Heigh-Ho It's Off To Work I Go

Wow Monday is already here which means it's time to head off to work and build games, oh darn! I can easily think of several worse things to be doing on a Monday, work related or not for that matter! I am grateful to work in a kick ass game studio, with some of the most talented people in our industry not to mention for such a great company. Sure, we may not be developing the next Call of Duty, but we are also not developing for consoles. We have our own proprietary hardware for our industry. Sort of our version of an Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo. Although we are growing in the mobile and internet gaming market as well as the required laws are passed and jurisdictions evolve.

Enough about kick-ass news, no to some not so kick-ass news, then Tom with the weather. See below if you are not familiar with the lyrics from Tools song "Third Eye", originally said by Bill Hicks in 1989).

"Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed into a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness, experiencing itself subjectively, there's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, in which is an imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."

Ahh, I really dig that paragraph for many reasons. Honestly, I cant even begin to explain or describe the exact reasons why beyond the obvious I suppose.

Anyway, my point is that I have now strayed beyond is that I have to make a pit-stop at Lab-Corp on the way in to work to get some blood work done (boo! needles). Really it's not that big of a deal so long as I don't focus on them gathering the needles or tubes, or watch the blood draw, lol. I tend to find something on they wall that will hold my attention and focus for a short time. Could be a clock ticking, or simply counting blemishes in the paint. Huh? Blemishes in paint, yea its part of what I do for a living, looking for finite flaws within details where-as others would find only perfection.

Back to needles though. I have to say with the purest honesty that the population of the world would be much lower if I was any indication of the average Joe's fondness of needles and tests. I would never be able to deal with most things women deal with while +1. Before you ask or assume, nope I don't feel any less manly admitting it either.

Ok so the blood draw was an in and out experience as they were not very busy today. Well actually the waiting room looked to be packed when we arrived, and with only one tech working I figured I would be able to stomp out a few levels of Base Jumper on my iPhone 5 no sweat. Not the case, by the time I sat back down after handing over my paperwork, checking my mail and loading the game I heard my name being called. Woot!, I was up to bat. Sweet!

I have to be honest and tell you "holy shxt!" did it hurt today? Yeah, Yeah, call me a pussy I don't care. Lately, well ever since I blew out my bicep (distal bicep tendon rupture to be exact) I have been getting my blood drawn from my right arm and they have rarely hurt at all this past year. I guess maybe today the technician either used a horse needle she had on hand with my name on it to hurry things along or maybe my vein is still annoyed from the blood draw I had 2 weeks ago for our Healthy Tracks here at work, doubt it, but I am a slow healer so you never know. Hey I see you smirking, wipe it off your face, we all have our own demons ya' know.

So the best part about it is that its over. The next best part is the venipuncturists used a cozy soft square of cotton goodness, a puncture pillow if you will, where the needle was and at the same time applied a nice soothing amount of pressure to the spot, ahh.

She then used the elastic tape stuff to hold the cotton pillow in place, the stuff that sticks to itself and not skin and hair. What a great call on her part, compared to the usual method of wrapping my arm up in the stickiest tape known to man with 2 or three full wraps around the area to make dam sure there is no easy method to take it off. You know the tape I'm sure. The stuff that is guaranteed to take off hair and skin, nearly to the bone when removed and makes grown men, even the bad-ass biker types (not me for the record) wince upon removal! I am happy to report there will be zero wincing that this time, nothing but awesomeness, well apart from that initial puncture, Ouch!

Photo: This way to Studio 1A