Kellee Santiago stole my gaming heart at GDC (day one).

I’ve got an imminent date with Mr. Sandman and I’m not going to miss it. So please, take your Strunk and White and stick it in an out-only orifice (your choice). I don’t have time to edit this and I don’t have time to deliberately chew on an idea and spit out choice words. Brevity and I don’t meet often in the depths of Word, but the gal’s with me tonight….I hope.

Forget the panels (hit and miss) and the dozens of speakers (also hit and miss), GDC massages your brain with its community of like-minded individuals. Whether or not you receive a happy ending’s up to you. Oh, and like-minded’s a relative term since we’re all different, with different interests, different capabilities, and different natural smells (often unfortunate). Farting in a corner’s one thing, but sliding out a paint-peeling monster while sitting shoulder to shoulder with other sapiens defines the essence of mean. Lucifer wouldn’t dare to commit such a crime, even around his omnipotent ex-employer, so why should you, ponytailed green-shirted man, champion of fallic stench and bearer of the shit aura. Congratulations, you’ve bested Satan. Time to call Charlie Daniels!

Morning was boring. I didn’t learn a thing. But the presenter seemed nice, and the material may aid an attendee, but I’d heard it all before. Out of respect for GDC, the industry, and the presenter, I’ll not say more.

Lunch went well. Boxed lunches. Yay. When I opened mine I feared the bun would soon devour what little was left of the insides and incorporate it into the bun’s essence (ever see the blob?). Poor cucumbers. Poor Turkey. I felt bad, so I liberated everyone. Soon I’ll liberate them once again...

The salad. Oh, the salad…macaroni of sorts. With Tabasco. Or rather, the salad came with the Tabasco. I don’t know. It wasn’t good. But I ate every last bit anyway. In the game of sustenance and sustainability vs. inability and hunger, sustenance always wins.

Met cool people while eating. Added their business cards to an ever-growing pile. Good times.

Attended a panel +excercises on gaming and how it can be used in a collaborative educational environment. Didn’t care for it much, but stayed through its entirety. Left wanting, but unsure. “Will I use this info someday?” Still waiting for a response from Kyle of the future. Fucker never returns my calls.

An hour later, Kellee Santiago stole my gaming heart. The co-founder and president of thatgamecompany, the people who made Flower (my favorite game of last year), gave a keynote on leadership in the workplace. My notes are in my notebook, which is nestled deep within my bag (maybe by the slim jims and/or mints?), and I’m lying on my hotel bed. I’ll write more about what she said some other time. BUT KNOW THIS! Kellee’s young (like my age), intelligent, and absolutely ready to learn and grow in order to do her job better. Simple stuff, but often forgotten. She cares deeply for the medium, and I felt it. What an amazing woman.

Later I went to Capcom’s party for Super Street Fighter IV. Two things: Hakan and mini chicken pot pies. Helluva way to end a day.

Although that wasn’t the end. Fell asleep listening to Mike, Kevin, and Bill riff on Terminator Salvation.

Goodbye day one.