This week-end was to be a productive one. I had places to go and people to do. Err... things to do. In particular, things around the house. I had a light bulb to change, a speaker to fix, a minivan to get running again,... The list of things in the job jar was growing. Included in that list was the chore of emptying my old computer. We got a new computer three years ago and we never transferred any of the movies/music/pictures/office documents/etc. over to our new system. In hindsight, this was good because we had a hard drive crash about a year ago that would have wiped it all out. But we wanted to set the old system up for the kids, so it was time to get started.
There were some early pictures of the girls, some pictures of a very pregnant Rhonda, some music that I forgot I had, and a few things that should have been cleaned up years ago. Once anything and everything of any value on the hard drive was transferred over I realized that my job wasn't done. I had about a dozen or so 3.5" Floppy diskettes (Yes, you read that right) with stuff on it that I had to get things off of. Since my old system was the last system that I would probably have with a disk drive in it, I thought it best to do it now and get it done. I seemed to remember saving goofy emails and funny things that I came across in my early years of web surfing. But I soon realized that I had found something more important that. It was my "virtual shoe box".
These diskettes contained memories of the period of my life between my two big relationships, with a little overlapping. What should have taken about 15 minutes to simply transfer took over an hour. Things that were erased from my memory suddenly came flooding back as I poured over the disks one by one. The first disc had pictures of a girl that I had met over the web years ago. Her name was Theresa. She lived in Ohio. She was married with two boys. I had forgotten how cute she was until the pictures surfaced. We never had an online affair or anything like that. We were company for each other. She used to tell me that she and her hubby didn't talk much. We used to chat for hours until one day she just stopped coming online. I never did find out what happened to her.
Then there was April, a full of life, hockey-loving Texas girl that had a huge crush on Boston Bruins forward Joe Thornton (now on San Jose). I found a few pictures of her on a different disc. She was fun to chat with. We lost touch years back and it had been a long time since I had thought of her. I tended to socialize online a lot then, perhaps more so than I do now. Between a full-time job and my MBA studies, I didn't get out much.
I found pictures of the waitresses at the local Hooters washing my car, as a couple of buddies and myself went for their annual charity car wash. My car looked worse after the wash than before it but it didn't matter. We all know it wasn't about the wash itself anyways. I found a picture of the team I played for in the Western Canadian Ball Hockey Championships, the first and only time I played in the tournament. We lost all three games, but fought hard in all of them. I found some of my old MBA coursework. I opened up some of it just to see if I could still follow what I did. Damn. It's been so long that I forgot how good I was. I used to be able to make Excel sing. I'm not sure I could do anyhting that intense now. I thought about some of the good people I had shared that experience with, most of which I've lost touch with years ago.
And I found pictures of Baba, my Mom's mom and the only Grand-parent I ever really knew. The pics were of her on her 90th birthday. She was already pretty blind and her memory was starting to fade, but she always had a smile for us. She had passed away before the girls were born. She had lived a good life. It had been a while since I had thought of her too.
I wasn't prepared for all of the feelings to come back. It caught me by surprise. I started to feel sad about all of the good people that I've lost touch with over the years, as that seemed to be the one common thread. If life is the sum of our relationships, then I think I'm a "C" student at best. I'm not even sure where I'm going with this, how I'm going to end it, or why I wrote it in the first place. I felt compelled, as if writing it might help me to sort things out. Maybe I was just always too busy to keep in touch. Maybe they were too. Maybe in the long run those fleeting relationships didn't mean that much to me. Or them. Maybe. I don't know. I need to think about this one.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Kijiji
I have recently discovered Kijiji, a website where you can post and browse local classified ads for free. I always knew it was there but I've never really used it before. I used to always default to eBay when looking for anything I needed but had trouble finding locally. Like eBay, some things are terribly overpriced, but there are deals to be had if you take the time. I’ve managed to purchase a few under-priced games that were then quickly traded in for a decent profit. I also managed to pick up a wireless network adapter for a song. I also missed out on a couple of items because I didn’t find them in time. The inventory of ads changes constantly, so you have to act fast when the real good deals come along because they don’t last long.
