Andy's Random Stuff

27 January 07
I Like Hippos
The SOBC graduation ceremony was yesterday, so I am officially done with Groton. I drove down to Virginia yesterday afternoon, and I'm staying with Gwen for a week or so. I spent most of today at the National Zoo with her as she was working a double shift as an Animal Interpreter at the large mammal house. This house is home to the zoo's elephants, as well as to a 7,000 lb hippopotamus named Happy. He was pretty fun to watch, and it was an enjoyable day. The temperatures were a far sight from the ones I was used to in Groton, getting up into the mid 40's. Since the weather was so nice, a lot of people came to the zoo and Gwen had a busy afternoon. Today's update is a little different. As I mentioned last time, this update is indeed for my Battlefleet Gothic page. However, it is actually a posting of a game scenario that was originally published in the BFG Magazine a few years ago. I have typed it up and condensed it a bit at the request of some members of the BFG Yahoo! list. What makes it different is that near as I can tell this is the first article I have posted on my website that was specifically requested by someone! Hope you all enjoy it.


	BFG Scenario: Rules for Fighting in Warp Space



18 January 07
Cooling Off
It has taken much longer than usual, but it seems that winter might finally be arriving here in Groton. The temperatures have been getting much colder the last few days, and tonight/tomorrow we are supposed to be getting what is humorously referred to as "wintery mix." Alas, I will have to endure this wintery weather all by my lonesome, as both Vince and Gwen have had to return home. It is a bit odd coming back to my Chalet room and there not being anyone else there already! Last weekend, while they were still here, we made a trip out to the Submarine Force Museum here on the base. I've posted some pictures that I took during our visit, and you can find them below. My time here in Groton is rapidly coming to an end, it seems. A week from tomorrow will be the official last day of Submarine School for me. As of right now, I am planning on getting out to Washington around the 15th of February. So, I'm going to try to enjoy my last week or so out here as much as possible. I have been playing a lot of Chibi Robo, a quirky little Gamecube game that has you in the role of a 3" high robot that is helping a family with it's many problems. I have also finally broken down and purchased an MP3 player, in this case an Ipod Shuffle. This little guy is just about perfect for what I use it for, which is mainly a source of entertainment while I am working out. I am still tossing around getting a full-size video Ipod later on though. The Shuffle is helpful as it will allow me to figure out if I will use an MP3 player enough to warrant a bigger one. Well, I should get enough time to post another update or two before I leave Groton at the end of the month. My goal for the next one is to get my Battlefleet Gothic page updated, so you have that to look forward too!


	Submarine Force Museum Photos



09 January 07
Me: 1, SOBC: 0
I managed to pass the SOBC Comp today, which puts the finishing touches on yet another phase of my training. The last few days have been a bit hectic, with all the studying and preparation, but at least it should calm down for the last couple of weeks I'm here. I'm looking forward to this weekend, as I will have Monday off for MLK Day. Also, my friend Vince is taking the train out so I can show him lovely Groton, CT. In the mean time, I've been enjoying having Gwen stay here with me. It is nice to have someone to greet you when you come back from a day of studying! Unfortunately, she is fighting a cold, so hopefully she will be feeling better soon. On the Wii front, I just finished The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and I sat down to write a review for it. You can find it below!


	The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review



02 January 07
Happy New Year!
Well, it has taken me a bit longer than I thought to get back to the site. As usual, one of my New Years resolutions is to try and update this thing a little more often (yeah, right!). Today is, alas, the final day am off. My leave technically lasts until the morning of the 4th, but I will be spending most of tomorrow driving back to Groton and trying to get settled back into the Chalet. One good thing is that Gwen will be coming back to Groton with me for a few days to keep me company. Right now, the plan is for her to ride up with me, and then I will put her on the train back to Virginia when she has had enough of me. I have to say, this has been a really good break. I got to catch up with a lot of friends and family, and I also got to play a lot of video games. Lately, I have principally been playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on my Wii. I'm almost done with the game, and when I finally finish it I'll be sure to pound out a review of it. Here is a quick preview, though: It is really good! Today, I'm posting some pictures I took when I was at home in Indiana for Christmas. With this posting, you may have noticed that I have tweaked the way I am putting pictures on the site. Instead of having a Navy or USNA category on the menu, I am instead grouping them under a common Photos section. This way, I have a place to put pictures that don't really have anything to do with the Navy, which were always sort of shoe-horned into the other two sections in the past. Check it out!


	Christmas '06




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