Yummm

I think I can call my first night in New Orlean's a success.  Fortunate for me, I'm a block and a half away from a staple of the city and creole (or so the consierge told me) at Mulate's.  After a simply delicious dinner of blackened catfish with shrimp, jambalaya, twice baked potatoe, and sauted veggies...I'm quite satisfied.  Now time to curl up with a good book picked up in the airport on the way down here (The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly) and hunker down for the night.

Blessed and Cursed

Yes, I am both.

Blessed that, upon taking my family to learn to ski/snowboard yesterday, they all had an absolute blast.  My two sons decided to learn to snowboard because, well, they're boys.  That's what boys do.  You strap a plank to your feet, and run it off anything that looks like something you shouldn't.  It's gotten so bad that now all the resorts have terrain parks with everything from major jumps to grind rails to actual flights of stairs built into the trail.  I still remember when snowboarding was first invented, and how much of a bane those kids were to the rest of us 'traditionalists'.  I should have seen it coming...but my God talk about a total new generation of atheletics that I've watched evolve in front of my eyes.  My wife and daughter opted for the skis, and did remarkably well for their first time.  They are both capable waterskiers, and rollerbladers, so I think that helped contribute to their success.  By the end of the day, they were all getting up on the beginner chair lift and making their way down a simple run without too much difficulty.

Cursed because...now I have to fund this all.  First, I bet I'll be looking at a season pass for everyone next year.  The 'mountain' we went to yesterday is an hour and fifteen, door to door, and perfect for someone new to the sport.  This year, a family season pass was $1595.  Gotta then add in equipment (even used, an easy $500 for 4).  You can imagine the angina I'm experiencing.

But, at the end of the day, could be something the kids remember for a lifetime, and do when they have a family.  Oh the pains of parenthood. 

W...T...F!!!

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All I can figure is the dude simply does not have testicals...there's no other explaination.

Bachelor Pad at Balek's

Yes, it's that time of the year - President's Day long weekend off for the kids, which equates to my wife and kids going to my inlaws in Boston for the weekend.  Where I have to work Friday and Monday, I stay at home.  Soo....GAME ON! 

What will Balek be playing this weekend?  Easy answer - Bioshock 2.

We just were treated to a sequel in Assassin's Creed 2 that took everything that was good in the original and keep it, while fixing what was broken.  I'm glad to say Bioshock 2 has done the same thing.  Everything that made the original Bioshock so engrossing - the atmosphere, the great story, the awesome sound effects - is still in play and still phenomenal.  What needed to be tweaked - the hacking mechanism, for example - has been revamped and is much, much better this time around.  I simply can't wait for tonight and the time to turn the lights out, crank up the sound on the system, and get drawn into the world of Rapture.

It's official...

Someone in Dunkin' Donuts corporate office has a brain.  I just found out they have introduced this 'DD Card'.  Looks like a gift card, can act like a gift card.  BUT, you can also register it to your account online and set up automatic refilling of the card.  Seeing that I A. hate to carry cash (I tend to spend it waaay too easily if I have it) and B. buy a coffee 5 days a week, this thing was just made for me. 

Oh, and if that wasn't good enough, I got a $2 bonus when I registered it, and another $5 everytime it refills with $25.  Can't argue with free money...or, well, free coffee.