Based on my success in purchasing a few things, I thought I would try my hand at selling. I have a lot of original Xbox games that I put up for sale in an effort to thin out my collection, as well as a few Xbox 360 titles that are collecting dust and have terrible trade-in values. The good part is that the service is free, so there is no cost in using the website. The bad part is that the service is free, so there is no cost in using the website. Free, it seems, is the key for bringing out everyone and their weird requests. Why not? It’s free.
I was contacted regarding a few of the games on the list but as of today, none have ever sold. People have wanted things at ridiculously low prices. Sorry, but I don’t give Black Friday deals. If the request is reasonable, I’ll entertain it. And my games are in way better shape then most of the ones found at the local Gamestop (I'm terribly appauled at how some people treat their belongings, but that's a whole other blog). People have no idea if the games are backwards compatible with Xbox 360. I'm not Wikipedia so do some homework before contacting me, please. People have asked for free games because they can’t afford them for their kids. If I’m not getting a tax receipt for my donation, then the answer is no. Someone wanted a $5 game on my list and asked if I would consider a trade. Seriously? For $5?
I have since pulled my ads from Kijiji because the headaches were not worth the few bucks I could have made. Maybe I’ll just have a garage sale in the spring. Until then I’ll continue to scan the ads from time to time in search of deals. Why not? It’s free.
Based on my success in purchasing a few things, I thought I would try my hand at selling. I have a lot of original Xbox games that I put up for sale in an effort to thin out my collection, as well as a few Xbox 360 titles that are collecting dust and have terrible trade-in values. The good part is that the service is free, so there is no cost in using the website. The bad part is that the service is free, so there is no cost in using the website. Free, it seems, is the key for bringing out everyone and their weird requests. Why not? It’s free.
I was contacted regarding a few of the games on the list but as of today, none have ever sold. People have wanted things at ridiculously low prices. Sorry, but I don’t give Black Friday deals. If the request is reasonable, I’ll entertain it. And my games are in way better shape then most of the ones found at the local Gamestop (I'm terribly appauled at how some people treat their belongings, but that's a whole other blog). People have no idea if the games are backwards compatible with Xbox 360. I'm not Wikipedia so do some homework before contacting me, please. People have asked for free games because they can’t afford them for their kids. If I’m not getting a tax receipt for my donation, then the answer is no. Someone wanted a $5 game on my list and asked if I would consider a trade. Seriously? For $5?
I have since pulled my ads from Kijiji because the headaches were not worth the few bucks I could have made. Maybe I’ll just have a garage sale in the spring. Until then I’ll continue to scan the ads from time to time in search of deals. Why not? It’s free.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
For the Fallen
November is here once again. That means another Call of Duty game is released and another Remembrance Day is close by. Yeah, it’s a great time to release a game with Xmas only being 5-6 weeks away. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Call of Duty comes out so close to Remembrance Day every year.
To everyone out there who thinks that a career with the armed forces would be a piece of cake because they just got 13 kills and 4 deaths in their last round on Call of Duty, remember this: In real life, there are no respawns. You don’t get to come back – you get buried. You can’t adjust the setting of the war from “realistic” to “easy”. And you most certainly do not get to blame your getting shot on “lag issues”.
On November 11, remember to wear a poppy and take a minute of silence for those who fell to provide us the freedom to live the lives that we do. When they answered the call of duty, the gave a lot more than the $60 that the game cost.
To everyone out there who thinks that a career with the armed forces would be a piece of cake because they just got 13 kills and 4 deaths in their last round on Call of Duty, remember this: In real life, there are no respawns. You don’t get to come back – you get buried. You can’t adjust the setting of the war from “realistic” to “easy”. And you most certainly do not get to blame your getting shot on “lag issues”.
On November 11, remember to wear a poppy and take a minute of silence for those who fell to provide us the freedom to live the lives that we do. When they answered the call of duty, the gave a lot more than the $60 that the game cost.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
How short is too short?
So, I'm finished Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. What a short game. I have a few challenges to do, but the game itself is finished. I could replay on a harder level or go back and chase some achievements - either or both of which I still might do. But for a single playthrough, IT IS SHORT!!! There's no multi-player or co-op play to extend the experience. I'm feeling a tad disappointed. And ripped off. Not just once, but twice. I bought a copy for myself and the boy. Fortunately, I traded in against them so I didn't feel the direct hit to the pocketbook for two copies... But still.
