Final song list for Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

I got this off of my friend Dan's LiveJournal. While I'm excited about the idea of new songs, I'm not sure how excited I am about these particular songs. I will reserve judgement until I play them though. When I first started playing GH2, I didn't love all the songs and some of them I just adore now.

Also, I don't know if it's accurate, but here it is!

• "Caught in a Mosh" (as made famous by Anthrax)
• "Balls to the Wall" (as made famous by Accept)
• "Electric Eye" (by Judas Priest)
• "Los Angeles" (as made famous by X)
• "Police Truck" (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
• "We Got the Beat" (as made famous by The Go Go's)
• "(I Think I'm) Turning Japanese" (as made famous by Vapors)
• "Seventeen" (as made famous by Winger)
• "Because, it's Midnite" (by Limozeen)
• "Hold On Loosely" (as made famous by .38 Special)
• "No One Like You" (as made famous by Scorpions)
• "Only a Lad" (as made famous by Oingo Boingo)
• "Ballroom Blitz" (as made famous by Krokus)
• "The Warrior" (by Scandal)
• "What I Like About You" (as made famous by The Romantics)
• "Wrath Child" (as made famous by Iron Maiden)
• "I Wanna Rock" (by Twisted Sister)
• "I Ran" (by Flock of Seagulls)
• "Round and Round" (as made famous by Ratt)
• "Metal Health" (as made famous by Quiet Riot)
• "Holy Diver" (as made famous by Dio)
• "Heat Of The Moment" (as made famous by Asia)
• "Radar Love" (as made famous by White Lion)
• "18 and Life" (as made famous by Skid Row)
• "Bathroom Wall" (as made famous by Faster Pussycat)
• "Lonely is the Night" (as made famous by Billy Squier)
• "Nothing But a Good Time" (as made famous by Poison)
• "Play With Me" (as made famous by Extreme)
• "Shaken" (as made famous by Eddie Money)
• "Synchronicity II" (as made famous by The Police)

Date #5.3: Doin' it up Bachelor-Style

Last night was my third date with #5 from eHarmony. Thank you to all the well-wishers!

The arrival: I arrived at his house a few minutes late because I stopped at home to brush my teeth and change into jeans and a cute top. When I got there and saw him in shorts and a t-shirt, I had wished I'd worn shorts because it was a bit warm. Luckily, he turned on the A/C after I got there.

The menu: Not the tuna-salsa combo I was ready for! But we did it up bachelor-style anyway with some baby carrots and pepperoni slices (mmmm... I love my salty meat! Don't go there R!) as an "appetizer." For dinner, we had boneless, skinless chicken breasts (salt & peppered) cooked on a little George Foreman grill!

The abode/red flags: He has a very cute house that is, wait for it... neat as a pin. Here's finally that red flag I've been kinda waiting for. He's a neat freak. Not a clean freak, just a neat freak. I did not see once stray piece of mail hanging out on any flat surface of the house. Why does that happen? I am so NOT a neat freak (even though I've improved), and yet it seems like I tend to be attracted to them and vice versa. Also, I don't think he's super-social. He said that he much prefers small groups and one-on-one vs. big groups of people. I don't think it's a major problem, but one I'm going to keep an eye on.

The game: When I told Davebo that I was planning on playing Thurn & Taxis, he discouraged that and instead suggested Ticket to Ride, a game that I had not even considered. Once he said it though, it clicked. I knew that was the better choice. #5 said that he did enjoy it, which is a good thing. He's really into WWII, so what I *really* need to do is play Memoir '44 and try that with him.

The end: After the game, we went in the backyard to play with his chocolate lab and then he kissed me! It was good. Back inside, there was more kissing and I ended up getting home, well, let's just say, a bit later than I had planned. Who needs sleep anyway? We seemed to have pretty good chemistry, which is essential in my book. When I left, there was little doubt in my mind that he would be calling for a fourth date.

The follow-up: He emailed me this morning to let me know that he owed me a "good dinner" and asked if I was free Sunday night. I'll be coming back from Denver late that night, so we're going to try to set something up for next week.

