Monday night Jen and I went to see Carmen at McCaw Hall in Seattle Center. I can't say I was pleased with the opera as a whole, but a couple of the singers/actors were great, I recognized a lot of the music (many classic pieces from this opera that I recognized), the sets were great, and the orchestra was excellent. You read all that and you might think, "Well that sounds like a pretty superior first-time opera-going experience." And that would be true except for the fact that the story was...boring. There just wasn't a whole heck of a lot to recommend it as a story. I'd go to another opera -- and I'm certain I will -- but I doubt I'd see Carmen again.

Work on Monday and Tuesday was filled with meetings, so I got very little done other than that. A couple of the meetings were very constructive, but nothing really stands out over the last couple of days that bears mentioning.

Today, we tested one of the upcoming projects that is being sped up right now, so we can get it out in a timely fashion. When that was done six of us played the new Xevoz action figure game. The game was...simplistic, not very compelling, challenging, strategic, nor did the game really interact with the action figures. They acted more as "life counters" than anything else, which was a real bummer, because the figures were really cool. I like them now and I'd have loved them as a kid. In a lot of ways they remind me of Micronauts. Man, I loved those toys. So, if you want to see a couple of cool, interchangeable action figures, check them out; otherwise, the game is kinda lame. Even for kids.

Here's something that's come up a couple of times in the two-plus years I've been keeping this blog; as more people I know read it, there are fewer and fewer things that I can safely write about. Clearly, if "Steve" pisses me off and Steve reads this, I can't write about what a jerk he is. Or if something is happening to Steve that is deeply personal, I can't write what I think about it because Steve or a close friend will probably see it. Or, if I don't want Steve to know some things that are happening in my life because Steve really doesn't need to know them -- or I'm not comfortable with him kowing them, then I can't write about them. See the problem? Anyway, there's some things I just can't write about here and it bothers me -- but if I could write about them freely, then there probably wouldn't be many people reading this, so it's kind of a double-bind.

I guess that's fine. This is a living media and it will change over time as more people are introduced to it. It started as a way to keep up with friends back in Wisconsin and those that have moved to other parts of the world. In the time I've been here it's become a way for me to get my thoughts out of "paper" and become a place where family and new friends can keep up with my life. That's definitely a good thing, but I still wish I could freely write about anything I want.

This is just about the coolest book ever: Sammy Tubbs, the Boy Doctor, and Sponsie, the Troublesome Monkey. I think I need a copy.

Okay. It's time for me to get some sleep. I will return!