Games with short campaigns should have a multi-player component to it, like Halo: Reach, or Medal of Honor. Games without multi-player should have wicked campaigns. Mass Effect is a prime example. Or Fallout. Gears of War is the best of both worlds - a challenging campaign with both co-op and multi-player gameplay to really extend the experience. I miss the old Star Wars games - Knights of the Old Republic, the Jedi Knight series - Those games had real substance to them. We should get some free DLC just to make up for the tiny campaign. That will never happen, though. Lucas doesn't give anything away for free. A full price game needs a full price effort put into it.
If you're not a die hard Star Wars fan that must own a copy of it, then rent it. Or wait for it to drop in price. Or wait for it to be rebundled with all of the inevitable DLC which might make it worth the full price. Any way, it's not a $60 game. And with the large selection of new games out this holiday season, it's not like we're short of choices.
Games with short campaigns should have a multi-player component to it, like Halo: Reach, or Medal of Honor. Games without multi-player should have wicked campaigns. Mass Effect is a prime example. Or Fallout. Gears of War is the best of both worlds - a challenging campaign with both co-op and multi-player gameplay to really extend the experience. I miss the old Star Wars games - Knights of the Old Republic, the Jedi Knight series - Those games had real substance to them. We should get some free DLC just to make up for the tiny campaign. That will never happen, though. Lucas doesn't give anything away for free. A full price game needs a full price effort put into it.
If you're not a die hard Star Wars fan that must own a copy of it, then rent it. Or wait for it to drop in price. Or wait for it to be rebundled with all of the inevitable DLC which might make it worth the full price. Any way, it's not a $60 game. And with the large selection of new games out this holiday season, it's not like we're short of choices.
Friday, October 22, 2010
The Art of the Deal
It is the onset of the holiday season, when we are bombarded with a proliferation of great gaming goodness. Fallout, Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, The Force Unleashed,... How can we keep up?
Well, we can make choices. Which ones do we want right now? Which ones can we wait for a price drop on? Do I have to give up my Starbucks for Fable? What do we want to see under the tree at Xmas? Decisions, decisions. But what if we don't want to wait? What happens if the spoiled 8-year old in us comes out and wants it all right now? This is where we try to stretch that dollar a little further. It takes a little work, but it can be worth it. I'm talking about the art of the trade-in deal.
Now if we want to get rid of those games collecting dust on the shelf, that's one thing. It's low hanging fruit - easy to pick, not a lot of work. I'm talking about chasing the juicy fruit at the top of the tree. For that, we have to be more creative. I'm talking about the undervalued games with good trade-in values that are floating around out there, just waiting to be exploited.
One example of this occurred earlier this year when Alien vs. Predator came out. EB Games (Gamestop Canada) offered a 50% additional trade-in on games toward the pre-order of AvP. At this particular time they were offering $40 for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance II. On the pre-order, that value increased to $60. Since AvP sold for $60, it was virtually a direct swap. With a little hunting I managed to find a used copy of Marvel II for $36 all in, netting me a cool $30 in savings (including taxes). This was not the first time I saved a few bucks by exploiting trade-in values and it most certainly has not been my last. I have literally saved hundreds of dollars on games by exploiting higher than average trade-in values by purchasing underpriced games. If they're going to give it to us, then darn it, we should take it!!
For some it might not be worth the effort. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the challenge of doing it more than I need the financial savings. But it helps, regardless of why I do it. Do you have any stories of trade-in savings? Are you a bargain hunter? How do you make your gaming dollar go further? Let's hear from all you cheapskate gamers out there! Maybe we can all help each other.
Well, we can make choices. Which ones do we want right now? Which ones can we wait for a price drop on? Do I have to give up my Starbucks for Fable? What do we want to see under the tree at Xmas? Decisions, decisions. But what if we don't want to wait? What happens if the spoiled 8-year old in us comes out and wants it all right now? This is where we try to stretch that dollar a little further. It takes a little work, but it can be worth it. I'm talking about the art of the trade-in deal.
