White Water Rafting 2008

Boat 32 at around 4:50 seconds into the video (I'm second back on the right)

On July 5th eleven friends and I went White Water Rafting on the Ottawa River through Wilderness Tours. It was an experience that everyone should try.

This was my first time going and I'll admit I was skeptical.
First off, I didn't expect anything hardcore. Some of them aren't really "outdoorsy" (no offense) so I thought that it might just be a nice little paddling ride with some little waves.
Secondly, a few of them who went last year were playing down the experience. They said that there was too much paddling through open stretches, the water was cold, and the overcast skies made for an experience where you didn't want to get wet at all.

We arrive late (around 10pm), and have to set up our tents in the dark, which isn't the easiest experience. By 11:30pm we walk over to check out the main facility (called Rafters). The music was already going, though it wasn't my cup of tea, and there we're a lot of drunk people doing their thing on the dance floor.

Looking out over the deck you find 3 beach volleyball nets, a basketball court, an outdoor hockey area and plenty of field if you want to play football, ultimate frisbee, etc.



There was also a giant chessboard (which I found sick!), swimming pool, and hot tub. I was pleasantly surprised, and couldn't wait to play something.


After playing some billiards and drinking a bit, we called it a night cause we had the 9:45am trip the next day.

The night was horrible for some, especially if you're a light sleeper. We apparently had booked our trip during the College Pro booking. They had 72 people in their group. So obviously the college students were loud, rowdy, and up for a long while. Luckily for me I sleep like a log so I didn't sleep too poorly. =P

The rafting day was beautiful. Sun was blazing, water was refreshing, perfect for getting wet.
Our guide told us that it was his favorite time to go rafting because the water levels were very high. I was totally getting hyped for the excursion.

The first few rapids were great warm-ups. I could get a sense of how it is a lot of fun. Battling the currents, forcing yourself to paddle through the rapids, it was all invigorating. I also had a few opportunities to jump into the water and chill beside the raft.

The college students who were on our trip were rowdy. They would jump into each others' boats, throw people into the water, and have splash fights. It definitely added to the enjoyment.

At around 12ish we prepped for the biggest rapids of the day. We docked a few hundred meters beside it, and walked over to take a look. Called the "Greyhound Bus Eater," the endless wave stood a few meters high, and was definitely a sight. There was only a few meters of space which the raft had to hit in order to make it over. Too much to the left or right ensured that the boat would flip.

I was telling my friend before we went, "I hope we flip."
He said, "Well why don't you ask him, he can do it on purpose."
I replied, "I don't want him to flip us on purpose. If we flip I want it to be through luck!"

There were 12 boats in our trip, and only 2 flipped...
Our boat hits the rapids, weaves its way towards the Bus Eater.
Water toppling over us endlessly.
I'm yelling, "Yeah! Let's do this!"
We enter the dip right before the big wave.
Oh sh*t! The wall of white water is huge. There's no way we're going to make it.
Blam! We are too much to the right... Our boat hits the wall, we turn parallel to the wave and I turn and do my best rendition of a Superman into the water.

As I'm in the water, I fight the urge to flail, and I curl myself into a ball and let the lifejacket do the rest. Suddenly I'm on the surface, and I take a deep breath before another wave crashes on me. I swim over to the power boat and it picks me up and brings me to the side.

It was an awesome experience, and luckily no one was hurt.
I totally think the experience wouldn't have been the same if we hadn't flipped.

I suggest that everyone try it out sometime.
I definitely intend to go again...

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Fav Rafting Experiences: Flipping on the Bus Eater, Making it through Coley East

Bringing Cards to Your Workplace

Do you like cards as much as I do? Well you can do what I did and bring card games to the lunchroom at work.

It can be a very delicate operation because it may be frowned upon by the higher-ups, but if you introduce it correctly, it can be the most enjoyable part of the day. =P

1. Never play any games for money.

I don’t have to tell you that gambling is illegal in the workplace (except for lottery tickets or if you work in a casino) so don’t do it.

In the past we were playing poker daily, so you could hear chips being thrown around. On numerous occasions higher-ups would come up to us and ask, “Are you guys playing for money?” This is not a time to be sarcastic. Just say no!

2. Don’t be too loud

We’ve had our rowdy moments. As long as you try to keep it to an “acceptable level,” you shouldn’t have any problems.

3. Invite other People in the Lunch Room

The most flack you’ll get would be from the regulars in the lunchroom that feel like you’re invading their personal lunchtime. Make attempts to invite them to join, then they won’t feel left out, and you could make some work friends on top of that. If they decline, at least they’ll get a sense of acceptance that you’re sharing the space with them.

4. Have Fun

What’s the point of playing if you aren’t enjoying yourself? We have a group of 11 of us that play whenever we have the chance, so we always have at least 7 people to throw friendly jabs at while we eat and play. =P

We’ve primarily played Texas Hold’em in the past, with stints of President, Euchre, and Hearts. Currently we’ve been playing this game called Redbeard. Never heard of it? Well I’m not even sure if that’s the real name for the game… More on that next time…
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Current Fav Card Games: Redbeard, Texas Hold’Em, Omaha Hi/Lo

Killer Games - Puzzle Quest

This past weekend during White Water Rafting, I got a chance to play Puzzle Quest again.
I remember how much fun it was and how many countless hours I spent the year before at the Cottage on the dock playing...

