86 Days to Baby Day! (27 Weeks and Five Days Pregnant)
Anonymous Game Developers (AGDInteractive) have finally, after several years, released their remake of Sierra’s classic Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire. AGDI has, in the past, created remakes of King’s Quest I and King’s Quest II. However, these two titles have mysteriously vanished from their website along with any information or mention of them along with the links that used to allow you to download the games. I no longer know how to get copies of these classics which is extremely sad.
Quest for Glory II can be downloaded, for free, from AGDI’s web site. I downloaded a copy, since you never know when they are going to abandon their work and forget about it, but do not anticipate having an opportunity to play it for quite some time. I really hope to have a chance to play it though. AGDI’s version of the games are generally far superior to Sierra’s ancient originals.
Both KQ1 and KQ2 I played through several times from Sierra back in the day along with other Sierra titles like KQ3 and The Black Cauldron. But I have never actually played any of the Quest for Glory series so having an opportunity to play one remade by AGDI should prove to be a real treat. I am confused, though, that they chose to begin with the second title in the series and not to begin with the first.
I did some digging around on the AGDI website and in the forums someone asks what has happened to the original KQ1 and KQ2 downloads and the answer was that they have temporarily been suspended from downloading until an update of some sort can be made available. If you have never played them, keep an eye open on the web site as the games are truly classics in the strictest sense. In the mean time, join me in trying out Quest for Glory II. I know that my old college roomate, Jamie Quaderer, will be excited. He was playing Quest for Glory IV on his Intel 80486 based PC when we first started college in Flint, Michigan in 1994.
I was completely exhausted this morning and forgot to set my alarm. Dominica woke me up and asked if I was going to Warren today. I jumped out of bed and got ready with blinding speed. I actually did alright this morning, as far as getting ready for work goes, and it probably worked out for the best that I got an extra fourty minutes of sleep. It was necessary.
Nothing special to report about work today. Very much “the usual”. For lunch three of us went out to Baja Fresh on NJ22 near the office. As we were leaving we discovered a new Georgian restaurant that had just opened next door. We stopped in and checked out the menu. The place looks really nice and I am very curious to try out the cuisine. The plan is for us to go there for lunch next Wednesday.
I left work at five and just barely made it to the shuttle that takes me from the office to the Summit Train Station. I actually had to run a little bit to catch the shuttle. Then, when the shuttle got us to the train station, there were huge lines for the ticket machines as well as the human-manned window. So I gave up and ran for the train which was on the platform. I just made it!
It is nearly impossible for me to catch the express train to Broad Street Station but on rare occassions it actually works out. The timing has to be perfect and there is no way for me to buy a ticket. The really annoying bit is that there is no way for me to buy a round trip ticket in the morning so that this wouldn’t be a problem! Argh.
The express gets me to Newark very quickly as there are no stops whatsoever between Summit and Newark. The timing of the train was perfect so that I stepped off of the platform and saw Dominica pulling up in front of the train station. I had to run to catch her as well, it was just that kind of day, but I did catch her and got a lift home to Eleven80. It was a very convenient day from that respect. Almost no walking at all.
On the ride home I completed reading John Man’s 2006 title “Attila“. Before starting another book I will be catching myself up on podcasts from IT Conversations.
We ordered in some dinner quite early from Golden City and watched a little bit of the sixth season of Frasier. Dominica has been watching Frasier without me so I have actually missed about half of the episodes thus far.
My PacSafe Metro 200 bag arrived today from Amazon even though Dominica had only ordered it yesterday. I will not have any call to use it tomorrow but on Friday I will be stuffing everything into it that I need for a day in the city and trying it out. I look forward to being able to bring everything with me that I might want or need while out in the city without having to pick and choose based on weight, plans and weather. Because I will be able to carry my digicam into the city on a regular basis hopefully I will be producing many more pictures of life in the New York Metro area.
