Journal of Tormod Haugen

It is soon 2009, and time keeps rushing by. I’ve already resolved to look forward in small steps, in order to keep from breaking down due to too many promises. To myself and others. In order to get set for this, I’ll try and blog a bit more regularly. Like multiple times a week. Perhaps even every weekday.

Now, forward isn’t the only direction to look in all the time, you should also keep in mind what has gone before. I’ve met up with friends and family this christmas. Not only those that I don’t see too often - but also those that I see all the time. In a shelving section in my parents’ house I found some tapes with games for my old Commodore 64. These gems kept me occupied for a while a long time ago, for example Spitfire and Saboteur II.

Saboteur II was kind of innovative; it contained platform game features - a 700 screen big level with multiple entrances. You played a female ninja - weak, and low on power. Ammo was found as wrenches, ninja stars and other miscellanea. Your best weapon was your brain, learning where to enter the level, noting where you could go safely, and where you needed weapons to enter. Failure meant just that. Try again, armed only with what you learned the last time around.

Now, to be honest, games like that exist today. They sometimes are high profile games too, though that seems to be more and more seldom. One game that reminded me of this style, somehow, was Portal. Not that it is alike, but the way you play a female protagonist. Unarmed and weak, with the power to move around - armed only with what is lying around. Not in boxes, but just the boxes. Learning all the way. Missteps means death - try again, armed with what knowledge you gained the last time around.

I’m not sure how much I like Christmas season. Other than a time of relaxation and reflection. For it works well like that. Sitting down and reflecting. For me this is a bit of how things should be, perhaps. Less stress, if you let it. More family, if you want it. I’ve kind of relaxed on my projects. I still sit here at the computer a bit. Thinking. But it doesn’t count. Does it?

I’m starting anew in a bit. I’m formatting a harddrive for backup purposes. I’ll clean out my computer. Reinstall, refresh, switch it out, perhaps? But formatting a 500 GB disk with NTFS is … slow. I should have thought about it before I stared. But it gives me time to reflect. And write this post.

I sure can use the practice…

I went and met a group of acquaintances after work yesterday, having a drink at a local pub called Naboen (the Neighbour). I met up with Arnlaug outside a nearby book store, since I had to buy a (overdue) present for my brother. When we arrived we were but five persons around a table, but as time passed we expanded to a group of ten occupying two tables.

In order of appearance, left to right (from me - sorry, no picture): Håkon, Arnlaug, Lene, Kristin, Lars Eirik, Geir, Amund, Rune and John. (I’m impressed; I even remembered names of the people I’ve never met before.) Some of us - Lene, Lars Eirik, Kristin, Rune and I - were out playing Bowling some time ago. We’re thinking about re-enacting that stunt again, but that’ll probably not be until April.

I think all of us had a good time, I for one did. There were lots of talk about different subjects, though some of them happened at the same time. Of course. In the end the level of noise - music and drunk happy persons on a neighbouring (heh) table - got too high for me to follow much of anything that was said. Happily that coincided with me having to leave for a late dinner anyway. I’m really looking forward to meeting these fellows again.

Yesterday I went bowling with some acquaintances here in Bergen. It was fun and all, but I quickly realized that I were out of shape. By the end of the first series, my thighs were starting to growl, stretched by the unnatural motions I had them go through. Still, I ended up playing five series, averaging just above 110, varying from 85 to 145.