Two years ago I was unemployed and wanted to write about games to cheer me up from the depressing reality that being unemployed can be. That went pretty well for a few months, until I wrote the dreaded words that signals a blog's demise: Will update.

Someone once told me that in life, instead of just paying people to do work for you, you should always try to do something yourself at least once. "That way," he said, "you'll know how much you're willing to pay someone to do it for you."

That piece of advice has always rung true for me. I already have a natural tendency towards fixing things myself, as Colure can attest. Granted I've got a better success rate with plumbing than, say, electronics, but I do what I can.

I'm also fussy about having random people in the house. Call it paranoia, suspicion, or just plain rudeness, but I don't much care for it and like to avoid it at all costs. So, at no point in my life will you ever see me hire movers, cleaners, or probably even painters (even though sometimes the thought is incredibly tempting).

That being said... there are three things that I will never, ever attempt to do by myself, and will gladly pay anyone whatever exorbitant fee they require of me for the service. Some of them are based in lack of knowledge. Others because, well, they're kind of icky. All are based in utter fear.

1. Car Repairs - I once took the ASVAB, which is a test to help determine military placement should you enlist. I had the second highest score in my high school... but had the lowest score on the automobile section. Period. I trust myself to do nothing more then change a battery, and that's it.

2. Pest Control - This one is kind of obvious. I mean, no one's going to spray their own house with hazardous chemicals. But Home Depot sure sells plenty of mouse traps and other forms of rodent elimination, and you won't see me buying any of it. I'm not saying that I'd only ever pursue non-lethal means either... this is just one of things that I will unabashedly puss out of every time.

3. Ironing - I realize compared to the previous two this is serious weak sauce, but I have an undeniable fear of ironing. I have opted to go to events with a wearing a suits with a topographic wasteland of wrinkles over attempting to use an iron, and why? Because that's a much better option than showing up with a burned shirt, which is what I'm sure will happen if I attempt to use this deadly clothes torturer. Fortunately I have a wife. Unfortunately she hates ironing. We may have to pursue acquiring another weapon of massive wrinkle-destruction.

I'm sure everyone has at least one of these. In fact I'm also pretty sure that the first two are pretty popular choices for a lot of people.

Back in August I decided to sign up for NaNoWriMo on the basis that:

Way too tired for short sunday write up. Also, uh, not much to write up. it was pretty much line-event-line-event-line-event-end-depression. but that doesn't mean it wasn't awesome because it was totally awesome. I'd go so far to say it was a bonafide ride on the U.S.S. Awesome!1. And you know who the captain of that ship is.

Friday was pretty much a slam dunk, so I definitely woke up with a spring in my step today, excited for what Saturday would bring. Since Expo Hall was a little low yesterday (although already higher then last year's total, frankly) I came determined to preview more games, starting with my personal favorite, Mass Effect 2. While I might be a bit biased towards all things Mass Effect, there's no doubt in my mind that right now Bioware is crafting their own Empire Strikes Back in the second part of this video game trilogy. And I cannot wait to get my hands on it.