I recently posted a video of me bowling, which isn’t a big deal… I’ve been bowling in leagues since I was 8. What’s odd is how many people commented with the fact that I’m left handed. I take it for granted, but apparently it’s something unique? My father and 1 of my brothers are both left handed as well.

After doing a quick google search, it seems like studies think that somewhere between 7-15% of the population is left handed. It also says that most left handed people have some ambidexterity skills, but I do not fall into this category. I do everything left handed and also have a dominant left foot. My writing and throwing ability is flat out abysmal with my right hand.

The only thing I prefer to do with my right hand is use a mouse… I have really crappy mouse skill with my left hand.

Some people have asked how this impacts my gaming, but I don’t think it does. I’ve been using a mouse right handed since I was 5 or so… so it’s what feels natural. Even then I didn’t like using a mouse in my left hand. I do prefer using my left hand for keyboard control (which works very well with my right on the mouse), but there are some games where the setup demands using the right hand for control and the left hand for various hotkeys… and I don’t think it gives me any disadvantage.

It’s often brought up when I bowl though, since many right handed bowlers feel that lefties have an advantage. I won’t bore you with the detailed explanation of why… but I just really found it interesting that so many random people noted my left handedness.

The trip started off wonderfully, with a 90+ minute delay before I even left. Got into SFO around 12:45 and waited for about 20 minutes until John and Joey’s plane landed. Got bag and left to get a BART into the city. Now, John grew up in this general area, so we trusted him with the simple task of airport navigation to the BART station… and instead we wound up doing a giant loop through a parking garage that put us right back where we started. At that point, I took charge, and we quickly made it to the train and eventually to out swanky hotel.

I guess I should note that I stayed in a suite with Dan, John, and Joey from Armor Games. Dan flew in on Friday to see some friends, so we were expecting him to be at the hotel and get us access to our room. But apparently he was 20+ minutes away, driving an ‘82 pick up truck for some reason. We wait and eventually Dan arrives. Our room appears to be too small for 4 people, so Dan decides to get us a swankier suite with plenty of extra space. And a freakish lack of outlets.

Not too much interesting stuff took place in the room… we were pretty tired from the trip in, and took an hour or two to relax before the party that night. Then I get a phonecall from a developer I know, benologist… except I don’t remember giving him my number. He wants to bring another guy I know, who makes music, to the party. Dan, being the nice guy he is, allows this. Except beno called me from a hotel, didn’t tell me his room number, and I couldn’t remember his last name to get connected to him room from the hotel staff.

We head to the party, which is next door to where last year’s Armor Party was. I volunteered to go with Dan in the ghetto cruiser. Thankfully, I did not die. The party was solid. About 30 people, many of which I knew already… few I didn’t. Had a few beers, some food, good conversation. All in all some good fun. With dinner over, it was off to a nearby bowling alley for some heated competition with big prizes.

Me, being the giant douche that I am, brought one of my bowling balls with me from LA… along with my shoes. This did not wind up helping me, as I bowled like complete crap. But, developers tend to not be the most atheltic people… so I still handily won. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, which was the most important thing anyway. The top 5 scorers were put into a drawing for 5 prizes… basically as a method of preventing me from getting the top prize automatically. I really wanted that NetBook too. Instead, that musician that beno brought along wound up getting it… grrr. On the other hand, I now own a DSi… but apparently it does not come with games? Not sure what to do about this, but I’ll figure it out.

After we finished bowling, we still hung around and talked for a bit at the lanes. Then walked back to our hotel with a drunk Weasel (not the Thing-Thing one, the Frantastic Contraption / Streambirds one). We were going to have a nightcap with him at the hotel bar… sadly it was already closed. He left, and we went up to bed.

Not too bad of a first day, in spite of the 5am wake up. Will have storytime on Day 2 later, along with commentary on FGS.

Severe lack of worthless crap about my life, I know…  so here’s a bit of what’s been going down.

I’ve been in Philly for almost 2 weeks now.  It snowed like crazy right when we landed…  talking heads said it was 23″, but given I know an awful lot about what 23″ looks like…  gonna say it was less.  I’ve gotten little work done in that time; finished up some stuff on a game I’m helping to develop and recorded 1 vid.  Been slow all around because of the holidays.  Back in LA Sunday night.  Won some money playing poker and a fun word-based board game called Uncommon Sense with my HS boys.  Kicked my dad’s ass in bowling repeatedly.  Watched lots of football.  Ate way too much food…  yet still can’t gain weight. 

Not much on the horizon before heading home…  I’ve gotten together with everyone I need/want to see, except my mother (who I’ll see when she returns from Florida).  It’s always nice to visit family, but it’ll be good to get back home and back into my routine.