Oddball Update – Page 26 – Chief Oddball writes about tech, games, cars and family life

Reloading

December 21, 2008December 21, 2008 Chief Oddball

I’m sitting in the lounge of Sittara Spa in Hat Yai, Thailand, while Apple enjoys a 50-minute reflexology session (that’s a foot massage to the rest of us). I would have gotten one, too, except that we were walk-ins and there was only enough room for one.

Join The Midnight Club

December 3, 2008September 29, 2011 Chief Oddball 5 Comments

Among the bevy of Xbox 360 games I picked up shortly after landing here in Thailand is Midnight Club L.A., the latest entry in Rockstar Games' action driving franchise.

Progress

November 29, 2008November 29, 2008 Chief Oddball 1 Comment

When I first had the bright idea to prefix my entry titles with “Travelogue” while we’re overseas, I didn’t really stop to consider the result: that every post I make for the whole rest of this trip would start with that word.

A Thai Thanksgiving

November 27, 2008September 21, 2011 Chief Oddball 2 Comments

First off, to my American-based audience, which I suspect is the entirety of it: Happy Thanksgiving! Obviously, there’s no Thanksgiving holiday in Thailand — that’s a uniquely American (and, OK, Canadian) tradition. Nevertheless, being an American in Thailand, and one who often cited Thanksgiving as one of his favorite occasions thanks to my love of turkey and mashed potatoes, the holiday is certainly on my mind.

Travelogue: Settling In

November 19, 2008November 19, 2008 Chief Oddball 3 Comments

As my workday comes to a close, and my efforts gladly wind down, I think that what I’m most looking forward to this evening is going to bed. It started pouring rain last night and continued, off-and-on, into most of today.

Travelogue: So Far, So Good

November 17, 2008October 7, 2011 Chief Oddball 1 Comment

Greetings from Southeast Asia! It’s our second and last day in Bangkok, Thailand, before we head to our final destination in the nation’s south. So far, our travels from the U.S. have gone swimmingly — no significant delays, a handful of pleasant flights and experiences, and no problems of which to speak.

Gearing Up

November 1, 2008October 7, 2011 Chief Oddball

Our travel date nears, and so, as you might expect, preparations for said trip have just about reached fever pitch around here. Not that I’m spending 24/7 packing — I usually plan things far too elaborately to get caught in a flurry of last-minute prep work.

Metal Gear Mania

June 17, 2008October 7, 2011 Chief Oddball 5 Comments

OK, so the PlayStation 3’s raison d’être — Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — has finally been released, bringing the legendary Metal Gear franchise to a close. As I started to read the reviews of the latest installment, I remembered way back in 1998 when I bought Metal Gear Solid at the Orlando Fashion Square Mall, completely on a whim.

Liberty City Stories

June 12, 2008September 22, 2011 Chief Oddball 4 Comments

Thanks to my mom, a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 was already waiting for me on my desk chair when Apple and I returned from Thailand. Although I’ve ramped up my side work to near epic proportions since coming home, I’ve carved out some spare hours during evenings and weekends to get a taste of this game.

Invisible Touch: The 2007 Remaster

June 12, 2008September 22, 2011 Chief Oddball

During my last trip out in the GTO, I realized that it’s been months since I actually changed the CDs in the car’s 6-disc changer deck. As if to prove the point, when I cycled through the discs to see what was what, I found half of the catalog was still left over from last October’s road trip to Michigan.