Level Orange

I was going through some old files on my computer the other day and happened upon these charming little nuggets from the past. In case you missed these back when we recorded them in 2008, here are the full episodes of the  PiQ Podcast (and thanks to Facebook, the summaries of what we discussed), as hosted by Messrs Howard, Starr, Gifford and yours truly. Sure, all we talk about is stuff that happened two years ago but hey, it reminds me of good times.

Download (right-click, Save As…) and enjoy.

Episode 0

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Just to prove we are not sitting around all day eating Fritos and wiping the grease on our tank tops, here is the highly experimental Episode 0 of The PiQ Podcast (thePiQ-cast? Perhaps I’m getting too far ahead of myself). Have a listen — just press that little “Play” button up above this text — and you’ll get to hear myself, Robert, Paul, and Scott discuss the sorts of things we’ve been up to while working on this magazine.

We got print copies of Issue 1 in the other day, and I hear that some subscribers have received it as well. Huzzah! Tremendous! We hope you will get it soon if you haven’t, or later this month when it hits newsstands. We honestly care what you think about this issue, so keep letting us know.

PiQ Episode 1 – The Sausage Fest

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Now that we’ve slogged through our deadline for Issue 2, we’re able to share our much-delayed discussion about Issue 1 with all you fine folks.

If you have Issue 1, feel free to follow along as we talk about some initial reactions to the magazine, and go into a bit of discussion on Appleseed Ex Machina, Avatar, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Honey & Clover, recent legislation in Japan, Tweeny Witches, Battlestar Galactica, Independence Day (!), our Monitor think-piece “Is Anime Dead?” and more.

PiQ Episode 2 – No Games for Old Men

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Did we ever say this podcast would be a regular thing? Whoops. After a hectic month or so, we finally sat down and got to discuss some of what we’ve been up to, including Kevin’s trip to Japan, the infallible legacy of Upton Sinclair and our collective realization that some games are just entirely too damn hard for old fogeys like us (and we’re not even that old).

More importantly, there’s also our discussion of Issue 2 and all the goodness therein, like how much we dig Sam & Max, Lucky Star, Iron Man, Tim and Eric, action movies, old game shows and pig creatures? Also, we have another sweet prize for those of you interested, so be sure to listen for that too.

PiQ Episode 3 – Delicious

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Here we are again to discuss what we’ve been up to (despite being such losers). Kevin tells all about his conniving ferret, Scott and I celebrate the epic nature of GTA IV and Paul tells why you should check out The World Ends With You.

We also discuss a fair bit about Issue 3, which you should be able to find at your local newsstands. Find out what we really thought about our cover story, Speed Racer, and what other movies we’re looking forward to from this summer’s crop of big releases. There’s also some talk about roller derby and its appeal, Working Designs and our MONITOR piece on translation “Found in Translation”.

The morning was a typical one, considering that I’m currently working on borrowed time and have no idea of what could be next. But I had just finished placing an order for my prescription refill when I received a call.

It was my father. I had just spoken to him yesterday about his fiance, who would be undergoing a cardiac catheterization. This was something I’d had my own experience with, and I know it’s no picnic, so of course I was concerned about how she would come out of it. But when I picked up the phone, I could already tell by his voice that something was up.

What he said next took the wind right out of me. He told me about how they’d spoken to the doctor, and after seeing the results of the catheterization, the doctor recommended no less than immediate open-heart surgery. To be more precise, because of the severe blockage of two main arteries, they suggested a double-bypass operation. Now, you try hearing that and see how easy it is to remain standing.

So I just kind of grabbed my things and rushed off to the hospital. I could tell my dad was getting choked up, and it wouldn’t help that he was there all by himself. It’s hard enough to have to hear that kind of news, but to having to sit there by yourself waiting for an outcome…it must be maddening.

It wouldn’t be for another three hours before the doctor would emerge from the operating room and tell us the news. When he said the words “she did great”, man, that was like the sweetest sounding music we’d ever heard. Not only did she make it through the procedure, but she did it with flying colors. Apparently, one thing that this type of surgery calls for is to actually stop the heart, depending on the patient’s health and age, and luckily for her, the doctors didn’t need to do that. And because of that, the recovery period should be shorter than normal. What a relief.

Now, twenty four hours later, things have started looking even better. After being moved out of the ICU and into a regular room, we were told by the doctor that she could expect to go home as soon as Friday. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to do much and would have to make some changes to her daily routine. Nevertheless, when you’re going home, it can only mean good things.

Not dramatic enough? Well, here’s the kicker. Her and my dad were to be married this Saturday, only three days from now. While the scheduled ceremony and celebration is definitely postponed, we’re hoping they can still be married in the hospital. Now would that be special or what?

There just might be a happy ending to all of this yet.

