Updates on that Other Stuff

So, besides this Ultimate Gamer Test, what else has been happening? Last Saturday I got some tickets for the local minor league baseball game through work (along with free food and drink coupons) and took the kids to go watch. For what it was and for how old they are, the kids did a fantastic job. Isaiah got chosen to go out on the field and announce the first batter. He was THRILLED! He got a free T-shirt and one of the game balls to take home. I think he wants to be a professional ball player now.

Everyone else enjoyed the game as well. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it...not in a rabid fan sort of way either. There were two home runs and quite a few really good defensive catches. All in all, it was a great weekend.

However, after the game, Isaiah went down to spend a few days with Leslie's parents and younger brothers. He got to go hang out with his uncles and I'm sure they had a great time. I can't say for sure because on Wednesday, Leslie took the other kids to the family reunion/camping trip and will come back this Saturday. That means I won't see my girls for three days and my boy for a whole week. Let me tell ya...I hate coming home to an empty house. You'd think it'd be relaxing. I don't like it.

Why didn't I go to the reunion? Work. And GenCon. I don't have enough vacation time to attend both and I certainly can't afford to take unpaid leave. I'm sad to miss out on the camping - and even more sad that I'll miss most of next week with my family as well. At least I'll have four days of mad-crazy gaming to make up for it...

In other news, I've thrown my hat into the ring for an electrical apprenticeship. Because the parent-company of my work is the local utility, I am able to see all the internal-only job postings, and one of them is for a candidate pool for electrical mechanic apprentices. I've taken and passed all the required tests and submitted my application packet (complete with test scores, military training certificates - in electronics nonetheless - and I even found a letter of recommendation from my training squadron commander about my average military tech school grades...98%!). If I do get accepted, it will nearly double my annual salary...and that's just the start. Apparently electricians who work for a utility company (as opposed to construction) make an unbelievable (to me anyway) amount of money. If I don't get it, no worries...but with the luck I have been having lately, I think my chances are higher than average. The posting doesn't close until the end of this month, so I'll just have to wait and see.

Anything else? Oh yeah, I've been asked to write a blog about gaming with kids to post on this Gleemax site once it gets up and running in the next week or so. I won't be reproducing my posts for that here, but I'll make sure to put up a link so you all can read my less-than-expert advice and thoughts on playing games with kids between the ages of 5 and 11. I've got the first two posts already written, but you'll just have to wait like everyone else. So nyeah...