Monday, October 31, 2005

Halloween Hair





















Costume Concept: Just woke up.

Special Edition Halloween Zombie Crocky.
















Robert as "Tim..." Jimmy as "Bird" aka. Jimmy.





















Karl as "Man with Googly Eyed Shirt"





















Ian as "Hawk" looks on as things get started.





















EMF as t10-k man. These glasses are not good for my vision.





















Therefore Alec gets them. But what's this?





















With the glasses, I have forfieted all its protective powers!





















Calmly the King of Cosmos looks on all too sure of his eventual victory. He is king so he can see into the future. It is just how things are.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Lazy Sunday

laundry.
leftovers.
lazy.





















watching anime on my computer. see laptop run. crash laptop crash. My hard drive in my desktop decided to finally died so it's to my entirely unreliable alienware laptop. boo alienware.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Rattlesnake Roundup

There was no such things happening this time. At one of Mike's previous barbeques, a rattlesnake who'd been lurching about his land decided to appear. Having watched too many episodes of Animal Planet, they made a make shift snake lasso with a wooden post and some wire and catch it, but after catching it, they were like "now what?" Let it go! You let it go! Not only do we have a rattlesnake, now we have a pissed off rattlesnake. Suffice to say, the rattlesnake did not meet a good end. My only question why "why no rattlesnake steaks?"

I caught a ride to Mike's with Jimmy who used to rent a room from Mike. Thank goodness. Mike lives on a large hill in Petaluma amidst many many acres of farmland. Amidst many winding partially paved roads. No way would I have found that house. But what a nice house it was. A log cabin. I didn't know people still had these things.





















Happy Halloween...
















"My kitchin is THIS big"
















Paul, Mike, Laurie's hair.
















Mike's friend with Diana. Mmmmm, hot wings... (see foreground)
















And what is a bbqblog with pictures of food? Unfortunately I was busy eating so this is the only one I got to take. Delicious yams and a pesto and artichoke salad. Other things were the above mentioned hot wings, tri-tip steak, some sorts of Korean Rock chicken? It was just a big piece of chicken breast that was good. Chips, Asparagus, Fruit salad. Some sorts of Peach cake. Oreo cake. Lots of beers and Irish Car Bombs. I think I'm too old for car bombs already. It's so very college and all I got out of it was a hangover. And that was like 1 hour after drinking! How does THAT happen???
















View down the hill.
















Over looking Petaluma





















As the evening approached, some of us escaped to the second floor... where a grand 3 xbox linked Halo match began. I did pretty bad in the beginning but when we played small maps, I suddenly started doing well almost winning once. Fun was had. Especially when you hear other players on the other stations crying out when you get them. All sorts of fun noises of agony. We see Mike's living room being overlooked from the 2nd floor. For reference, see the first picture. Living room to the right. Xboxs up stairs. Stone pillar is a fireplace.





















Drive home back down the hill. This part of the road is covered in manure. =P Once again, glad I didn't have to drive. Not sure how long it would have took for me to get down that hill in the dark. Except for feeling crappy and not at all buzzed from Car Bombs, the food was great and fun was had! Peace.

Friday, October 28, 2005

I ♥ Shadow of the Colossus





























































This game is so freakin' cool. If you watch somebody play, it's like watching a movie. A grand and epic movie. All I got to say is I'm glad it's a game. No way I'm approaching a walking skyscrapper in real life!

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Currents...

Thoughts:
Ah! Maintain/Fix Car! So expensive! I should really not spend any more money this coming month but it is November. The heat of Christmas sale games is coming. Surely I will break! Do I need a haircut? People keep telling me my hair looks good long. I should post a picture of my hair in super frazzle mode (blown dry out). Hmm there is a Japanese Language Table dinner tommorrow night. Perhaps I should go. Wanting to meet some new people. Practice Japanese. And what the hell is with people leaving spam in the comments? As soon as I realize it's spam, I delete it! So don't bother posting it cause ain't nobody's gonna see it! They're easy to spot because of the links embedded. Get a real job people!

Goods:
New Jacket
New Shoes

Want to Eat:
Sushi Ran
KBBQ
Something new and delicious!

Want to Go (Local Destinations):
California Academy of Sciences / Steinhart Aquarium
Flower Conservatory
San Francisco Opera
Asian Art Museum

Want to Go (International Destinations):
London
France
Italy
Japan
Shanghai

Playing:
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Shadow of the Colossus

Looking forward to Play:
Electroplankton (not selling well in Japan I hear)

Monday, October 24, 2005

Oops!

Here's a funny story. So I'm bringing in my Subaru in for its 120k maintainence because I want that baby to purr for a few more years. I'm also getting a new timing belt and water pump and all that good stuff. The thing is that oops! I forgot to pick it up! Here I am stuck in Marin county with no car! Luckily, I am able to catch a ride with my co-worker and I bus it home the rest of the way - at least I got to play some Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on my DS. This seems like it's hardly a game. More like an interactive courtroom novel. You do have to collect evidence and present it contrary to witness testimony but the large part of the entertainment is in the characters and what they say rather than any "figuring it out." Speaking of figuring things out, I got all the way out to the parking lot before I realized I forgot to pick up my car. "Ok, so where did I park my car.... I know! At the auto shop!" was pretty much my thought process at the time. I did have a good laugh at myself. Plus the car ride home with Jimmy! was fun. We discussed 80s music and how to sneak into Academy drawing workshops.

