The verdict? Obviously, it's going pretty well. He isn't seriously dating anyone at the moment, just some casual dates (I'm in the same boat), so until he's expressing more of an interest to date exclusively or we've talked about it to some degree, I think I'll go ahead and follow up with my other eHarmony guys. Especially since my subscription is ending around mid-July. But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him next week.

Date #5.3 is coming up!

While I was out of town, I was in touch with #5 via email and he invited me over to his house. He said that he would make a specially "prepared" meal for me. The last time he was at my place, he asked me what the weirdest thing I eat at home is when no one is around and I don't feel like cooking. I wasn't sure what he meant, so he gave me his answer: a couple cans of tuna fished mixed up with salsa, eaten off of tortilla chips. I've never tried that, but I have a feeling I may have to edit that statement by the end of Wednesday evening!

For the record, if he does make that for me, I'm inviting him over and making him eat one of my favorite easy no-cook meals: peanut butter and kimchi sandwiches.

A couple more good things? He likes kimchi, yea! and when he sent me the email with his address, he said that if I wanted to bring a game, I should do so! I decided to try Thurn and Taxis with him and see how it goes! I'm also going to take Lost Cities over to show him how all the pictures fit together since he mentioned how he liked the artwork during our last date.

Oasis of Fun 2007

I went to the Oasis of Fun in Atlanta last week and had a really fun time. There were people from Gulf Games 19 that I attended in February, so at least I knew some people. There were also a few people from BoardGameGeek.con last November there! Basically, we gamed and stayed up really late! The highlights were:

• Prize table selections: My first choice was Shogun (I couldn't believe it was still there, I was about the 60th person called!) and my second time up I got Ricochet Robots in the blue box. My friend Michael gave me his third pick called Gouda! Gouda! I doubt it's any good, but I'll try it once to see!
• Meeting a BUNCH of new people. I met several people that I'd heard about but had never gamed with, so that was nice. Luckily, I'll be seeing quite a few of them next month at GG20!
  
• Winning the metagame - There was a sheet to fill out based on the games you played and I won it! The prize? Admission to next year's Oasis of Fun! I guess I'll have to go back if they let me!
  

I played nine new games, bringing my total for the year up to 88 new games for 2007. The cutest one had to be Burg Appenzell, a cute memory game with mini-mice who are chasing cheese and could fall through the dungeon floors because it has that tile-pushing mechanism that's common in the Labyrinth games.

Oh, and another highlight was I got to play the Settlers of Catan 10th Anniversary 3-D version. It was SO frickin' cute. I'd get one if they were $300. But man, it was adorable!!

Relationship advice

Everybody's got relationship advice. Everybody loves to give it too.

I had breakfast with my mom and an old-time friend of hers that lives in the area. I think I've known him since I was in elementary school. He's a very disciplined Korean man with lots of observations of the world. When I think of him when I was little, what I remember most is that he was always singing in a big strong voice and always seemed to exude happiness. That, and he loved his daughter more than life itself. When he and his wife split up, he kept custody of his daughter and I (and so far as I know, they) never saw his ex-wife again. Now, he loves Chick-Fil-A because as he puts it, he loves clean living and Chick-Fil-A is a "clean, clean place with clean food." Have you ever noticed how a lot of Asian people put big stock in cleanliness? It really can be next to godliness. But I digress...

His 21 year old daughter calls him every night from college and he reminds her to be strong and not give into temptation. He had this same advice for me! I said, "Don't worry... I'm strong." He took a look at me after I said that and said, "Yeah, you are strong." He cautioned me against guys that are con artists, trying to say sweet things, but then they don't mean them.

He said that I should pay attention to habits and see what he does. He asked, "Does he drink? Does he smoke? Does he use drugs? Does he spend money? All these things are important! And it doesn't matter if he doesn't do it now, if he used to, he could go back to it even if he stopped temporarily."

All very practical stuff, but good. I think a lot of people don't consider even the basics. And, he said that California is too much fun and having too much fun isn't a good thing because it's like a roller coaster. You'll go up, but then you're going to come down. I told him not to worry, I'm having fun, but not *too* much fun. I'm safe from the big drop on the roller coaster. In fact, it might almost be time to coast for a while.

Welcome to Hot-lanta

I always forget how hot it is in the South. I arrived safely last night with all my luggage and went straight out for some Korean food. It must've been at least in the 70s around 9:30 PM. Today it's supposed to be in the 90s. Yea. At least I came prepared with only tank tops, t-shirts and shorts in my suitcase.

