Nebraska Trip Log
Day 1: Wednesday, February 11th. SUCKED! >.< Was supposed to ship out of London at 11:40am, but the flight was canceled due to fog. So was the 4:40pm. Ended up going home with a voucher for a ride to Detroit in the morning.
Day 2: Thursday, February 12th. Woke up at 3:00am to take a cab to Detroit, which took about three hours. Got to the O'Hare Airport alright, and got through security, though at Customs, they took a bag of dirt from me, claiming that I had to be some kind of agriculturalist to bring soil samples through the border crossing. Meh. My 8:15am flight was delayed until just after 10am, and I got into Omaha around noon. Met with Dria in the airport, and ran some errands for her folks, before we got back to her place. I was beat, so we took a nap, and then went out to meet with Dria's main DnD group. A fun, if eccentric, bunch of guys and gals. I didn't make my own character for the 4E DnD game, instead I'm playing an NPC Wizard, who has connections with some of the PCs. He's a fastidious, perverted old man who's main motivations are food, and breasts, who is currently researching the mass disappearance of the Drow Elves from the Sunless Sea, Underdark, Starless Night, or whatever you want to call it.
Day 3: Friday, February 13th. Slept in awhile, but felt pretty fantastic when I woke up. Guess Thursday was a long day? There was this -huge- snowstorm in Omaha and Bellevue (and area) that day, so I guess I brought some Canada with me? It was bad enough that all the government buildings shut down, including the post! Holy crap! It was only about six inches of snow, eight in some towns, but that's not even enough to stop school from happening where I come from. I call bullshit when it comes to Canadian snow days. Oh well, I took enough time off of school that it doesn't really matter to me when the TVDSB mandated days off were.
Day 4: Saturday, February 14th. Ah, Valentine's Day. Good thing Dria's as big a cheapskate, if not a bigger one, than I am. We decided to have our date on Sunday, since the restaurant we wanted to go for was only offering a (more expensive) menu selection, which we didn't want. Meh. Just kinda hung out with Dria's folks and watched some T.V.. Dria got into playing Fable II; she's pretty good at it, though not as into breaking it open as I was. Something in me wants to murder the townies in that game.. I think it's their attitudes that does it. I'm working on my skill levels in Rune Factory II, and I've almost done the main part of the game. Palermo Temple was a bit of a whore, but I've whipped it into shape. Still don't know what season it is in there though... cursed lack of a sign! We also hung out with Dria's grandparents, and some of her family, who got the pair of us into Airsoft handguns. Seriously, though you're only shooting plastic BBs at shit, it's -fun-. Went out gun shopping at 1am. I think America might be assimilating me...
Day 5: Sunday, February 15th. Not too much went on today, except for sleeping in and whatnot. Played with the Airsoft gun, though we had to return the first one. The BBs kept getting stuck in the firing chamber, and not the way they were supposed to be, which ended up jamming the gun up pretty good. Got a cash refund on a VISA purchase, then bought one that was a tad better quality. Loads easier, fires faster, cocks better, and can hit a quarter from twenty-five feet off! We went to the Melting Pot for dinner, and got a little lost along the way. For my own records, we have to get to 72nd Street, then West Dodge Road, then 168th Street, and the restaurant is in the Village Point Shopping Centre. Reverse that for the return trip. Anyway, the Melting Pot is a fondue joint, and we had a $50 gift certificate, with a $100 food purchase. So we bought a buncha extra meat for our third course. First course was a Cheddar Fondue with bread and veggies and fruit. Second was a yummy Southwestern Cobb Salad. Third was a standard beef bullion and oil fondue for cooking meats in, we had chicken, salmon, shrimp, beef, teriyaki beef, and lemon-pepper chicken to cook, along with mushrooms and broccoli and potatoes. Last, we had a Dark Chocolate Fondue, and they SET IT ON FIRE!! Holy. Crap! It was pretty awesome all around. The entire meal ran me about $71, but I left an even $100, 'cause our server was fantastic, and the original cost was like $121. I think it was a good tip.
Day Six: Monday, February 16th. Pretty good day, Dria and I didn't get up 'till around 10:30am. I helped her colour in some breakfast-themed pictures for a prop box project she had to assemble for class that evening. We went out to The Game Shoppe (actual name there), and I picked up a copy of Monty Python Fluxx, since Fluxx is an awesome game. A lot like Calvinball, in it's own way. Dria had to check out a few thrift stores for her cousin, who's looking for a dress for a formal event. I don't get women's sizes, or why the material can determine formality, but anyway.. Turns out the library in her college is closed, CLOSED, on President's Day.. Philistines. And my DS was nearly dead by 6:40pm, so around 7:10pm I had no recourse but to sit back, and watch CNN on the school's T.V. station. 'Cause I couldn't find the on board controls. Meh. Class let up around 10pm, then we went back to her place and watched Kiki's Delivery Service, and snacked on some things like jerky and cheese cubes, which we'd bought earlier.