Objection! You must be mistaken!





















I can't be. I'm abso-posi-tutely perfect! The dude with the rings is hysterical. A really good translation job done on this game.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Weekend o'Booooooze

Friday

Not one to skimp on a party, Shaba hosted its Shrek Super Slam party at the 12 galaxies bar/mini club in the Mission with a dim sum spread and an open bar. I didn't get to sample the bites because I foolishly went to an Indian restaurants before-hand with coworkers that took entirely too long for just ok food. I guess I guilted myself into not ditching them and can only blame myself. I could have swore I was telling myself earlier that even "This is Shaba! Of course they are gonna have nice h'ourderves at the party!" So I got there late, went straight for Tequilla, got a Scotch Whisky shot (turned out to be two) with J-nish, Margarita (? - oh yeah, saw someone else with one - I'm not very good at ordering drinks), then started and put down both a Tequilla sunrise and a Guiness. I had a good time socializing, meeting people, seeing people again, getting hugged by drunk guys, flirting (NOT with the guys!), drinking, people watching, etc.

















Saturday

Tanjoobi Omedetou Takkun. Mojitos and Soju cocktails. A very excellent night indeed! So many random familiar faces showed up. Toshi whom I haven't seen in like 3 years was there with his wife Yoshie who I met for the first time. This girl Ami who I only realized was in my illustration 3 class after she said her name (and her bf Joe - I've seen them walking about SF). Jung Jing and her korean crew mozied in for some post-midterm drinks. Jennifer Chang showed up later in the night. Got to have some chat time with her. Alex who I randomly see. Then the more regulars like Deda, Kevin, Jeremy, Oliver, Casey, Tomoko, and the guest of honor, Tatsuya of course! Location was at the Cafe Royale on Post and Leavensworth. A nice little place good for lounging and drinking.
















The only picture I snapped. A bunch of Japanese folk I hardly know...

More pics if I get some???

Thursday, October 20, 2005

GET'EM!

Shaba had a guy from Pixar come in to do a talk so I stopped by, checked it out, checked out the renovations, checked out Genevieve's insane(ly good) concept arts. Found this funny gif on the Naruto forums.





Monday, October 17, 2005

Oh Baby! It's a Power-Play-Goal!

For those who really know me, I am a big New York Rangers fan so to say I both surprised and excited to see the Rangers tied for 1st in their conference is somewhat of an understatement. For the past 7 years, the fans have been banished to hockey purgatory seeing all of our young and promising players traded away for fading over the hill over paid veterans. And now this year, not only are we playing well, not only is the coach holding players accountable for bad play, not only are we rolling 4 lines, not only are playing times kept to reasonable amounts, BUT on top of that, this year we have already seen SIX rookies playing with 4 of them receiving consistent ice time and TWO receiving quality minutes. ONE being a goalie so of course goalies get lots of minutes. I really didn't have to capitalize "one." The rookies are (I know you don't care!) Ryan Hollweg, Bryce Lampman (both back in the minors), Petr Prucha (avg 12 mpg), Max Kondratiev (avg 17 mpg), Fedor Tyutin (avg 19 mpg), and goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Hurrah! I love the Rangers! Yaaaaay! See my juvenille joy overflow!

















4 - 0 shutout versus Florida Panthers.
Henrik Lundqvist 1st career shutout
Fedor Tyutin 1st career goal
Petr Prucha 1st career goal
Awesome! To the Max!















5-1 spanking versus Atlanta Thrashers.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Zombie Crocky rises from Dead!

That crafty Guy (that's his name, but we don't pronounce it Gee like the French-Canadians) told me that Crocky had died but in reality he died and rose from the dead as Zombie Crocky in full makeover form. I have no pictures but will travel in time (once again) to provide some pictures. Laurie came out unscathed and was crown Zombie Queen. Fear her!

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Fleet Week(end)

Fleet Week - Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Skewer Kabob & Grilled Corn (yum!)
















VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
















ZYEEEEEEEERAOOOOOOOOOOOWM!

Crowded bus down Stockton street.

Chinatown - Boba Peanut Butter Gelato Milkshake (can you comprehend?)

DVDs at Chinese video store! Why I spend money!?!?

Tom's Wun-Tun House! I love this place!

Friday, October 07, 2005

Can you believe this?

I-wei, an animator at TFB made this. A Steam-Powered RC Tank.
















Then I travelled through space and time and found myself lost so I just nabbed it off the internet. Steam Walker. very cool.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

HOCKEY!!!

Is back! and much to my surprise, the New York Rangers won their season opener in Philly 5-3! Huu-Ray!!!

