Bike Bonanza

Merrit rode his bike without training wheels (or stabilizers, as they say here)! Woo hoo! Go, Merrit! Here are some highlights of his big day:






Earlier in the day, Mike went on a 20-mile bike ride. Here he is getting ready to leave:

Mike here. There's a bike shop right across the street where I got some general maintenance on my bike done. They gave me a map of bike trails all over the northeast. So I picked a trail head that was close to our house and I really didn't have any expectations. 

I just wanted to get out and get some exercise. But what I found was an absolutely incredible bike ride that I could never have planned myself. It led through quiet long stretches between farmlands and fields, under bridges, and between  hedgerows. The path is used by the locals as a general footpath and as a horsetrail. It took me further north, and just on a whim, I took a right towards the coast. I ended up in the town of Seaton Sluice. I wasn't done yet...I didn't want to turn around. 

I continued north, all along the coast which was great because I had worked up a sweat and I was being cooled off by the North Sea breeze. The view was panoramic. All along the way, I was nervously passing horses, because I had never passed a horse on a bike before and didn't know what they'd do. 

I got up to the town of Blythe, which is an old port town, where they have a long stretch of windmills built onto a pier that stretches out into the ocean. 

I figured Blythe was a good place to turn around and head back. I followed the same trail all the way back to my front door. Twenty miles in all. I hope to post a video or photos of my next ride soon.

If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

Top 10 Things English People Love

Photo source: national-foods.blogspot.com

10. The traditional Sunday dinner. Roast beef, lamb, or chicken with Yorkshire pudding, gravy, and veg.

9. Hen and stag parties.

8. Top Gear.

7. The football team from wherever you're from.

6. Ale. Room temp.

5. Small cars, though probably not by choice.

4. Sausages from the local butcher--well, really, any pork product will do.

3. Tea, of course. PG Tips or Yorkshire brands.

2. Baked beans at breakfast, lunch, and dinner--and for midnight snacks.

...and the number one things English people love...

1. Candy. Candy. Candy.

Praise for Driver: San Francisco

Okay, so the reason we are here in the first place is The Job. Since we arrived in England, Mike has been working hard on the latest release in the Driver franchise, "Driver: San Francisco."

Here's a sneak peek of the game:



While there is still much game testing, bug fixing, production, marketing, and distribution to come before the game will be on the shelves, Mike's role as Art Director is pretty much done.

Early reviews are starting to come in. And the reviews have all been great!

Last week in L.A., Driver San Francisco had a booth at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo, one of the biggest and most important industry tradeshows). The game won some awards and was nominated for others, including:

• Winner, Best of E3: Best Racing Game by Machinima.com
• Winner, Best Racing Game by Digital Trends (Yahoo!)
• Nominee, Best of E3: Best Racing Game by XPlay (G4) 
• Nominee, Best of E3: Best Racing Game by Shortlist.com 
• Nominee, Best Multiplayer by Digital Trends (Yahoo!)

And here's some Driver buzz. This video features YouTube star Freddie Wong, who said Driver San Francisco was his game of the show:




And here are two interviews with Martin Edmonson, the Creative Director at Reflections:

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2011 - Driver: San Francisco

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2011 - Driver: San Francisco

And check out these excerpts from industry reviews that have come out since E3.

“Of all the things I wasn't expecting at this year's E3, Driver: San Francisco's multiplayer turning out to be the "have you tried that yet?" game is definitely in the top three. The genius "shift" system brings a whole new dimension to driving games and delivers the "still in the race" feel whether you're a veteran of the genre or dabble in it from time to time.” - Alexander Sliwinski, Joystiq

“I played several rounds and each became more intense than the last, as the other players learned the tricks and tested strategies.” - Alexander Sliwinski, Joystiq

“… Ubisoft Reflections could have the surprisingly solid multiplayer experience of the year on its hands. We were pleasantly shocked a year ago by the polish of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's multiplayer and Driver: San Francisco is causing that same type of rubbernecking.” - Alexander Sliwinski, Joystiq

“Driver: San Francisco was one of my biggest surprises of E3.” - Lawrence Soontag, Machinima.com 

“The game looks amazing, sure, but where it really shines is in the gameplay department.” - Lawrence Soontag, Machinima.com 

“Driver: San Francisco is a truly original experience, and one that will challenge the preconceived notions of the genre.” - Lawrence Soontag, Machinima.com 

“When you add an open-world San Francisco setting filled with hundreds of miles of roads and the sort of eccentrics unique to the city--believe us, GameSpot is based there--you have a pretty good idea of what sort of craziness this game has in store. And now that we've seen what you can get up to in multiplayer, it somehow seems even crazier. “ - Shaun McInnis, GameSpot 

“It's a weird system, but it's one that works oddly well in an open-world driving game where sometimes you just really want to be driving a different car.” - Shaun McInnis, GameSpot 

“But in multiplayer, it's just plain-and-simple insanity.” - Shaun McInnis, GameSpot 

“It's a fast and frantic game mode that breeds a sort of paranoia and tension we haven't seen in a lot of racing games. It breeds this partly because there are so many people after one target and partly because that one target has every reason to believe that every car in the city is out to get him or her.” - Shaun McInnis, GameSpot 

