We are PUMPED!

What? The wrapping paper and LA Weekly pages hanging over the window in the living room? Oh, that. Well, funny story (not really funny. Not funny at all, actually. But a story nonetheless. Wait, what counts as a story? Maybe I should just explain why the window looks that way without worrying about the intro so much.).

Okay, so last week I bought Kinetic for Playstation 2. It uses the EyeToy technology, which is a little camera you put on top of the TV so you’re on the screen in the middle of the action of whatever game you’re playing. Kinetic is like a workout video on crack! You get a personal trainer (choose a sexy British woman who reminds me of the bitchy trainer on The Biggest Loser, or an equally sexy American dude) who takes you through a 12-week program. You set up a profile, take a photo of yourself, answer a few questions, and *boom*, you’re off and running your personalized workout program!

The series of workouts include games that you interact with as an image on the screen. Objects fly at you and you have to punch or kick or sweep to eliminate them or bob and weave to avoid them. There are walls of bricks to punch out, discs to move along a target, asteroidy things to knock into space, and even optional yoga and floor exercises. Your trainer talks you through the workout, leads you through warm ups and cooldowns, and grades you for the day. Let me tell you, this thing blows the Jane Fonda video I did as teenager out of the water! The camera can be a little twitchy and it took us several configurations with the lights and furniture in the room to figure out the best set up, but once we got going, we were so into it! I’ve been rushing home from work to do it every night (my freakin’ arms are freakin’ killing me!), and N even woke up early to get his workout in! Next time you see us we’re gonna be RIPPED!

Oh, so the wrapping paper thing. If you’ve been to our place, you know how we don’t have anything covering the windows and we can see right into the neighbors’ place (and vice-versa). Well, this game requires a lot of waving at the TV to change modes (no controller is used), not to mention all the punches and kicks and yoga and floor exercises. There’s nothing like having the neighbors think you’re obsessively waving at them! When I saw the neighbors were home last night, I scrounged around the house to find something to cover the window. First I tried tacking a sheet up, but the wall is like solid concrete or something, so the tack did nothing. Then I remembered a roll of ugly wrapping paper that I knew I’d never use anyway, so I put that up, but found out I didn’t have enough for the whole window. Finally, I found an old LA Weekly, so I pulled a few pages out and taped them up as well. It’s a nice little collage! Eclektra, you’d be so proud (or disgusted. Don’t worry, I’m going to find a more permanent temporary solution this week.).

Anyway, so that’s why you won’t recognize us next time you see us (or why you, neighbors, can’t see us eating our dinners in front of the living room TV anymore).