**UPDATE: Yes, there was a happy ending. My dad and his fiance were married, at the hospital, with friends and family and one wonderful doctor present for the ceremony. They’re back home now, six days gone by, and enjoying a much-needed, much-welcomed vacation.**

Here you see a picture of San Pedro, Belize, Central America, with the Barrier Reef in the foreground.

Notice the white arrow. Now, I couldn’t possibly tell you where, but somewhere in this vicinity is where I lost my wedding ring.

Lost it, you say? Yes. Lost it. I can’t even tell you how I lost it. I just did.

Things were going great. After an hour of riding a powerboat through winding rivers and open sea, we made it to our destination. A spot of cool, clear water near the Barrier Reef, just short of the shelf. The guide, my wife and I went through the snorkeling process and rules for diving in the area (do not touch the coral, do not provoke any marine life, stay next to him, etc.) and started to give it a try.

Aw, man, it was great. I learned how to swim years ago when I was still a child, but I couldn’t do it now to save my life. And I was a little nervous about getting out into open water without this particular ability. But once I put on the gear and got into the shallow water, it was a whole different story. I took to it fairly quickly, and was ready to get out there and take some pictures.

So we’re in the water, digging it, just having us a good ol’ time. We see all kinds of brightly colored fish, some cool coral formations, even some barracuda swimming around us. Heading out to the deeper areas, like about thirty feet deep, I see scuba divers below us on the sea floor. Our guide goes down into a coral tunnel and out the other end. I hover above the scuba divers, snapping some pictures as their bubbles rush up to us. All is good and the camera is working tip-top. Once again, this is great.

I start falling behind Carol and our guide, so I kick a little faster and quickly catch up. I see them looking at a particular fish below, a trumpet fish, and try to snap a picture of it. Couldn’t get a shot. I try to take the camera off of my wrist and give it to Carol, but the rubber wristband is caught on my watch. By the time I do, the fish is gone. So I look up and try to figure out just what kind of path we’ve been taking around this diving area, and I see that we’re coming back around to the boat. Snap a few more pictures. Some coral, some fish. Now the camera’s run out of film, so I’m just sightseeing again. Not really paying much attention to anything besides what’s in the water around us. There’s the occasional nudge of someone else’s flipper or arm (this designated diving area is crowded this time of day), but nothing unusual.

Now before I go on, notice how many times I mention anything about or relating to my ring.

We get back to the boat and take off our gear. I sit down to dry myself off a bit and reach for a bottle of water. When I open the bottle, I take the cap in my left hand and all of the sudden I see it. Or rather, don’t see it. It had to be most horrible moment in my life. I just hoped I was imagining it. The only word I could muster was “No”. Actually is was more like “No, no, no, no, oh no, oh no, oh shit, oh dammit,” but that’s technically more than one word. I just know one thing. I’ll never be able to live this one down, and deservedly so, I suppose.

I really don’t know at what point it left my finger, but I could’ve sworn I felt it not long before we got back on the boat. But with all the area we covered and all the fish down there in the water, it would be a tough find. Impossible really. My he, my body, my mind sank. I might as well have just sank to the bottom right along with that ring. I almost hoped somehow it would just reappear on my finger. I didn’t even want our guide to start the boat up. And when he did, that was it for me. My day was pretty much over. It wasn’t even lunch time yet and I was through. The real, physical pain I felt as we sped off was can’t be described. Even as we were hit with a light shower on the way to the dock, it didn’t help one bit. It just made me feel worse. Rain? Who cares. Sunburn? I didn’t really feel it anymore. I tried, and am still trying to make the best of things, but until I get a replacement, I’m not gonna be the same. Even then, I may not be the same.

Listen, I know it’s just a ring. I know that much worse things could’ve happened. I know that it’s not what holds me and my wife together. Our love is not dependent on jewelry. But, for me, investing so much feeling and worth into a wedding ring is quite a big step. To me, it’s a symbol of what I’ve been able to accomplish in my own life. If you’d asked me a year ago what good is a wedding ring, I would have told you “nothing”. “Who needs that?” I would’ve said. This, of course, was when I didn’t particularly believe that marriage was for me. This was before I found love in my life, like no other I’ve ever known. It sat in my desk drawer for months as we waited for The Day. And when The Day came, it was given to me by my wife as a symbol of our bond to each other. To me that ring said a lot.

“One of my worst moments.”

That’s what I’ll be saying for the rest of my life. I guarantee it.

I was 22 years old when I had my heart attack, and for me, it wasn’t easy to deal with. No one that age even remotely thinks about anything like that, but there I was, forced to confront it head on. And how do you do that? I certainly didn’t know how. Instead, I started doubting myself and my skills, almost quit my job and wrestled for months with a bout of depression. But it was during a much-needed vacation in New Mexico that things started changing. Trust me, time away from everyday worries does wonders for the soul.

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