Up late talking games & writing? You're...

.
.
Game: Spent most of the weekend with Valkyria Chronicles.
.

.
Despite having a few misgivings at first, the gameplay quickly won me over and I'm now a complete convert. I've got to say, it's certainly one of the best reasons to own a PS3, and after having made it through a little less than half of the main campaign, I'm shocked that Sony didn't give it more of a push. It's far better than the majority of what's available for the PS3, it's a system exclusive, and it's got loads of both both style and substance.
.
Although Strat RPGs are still kinda niche, methinks the PR folks totally missed the boat on this one… maybe if they’d STFU about LittleBigPlanet for a few minutes, some other deserving titles like Valkyria could get a little press.
.
Now that the game’s been lowered to $30 brand-new, do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy. It's the most exciting and well-done SRPG I've seen in quite some time, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
.
(And if you get a copy of Valkyria and like it, do yourself another favor and track down Konami’s Ring of Red on PS2.
.

.
Last I checked, it could be had for $6-$10. Although it's a little more high-maintenance than Valkyria, it’s still damned good and there are some definite similarities in the combat system.)
.
.
.
Food: The wife and I went out for lunch with a friend to a fairly new Ethiopian restaurant that opened up near the south end of Lake Union. Called Habesha, it's tucked away on Minor Ave, just across the street from the shiny silver Metro Park buildings. (1809 Minor for those of you clicking over to Mapquest…)
.
Gotta say, this was a pretty good place. The interior and decor were attractive-- dark and subdued without being depressing. It was classy, but we didn't feel out of place walking in wearing jeans.
.
The service was above average, and the food was quite delicious. Although the appetizer (lentil-stuffed pastry) wasn't quite as flavorful as I would've liked, the main dishes were fantastic.
.

.
The spiced chicken breast, seasoned spinach, okra, split yellow beans, green beans, seasoned cabbage and the large injera pancake it was served on were all top-notch.
.
Spicy without being too hot, savory without being salty. Although the crude American in me will likely bring a fork next time (Ethiopian cuisine is traditionally utensil-free) I would gladly eat here again.
.
Entrees $9-$13 per person, four stars out of five.
.
.
.
Misc: The same friend we ate Ethiopian with has a black pug, and after lunch was over she broke the news to us that this pug had gotten pregnant and had puppies since we’d last met. Neither of us had any idea, but she kept one of the pups and showed it to us in the parking lot outside.
.
Wasn’t able to snap a pic, but I've got to say, a pug mommy and a poodle-mix daddy make for some awfully hideous offspring. The dog looked nothing at all like its mother save for the comical underbite. Besides that, it was gray, shaggy, and its breed origin wasn’t at all identifiable outside of the fact that it was canine. Though the little rugger looked like it had a sweet disposition, yeesh… homely doesn’t even begin to describe it.
.
.