Day Seven: Tuesday, February 17th. Today was pretty fun, though we didn't do all that much. Dria woke me up earlier than ever, 'cause she had a class at 10am. We left the house around 9:15am, after I shanghaid several shit tons of Fable II gold by working the real estate and job markets. Sales can be lucrative, just buy low and sell high! Ahem. Stopped at a Mickey D's on the way for breakfast, and I tried the Southwest Chicken Biscuit (kinda dry, but a mistake nonetheless. I won't be able to have 'em in Canada.) and Dria had a sausage bagel with cheese. Only they gave her a steak and onion bagel with cheese. Which was really just condensed hamburger, fried onions, and cheese. Ahem. Her professor for English wasn't all that interesting, mostly because he spoke haltingly, and quietly, we think he might be a pothead or something, the way he acts. Dria's Mom and Dad gave her a bit of heck when they got home, something about dinner, and next time we were alone, I tried explaining that you can't win against parents, 'cause when you win you lose. Dria didn't seem to get it that much.. Oh! We're watching the 10th Kingdom, too! So far so good on that one as well!
Day Eight: Wednesday, February 18th. Slept in way late today, mostly 'cause of Dria. She didn't wanna get up 'till like 11:30am, though I got up finally at 11am and had a shower. We baked a coupla small pizzas for lunch, which were oddly freezerburnt at only a week old. Must be a short in her freezer or something, or maybe a series of small power outages.. dunno. Anyway. We hung around the house until her folks got home, at which point Dria wanted to go out (I wonder why..? Well, I know why.), so we went to pick up some office supplies she needed. Then we went to an italian joint for dinner, and then to another movie. Saw "The Uninvited". For a horroresque movie based on a Japanese novel, it wasn't all that freaky, though the end had a lovely twist. Came back to her place and played some Super Mario Galaxy, and now I'm writing this before I hit the sack. Gotta be up early tomorrow, Dria has class again.
Day Nine: Thursday, February 19th. Dria had another class today, so we got up early-ish. I had to wake her up this time; seems she couldn't sleep much, so she played a lot of Fable II. I finished up Rune Factory 2 in her class, so Iono what I'm gonna do on my DS, really.. After her class we went to the Durham Western Heritage Museum, which is also the building her prom was in a few years back. It was nice to visit it, and this time we got to see all the exhibits, which was neat. They also had a chocolate exhibit going on as well, but I couldn't get pictures for the most part, as they didn't want us taking photos. Later on we went to Dria's friend's house again, since her DnD group meets on Thursdays. All went well, and Joe, the DM, showed up in good time, so we got some stuff done. We're trying to think of a way for me to participate long-distance.. OH! After the game, Dria, Joe and I went to hang out at an IHOP. UGH. I don't ever recommend going there. Even the bean juice was a little lame. x.x
Day Ten: Friday, February 20th. We didn't go to the Strategic Air and Space Museum like we had planned, instead we stayed at Dria's place and hung out with her Mom, kinda, while she took a sickie and documented movies. We went to Golden Corral for dinner with her Grandfather on her mother's side, who, as it turns out, likes me. Cool. The food there, on the other hand, presented me with a myriad of gastrointestinal problems, so I doubt I'll eat there again. We went to hang out with Nicky that evening, and saw the plans for their new house, since the old one burned down. It should be done by September 1st, '09. When we got back, we finished part one of the Tenth Kingdom, then hit the hay.
Day Eleven: Saturday, February 21st. Didn't do much today, mostly hung out at Dria's place and watched movies. I probably shouldn't have beaten Rune Factory 2, because now I can't really get into playing it, as there're no goals beyond maximization and completion left, and those aren't often my bag. Disgaea DS is kinda clunky, Etrian Odyssey II might be fun, Island of Happiness will be replaced with Shining Sun and Friends this year, and I've played the heck outta Pokemon Diamond. Humph. Dria's pretty into Fable II, heh, s'what she did most of the day, though she tends to gravitate towards things I never did in it, like killing the Gargoyles, or the Archaeologist quest. Tomorrow we're supposed to have lunch with Nicky, then go to her other DnD group for around 2pm, so that should be interesting as well. Also, Dad's supposed to call me Monday morning after he takes Mike to work; someone do me a solid and remind him, hmm?