Today we're off to do pedicures and go to an outlet store! Somehow I always go to an outlet store while I'm in the South with my mom. I think we might go to Stone Mountain tomorrow. On Wednesday, we're going to the aquarium here in Atlanta with a gamer friend here for the con that starts on Wednesday night. At least my mom let me sleep in and I got a full 8 hours of sleep. Vacation is good.

This is one busy week

This has been one crazy week.

Monday: Date #5.2
Tuesday: Winton's Farewell Karaoke Bash!
Wednesday: Games
Thursday: Erin's Birthday Dinner & Movie
Friday: Laundry and Heroes!
Today: Birthday/gaming party & packing
Tomorrow: Leaving for Atlanta for one week

I'm heading out to Atlanta tomorrow to visit my mom for a few days and then go to a game convention for the latter half of the week. My impression is that it's similar to Gulf Games with fewer kids around. I already know a few people there, so it should be pretty fun.

A Phone Call

I *love* the book "He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys" by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. It's a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone who's out there dating. It's like a checklist of warning signs when you're in a relationship and it isn't just for women!

One of the chapters is called:
He's Just Not That Into You if He's Not Calling You

Well, good news! He called and left a message last night (while I was out). After he had already sent a couple short emails. So, for now, I can cross that chapter off my list.

As a total side note: For dating purposes, I much prefer a phone call to email. It's more personal. It's definitely better than an email. So I was especially pleased to see that he had called.

eHarmony Date #5.2

Last night, I had my second date with eHarmony guy #5. We had arranged to meet at my apartment so I could teach him a game. The plan was for him to show up at 7:30 PM and we'd eat ham & cheese sandwiches and play a game or two. Here's what happened...

Actually, on second thought, let's just cut to the chase. He arrived on time (good), he's not a picky eater (doubly good) and we played Lost Cities. He was interested in checking out Guitar Hero (triply good), so we did that too and he liked it! We had lots of fun talking and before he left, he kissed me. Twice. And it was good. He said he'd call me and I hope he does.

The best part? So far, no red flags! Not a single one. Not that I'm being supercritical or anything trying to look for one, but during the last year, there has always been a red flag (or maybe a pink one) by the end of the second date. Sometimes even before the first date, but I'd go out anyway just to make sure. He hasn't said (or done) anything that has made me cringe. In fact, just the opposite. I find myself laughing and enjoying listening what he has to say!

Best of all, I feel very comfortable around him. He mentioned during the evening that next time, I'll have to come over to his place, so I guess that's a good sign. Keep your fingers crossed!

Online TV

Wow, now that I've been a little less busy during lunch, thanks to Erin, I found out that ABC and NBC have a lot of their shows online! I missed Heroes last season because it conflicted with something else I was TiVoing. I wanted to watch it once it came out on DVD, but now I don't have to wait! I've been watching the eps online!!! I love it! What a brilliant idea! I'm on episode 4. Friday Night Lights is next!

eHarmony Dates #6 and #7

eH Guy #6
I met him at Michael's Steakhouse in Burbank at my suggestion. That place has really good food (and they have cajun food!!) and it's fairly reasonably priced. He looked a little heavier than his pictures, but basically the same. We had a nice time, but I don't think I'd really be interested in going out with him again. I can't imagine myself kissing him, a sure sign that there's not really a spark there.

I think he might be a bit too Midwestern for me. He doesn't eat spicy food, which apparently is a fairly common thread among those Midwestern people. He's also very frugal, not necessarily a bad thing, but he was complaining about having to spend about $1,000 to travel to Iowa for a good friend's wedding. The main complaint was that if they had been married in the city the couple was currently living in rather than the bride's hometown in Iowa, he wouldn't have had to pay hotel costs because his mom lives in the same town as the couple. I totally understand that it would've saved some cash, but seriously, how much can a hotel in Iowa cost? Probably not much.

eH Guy #7
I met him last night at Frida's in Beverly Hills. He picked out the place and suggested the time, so I went. EVEN THOUGH, there was a Guitar Hero Tournament in Hollywood that I was missing. The sacrifices I make for (potential) love!

