Picked up Halo 3 on Thursday and played about an hour of campaign mode. First impressions: improved graphics, more difficult enemy AI, better weapons and vast maps. What I'm still getting used to: new control layouts for reloading and double-wielding. So far, it's pretty awesome (but not nearly as graphically impressive as Gears of War or BioShock). I also tried three player campaign co-op and that was fun. Can't wait to try multiplayer with the guys and the replay function. Will be playing this game for years!
We went on a shopping spree today at Babies R Us for new stuff for Lucas. Since he's eating solid foods now as part of his diet (applesauce, pear, banana, and rice cereal), we wanted to get him a high chair. We originally were going to buy the Fisher Price RainForest Healthy Chair, but decided to go for the Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair instead. It's more portable, and since we don't have much room in the kitchen, it saves us a lot of space by enabling us to hook the chair up to a dining room chair. Plus, it's $50 less than the Healthy Chair with essentially the same features (3 way recline, height adjustable, easy clean tray, and washable seat pad).
We also bought a Sealy Baby Soft Premium Crib Mattress. I had assembled the crib yesterday and we plan to eventually transfer him from our bed to his crib. His crib is still in our room though so it should be okay.
We also bought him some larger onesies and warmer outfits, especially since we'll be heading to chilly Boston next month. While we spent a bunch, it helped that we had several coupons to use today, saving us about 20 percent off the total.
Last night we went to Jeanne and Joel's wedding at the cozy and beautiful Los Angeles River Center. We've both known Jeanne since high school, and Lediya and Jeanne used to hang out together back then. Another high school friend Mai served as a bridesmaid, with our other friends Mannie and Grace attending as well. So it was a mini-reunion.
It was a nice outdoor wedding, with a traditional Pae Bek Korean ceremony. The reception was unique in that the food was buffet-style: they had a prime rib station, a tacos station, a Mediterranean section, a sushi/sashimi station, and a grilled vegetables section. It was all good. The best though was the chocolate wedding cake!
Lucas has learned a new skill: blowing "raspberries." He does this when he eats his rice cereal and applesauce, and you can imagine how the food gets all over the place. Here's a short video of him practicing his newfound skill.
I was playing around with Google Maps today and discovered that they added a new feature called "My Maps." My Maps is fully customizable, and I decided to create a custom map that pinpointed where Lediya and I have traveled together so far. I also embedded a photo that we took at each location. Looking at it geographically, it seems that we have a lot of catching up to do in terms of visiting other places.
You can play around with the map below. Go ahead and zoom, drag, and click on the pins to see where we've been and a photo associated with it. Cool, huh?
This weekend we drove up to the Central Coast, specifically the Santa Barbara/Carpinteria area. It was a great weekend weather-wise, with temperatures in the low 70s. We had a picnic lunch at Chase Palm Park, which is situated across the street from the waterfront. We also visited the Santa Barbara Zoo which, is the best small zoo in the U.S. They had gorillas, giraffes, a couple of African lions, and lots of birds. All the animals have a grand view of the Pacific Ocean too. Lucas liked the penguins the best since they put on a swimming show for him. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Carpinteria.
The next day, we drove back to Santa Barbara to visit Old Mission Santa Barbara. This mission was built in 1786, and the church is still in use today. We attended Sunday service, and it was amazing to be in a place that is 200 plus years old. We checked out the courtyard, the sleeping quarters, and the cemetery.All in all it was a fun weekend. It's a great escape from L.A. (2 hours drive north on the 101 freeway). It was Lucas' first night away from home and we wanted to get him accustomed to traveling relatively long distances. Seems that he had a great time!
Just finished Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants and I must say that was an amazing read. It has been lauded as a "great pick for summer", but this book is so much more. It has a depth and a substance to it that you don't usually find in your typical "beach read". It's obvious that the author did her research into the time period (post-Depression America), and the subject matter (traveling circuses). According to the author's note at the end of the book, many of the compelling anecdotes in the story were based upon real events, culled from the diaries and personal histories of old-time circus performers. As a result, Water for Elephants is a novel that boasts the rare combination of being both entertaining and informative.
The main character is a cantankerous, still-sharp 93-year-old man, and his frustration at being trapped in an old man's body is palpable. The story of his incredible life and adventures with the Benzini Brothers circus unfolds in a way that is emotionally wrenching, and yet flashes of good humor pervade throughout. The characters are richly drawn, and even the animals are given complex personalities that make them a pivotal part of the story. There is something in the novel for everyone: it is equal parts adventure, mystery, fictional memoir, love story, and historical account.
This weekend, Lucas turned five months old! He now eats solid food at least once a day (rice cereal and/or apple sauce). He is now almost 15.5 lbs. He laughs more actively and rolls to his tummy (but he can't roll back yet). He likes to suck his fingers and does not use his pacifier that much anymore. He likes to read! We bought him several new books and he just likes when we read to him. He likes to hit the pages with his hand to indicate that it's time to turn the page.
He's also "talking" a lot now. Check out this clip from our trip to Santa Barbara.
Recently, there was a FatWallet deal on the "famed" Heavenly Bed for 40% off. We were looking for a new mattress due to a couple of reasons: 1. Our full size bed is already 8 years old; and 2. Lucas pretty much owns the bed and he also likes to sleep with his arms spread out. So, for the past few weeks we had been doing some research. We came across the 40% deal and decided to go to Nordstrom's to try out the Heavenly Bed in person. We liked it a lot because it was softer than our existing firm bed, and that it was larger. So we decided to pull the trigger for a queen sized pillow top mattress set. It came out to $897 out the door with white glove delivery ($1,495 retail). What a deal! Tonight will be our first night on it and let's see how Lucas takes to his new bed.
Of course, it’s not just the mattress that makes the Heavenly Bed. You also need a good down comforter - we'll get one as the weather cools. Also, we need to find some some quality sheets and pillows to complete the feel. I hear Overstock.com and Amazon.com both occasionally have some really good deals. Thread counts, Egyptian cottons, Pima cottons, yet another mess to wade through…
Picked up Halo 3 on Thursday and played about an hour of campaign mode. First impressions: improved graphics, more difficult enemy AI, better weapons and vast maps. What I'm still getting used to: new control layouts for reloading and double-wielding. So far, it's pretty awesome (but not nearly as graphically impressive as Gears of War or BioShock). I also tried three player campaign co-op and that was fun. Can't wait to try multiplayer with the guys and the replay function. Will be playing this game for years!
