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23
March 08 |
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Happy Easter |
Hard to believe
that it is Easter already...although, it is so early this year, I guess
I can be forgiven for that. So, indeed, He is Risen! I went to Vigil
Mass at Star of the Sea last night, and it was pretty nice. I always try
to make the Easter Vigil, as I feel it is the best way to celebrate the
holiday.
Today is also
special because it marks the 5 year anniversary of Andy's Random Stuff!
I am fairly amazed this project has lasted so long. All the other
websites I have tried to put together in the past collapsed under their
own weight after only a few months. Through 4 Academy semesters, a busy
graduation, Nuclear Power School, Prototype, Sub School, and now my
shipyard tour on the San Fran, this website has endured. There have been
a few dry spells, like the recent one, but I've always come back with
some kind of update. Today's is a little bit more of a retrospective on
where the site has been, and where it is headed. |
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Andy's Random
Stuff: 5 Years Later |
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08
March 08 |
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Uchū Senkan Yamato! |
Lately I've been
renting a 70's anime series called "Star Blazers" from Netflix, which is
the localized version of Space Battleship Yamato. This series is
obviously a bit dated from a technical standpoint, but I still found it
very entertaining (it is sort of like watching the original Star
Trek...sure, the effect are old, but the whole package still holds
together amazingly well). Also, its theme music is
extremely catchy, to the point where I have procured a soundtrack
CD! I'm probably going to post a review for this series in the not too
distant future.
Starting tomorrow,
it is back to the grind on the boat for me. These last two weeks have
been a nice break, what with the JO school and all. However, I'm ready
to dig back in to my quals again, now that I've had a chance to
re-charge my batteries a bit. The next couple of weeks should be
interesting, as a few major items that may or may not delay the boat's
leaving the yards are going to be decided. At this point, it is anyone's
guess as to when we'll be done.
Today's update is
all about a little game called Super Mario Galaxy (yes, I still do game
reviews occasionally!). This game is probably the best 3-D Mario game
yet, in my opinion.
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Super
Mario Galaxy Review |
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03
March 08 |
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Look What the Cat Dragged In... |
Goodness gracious,
I can’t believe it has been more than two months since I’ve posted an
update. I certainly didn’t intend to go this long without one, but as
often times happens events overcame my best intentions. So much water
has passed under the ol’ bridge since I last updated, I might as well
start from the beginning.
First, I had a
great holiday leave period. I got to spend some time with Gwen and my
family back in Indiana, as well as spend some time with my friend Vince.
I really enjoyed myself, and took some time to relax and catch up with
everyone. My parents sure have made a lot of progress with remodeling
our house; I hardly recognize the place anymore! I got a metric butt-ton
of games for Christmas, too. The list includes Resident Evil: The
Umbrella Chronicles, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Zak & Wiki,
and Mass Effect. Given how little time I’ve had to play games lately, I
won’t need another game until next Christmas!
Since I’ve been
back, things have really gotten busy on the boat. We are due out of the
shipyard in about a year or so, and as a result a lot more work has been
going on. Additionally, I’m past my one year point, which is the normal
limit for qualifying Submarines, so I’ve been getting much busier with
my qualifications. All the while, I’ve been standing 3-section duty
(standing duty every third day), which can be quite draining.
Fortunately though, I am going back to a 4-section rotation this month,
so that should make it a bit easier for me.
Without a doubt
though, the biggest news I’ve had recently is that I proposed to Gwen,
and she said Yes! I had been planning the weekend for months, and it
went off pretty smoothly. We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Olympic
hotel in downtown Seattle, and had dinner at the nearby Metropolitan
Grill. Overall, it is not the kind of weekend I can afford to have
often, but then this was a once in a lifetime event, so I figured I
could afford to splurge a little! We are currently planning the wedding
for sometime in the fall of 2009, as that will be after I’ve finished my
tour of duty on board the USS San Francisco.
I’m at JO3 this
week, which is a school that teaches basic tactical and ship driving
skills. As a result though, my schedule is a little more relaxed than it
usually his. Hopefully, this will mean that I can get another update or
two in this month! |
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Site by:
Andy Rucker. All rights to original content are reserved by the
author. |
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