or something like it

It might sound sad, but I'm looking forward to going to work today much more than I'm looking forward to the weekend.  I'm really not looking forward to the weekend.  Why?  Wow!  It continues to be a struggle to coordinate all the people for the weekend raids.  Even more so now that the nicer weather is upon us.  

Tom called me this week to ask me about playing in the club tournament in June.  Practice.  I must get back to chess.  

I also read this morning that World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has gone into closed alpha testing.  It sounds like that will be a definite release later this year.  

Enjoy your Friday,

Ed.

Back to good

Today we're going to see 69 degrees.  Wow!  What ever happened to giving us a while to get from 50-70?  Right now it's really nice out.  I think it's in the high 40's.  Beautiful early morning coolness.  I kept my window open a bit last night.  It was great!  As for me, feeling much better today.  Look out world.

Have a good one,

Ed.

Another night it's gonna be a long one...

The agony continues.  I'm not sure why, but it seems much worse from late evening to mid-morning.  I went to bed around 11 tonight... at least I thought I did.  I woke back up at around midnight.  At first I thought it was my alarm clock.  It was making that almost clicking sound that it makes right before it goes off.  Constantly.  

I tried to ignore it for a bit.  Then I realized that it was warm.  Not a good sign.  Finally the clicking got to me enough that I got out of bed to listen.  The clock was quiet.  That figures.  Source of the clicking:  unknown.  So I go back to bed and take off some covers.  Maybe that will help.  It helps for a minute, but then I get an upset stomach.  You know what that means...

It's going to be a long night.

I hope yours goes better!

Ed.

The Stomach Thing

There must be something going around.  My stomach has been terrible since Sunday night.  I managed to work just about a full day at work today... thanks to bowling night!  And I did bowl.  I don't remember the exact scores, but the were 200+, 200+, 190+ and I ended with a 607 series.  About half way through the last game the stomach pains started.  Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

I need to get my taxes done tomorrow.  As usual, I can't find a thing.  Everyone tells me not to wait until the last minute.  After all these years, I think it's a given.  

Here's to tomorrow!

Ed.

Stress Relief?

I saw an article today that starts like this:

A new study of computer gamers has found that a session in front of World of Warcraft can make players less stressed and more calm.. 

Excuse me?  I can only come to one conclusion myself.  Noobs.  The computer gamers they chose had to be a bunch of noobs.  

Enjoy the week!

Ed.

Better than the last?

I hurt my back yesterday.  I don't know how I did it, but I'm pretty sure that it's real and not imaginary.  I'm eyeing that bottle of advil with much affection.  Ok, I have to leave really early (for me) today.  Getting up at 6am isn't my normal thing.  

And so another day begins...

Maybe this one will be better than the last.

Have a good one.

Ed.

I will

Uncertainty and the great unknown.  Isn't that both the pride and sorry of the life we lead.  Once again we have come to the season of change.  Will this one be better than the last?  I hope so.  Small changes are the victories for which I currently aspire.  Victory may be but a state of mind, yet it is that state of mind for which I seek.  

Looking back I would have done a lot of things different, but to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing.  But tomorrow, most certainly, I will.

Until then,

Ed.

Game of my life

It was just your average, everyday blitz game of chess. A game in 3 minutes. I decided to play against a computer rated 2805 on the ICC. I thought it would be good practice, because I haven't been playing chess much since September. In the end, I drew the game. It was a won endgame, but I had no time. So I just focused on taking all his pieces so that I'd at least be guaranteed the draw. When my time ran out, his clock was at about .2 seconds.

