Jan/102
Wandering the Wastes of Fallen Earth
I’ve only been playing Fallen Earth for about a week so I’m no expert but I must say it’s definately scratching that MMO itch (at least for now). The FPS elements and post-apocalyptic real world setting are refreshing changes to the usual MMO fair. There is a significant learning curve (at least for me there was) but I think I’m getting the hang of it. It’s a skill based / classless MMO with preset templates for various paths to help you plan your character. For example, Victor here is a pistol packin’ crafter so I just used the pistolier and crafter templates to give me an idea on where my skill points should go.
The crafting system is fairly detailed in it’s own way. Everything you see on my character screenshot was crafted by him. It’s not a minigame like in Vanguard but it does require time. You basically gather the materials and start the crafting process. While crafting you can actually run around and do whatever but the time to craft will be longer than if you sat still in a crafting area. What is really nice is that you continue to craft even when you log off. So, ideally you could cue up a bunch of recipes before you log off so that they’ll be done when you return the next day.
Death basically respawns you at the nearby cloning facility (ala graveyard). You respawn with all your gear although your vehicle is wherever you parked it so you may have to huff it to retrieve your wheels (or uh, hoofs if you gots a horse). I haven’t noticed any actual death penalties but I’m guessing that will come later as I get out of the newbie levels.
The quests are typical MMO stuff (kill this many things, collect this many things, deliver these things, etc) so it’s not revolutionary but I guess there’s nothing really wrong with that. I haven’t wandered into the PvP areas so I can’t comment there.
I’ll check back in a week or so to give an update on how the game is going. If anyone would like to give it a go I believe there is a 10 or 15 day trial available.
Jan/100
Friday Weigh In – 322
Weigh In: 322 lbs
Gain/Loss for the Week: Lost 2 pounds
Total Loss: 78 lbs
This week started off very interesting. I must have weighed myself a dozen times on Saturday when I suddenly lost 3 pounds over night. I’m guessing I dropped a ton of water weight that day because it bounced back up 2 pounds the next day. I actually ended up with 3 cheat days this week (instead of my planned 2 cheat days) so having still lost 2 pounds is a nice accomplishment. Sure, I won’t win the office Biggest Loser with all this cheating but hey at lest I’m still losing!
I’ll update this post later with the week’s Biggest Loser Results.
Jan/100
2.37 Walk around the Galleria
I went on a nice walk this afternoon around the Galleria. The temperature was a chilly 38 degrees but honestly it didn’t bother me once I got going on my walk. The sun was out and traffic was light making my urban trek an enjoyable venture. I used the new RunKeeper Pro app which allowed me to take pictures along the way as it tracked. Click on the link above to check em out!
Dec/090
Friday Weigh In – 325
Weigh In: 325 lbs
Gain/Loss for the Week: Lost 1 pound
Total Loss: 75 lbs
This was not what I’d call a typical week for me. I was shocked when I stepped on the scale Sunday morning and lost 3.6 pounds overnight. My only guess was that my sodium intake was very low the previous couple of days which allowed me to shed some of the water that I typically carry around. That same day was my most intense workout day of the week and yet on Monday I gained a pound. I probably would have maintained that level had it not been for me cutting loose a bit when my good buddy Sluder who was in town visiting. On Wednesday we hooked up with Ruen for some Mexican food at Chewy’s that, even though was my only meal for the day, easily contained 2000mg of sodium with enough calories to equal what I burned for the day. That’s where you see the spike back up to 325 on Thursday and today.
I’m not too disappointed with this week since I’m fairly certain that it will drop back down tomorrow or Sunday. Next weekend is Christmas which I’m sure will be a challenge but all in all I’m not going to sweat it. I’ll get in some exercise here and there and make sure any moments of weakness are followed up with some healthy form of penitence!
Dec/090
Tinsley Park Walk
Ruen and I just enjoyed the 4.7 mile walk around Eleanor Tinsley Park. The weather was a little nippy but not too cold and after a couple of miles my body was warmed up enough to really appreciate the coolness. The fog had dissipated from the ground but was still thick in the sky concealing the tops of buildings taller than 20 stories. I had a really good time walking while we BSed about all sorts of stuff but namely the trials of his law school experience (pun intended) to our favorite pastimes (gaming and TV). Good company always makes exercising a much more pleasant experience. If it were not for the sizable blister I formed on my right foot I think I could have done another 2 miles.
Dec/094
Friday Weigh In – 326
Weigh In: 326 lbs
Gain/Loss for the Week: Lost 0 pounds
Total Loss: 74 lbs
I didn’t really give it my all this week and it obviously shows. My weight dipped up and down all week and ended just about exactly where it was a week ago. I really should stop hobbling my efforts with moments of weakness but I guess said weakness is what got me into this mess. Surprisingly, my spirits are good right now. I think next Friday will make up for this one.
