I am sitting here, waiting to play my pre-loaded L4D2... remembered I had not blogged in a while so here I am.

What interests me lately are achievements. Honestly, I do not really pay attention to them.. moreorless because I don't feel like I'll ever have the time or willpower to achieve everything. You might call that"giving up early"; I call it "needing to pay bills". Case in point.. I love Culdsept Saga and it's my go-to (next to Civ IV or Oblivion) when there are no new games I want to play (or can afford). I once felt ambitious enough to pursue all the XBL achievements in that game.. then I realized some achievements require you to play online (it's rare to find anyone playing that game) and others require you to get every card of a type (which... from what I know, could take a decade).

While I'm not achievement-obsessed, I have to admit it feels pretty damn good when they happen. Just another system in the game to throw you a thumbs up for doing whatcha do. I like the feeling so much that I try to carry it over into my real life. Today, for instance, my dog pooped on her puppy pad (a) by herself and (b) without getting it on the carpet. I praised her, rubbed her belly, and lavished her with her Little Cesar gourmet treats. I can't tell if she knew what she did to deserve it all; but I can't blame her since I occasionally don't know how I achieved things in-game either. Feels funny that I'm comparing my dog to me, but then... aren't pets so lovable because we like to personify their behavior? As admonishable as dressing up a dog/cat is (halloween aside... hellooo yoda costume), when you love your pet they are a little avatar of yourself.