Sunday, October 02, 2005

I hate ghosts!

Well the annoying bastard ones. One of the reasons I want to move out is my very annoying but unconfirmed ghost experiences via dreams. The first incident happened a while ago in a lucid dream. Sometime around 6:30 AM I had a lucid dream that took place in my room. Normally my dreams are all blurry around the edges and sorta unclear but this one was so clear I remember questioning if I was dreaming or not. My door is always locked when I sleep. I guess it's just a habit but in the dream, in my room, the door was opening. slowly. and just as slowly a figure in a white night dress you'd sleep in and with long dark hair in the face enters my room. I'm frozen with fear unable to move all the while this appears as the real thing. Each painfully slow step (I guess if the ghost ran at me it might have sucked more though) inching closer to me as I desparately struggle to fight free from this lock. As I fight the paralysis, I can see a hand stretching out. Closer. and closer. Right before my face. and the hand is gone. So is the mysterious visitor. Able to move, I look around the room and draw open the blinds. Everything is as it should be. Except now, I am actually awake. The object in the room are as the were. The amount of 6:30AM light is just right. And I'm very shaken. So much I called my mom because I was afraid the ghost might have been her but after being assured by her voice, I thought "my mom wouldn't freak me out like that in a dream!"

A few weeks later, I had another experience. This was a black dream, meaning there were no visuals because the setting was once again me sleeping. ahem, trying to sleep. This time however, it was dark, which isn't how it is because there's a street light outside my house that's always on (unless the bulb went out that night) so there's always just a little light coming through. The first time, I felt a tug on my blanket. It felt damn real but it didn't strike me as odd which is typical of my dreaming pattern. If someone is flying like superman when I dream, there isn't an alarm that goes of that says "you're dreaming Nat! you should go fly too!" Anyways, I pull my blanket back up only to have it tugged again. I'm trying to sleep here thank you! I guess that was my only concern, so I pull the blanket back over. The third time, in a wave of rage, the blanket is torn clean off of me but once again twist up and pull it back down. You'd think I'd be suspicious at this point but I guess this one wasn't a lucid dream, only sorta realistic feeling. When my ghost wasn't having any of this so the fourth time its pissed as fuck. I get flipped on my stomach and my arm is twisted around my back. I can FEEL my arm twisted here. It also feels like the ghost has its weight on my back to hold my arm down as well. WTF?!? It takes a bit of effort but I toss that guy off my back and wake up at the same time. Just like movies eh? Again, it's in the at 6:30-7:00AM time again. I wake up swearing. From then on, I make sure I have an electromagnetic conduit while I sleep to be my ghost barrier. It's usually my stereo playing music set very low. It's like a silver line holding me safely between the dream world and consciousness. Sometimes it's the computer on but both my desktop and laptop have become pretty frazzled and unreliable for the task these days.

Sunday 7:00AM, Nat's Room (Law & Order "dun dun")

I've seen ghosts before in my regular type of dreams before. It's usually an apparition sort of thing. You see it. Frozen with fear and when you manage to move, you wake up. Dreams should be nice with rainbows and sunny meadows. Not dark ghostly battles! In this dream, YET AGAIN, I'm in bed. This time it is obviously not my bed but it's not a lucid dream either so I don't know any better. Apparently there is some weird competition to wake up first and get this key chain sort of thing before the others. Others being my older (and married) brother (I mention because he is alone in the dream) and a I think maybe my cousin Lester or an old family friend Michael. So we all go to sleep and yee-haw! I get a visitor! This one is just going for the ominous chest press but I guess I'm a ghost sparring veteran now so it wasn't hard to fight him off. At this point I grab the key chain thing which apparently reads "1000 year sword" in Chinese on it. The dream veers off into, well what regular dreams are sometimes like. I'm off taking out ghosts with my 1000 year sword. Well, no. Dreams aren't really like this at all. Not since like high school. Did you know, I think I have crazier dreams during full moons? Weird isn't it? Weirder. I looked up on a Moon Calender. Today is a new moon. I never noticed when these annoying dreams happen but I'm gonna keep a look out now. So fast forward to the end. The enemy has taken form of a bunch of ghosts. I ask if I should kill them to which I hear the response from the elder in my dream "Let them sleep" and sleep ghosts should. They should be able to sleep without fear of being cut down with imaginary 1000 year swords. Maybe it was a trick though because the ghosts certainly don't agree with "Let them sleep." I had repeated annoying visits following this point. They were never as severe as the past ones but just as annoying. It's 8:00AM now and I still can feel a lingering sense of unease.

I hate ghosts. The shitty annoying types.

I want a T-shirt that reads "not a chair" on the chest. Written like chinese ghost paper.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Actual Pirate Birthday

"But why have you come unprepared?"





















See? Actual Pirate Birthday this time!





















Deda fails to foil the crafty pirate.




















Eric and Tatsuya look on.





















um... some dude. yeah... some young dude.



















DKL
















DKL, Tatsuya, Deda, Young Man, Me, Kevin, and Kaizoku-san.