So I decided to pick up the game for PC... And it's everything I remember, with better graphics!

There's two prerequisites in order to enjoy this game:
1. You enjoy RPG games.
2. You enjoy Puzzle games.

Did you like Tetris? Did you like Final Fantasy? Well I pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy this game...


Fight in the puzzle portion, level up your character, gain new skills to "attack" your opponent, train mounts, gain castles... It's the most enjoyable puzzle RPG (and only one that I know of).
You can even battle your friends with your toons...

There's been many great reviews on the game, and it's out on lots of systems including the DS, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC.

I'm a little late on picking up the game, since the sequel has already been announced, but the enjoyment is just the same.

It looks like practicing the guitar will have to wait again... =P

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Current Fav Games: Puzzle Quest!

Way Back Play Back - Jones

Boy does this game ever bring back memories...
It was one of those games that my cousins and I would play, all huddled around the computer.

Jones in the Fast Lane is Sierra's take on the game of Life.
For up to 4 players, your goal was to make your character successful before everyone else.
You start off looking for a job at the Employment Office, (usually at Monolith Burgers),
then you need to work.
You can apply at Hi-Tech U in order to get degrees.
Don't forget to eat every week (usually Fries at Monolith Burgers).




You have to pay your rent every month, buy new clothes when they get old, and make sure you work enough each week.

As you progress, you can buy stuff for your house, like a Color TV, Stereo, and Fridge.
If you're unlucky, random bad events can occur, like getting robbed, getting a pay cut because of an economic downturn, or even losing your job.

You can find the game online by searching for abandonware.
It's definitely a fun, quick game to play with your friends.

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Current Fav Old School Games: Jones, Colonization, Balloon Fight

Paintball: The Aftermath

A few days after paintball and we're still talking about it.

Some are talking about the amount of mosquito bites they got.

Some are doing a play-by-play of their favorite moments.

Some spent all weekend looking for paintball guns online.

Most are talking about how much fun it was...

It was definitely a great time, but as a first-person shooter addict, there are a two things that I wish could happen with paintball.

For one, I wish they didn't have to jack up the price of paintballs by so much. Online a box of 2000 paintballs would cost you $56 while it'll cost you $140 at the paintball place. Obviously this is where they make their money, and it could be deadly if people were allowed to bring their own "paintballs," but it sucks that it has to break the bank in order to play at full potential, I.e. Not conserving bullets because they're expensive.



Secondly, I wish everyone was forced to use the exact same gun. It doesn't seem fair to me that if you're willing to pony up the dough, you can have a big edge over everyone else. You can have a semi or fully automatic gun that shoots uber straight up to 250 yards. You can add a scope to the gun. You can add paintball clips so that you don't have to refill the canister in battle. And you can even buy a fan to add to your mask so that it doesn't fog up. I guess like everything in life, you get what you pay for.

But in the end, its a great game, and I would definitely do it again. We're planning to go again in August. =)

And with that, here's an email thread that I found hilarious. (I asked him before posting)

(friend 1) yo yo wasup rainbox six squad!

(friend 2) Theres six on this thread. coincidence? lol

(friend 1) LOL...ya man...next time for sure...it'd be sick if we were all geared up.

(friend 2) like this?

The moral of the story is, bring repellent...

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Fav Moment: When I took down 3 opponents in a game of defend the base

Halo 3: Why we're STILL playing

You could call me a "long-term relationship" gamer. Once I find a game I like I'll stick with it.
It happened with Tetris, DDR, Quake 2, Halo 2 and especially with Everquest and World of Warcraft.

Now 8 months after its release, I'm sitting here with my brother, about to start another game of Halo 3, (at 3am) and I'm wondering why the heck is this game so good that it keeps me coming back for more?

Something in science class is coming to mind... Something about neuro-receptors or neurons associating pleasure with the game. I'm sure in Halo 3, every time we kick another teams ass, some endorphins are released.

And considering I've been playing video games since I was 2 years old, (with Pac-Man on the Atari 2600) my brain must be fully hardwired to thinking that video games = enjoyment.
Since my brother also enjoys the same games, it's our family time. =)

Multi-player online games are what REALLY got me hooked.
Artificial Intelligence has vastly improved over the years, but to this day it doesn't compare to playing against live competition.
We can verbally strategize. Yell commands at each other. And thrill in the last minute heroics of getting the last key headshot that won us the game! (you should see my brother's reaction to getting teabagged)

We also love some of the little things about Halo 3.
1. Trying to decipher the names that people are using.
Most notably, "Watch out for S...Omega...S..."
"That's not S...Omega...S... That's Some...GaS"
2. Listening to little kids taunt us on the mic. It's amazing how many racist comments we hear on the mic, just because they're speaking online. (similar to comments Michael Richards made)
3. Or when we imagine the cancellation call with Microsoft:
"Hi I'd like to cancel my subscription. My tagname is Always High 123."

All in all, Halo 3 is one of those games that will keep me addicted for a long time... At least until Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 comes out. =)

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Current Fav Games: Halo 3, Online Poker, Trailers of Diablo 3