The good things? He looked like his picture, cute face, very blue eyes. Seemed nice enough, talkative, good taste in food.

The not-so-good thing? He seems very status-oriented. I'm guessing that he's fairly well off financially, but I don't really need to hear about it all. Just be a cool person that I feel connected to. I'm certainly *not* the type to love someone just because they have money. I'm not saying it wouldn't sweeten the pot a bit, but love someone for it? Never. Whereas, I can tell he's proud of where he is in his life, which is admirable, but that shouldn't be all you're about. He's made several statements through email and on the phone that make me think that status is very important to him. In that respect, I'm not sure how compatible we are. Or maybe he's trying to impress me? I have no idea.

When the bill came, I offered him money (as I always do) and he thanked me for offering, but refused to take any (a good thing). But when he was signing the slip, he made this face like he was thinking and calculating, so I said, "Oh, figuring up the tip?" and he said, "Ninety-eight plus twenty is 118, right?" I just said, "Yes!" Was this his not so subtle way of letting me know how much dinner cost? I saw the menu with all the prices clearly printed on it. I knew it was going to be up there. Maybe that had nothing to do with it and he's just not good at math, but related to other comments he's made about his house and his job, I don't think so.

That being said, I'd probably go out with him again if he asked. Mainly just to see if there is more of a connection. All the stuff we talked about wasn't very personal and so, I didn't really feel a strong connection to him or feel like we got to know each other. If the second date was on par with this one, I'd probably not go for a third. He said he'd call me Monday, so we'll see!

eHarmony Date #5.15

It looks as though I may have my first second date ever from eHarmony! My date #5 who I saw last Thursday for coffee emailed me to see about getting together again. He wants to learn how to play one of the "gateway games" I was mentioning during our first date! I'm looking forward to it as he's the only one so far that I was actually interested in going out with a second time.

He's very graphically inclined and new to Euros in general, so game-wise, I'm going to go with Lost Cities, Blokus, Rumis and Tier auf Tier. Chris suggested Tier auf Tier because it's a kids game and my date is a toy designer for little kids, so Chris thought he might enjoy it. We'll see!

We're getting together on Monday night at my place and I'm making sandwiches! Easy! So I've been straightening up around my apartment because I think he probably runs more on the neater side than I do. Especially not lately because I've been rather busy doing other stuff. I had already been making an effort to clean up a bit because it was beginning to bother even me. I think it should be fine by the end of the week.

Guitar Hero Tournament

This just in from the Thrillist...

There is a Guitar Hero 2 tournament at the Virgin Megastore tomorrow, June 7, 2007 at 6 PM. You have to sign up at noon, come back at 6 PM to play. I wish I could go!!!! I have a date tomorrow and I can't reschedule it. I doubt I could win, but I'd love to compete anyway. Someone needs to go check this out and report back. Winner gets $1,000 shopping spree!!!

I sent it to Travis, but no word on if he's going to go compete. I'm going to let the guys at the GH Bar know tonight.

Also, just found out about another tournament happening on August 11th. No details yet, but here's a link to the website. I'm *so* going to sign up for this one!!

New Cell Phone Number

I decided that it was high time I changed my own cell phone plan. The one I've had since 1998(!) was a super low cost one, costing only $15.00 per month for 100 minutes. No long distance or roaming was included, but it did feature first incoming minute free (which they usually don't offer anymore). I hardly ever went over my minutes, so it's been an excellent plan.

However, with all the traveling I've been doing lately, I decided to sign up for the Sprint Employee Referral Offer that was described on MyMoneyBlog.com. Here's what I'll be getting for $30/month:

• 500 anytime minutes per month
• Unlimited nights and weekends starting at 7 PM
• Includes long distance and roaming
• Unlimited text messages
• Unlimited PCS Vision (web browsing) capabilities
• Free mobile-to-mobile calls
• Caller ID, 3 way calling, voice mail
• No activation fee

I got a Treo 650 from my boss at work, so now when I go out of town, I can access my email accounts through my phone! Now all I need is a bluetooth headset.

The downside? I had to change my phone number because it only works for NEW phone lines. So, once the new phone is activated and confirmed to work, etc., I'll be sending out an email to everyone with my new cell phone number on it.