Well, as of Saturday it is, as that's when I'll be arriving in Austin to start the pre-college insanity, but tomorrow I'll be tearing down the computer to pack that up. It's been a fantastic summer, both in Europe and here in the States. I've gotten good doses of life learning and character building, as well as sleep and relaxation, and I'm about as ready as I can be for another year down on campus. I've learned to drink coffee, I learned to eat a few new things (and promptly got sick of them), I made some fantastic new friends, but above all I feel much more prepared for the rest of my life. Europe was just the challenge I needed to make sure I could cut it on my own in the world, and for surviving that I feel like I've been handsomely rewarded. On the lighter side of things, there's been a ton of good music this summer, thanks to Jamiroquai, Telepopmusik, Common, and a couple other one-off goodies from Gorillaz and a few more. My official soundtrack of the summer has been as follows:Jamiroquai - Dynamite [album]
Telepopmusik - Angel Milk [album]
Common - Be [album]
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Jimmy Eat World - If You Don't, Don't (a gem I wouldn't have discovered if not for my iPod's shuffle feature)
Frou Frou - Details [album]
Feist - Let It Die [album] - props go to Aroon on this one. Seriously guys, go grab this. If you don't like Feist, your taste in music is beyond terrible, but at least you can revel in your enjoyment of the junk ClearChannel serves you.
And finally, the Amelie soundtrack. Quakecon, the trademark event that serves as the celebration of the end of summer, brought us to the season's end with a whimper. The event moved slowly because it's much more boring to go as a casual gamer. The more hardcore you are, the more access you have, the more people you know, and the more things you can enjoy. That doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable - some fine times were shared among those of us who went - but it definitely didn't feel like the QCons of old. It felt more like a shameful attempt to rehash those old times, and it definitely didn't work. The photo album reflects it: a few cool things were found, but it really just shows us chillin' and playing around. The best day we had, the afternoon where we tested for Atari, has no photographs to show for it. I was the only one who attended Mr. Sinus. We pissed off people with the Airzooka, which amazingly held our attention for several hours. All in all, we potentially could have had a better time having a giant A-town LAN party and inviting everyone over. As for next year, the only guarantee I have is I won't be doing early check-in. Good way to waste 8 hours of our time, Qcon admins; well done.The biggest disappointment of all, though, is that I'm moving. It's not that we're moving into a crappy house or anything; it's in fantastic condition and it's actually a pretty cool place. But having just moved into here a few years ago (OK, 4, but that's the most time I've spent in any one house since I was a kiddo) and knowing how much damned effort went into the house we have now, I feel like my mom just decided to throw all that out the window because it's not absolutely perfect. We have *neighbors*, omg, and she's moving into another neighborhood. I still think it's a subconscious addiction to the Home and Garden Channel. Look - I know how to appreciate what one has - there's a whole list of stuff I would change on my car in a heartbeat given the chance, but I'm very happy with what I have - and I think my mom has lost her understanding of that. This place is beautiful, it's what I've truly called home, it's the house I finished high school in and left for college from, and I'm not happy that it's going away.At the very least, I finally finished all the bullshit negotiations with my apartment complex, and my mates and I have a very cool apartment. If you're in Austin, feel free to stop by Villas 108; there's a couch with your name on it.
Telepopmusik - Angel Milk [album]
Common - Be [album]
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Jimmy Eat World - If You Don't, Don't (a gem I wouldn't have discovered if not for my iPod's shuffle feature)
Frou Frou - Details [album]
Feist - Let It Die [album] - props go to Aroon on this one. Seriously guys, go grab this. If you don't like Feist, your taste in music is beyond terrible, but at least you can revel in your enjoyment of the junk ClearChannel serves you.
And finally, the Amelie soundtrack. Quakecon, the trademark event that serves as the celebration of the end of summer, brought us to the season's end with a whimper. The event moved slowly because it's much more boring to go as a casual gamer. The more hardcore you are, the more access you have, the more people you know, and the more things you can enjoy. That doesn't mean it wasn't enjoyable - some fine times were shared among those of us who went - but it definitely didn't feel like the QCons of old. It felt more like a shameful attempt to rehash those old times, and it definitely didn't work. The photo album reflects it: a few cool things were found, but it really just shows us chillin' and playing around. The best day we had, the afternoon where we tested for Atari, has no photographs to show for it. I was the only one who attended Mr. Sinus. We pissed off people with the Airzooka, which amazingly held our attention for several hours. All in all, we potentially could have had a better time having a giant A-town LAN party and inviting everyone over. As for next year, the only guarantee I have is I won't be doing early check-in. Good way to waste 8 hours of our time, Qcon admins; well done.The biggest disappointment of all, though, is that I'm moving. It's not that we're moving into a crappy house or anything; it's in fantastic condition and it's actually a pretty cool place. But having just moved into here a few years ago (OK, 4, but that's the most time I've spent in any one house since I was a kiddo) and knowing how much damned effort went into the house we have now, I feel like my mom just decided to throw all that out the window because it's not absolutely perfect. We have *neighbors*, omg, and she's moving into another neighborhood. I still think it's a subconscious addiction to the Home and Garden Channel. Look - I know how to appreciate what one has - there's a whole list of stuff I would change on my car in a heartbeat given the chance, but I'm very happy with what I have - and I think my mom has lost her understanding of that. This place is beautiful, it's what I've truly called home, it's the house I finished high school in and left for college from, and I'm not happy that it's going away.At the very least, I finally finished all the bullshit negotiations with my apartment complex, and my mates and I have a very cool apartment. If you're in Austin, feel free to stop by Villas 108; there's a couch with your name on it.