Day Twelve: Sunday, February 22nd. Eh.. starting to feel a little bummed now that the trip's almost over. Two weeks is a long time for a couple like Dria and I to spend together, considering the distance and all. I'm glad my life has the flexibility to accommodate it. Little relieved, too.. But that's mostly 'cause Bellevue ain't my home turf, and I dunno where much is, nor how to get from place to place as well as I do in London. Hell, as well as I do in Southern Ontario! I can bust out a map in April's van on the way to a worksite, and I'll know where we are outside of three minutes.. but I have trouble making heads or tails of the roads in this part of the world. Hmph.. More time usin' 'em would clue me in, no doubt, since I've got more than twenty years invested in knowing London. We went out to China Buffet for lunch with Nicky 'round 12:15pm, and as always, I'm baffled by Americans and buffets. Seriously. Whenever we wanna figure out what to do for dinner, Alex will throw up his arms dramatically and intone, "Buffet!", but CRIMINEY! We were there at noon, NOON people, and there was barely a table for three. On the way out, the restaurant was -still- full, and there were groups lined up to the outer doors, groups of like twelve people. Later we went to another DnD game with Dria's new group, it was an RPGA sanctioned game no less. Played like a normal one, but there were a coupla perks in Magic: the Gathering kinda cards we got to apply to our characters sometimes. (I had one that I could tap to negate being stunned, and another that allowed me access to Alchemical Items despite me not having the Alchemist feat.) I whipped up a Dwarven Rogue (Cutthroat Rogue that is), who used his Warhammer as if it were a Light Blade. Darzouhl Ironsnakebane, he ended up, 'cause he delivered like sixty damage to this Iron Cobra that was messing us up, and killed it dead. Yup. That game went on 'till about 10:30pm, and when we got home, Dria had to work on some homework, so I sat up with her and watched some more of the 10th Kingdom. I'll have to pick it up on DvD. Bad news about AirSoft guns, too.. The Canadian laws about them are vague at best, so I'm checking it in my luggage. After all, either they'll check my bag and maybe find it, or they'll ignore my bag entirely and I'll be in the clear. Meh.
Day Thirteen: Monday, February 23rd. Slept in this morning as well, though not at first, 'cause Dad called me. I spent the mornin' helpin' Dria with her final project for Visual Arts, 'cause she'd been neglecting it due to my proximity. She got 289/300 points on it, too. Keen mind, that girl. AND it was her Final Exam for that class as well, and considering that she got 100/100 on her Prop Box project, I think she's doin' pretty darn fine on it. On a side note, I know that sometimes I don't do what I'm asked when I'm asked, but at least my Dad doesn't jump down my throat about it unless it's gotten way out of line. It's not my place to speak up against Dria's folks, either, so I can't do much about her mother being bitchy with her, besides talking Dria down about it later. REGARDLESS. She got out of class around 8:00pm, so we left the two hours early and came back to her place. Mom called her cell phone on the way back, 'cause Lily had been crying and whatnot, so I got to talk with the munchkin for awhile, and with Mom. I should be back in Canada tomorrow around 4:30EST, provided everything is on time and whatnot. And it should be. Heck, I'm only worried about making it to Detroit! As soon as I'm there, it doesn't matter if my flight's cancelled; I'll just get another voucher from Northwest Airlines for Checker Cab and take the ground trip back, too. I dunno if April was or wasn't expecting me back to work Wednesday; I'll have to ask her about that, considering that flying seems to leave me zonked for the next day. What few times I've experienced it, that is. I've also gotta skip into an EBGames, or at least check GameFAQs' release lists, 'cause I haven't been keeping up since I left on this trip, on the off-chance something would surprise me when I got back. Like a new Monster Hunter game, or Sonic and the Black Knight, or something. Anyway, my shoulders are stinging, so I'm gonna go see if I can't ignore that by spending some time with the lady. Night!
Day Fourteen: Tuesday, February 24th. Ehh.. today was an okay day. I mean, for what it was. Had to leave Dria behind again, which I never like, but beyond that it went pretty good. Plane took off on time from Nebraska, and there was only a thirty-five minute delay on the London flight. Landed safely in London, none of my stuff was confiscated, and I'm happy to be home with my friends and family. Leaving Dria behind's the only downside.. x.x;; Don't have to work tomorrow, so everything's cool that way! I'll use tomorrow to recover; travelling doesn't agree with me.
TRANSMISSION OVER