)

It’s not exactly a surprise to anyone that I enjoy playing board games. Hell, the fact that I’ve discussed the game Talisman on here repeatedly should be something of an indication. In any event, I still have several of my old board games. On Sunday, Jennifer came by the house, and we were talking to my mom, when the subject of my board games came up. I brought down my most recent acquisition, which was a special edition of Monopoly. While showing it to Mom, it brought back some memories, so I decided to locate the other editions of Monopoly in the house.

Before I became hooked on Talisman back in eighth grade, my parents and I used to play board games every Saturday night like Clue and Scrabble. Our favorite, however, was Monopoly. I talked my parents into getting a standard set, and we played with that for a while… and then Mom revealed to me that she and Dad had a set older than I was. It was in a blue plastic carry case, and the houses and hotels were made of wood (white bottoms and green or red roofs). We played on that every so often as well.

Seeing as I was really getting into Monopoly at the time, I wanted a special edition or two of the game. For a present one year, my parents got me the fiftieth anniversary edition of Monopoly, with gold-plated player pieces, wood houses and hotels, a plastic money holder, and a rulebook that included a history of the game. In addition, I got my hands on a standard edition of British Monopoly and would play that every so often. Not only would I play with my parents, I’d sit down and play with friends as well. I remember a game against Sean where, after he made a deal with me that went badly for him pretty quickly, Mom had to counsel him that I never made a deal that didn’t directly benefit me in some way. :-) Those were fun times.

However, once I picked up Talisman and other Games Workshop games, I turned away from Monopoly. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it anymore. I just never got around to playing it, and as such it fell into disuse. I literally have not played it in over twenty years.

That’s likely to change, though. Jennifer loves playing Monopoly and wants a chance to play against me. In addition, our friend Julie loves playing board games so we’re sure that she’ll want in if we decide to play. That’s not even counting the possibility of Becky and Brian (or even Sean and Jinny) wanting to play a game. We’ll definitely be playing soon.

Oh, and going back to the special edition of Monopoly I mentioned I recently bought? We got it while doing shopping at the outlet malls in San Marcos the day after Christmas. It’ll likely be the edition we’ll play with our friends… and as you can probably tell by the picture to your left, it really is no surprise which edition of the game we ended up picking up. :-)

It’s no surprise to anyone that I’m a geek. The funny thing is, it’s only really been recently that I’ve been wearing geeky shirts. Granted, there were a couple of exceptions; I’ve owned an “ALL YOUR BASE” tshirt for a number of years, and I have a couple of Transformers-related club shirts. It’s just that since dating Jennifer, I’ve been picking up more and more geeky shirts.

I think the first ones had to be the shirts she got me for my birthday. First off, she had gotten me a black polo shirt with the Decepticon logo on the left breast. In addition, she got me two black tshirts we had seen at a convention. One said, “I have NOT lost my mind. It’s backed up on the server. And the network is down again…” The other has a warning logo that shows… well, the caption (translated from German) says it all: “Please do not impale coworkers with forklift forks.” It’s a reference to a short film called Staplerfahrer Klaus. I also picked up a cheap green tshirt with a 1up Mushroom that said “GET A LIFE”. I’d gotten some amusing feedback from those shirts… mainly from people wondering what the hell the forklift shirt meant.

Since then, Jennifer has either gotten me other shirts or encouraged me to get them. One she’s gotten me, for example, has a picture of the TARDIS on it with the caption, “Trust me, I’m a Doctor.” Another is one that, well… we were looking at bowling shirts online as a bit of a lark, and she found one that said “Atari Bowling Champion”. I went ahead and bought it, and its premiere came at an arcade event she and I went to with our friend Julie. It was the hit of the night; several people took pictures of it. In fact, the image of it to the left came from someone’s Facebook album of the evening. The second time we went to the arcade event, I was stopped by a guy telling me how awesome he thought my shirt was and asking where he could get one. I ended up giving him the website I got it from and wishing him luck.

As for what prompted this post, well… it’s kind of funny. On Friday, I was talking to some of the girls in HR, and the VP of HR/quality stepped in and made a comment about how I always seem to have the coolest “poker” (club) shirts. The one I was wearing that day had the Decepticons from Transformers: Armada on the front, and the Decepticon logo stitched onto the left sleeve. Then, yesterday, Jennifer and I were at Walgreens; we asked a clerk for help, and as we talked she told us she would only help us if she could have my shirt. I was wearing a black tshirt that said, “Real vampires don’t sparkle.” I admit, I’ve worn it before to annoy a friend who likes Twilight. However, I don’t really mind if anyone gets offended by it, simply because Jennifer gave me the shirt as a gift… and she’s a huge Twilight fan. :-)

Ah, well. I’m embracing my inner geekiness and sharing it with the world. I’m just amused that people actually like the shirts and appreciate them.

As friends of mine and readers of the site know, we had two cats here in my house: Ringo and Gus, two brothers we got from the same litter. Well, over the past few months, both of them succumbed to old age, and as a result the house is just a little bit lonelier. They had long wonderful lives with us, and we will miss them. Still, it’s funny to think that we almost didn’t get them at all.
Read more “A tale of two kitties…”