[Event "ICC 3 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2008.01.25"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Boman"]
[Black "QueenMaxima"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ICCResult "White ran out of time and Black has no material to mate"]
[WhiteElo "1483"]
[BlackElo "2805"]
[Opening "Queen's pawn game"]
[ECO "A46"]
[NIC "QP.05"]
[Time "20:13:32"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Be2 Be7 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. c3 Nh5 8.Bg3 h6 9. Qc2 a5 10. a3 Nxg3 11. hxg3 O-O 12. O-O-O Re8 13. Rh3 Qc8 14. Rdh1Qb8 15. e4 a4 16. e5 Qa7 17. Nf1 d6 18. exd6 cxd6 19. Qd2 Na5 20. Kb1 Nb321. Qf4 Bc8 22. Rxh6 gxh6 23. Qxh6 Nd2+ 24. N1xd2 Bh4 25. Rxh4 f5 26. Qh8+Kf7 27. Rh7+ Kg6 28. Rxa7 Rxh8 29. Rxa8 Rh1+ 30. Kc2 Bb7 31. Rb8 Rh7 32.Nh4+ Kf6 33. Bf3 Bxf3 34. Ndxf3 b5 35. Rxb5 Ra7 36. Nd2 d5 37. Ndf3 Ke7 38.Ne5 Kf6 39. Nhf3 Kg7 40. Ng5 Re7 41. Rb6 Kf6 42. Ngf3 Rg7 43. Ra6 Rh7 44.Rxa4 Rg7 45. Ra6 Re7 46. b4 Re8 47. Ra7 Re7 48. Rxe7 Kxe7 49. a4 Kd6 50. b5Kc7 51. a5 Kb7 52. Ng5 Kc8 53. Nxe6 Kb7 54. Ng7 f4 55. gxf4 Kb8 56. Nf5 Kc757. Ne3 Kb7 58. Nxd5 Kb8 59. Kb3 Kb7 60. Kb4 Kb8 61. c4 Kc8 62. c5 Kd8 63.a6 Ke8 64. b6 Kf8 65. Kb5 Kg7 66. c6 Kg8 67. b7 Kf8 68. c7 Kg8 69. Ng6 Kg770. Nf6 Kxg6 71. Ne8 Kh7 72. Nd6 Kh6 73. Nf5+ Kg6 74. Ne7+ Kf7{White ran out of time and Black has no material to mate}1/2-1/2

Last night I decided to play another couple of games before bed. This time, the computer was 2572.

[Event "ICC 3 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2008.01.29"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Boman"]
[Black "OliPow"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ICCResult "Game drawn by repetition"]
[WhiteElo "1549"]
[BlackElo "2572"]
[Opening "Queen's bishop game"]
[ECO "D02"]
[NIC "QP.06"]
[Time "23:52:46"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 h6 4. e3 g5 5. Bg3 Bf5 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Nc6 8.c3 e6 9. Nbd2 g4 10. Ne5 Nxe5 11. Bxe5 c6 12. h3 gxh3 13. Rxh3 Rg8 14. Bxf6Qxf6 15. g3 a5 16. a3 a4 17. Qe2 Kd7 18. Qf3 Qg6 19. Qh5 b5 20. Qxg6 fxg621. Ke2 h5 22. Rg1 Rg7 23. g4 hxg4 24. Rxg4 Be7 25. Nf3 Bf6 26. Rhg3 Rag827. Nh4 g5 28. Nf3 Kc7 29. Kd3 Kb6 30. Ke2 Kb7 31. Kd3 Ka8 32. Ke2 Ka7 33.Kd3 Be7 34. Ne5 Kb7 35. Nf3 Rf8 36. Ke2 Rgf7 37. Rh3 Bd8 38. Rhg3 Rf5 39.Rh3 Be7 40. Rh7 Rxf3 41. Rxe7+ Ka6 42. Rg2 R8f6 43. Rg7 Kb6 44. R7xg5 Ka645. Rg6 Rxf2+ 46. Rxf2 Rxg6 47. Ke1 Rh6 48. Ke2 Kb6 49. Rf7 Rh1 50. Rf1 Rxf151. Kxf1 c5 52. Kf2 Kc6 53. Kf3 c4 54. Kf4 Kd7 55. e4 dxe4 56. Kxe4 Kd6 57.Kf4 Kd5 58. Ke3 e5 59. dxe5 Kxe5 60. Kf3 Kf5 61. Ke3 Ke6 62. Ke4 Kd6 63. Kd4Kc6 64. Ke5 Kc5 65. Ke6 Kc6 66. Ke5 Kc5 67. Ke6 Kc6 68. Ke5{Game drawn by repetition}1/2-1/2

Maybe it's just dumb lucky - but regardless I've been very happy with the results.

And now, it's time to get ready for work.

I hope all is well!

Ed.

Bowling

It's odd, but I feel like I'm bowling better this year.  I'd rather be playing wow, but on Monday nights I bowl.  How did I do this week?

Game 1:  215

Game 2: 247

Game 3: 209

Some days, it just feels right!

Have a great week.

Ed.

The Chess Club

I stopped by the chess club briefly this weekend.  Though I haven't been playing much chess lately, I ended up playing 3 games against Paul Sarrazin.  Final Score:  2.5-.5

I'd tell you all about how our guild downed Prince in World of Warcraft this weekend.  But, chances are, you don't really care.  Plus, I have to get going to work.  Otherwise I'd probably do it anyway.  We tried out Zul'Aman, but being our first time in there it wasn't pretty.  Fun though.

By the way Sean, if you're still out there, Paul says hi!

Enjoy the week.

Ed.