Score: +3

It was a busy day today blog. I got started early, heading down to storage around 9 and getting a single load of rocks going in the tumbler. These were the stones my uncle had picked up on the beaches in Carlsbad (quartz, agate and chalcedony). 

From there I went home and started my laundry, which absorbs 2 hours because the dryer takes forever. So I completed some downloads of TV shows for my parents and put them on the backup drive to be transported  to their place later. After the file copy was done, I was on the move again. 

I headed for Amanda’s house. Together, we were going to go shopping for food to prepare during the week. I will be coming over after work and preparing food with her to help us manage a healthy lifestyle. I’ve been eating shitty food, and I do believe it has only hurt me to do so. My energy is (on average) low, and my body is just getting heavier. It’s not as much fun to move around when you weigh a lot. It hurts. So eating better will lead to natural weight loss and better energy levels. So we bought some chicken and rice and salad to have for a few days. Productive and reasonable. 

From shopping, I zoomed over to my parent’s RV and dropped of 60+ gb of TV shows for them to watch. I took a hit or two but then I had to be on my way. I was expecting a call from my uncle to arrange a purchase of marijuana. I’m buying a 1/4 ounce for mine and Amanda’s use during the week. It’s great for unwinding after a stressful day. And it will make cooking that much more exciting. 

I came home and took my newly bought duster out of the box and put it to work removing the accumulating soot from the flat surfaces of my apartment. I haven’t dusted since I moved in, and that was back in October. I used up like 5 of those disposable dust catchers with my new Swiffer. Then I cleaned my bathroom and scrubbed out the floor of my shower (to little avail, the floor of it is stained brown). I had some time in the afternoon to finish up the single player mode of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Well, nearly finished. I’m on the last mission in the game. As soon as I complete it, the game will be over. Here’s what I was able to accomplish in the single player mode:

Scientists: 82

All items except alloy cannon were researched. 

Engineers: 136

Satellites: 16 (one for every member nation)

Monthly revenue: 1482

2 interceptors and 1 firebird per hangar, all upgraded with plasma cannons. 

My squad is elite: all majors, with all their abilities unlocked. Two snipers, two assault, one heavy and one support, and a hover S.H.I.V. with the plasma weapon upgrade. All soldiers carry plasma primaries and sidearms. Most have nano-fiber vests except the snipers who have scopes. It’s good. 

One of my assault class is the psyonic warrior, who’s true potential I have yet to uncork. But soon I will be on to the expansion pack, to learn what new content has been added to the core game. 

Well, here I am in limbo with my uncle still not calling me. The evening is wearing on and soon it will be dinner then bed. I may not get the hookup today after all. Drat. My list of accomplishments for the day remains incomplete. 

I hope you enjoyed your Sunday, and your weekend for that matter. This next week should be a lot of fun. My energy level stayed pretty solid today. I had a lot to do, and I got the important bits taken care of. I feel good about that. I’m ready for another week at work, and I anticipate having sucess and stability all the while. Wish me luck!

**UPDATE 9:15 pm**

So the final mission was the invasion of a big alien ship that lands off the coast of Brazil. The fighting is narrated by the alien leader, who tells you things about the various species of alien these overlords have incorporated into their control. So naturally they throw all of them at you in the course of storming the bridge. I lost one of my snipers towards the end, to a muton elite. I had 5 soldiers in the final room. The ethereal leader had 25 hit points, and he summons two more ethereals with 20 hp and two muton elites on the lower level. 

The first time I tried it I failed. I lost three soldiers in the first alien activity, so I started over. I split my squad, taking two up the left and three up the right elevated platforms. It’s on these that the two extra ethereals materialize. My goal was to try and take out the two ethereals and then the mutons. But it all went to hell. I took out the ethereal on the left, but two of my soldiers on the right were killed and the third was mind controlled away from me. In desperation, I turned my sniper lose on the main dude, and instead of deflecting my shot he took a 17 point critical (after having sustained a shot from volunteer’s plasma rifle earlier) and died, taking the last ethereal and two mutons with him. End of game. 

I have started in on the expansion. There is a new resource to collect: meld, which has some higher-level applications. I am still just starting out, and have a ways to go before I can make use of the stuff. Anyway. Good shit. Tough final room, lost 4 soldiers killing that one ethereal. But I brought the hurt. Boom.