“When I went in for some multiplayer, I expected the worst, but once again Driver: San Francisco proves that it can be a blast.” - Greg Miller, IGN 

“Having to run from everyone and avoid possible places people could shift was my favorite part of the game.” - Greg Miller, IGN 

“This racing, crazy turns, and shifting went on for a while, and while I'm sure it sounds simple, it was a blast. I'd play this at home.” - Greg Miller, IGN 

“I played a lot of games during E3 preview week last month, but none had me so entertained as Driver: San Francisco.” - Chris Kohler, Wired 

“I was glued to the multiplayer game that Ubisoft showed off at its E3 Expo booth last week in Los Angeles, a game of car tag that lets you shift between different cars on the fly.” - Chris Kohler, Wired 

“The Shift mechanic will be used throughout Driver. It’s a thoroughly unrealistic but quite fun bit of business.” - Chris Kohler, Wired 

“But that’s what makes Driver: San Francisco such a fresh, unique experience. Once you realize that you’re never stuck in your car and can jump to any other one instantly, the strategies begin to unfold.” - Chris Kohler, Wired 

“What left me feeling good about Driver after my demo was that in this age of bloated, overly complex console games, it embraced pick-up-and-play instant fun. I was already interested in this game for the promise of driving illegally around the city I live in, but the multiplayer demo has me looking forward to it even more.” - Chris Kohler, Wired 

“I'm not even all that crazy about driving games in general. But I really, really, really, really, reaaaaaally want to buy Driver: San Francisco.” - Tony Ponce, Destructoid 

“I lost both rounds I played, but I lost gloriously! This game feels more like the Matrix than the goddamn Matrix games! I'm anxious to get back in the driver's seat and start dicking around with the laws of time and space once again!” - Tony Ponce, Destructoid 

“You might not have machine guns or rocket launchers, but you're never safe, even for a moment.” - Chris DeAngelus, Worthplaying.com 

“If the main game can maintain that amazing intensity, it might be exactly what the franchise needs to stand out among its competitors.” - Chris DeAngelus, Worthplaying.com 

“After the last couple mediocre Driver entries, it's pretty reassuring that we're already enjoying these pre-release demos.” - Andrew Hayward, GamesRadar.com 

“…but what we played this week was fast, fun, and consistently engaging – certainly not something that'll put prospective players in a coma come late August.” - Andrew Hayward, GamesRadar.com

My 10 Favorite Blogs

I was touched the other day to be listed as one of Rambling Heather's favorite blogs. If you haven't read her stuff, visit her site for some amazing poetry and insights on mothering and living in the light. I love the expression that we should "never let the urgent take the place of the important." Heather gets it.

As per the rules of this blogging award, I'm supposed to share seven things my readers may not know about me. I did the "25 Things" challenge on Facebook a few years ago, so I'm going to rip off some of those and paste in here...

1. I have a scar on my left foot from when I stepped on a glass bottle as a kid and EVERY TIME Mike rubs my feet, he says, “What IS that?” and I have to tell the story all over again.

2. As long as I can remember I have been afraid of sharks – even in lakes and pools. Then, Mike and I went snorkeling in Mexico on our 10th anniversary and I was instantly over it. To this day, I’m still not sure what happened, but…I’m cured!

3. I am incapable of holding a grudge.

4. I have waaay too much fun making my kids’ Halloween costumes.

5. I cheat at board games.

6. I’m a granola at heart. I’m into composting/recycling, breastfeeding (well, not anymore, kids are big!), organic and whole foods, homeopathy, and minimizing my carbon footprint.

7. God help me, but I love gangster rap.

But enough about me...let's get on to the awards.

Here is my list of 10 award-winning blogs, chosen by me and awarded by me. :-) In no particular order...

It's Marvelous - My lovely niece is all grown up and teaching ME things. Dude. I can still remember when she was just six. You'll love her wit and big heart just as much as I do.

Simply Fit Mama - I have cooked and worked out with this savvy, stylish mom of two and I'm so glad that now the rest of the world can get the inside scoop on her healthy eating, exercise, and lifestyle tips. And, omygosh, the recipes!

DIY Home Staging Tips - Hi Mom! Yes, it's true, grandma blogger and home staging expert Pink Overalls is my very own mom. Whether you're selling your house or not, you'll find all kinds of quick, easy, and budget friendly ideas for house love.

Pink and Polka Dot - The undisputed slipcover queen, Kristi. I don't even sew and I still read this blog, that's how good it is. And she makes me laugh.

carrieloves.com - From techie gadgets to crafty stuff to Twilight to best-of-the-web type posts, you just never know what you're going to get from Carrie. Pop over and have a looksee...

You Look Fab - Okay, I'm no fashionista. But I have learned loads from reading Angie's blog and, well, I think I look cuter than I used to!

A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings - I just found this blog and keep going back for the photography. As a new expat here in the UK, I am reading with interest all of Kris's posts on being an American in England.

Cake Wrecks - Just laugh out loud funny.

Fed up with Lunch - This teacher-turned-blogger who calls herself Mrs. Q writes about the sad state of  American school lunches, and then some. This is like misadventures in the land of rib-b-que and tatertots, complete with disturbing photos. Not to worry, plenty of action items to balance out the doom and gloom.

The View from High Windy - I'm listing it so that he'll actually write his first post and go public with this thang.