Dragon Age Diaries: Leanna

By Linda | July 23, 2010

Dragon Age,logo This narrative is a faithful telling
of my adventures in Dragon Age: Origins,
as played on Xbox 360
as a Dalish elf rogue.

From Ostagar to Ishal

Having previously experienced the wonders of Ostagar several times, the novelty has worn off a bit. King Cailan, who is a dead man walking, seems less like an Important Person and more like an oblivious simpleton. Knowing Loghain is an evil betrayer puts a spin on things as well. I immediately finagle an audience with him and try to get him to confess to his ruse, but the decision tree does not allow me to press him much about his motives. I guess you are not supposed to role play with foreknowledge anyway, but how can you help it in some circumstances? Nonetheless, it is a good idea to confront your enemy face-to-face at the very beginning, thus making his eventual defeat at your hands all the more fulfilling.

The rest of Ostagar is a bit of a snooze: triggering a few quests, getting lectured by Wynne, pretending to not know about tranquils and enchantments, selling precious fire arrows in order to afford an even more precious backpack. I try to convince some slave elves to rebel against their human oppressors, but they are too busy setting a table or something to listen much to me. They are like, “What? Elves do not have to be slaves? Hmm, interesting, well excuse me, I need to get back to my drudge work!” I guess being dumb is contagious.

I meet up with Alistair, who is MUCH taller than me, forcing me to crane my neck to speak with him. His being so much bigger makes him more attractive though. Until he starts up with his tired, deflective jokes. I guess he means well though, and he’s way more awesome than Daveth or Jory. I will confess that my one secret true love in Dragon Age is Bann Teagan though.

Kocaris gone wild

The first time I entered the Kocari Wilds, I was very nervous about facing darkspawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Dragon Age Diaries | No Comments »

The Pairing: Ker Plunk and the Irish Car Bomb

By Linda | June 30, 2010

Kerplunk

I believe that Ker Plunk is one of the more obscure kid’s games from the 1960s—although Amazon.com claims it is “one of Mattel’s most popular,” so maybe I’m wrong. I wasn’t playing games in the 1960s, so what do I know? Anyway, Ker Plunk is one of those escalating-stakes contraption-style games … it kind of looks like a prickly plastic bong with marbles in it. It’s actually pretty fun to play, if fairly ridiculous, as evidenced by the onomatopoeia-style moniker.

A drink that’s pretty fun, yet fairly ridiculous, and goes “ker plunk”? This one’s a slam dunk—it’s the Irish Car Bomb:

Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Game/Drink Pairings | 1 Comment »

Reds that tread lightly

By Linda | June 30, 2010

It seems like the light reds spotlighted in a recent SFGate article are a good addition to the spectrum of pinot grigio –> sauvignon blanc/chardonnay –> rosé –> merlot –> cabernet sauvignon –> syrah/zinfandel. Personally, I rarely go past merlot on this scale, partly because I sometimes get red wine headaches and flushing. I hope these light reds contain less tannins, sulfites, histamines, or whatever the heck causes that bad red wine reaction! I for one will be buying a few of these this summer.

Topics: Into the Drink | No Comments »

Mocktails of Catan: What to drink when you can’t “drink”

By Carolyn | June 26, 2010

mocktails,wine,pregnant
I am of the opinion that the right alcoholic beverage can enhance almost every activity. I’m not talking just about the inebriating affects of alcohol, but rather the deliciousness that only alcohol can add to beverages. Imagine a baseball game without a refreshing beer, a fancy steak dinner without a complimentary red wine or a weekend brunch without an invigorating Bloody Mary. Although these activities aren’t ruined by the lack of alcohol, but they are definitely missing that extra something special, like a cupcake without frosting, a beach-front hotel room without a balcony or a Journey concert with that new guy instead of Steve Perry. During my nearly two years of pregnancy-mandated alcohol-free living, I have been on a constant quest to find the right virgin drinks to substitute for my usual experience-enhancing alcoholic beverages. So whether you are forced to be sober because you are pregnant, on alcohol-prohibiting medication, hanging out with alcohol-intolerant in-laws or are the designated driver, here are my suggestions for the closest approximation of that alcoholic cherry on the top of life!

TAILGATING
Alcoholic beverage(s) of choice: light or medium beer, sauvignon blanc

Enhancing effect: Let’s face it – the only thing more essential to a tailgate than beer is a parking lot. Good friends, some tasty meats to grill, nerf footballs, camp chairs and a short line for the porta-potty are also welcome elements, but nothing improves the pre-game party on hot-asphalt like a cold refreshing beer. Or maybe a chilled white wine if for some reason you are beered-out from too many consecutive weekends of home games.

Best virgin substitute: Lemonade

Why it works: This tartly refreshing beverage mimics the thirst-quenching aspects of beer and also evokes the same summery-outdoor feeling that is so appropriate to tailgating. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Into the Drink | 1 Comment »