First off, thank you all so much for your dice comments! They were all very helpful and intriguing, and I jotted things from each of them in my brainstorming log. My game is ending up similar to the “dice darts” concept, except that I’m using a super magnet, and using bolts and nuts as dice in the same way that Pass the Pigs uses plastic pigs as dice, scoring based on what position they land in (this is until Monday, when I can get some magnetic paint from our facilities admin, and I’m going to try using normal dice).

More details on that later. For now, birthday report!

Andy, my producer, nagged me about what I wanted to do for my birthday, saying he would organize it for me. This is a great gift, as coordinating people can be tiresome. I only wanted one thing for my birthday, and that was to go ice skating!

When I got home on Friday night (well, really very early Saturday morning, so it was already my birthday) I was surprised by a cake that my roommates had baked and left for me. How thoughtful! I had a piece before bed, and another for breakfast ^_^

My project team — Andy, Joe, and Carlos (Edmundo couldn’t make it) — went to the skating rink this afternoon, and had a very fun time skating! We were soon joined by Max, who gave me a great big birthday hug. Ice skating was tons of fun, but we all fear for the ‘morrow, where we will likely be too sore to walk. All worth it!

We then set back to the ETC and picked up some of the iMobile team — Jake, Alyson, and Rich — and went to Primanti Bros. to eat dinner. Primanti Bros. has the distinction of being “the place in Pittsburgh that puts french fries on your sandwich” suggested to me early on by Ken. It was delicious!

Rich, ever mindful of the fact that I don’t drink alcohol, said that they should get me smashed for my birthday…on energy drinks. I thought he was teasing, until we met back at the ETC, where he entered with an armful of energy drinks and a tube of squeezable sweet tart candy. I humored him by drinking the Amp…it was awful! Later, Andy showed back up, got me off the ceiling with a broom, and we both decided no more energy drinks.

That didn’t stop Joe from harassing me and attempting to peer pressure me to down the rest of them. It was all in good fun, though. Ballers, if you ever meet Joe, you will notice the striking similarities in personality to Ken. The two of them should never meet, or they will destroy the world with their inappropriate wit!

The rest of the evening was spent Rock Banding and playing games, and Bryan Cash showed up to play as well. Will would be so proud of me, as I have graduated to playing on hard on both bass AND guitar in Rock Band. However, I do cheat a little. I play sitting down, and use the tiny buttons on the base of the neck. The buttons are smaller, closer together and I can reach the orange one without moving my hand too much. Even still, I consider this a grand accomplishment!

We spend the last moments of my birthday watching Clone High on youtube, and even when the clock passed midnight, Jesse sent me a Happy Unbirthday picture. It has been quite a full day!

And now…crashing from the caffeine high of the energy drink (those things are probably worse for you than alcohol) I sleep. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes today!