Wondering where I’ve been? I’ve been sick for the past few days. Actually I’m still sick, but I’m well enough to leave bed for long periods of time. Friday, I drove to the Chicago area to spend some time with Jen, since I haven’t been there for a while, and apparently Ryan missed me. We had dinner at Heaven On Seven, a restaurant known for having spicy Cajun food. I tried my luck with their Cajun Stir Fry, which was on their specials menu, and didn’t have a hot pepper next to the item description, so I assumed it was safe to eat.

As I leap fom the bounds of wake, and wanton lies. In the sea of desperation awaiting forever dreams. There is a fountain of shallow seas, drifting ever through the arc of time and life asunder. Though I walk not in time forsaken, I drink of the wonders in my eyes. Speak, and hear spiraling fortitude, or naught but sentient rambling. In as wonders, carelessly strewn from a heart of terror; maybe I seek another.

Having recently finished reading The Da Vinci Code, I was wondering about some of the research Dan Brown alluded to, which provided the bulk of his material. After reading around for a while, the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail was mentioned frequently, as was Foucault’s Pendulum. A few quick moments on Amazon.com brought me a hardcover copy of each. To get my order above $25 for free shipping, I also picked up a copy of Quicksilver, to start my journey along The Baroque Cycle.

This Valentine’s Day, Jen and I enjoyed many aspects of the overly commercialized holiday, and I for one feel no guilt for this. This last Christmas, Jen had been pointing out Taiko Drum Master for various reasons. I took this opportunity to diverge from pedestrian gifts of flowers and candy, and bought her an amusing Japanese drum simulator. The next part was more difficult. I had been racking my brain for a good restaurant we haven’t yet sampled.

Well, with Ryan in town on the 5th, it made sense to have some DDR craziness at Miller Time. The Augustana people showed up, and it was going to be a grand old time. Cue annoying little kids. Now, we’re used to annoying little kids, it’s just a fact of life in an arcade. Sure, they run around on the pads, sometimes while people are actually playing. Sure, they often hit or climb machines, sometimes breaking them.