I am hoping that when I get a NetBook that that will fit into this bag as well although there is every chance that it will not. This is not a particularly large bag and the books that I often carry only barely fit into it. A NetBook is very small but it would have to be quite small to have any hope of fitting in. It sure would be great if it did. That would do wonders for my soon-to-be very long commute from Peekskill to Manhattan.
The Acer Aspire One, which I am interested in, is 9.8″ x 6.7″ which just might fit. The book that I tried putting into the bag this evening, “Presentation Zen”, is 9.1″ tall and does fit well, but there is not very much room to spare.
While we are on the topic of Peekskill I should also mention that yesterday we received confirmation that the sellers had signed the paperwork for the house and that it was on its way back over to our lawyer so that the house buying process could continue. By late this afternoon the paperwork had been received by our attorney’s office and was on its way to our bank in Rochester who should have received it before the end of the day. So hopefully we will have more status information very soon. The next major step is the bank’s assesment of the house.
After Dominica went to bed, I had some work that needed to be done this evening so I stayed up late working on that. No rest for the weary, I guess.
Wait, why is there no way to buy round trip tickets? Is it because it’s peak time (even though you’re going the opposite way)? You should just buy a 10 pack of tickets. That way you’ll never have to pay the surcharge, and you’ll never have to wait in line.
Not sure why round trip is not an option. The machine offers round trip for off-peak but not peak so I imagine that that must be the reason.
A 10-pack? Wasn’t aware that they had those. Is it ten in each direction or five each way? Would I buy those at Summit or Newark Broad Street?
Oh wait, I only live here for another six weeks. A ten pack for once a week trips would be a bit of overkill. I won’t be using NJ Transit once I move up to Westchester.
full price tickets are good in either direction. it doesn’t matter if it says Newark on the top or the bottom – you pay the same price either way. the only time the NJ Transit people care about that stuff is when you buy an ORT ticket and try to use it in the wrong direction.
Oh cool, maybe I will do that then since a pack of ten would cover five weeks worth of travel. Good deal.
Scott, you should ask the conductor tomorrow, because I think a little information can save you a bit. since you’re doing a reverse commute, you should be able to use ORT tickets. From the NJ Transit website:
Off-Peak Round-Trip Tickets (ORT)
Off-peak Round-Trip Tickets (ORT) save you up to 15% off the cost of two regular one-way tickets. They are valid only for travel in the direction indicated on the ticket. ORT tickets are valid until used.
ORT tickets are not valid during weekday morning peak periods when your final destination or transfer is Penn Station New York, Newark Penn Station, Newark Broad Street Station, Hoboken Terminal, or Secaucus Junction. Travel to or transfer at these terminals during the weekday morning peak periods requires payment of the one-way fare from your origin station.
ORT tickets are not valid during weekday evening peak periods when your origin or transfer is Penn Station New York, Newark Penn Station, Newark Broad Street Station, Hoboken Terminal, or Secaucus Junction. Travel from or transfer at these terminals during the weekday evening peak periods requires payment of the one-way fare from your origin.
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I recommend buying an ORT ticket tomorrow, and if they *don’t* honor it, or tell you you can’t use it, ask them to “step up the ticket” to a regular ticket. You’ll have to pay cash on the train if that’s the case, so keep an extra $5 with you. As long as you have a valid ticket, though, they won’t hit you with the surcharge. NJ Transit is quite flexible with their ticketing options.
That would be awesome if I could use ORT tickets. It never even occurred to me as an option since I’m definitely going during prime commuting hours. Never even though of the fact that I was reverse commuting.
I won’t be returning to Summit until Wednesdays. I only do the trip once per week.
you should look out for Pam, she commutes up to her hospital often (except when she’s on call or parking downstairs sucks). she takes the Montclair-Boonton line, I think.
I take the Dover line normally. I ran into Pam last Wednesday on the platform. She saw me just as I was stepping onto the train so we only had a second to chat.