A New Time Sink

The recent holidays left me a few gift cards richer (thanks Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Boots, and Grandma!) to which I spent towards my new favorite use of my time: Gran Tourismo 4 and a force-feedback racing wheel. With this racing wheel and pedal set installed in front of my TV, it really feels like you're driving. The wheel has motors in it to provide resistance when steering, to feel like there is actually a car behind it. It's especially fun when driving rally races or when spinning out. The addictive nature of the GT series has only gotten worse with this extra feature.

Also, MLK weekend is rapidly approaching, and some friends and I decided that we are going to take shifts on a 24-hour endurance race without pause. Normally, I'd just pause the game and take lots of breaks. That's not going to happen. Pit stops will be the only way to relieve yourself of the driving wheel. This works out well because one guy who may do it is currently working on his Polyphasic Sleep experiment and everyone else is just going to sleep in the next day. I'm looking forward to this venture, but we're only halfway to unlocking this race (requires 25% completion of all goals... yikes) but making good progress.

This also gets out all of my fast driving urges that I get all the time and haven't acted on in the last three years. Really... I've been a good boy. Now let me have my toys.