OS: A New Beginning

It is the year 2650.

Four weeks ago, alien outversers aboard the starships Courser and Bunker Hill aided the arachnoid B'hiri in their defeat of the Il'Ri'Kamm Hive Mind, once the dominant force within the realm known as Hiverspace.

Now, powerful energy rifts stretching through time and space have brought new aliens into the mix from the distant future. Some of them have arrived aboard spacecraft with highly advanced technology. The tech most likely to be coveted: Resurrection machines transported to this era from the 41st Century. In that future, they sparked a war between two great powers. Here and now, in Hiverspace, that technology might spark an even broader conflict.

At the center of it all is a neutral haven known as Comorro Station, a living sentient starship that is home to traders, rogues, diplomats, and lost souls.

The saga that began in 1998 has a new beginning. Now's your chance to get involved and help build a new history in Hiverspace.

For now, the grid is limited to Comorro Station. We're taking a break from the galaxy-shaking, universe-ripping, end-of-the-world epic motif for a while and focusing instead on smaller, more localized/character-focused stories as we flesh out more of the fundamentals of the universe of Hiverspace. However, as the new game evolves, we plan to introduce exploration, interplanetary trade, and diplomatic opportunities.

Join us at jointhesaga.com 1790. You may also apply for a character by following the Newcomer link at http://www.jointhesaga.com - applications are currently being accepted for Hekayti (humanoid) and Lotorian (raccoon-like) characters.

A good news/bad news kind of day...

Looks like Al Franken is winning Minnesota:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/04/franken-to-be-declared-se_n_155159.html

But Richardson is out as commerce secretary because of another pay-to-play scandal:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/04/richardson.withdrawal/index.html

The Weight Thing: Day 75-77

I'm combining the Friday-Sunday weekend because it was mostly a blur due to all the work I was doing on OtherSpace.

On Friday, I had a snack of ropa vieja. For dinner, before going to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, we had pork chops, apples, and pasta with broccoli. I had ginger ale and Diet Mountain Dew (caffeine) throughout the day. For dessert, tres leche cake!

On Saturday, I had a snack of pasta with broccoli. For dinner, we went to El Dorado in Brier Creek. I had carnitas, rice, chips and salsa, and a Coke (caffeine/sugar). It wasn't much to write home about. For dessert, tres leche cake!

On Sunday, Karen went shopping and came back with Backyard Burgers - my first experience with them. I had a spicy burger and a Diet Mountain Dew (caffeine). For dinner, we went to Mimi's, where I had salisbury steak, some mashed potatoes, a couple of pieces of bread, iced water, and a Coke (caffeine/sugar). For dessert, tres leche cake! (It's almost gone! NOOOO!)

The Weight Thing: Day 74

So, Thursday:

I woke up late, but Karen made omelettes for brunch. The omelettes had cheese, apples, and bacon in them. An unusual flavor, but very tasty. I drank orange juice.

I had a snack of ropa vieja while watching some football.

And, at dinner, we had leftovers: Ropa vieja, rigatoni, and garlic knots. I drank a black cherry soda with dinner. We had tres leche cake for dessert. As Karen predicted: It was even better!

Short Attention Span Review: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Fantastic movie. Great makeup, but the stories and the characters that Benjamin meets in his remarkable journey of a life are what really seal the deal. It reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump. Worth the three hours it takes to watch it, and I highly recommend it on the big screen.

The Weight Thing: Day 73

No breakfast, but the day started off with great promise, as Karen announced she was going to experiment with a ropa vieja recipe that night.

For lunch, inspired by Marie's blog, we went to Cool Runnings in Cary. I ordered the ribs, which were on special. They were as awesome as Marie said they'd be. I also had plantains and a pineapple soda (sugar).

For dinner, Karen made ropa vieja, black beans, and rice. I drank root beer (caffeine/sugar). Let me take a moment to say that I've been eating ropa vieja for about 20 years now, since I first tried it in Tampa. The best ropa vieja that I'd ever had was at La Teresita. Until now. If I hadn't wanted to leave room for dessert, I would have made a big pig out of myself and gotten thirds.

Dessert, you see, was Karen's tres leche cake effort. And it was *better*, in my estimation, than what we got at Carmen's. The cake at Carmen's was blissfully good. Karen's was above and beyond that. Her review of the cake: "It'll be better tomorrow."

Happy New Year!

The Weight Thing: Day 72

On Tuesday, I didn't feel all that well. So, no breakfast.

We had a late lunch at Stonewood Grill. We started with their chicken wings, which were pretty good. I had a tempura-battered crab cake burger, which really was much better as just a crab cake. I had fries with it. I drank unsweetened iced tea (caffeine).

For dinner, Karen made baked rigatoni with ham and zucchini. I drank a root beer (caffeine/sugar) with the meal. For dessert, I had an apple tart with ice cream. Excellent stuff!