Now if we want to get rid of those games collecting dust on the shelf, that's one thing. It's low hanging fruit - easy to pick, not a lot of work. I'm talking about chasing the juicy fruit at the top of the tree. For that, we have to be more creative. I'm talking about the undervalued games with good trade-in values that are floating around out there, just waiting to be exploited.
One example of this occurred earlier this year when Alien vs. Predator came out. EB Games (Gamestop Canada) offered a 50% additional trade-in on games toward the pre-order of AvP. At this particular time they were offering $40 for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance II. On the pre-order, that value increased to $60. Since AvP sold for $60, it was virtually a direct swap. With a little hunting I managed to find a used copy of Marvel II for $36 all in, netting me a cool $30 in savings (including taxes). This was not the first time I saved a few bucks by exploiting trade-in values and it most certainly has not been my last. I have literally saved hundreds of dollars on games by exploiting higher than average trade-in values by purchasing underpriced games. If they're going to give it to us, then darn it, we should take it!!
For some it might not be worth the effort. Sometimes I wonder if I enjoy the challenge of doing it more than I need the financial savings. But it helps, regardless of why I do it. Do you have any stories of trade-in savings? Are you a bargain hunter? How do you make your gaming dollar go further? Let's hear from all you cheapskate gamers out there! Maybe we can all help each other.
I'm out of the closet.
My dirty little secret has been revealed. Rhonda knows about my blog.
It wasn't a secret perse, but she didn't know about it. Now she does. She was surprised.
That is all.
It wasn't a secret perse, but she didn't know about it. Now she does. She was surprised.
That is all.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Putting the "Friend" back in your "Friends List"
I'm not always a good friend. I try to be, but then life takes over and I find I lose touch with people, both online and offline. Sometimes I find myself in conversations with friends who are talking about things I didn't know about. I had no idea El Sand Dog had his appendix removed. I've lost track of QJB's operations. I seem to forget the names of kids and spouses of people on my friends list, which is a result of not talking to them for a while. I'm sure that there's plenty more that I can't list here simply because I don't know about it.
Even here locally, I've lost track of friends that I've known since grade school. I'm starting to feel guilty about it. Now, I'm not a Facebook guy, I'm a face-to-face guy. I prefer to talk to someone or email someone directly than read a post on a website as to how they're doing. I'm also a private person by nature and my life is not the business of the general public. Not to mention I'd have to wrestle Rhonda for the PC. I'm sure she'd just as soon call the police and have me arrested for domestic abuse rather than give up "her" computer.
Time is my enemy. Always has been. There's never enough of it for me to do the things that I would like to do. And for some reason, I've had really low energy lately too, which doesn't help. I think I need a multi-vitamin with a Red Bull chaser. And for the first time ever, I'm considering a Facebook account just to consolidate my friends (or the vast majority thereof) and make a concerted effort to know what's going on in their lives on a regular basis. I'm a little anti-facebook because the whole "stalkbook" thing. It earned that nickname for a reason, so I'm still a little uncertain.
In the meantime, I'm going to try and make a better effort to keep in touch with my friends. It's time that the "friend" on your "friends list" makes an appearance again.
Even here locally, I've lost track of friends that I've known since grade school. I'm starting to feel guilty about it. Now, I'm not a Facebook guy, I'm a face-to-face guy. I prefer to talk to someone or email someone directly than read a post on a website as to how they're doing. I'm also a private person by nature and my life is not the business of the general public. Not to mention I'd have to wrestle Rhonda for the PC. I'm sure she'd just as soon call the police and have me arrested for domestic abuse rather than give up "her" computer.
Time is my enemy. Always has been. There's never enough of it for me to do the things that I would like to do. And for some reason, I've had really low energy lately too, which doesn't help. I think I need a multi-vitamin with a Red Bull chaser. And for the first time ever, I'm considering a Facebook account just to consolidate my friends (or the vast majority thereof) and make a concerted effort to know what's going on in their lives on a regular basis. I'm a little anti-facebook because the whole "stalkbook" thing. It earned that nickname for a reason, so I'm still a little uncertain.
In the meantime, I'm going to try and make a better effort to keep in touch with my friends. It's time that the "friend" on your "friends list" makes an appearance again.
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