End of the Year Games

Thinking ahead to Christmas and electronics, I think I need to take a survey between family members and see what kind of game console and game systems they have or want. Christmas is the best time to get new games and nowadays you have to make sure you get a game for the right system. There are some exciting new games coming out at the end of the year – just in time for Christmas!

An article in the New York Times had a sneak preview of some of the games expected to be the greatest hits:

• Fallout 3 to be released in October (for PC, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3)
• Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 to be released in November (for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3)
• Guitar Hero World Tour to be released in October
• Rock Band 2 to be released in September for 360 and later for PS and Wii
• Left 4 Dead to be released in November
• LittleBigPlanet to be released in October
• Spore for PC and Mac now on sale

Fun Gift Ideas

There used to be a fun store at the mall called Spencers where you could buy fun gifts and silly novelty items. Those stores closed last year and I’ve not found anything to take its place until tonight when I came across an online site called Creative and Unique Gift Ideas.

This is the perfect place to find gag gifts and fun things, like a coffee cup that looks like a stack of three cups but is really only one cup. My favorite item is the Wi-Fi detecor shirt that lights up when you are close to a Wi-Fi source. What a great geek gift!

If you like unique gift ideas or want some cool gadgets for yourself, check out this site!

Red Wings Almost There

Last night’s Stanly Cup Playoffs game was awesome except that the red Wings won their third in the series and Pittsburg only has 1 win. They play again Monday night – in Detroit – and if the Penguins lose this one it is all over for them. I’m cheering for the underdog and hope the Penguins squeeze out a win at the Joe so that there is at least one more game.

The Red Wings were an easy team to beat for us early in the season. It’s a shame we couldn’t beat them a couple more times and have the Predators in the playoffs this year instead of the Red Wings. But there is some comfort in knowing that the team that beat us out of the Stanley Cup is the team that will most likely win the Stanley Cup.

Missed the Indy 500

With everything going on this weekend, I totally forgot about the Indianapolis 500 this weekend. I can’t believe no one in the family mentioned it or tried to catch any of the race. It used to be a really big deal in our family.

From the web clips and sports news coverage on TV, I see that Danica Patrick crashed toward the end of the race and had some drama associated with that. Apparently she was so angry with the driver that caused her crash that she jumped out of her car and stomped over toward the other driver in a threatening manner and the security guys had to pull her back from hurting the guy. That must have been one pissed off lady, and it’s a shame she didn’t get to finish the race. I like Danica and admire her resolve to do well in such a male dominated sport.

Beginning the Stanley Cup Finals Tonight

So it’s no surprise to me that the Stanly Cup Finals will be a fight between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I called it before Christmas. Detroit gets home ice for the first game, which is on TV tonight.

The family has been put on notice that I am not available to them during these playoff games. I have a TV in the bedroom and a cooler for beer on ice, corndogs ready to zap in the microwave, and Ruffles with green onion dip.

The rest of the household can do what they want about dinner and games or TV shows tonight, but I will be in the bedroom, in the LazyBoy, with the door closed during the pregame show and the entire time the puck is on the ice.