Dec/095
IPhone Helps Against Contracting Mythical Diseases
I don’t remember whose idea was it but I was totally on board with going to Six Flags with the gang. I was actually pretty excited since the last time i went to an amusement park, I had a hard time fitting my fat ass in the coaster seats. I recall one ride that I couldn’t even ride because the safety latch wouldn’t fit. Now that i’ve lost some weight i thought for sure this time around I’d have much more fun.
I’m not sure why I drove there by myself but I clearly recall showing up to the front gate all by lonesome. I pulled out my iPhone and gave Daniel a call to get an ETA for the rest of the gang. He apologized that they were running really late and would not make it for a couple more hours.
I hung up and dispaired as to what I was going to do now. Two hours was a lot of time to kill. I began walking back to my truck when I realized I was standing right outside a fraking amusement park! I would just hit the rides and have a bit of fun by myself until they arrived.
I pulled out my iPhone to call Daniel and let him know my plans. In my excitement, I somehow didn’t notice the annoying tone that had been coming from my phone. I guess the tone was somewhat mesmerizing because I was having a hard time focusing as i tried to dial Daniel’s number. When i was finally able to focus I saw a message blazed across the front of my droning phone.
WARNING! WEREWOLF CHANGING NEARBY!
Goosebumps rippled across my body when I realized what I was reading. I quickly looked up to see a hulking black wolf baring it’s teeth as it stalked toward me. I slowly backed away as I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do. If I tried to run I knew it would chase me down.
Damn! I thought if I survived this I would have to Google how to survive a dog attack. Was i supposed to thrust a hand down it’s throat? Does that apply to werewolves?
As this went through my mind I knew my time was running out. I pulled a hand towel out of my pocket and started waving it in the wolf’s face. I guess if it works for bull fighting… I have no idea why I was trying this but my options were a bit limited.
My towel option was struck from the list when the beast ripped the towel from my hand and swallowed it whole. I thought “oh shit” and started backing up quickly. I guess the werewolf grew tired of the stalking because it leaping through the air and lunged for my throat.
It was then that I nearly jumped out of my bed. I guess my brain decided to spare me the gory experience. What made me laugh was the fact that I found the werewolf warning iPhone app the strangest part about the dream. I guess it had some sort of push notification that synced with some lycanthropy sensing network.
Dec/095
Friday Weigh In – 326
Weigh In: 326 lbs
Gain/Loss for the Week: Lost 3 pounds
Total Loss: 74 lbs
December has started off pretty well. This week I took it fairly easy compared to months ago when I was hitting the gym with fierce intensity. Well, on Friday I hit the gym hard but that’s because I was purging the squishy emo out of my body. The rest of week consisted of some positive attitude with walking and playing EA Sports Active on my brand shiny new Wii. I actually started off by trying Julian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 but that workout game was frakkin’ awful. I bought the game because I thought it’d be Julian screaming at my ass that I was going to die a fat lonely man who nobody loves. Instead she would just say, “I know you can do better!” Bah! At least EA Sports Active comes with a leg strap for the Wii nunchuka so that the movement tracking is at least sorta accurate. Plus, it’s just more fun. The Julian game was just a workout video with janky graphics. Ahem. I’ll put a review of both workout games together in future blog posts.
So yeah, overall, I’m pleased with this week. I lost 3 pounds which was 1 pound more I thought I would. That even included a cheat day where I didn’t hit my 1000 cal daily deficit. I am pleased with my results 
Here’s my Bodybugg stats if you’re curious:
Dec/096
Weight Loss for November 2009
October 31st: 340.6 lbs
November 30th: 328.8 lbs
Total Loss for the Month: 11.8 lbs
Average Lost per Week This Month: 2.8 lbs
October may have been a bust but November nearly made up for it. The month started off with a lofty goal of reaching 300 lbs by my birthday in January. I was focused and determined the first couple of weeks and it showed with drastic results. Sadly, I could not maintain such a demanding level of dedication. I found myself skipping meals just so that I could hit the 2000 cal daily deficit which only made me depressed which led to drinking which in turn derailed my pain train before it barely got underway.
I really do believe I could reach such a lofty goal if it were not for the distractions and woes of modern life. Alas, so goes the great wheel of life. After a week of feeling down for no good reason I decided to simply readjust my ambitions. Slow, steady and flexible is what got me this far and there is no reason to change the game plan just because I’m impatient. Back on May 16th I weighed 390 lbs. That comes out to about 2.1 pounds a week. I think I’ll stick with what works and be happy with the results.
Nov/097
Friday Weigh In – 329
Weigh In: 329 lbs
Gain/Loss for the Week: Lost 0 pounds
Total Loss: 71 lbs
Well, this week was a bust. I can’t even blame it on Thanksgiving feasting (which wasn’t the usual gorgefest this year anyways). I just wasn’t motivated at all. In fact, I didn’t care at all this week. Maybe next week will be different.
Here are my Bodybugg stats for the week although they’re pretty worthless. They’re quite misleading because I didn’t track my food on Thursday.
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