XBox Orphan

I am such a good mum. I earned serious Brownie points on Tuesday evening. For the past 18 months Boy has been putting money away like a miser for the event to end all events - the launch of Halo 3. He's only had it on order for the past 6 months and I suspect some where in the depths of his bedroom is a calendar with the days marked off until its release.

Tuesday evening he puts himself to bed at 8pm, and amazingly gets some sleep before I wake him up at 11pm. We walk into the city, through the dark, damp streets to Game, to join about 100 other boys of varying ages. The night is a rich smell of adolescent, excited male sweat. Serious gamers obviously don't believe in the application of soap, water or anti-perspirant. In that throng I was woman number 3. When the shop finally opened the doors, the orderly queue disintegrated into a scrum as gamers pushed for pole position. The staff kindly opened the doors half an hour before release time so we could get out of the cold and wet. So we all got to dry off in the warm. Think of wet dog, many apologies to Murph, but these lads smelt worse. At this point, you have to bear in mind I'd been up at 7am, put in a full day at work on the shop floor and I was pretty knackered. Midnight came with cheers and many lunging for the tills, where staff offered standard and limited editions of Halo 3, there were strategy guides, posters, t-shirts, special editions of the console and controllers, as well as dodgy figurines. People were leaving with bags and bags full of stuff. It took another quarter of an hour before Boy got to the till.

Boy: I'd like Halo 3

Till Girl: (looking panicked)

Me: It's alright, I'm the responsible adult

Till Girl: It is a 15 game.

Me: I know.

Till Girl: I've got to tell you, it has violence, scenes of a gorey nature and general bad behaviour.

Boy: Oh no. Bad behaviour like spitting on the floor and swearing?

Till Girl (trying to keep a straight face): Right, you're all paid up. I have to give the game to you (hands game to me).

On the way back, I tell Boy if he pulls a sickie between now and his birthday I will confiscate Halo 3 until he goes back to school. He thinks that's harsh, but fair. Unfortunately for him, last night he starts coming down with a cold. He's got a cough that would make a 40-a-day smoker proud, but he got himself out of the house, promising that even if he broke his leg, he would still get his butt to school on time. Bless.

Viking has come over for a few days. We were chatting about the Tuesday night event and he shook his head sadly at me as we walk in from the city to the flat in the late afternoon.

Viking: You're too soft with him and his XBox useage you know.

Me: Yeah, I know, but he likes it and he's not falling behind in his schoolwork.

Viking: I just don't think so much XBox is good for him.

Me: The game has just come out, I've taken steps to ensure he doesn't take the piss. He'll be fine.

We get home. Boy is playing Halo 3.

Boy: I'm on XBox Live, want to play?

Viking: Oh yeah!

Now as I type this my son, his friend and my lover are now blowing the bejesus out of each other. I'm on my own. *sigh*

Ringing in the New

Happy New Year! May 2007 bring you new adventures, success, laughter and love.

Boy and I saw the new year in with Gee, some of her clan and some members of the Norwich Chant Collective. We finished off several bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne and a several coffees. Played Articulate, which was a real hoot. I think boardgames are fabulous, especially when played with good friends and family. Competitive games bring out the spikey side in people who appear on the surface easy going and laid back. Many creative insults were hurled during the course of the game.

Needless to say I am feeling somewhat delicate. I've only just managed to get out of my PJs. Boy is happily playing on his new XBox 360. He finally managed to save up enough to take advantage of a good deal. Now he just needs to save a small fortune to get some decent games. Mind you, there will be some money definitely put away for Halo 3, which just looks amazing.

The Ladies Like Armour Plating

"Thanks for the tank. He [Master Chief], never buys me anything." Cortana.

"Oh I know what the ladies like." Sergeant Johnson.

I have been converted to Halo 2. Don't anyone start to fret too much. I do the level called 'Metropolis' and it starts off with that gag. It then descends into the mayhem of me in a tank shooting the crap out of anything that moves (as Boy has found to his cost). I love the fact that all the characters have these wonderful lines. Further on into the level, one of the marines is panicking and he gets told: "Marine, did I give you permission to bitch?"

How sad am I?

Not at all actually. I had my first call review today. Which meant my lovely supervisor listened in on two of my live calls and one recorded one. The recorded one I chose. I chose my lovely gentleman from the early hours of Sunday evening. Halfway through the 11 min call she turned around and said I ought to have a medal, for being so polite and unflappable in the face of his obstructive and stroppy behaviour. I basked. Her only criticism was that after 5 minutes I should have called my Site Lead and got a nurse to take the call off my hands. Not too bad then. I'm really pleased. The review has done wonders for my confidence as I can see the progress I've made.

Now all I need to do is make some progress with my college work and I really will be smoking.