The new photos I've added basically explained what all I did from Christmas through 2 weeks ago. Since then, not much has happened. I finished reading Dune by Frank Herbert. It's really good. Arthur C. Clarke said, "I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings". Herbert wrote 5 more books in the Dune series, and in the last few years his son, Brian, has used his father's notes to write 4 prequel books. Hopefully the next book in the series, Dune Messiah, will be as good as the first.
I bought a game over Christmas break called Zoo Tycoon. It's basically what it sounds like, you manage a zoo, keep the guests and animals happy, all while creating exhibits, shops, and balancing the budget. It's really creative and cool, you can even have dinosaurs, yetis, unicorns, and mermaids. Last week Andrew introduced me to Roller Coaster Tycoon, which is even more fun than Zoo Tycoon. He had a cracked version which wasn't XP compatible, so we weren't able to load or save games. Obviously this wouldn't stand, so I shelled out $9.99 and bought Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. It's been commanding all of our time these last couple of days with no end in sight. Designing roller coasters is a lot harder than it would seem.
Finally, the day I've been awaiting since mid-December arrives! Tomorrow on Bravo, they will begin showing season 2 of The West Wing. I borrowed Ram's first season DVD, and was so blown away, I asked Dion to get it for me for Christmas, which she did. So I've been in West Wing limbo for far too long, but very soon, thanks to Ram's DVR (Digital Video Recorder) I will get my fix.
Last Friday, I saw The Butterfly Effect. I don't know why the critics dislike it so much. I think they just hate Ashton Kutcher. I thought the movie was awesome. It had a very cool, creative concept that wasn't so far out there that you had to be a sci-fi geek to follow along. I was totally engrossed in the story, and the audience I saw it with seemed to like it as well. I would definitely see it again. On a slightly related note, my uncle Mike gave me The Cannonball Run for Christmas. I watched that movie over and over when I was 3-6 years old. I'd watch it 2 or 3 times in a row. I watched it last night, and it's still awesome. I thought it'd be horrible, but Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Moore, Mel Tillis, Terry Bradshaw, and the Lamborghini still do it for me.
I've finally got all my pictures from Christmas through the ski trip in my photo albums. They're all conveniently located on the left side of the screen. I have some video clips as well, so beware modem users, it'll take some time for those to download.