"We Won't Be Too Mean"

I would like to tell you that today I returned to my apartment in Maryland to find the letter from the housing department that I was told would be there.  In fact, I would LOVE to say that.  I'm not worried, I'm just ready to know so that I can start making some plans.

So instead of planning my future today, I went and played laser tag.

Tyler, Palmer, Kirk and I met up at the designated place in Arlington, and when we walked in it was apparent that we were in the middle of a ten year old's giant birthday party.  When we bought our tickets, the woman at the front desk looked at us and said "you know you're playing with a bunch of kids, right?"  to which Palmer responded: "we won't be too mean."

We ended up playing two rounds and getting pretty well crushed each time by the onslaught of tiny children (who make TERRIBLE targets).  We went as far as trying to secure the second floor battlements, which had only points of entry, but that was to no avail.  Fun, though.

After laser tag Tyler and I went to a nearby mall to see if we could find a DVD of the best of Star Trek TNG in order to use it to play BeerTrek.  BeerTrek is a game that I discovered college courtesy of one of my PMA music fraternity brothers and is up there among the nerdiest things that I do.  Since I didn't remember the exact rules, Tyler and I made up a new batch that we felt would do the job.  We didn't end up finding a new DVD, but here are the rules anyway, in case anyone wants to play or add to them:

The Illustrious Rules of BeerTrek

The Most Noble Game where Man Drinks Beer to what no Man has Drunk Beer to Before

While Watching StarTrek: The Next Generation

ONE MUST DRINK WHEREUPON IT IS POINTED OUT THAT:

• Data remarks upon his emotional state, or his desire for one.
• Warf expresses an aggressive emotion or desire.
• There is unusual or unnecessary sexual tension.
• Picard says “Make it so.”
• Someone is teleported.
• Someone says “onscreen.”
• Someone is scanned.
• Someone wears a costume which was clearly not made for ease of movement in space.
• Picard says “star date.”
• They go into warp drive.
• The prime directive is called upon.
• Geordi is blind. (This one can be invoked at any time, excepting cases in which you're watching a rare episode in which Geordi regains his sight.)

ONE MUST FINISH THEIR BEER WHEREUPON IT IS NOTED THAT:

• A little-known extra dies.
• The warp drive malfunctions.
• There is an identifiable guest-star (he or she who makes the ID does not have to drink). (Actual names are not necessary. For example: Shooter McGavin! John Locke! etc...)
• The Enterprise is boarded in a hostile way.
• A time/space paradox is formed or narrowly avoided.
• The previous scene was a dream/hallucination/implanted memory.