More Bathroom Follies

I've been potty-trained for over 30 years. One would think that I wouldn't have so many problems with the restrooms at work! The first issue is the doors on some stalls. They must not be installed correctly in some cases, because if anything upsets the equilibrium in the room (for example, the air pressure change when someone opens the door to the restroom), the door becomes unlatched and swings open. There's nothing more fun than trying to wipe while holding the door closed. I like my privacy, and I have no desire to return to the days of the restrooms in middle school and high school, which had NO doors! Yes, those were the days.

Of course, to go along with the automatic-flushing toilets are automatic faucets. These aren't so bad, per se, but I did have a problem with the soap dispenser this morning. The dispenser is adjacent to the faucet itself, which is right about crotch-level. Sure enough, I gently depressed the dispenser, and no soap came out. After a more forceful downward thrust - you guessed it - the soap squirted out, over the sink, and hit my pants, right about crotch level. Fortunately, I was alone in the bathroom. I didn't care to explain why I was wiping down my pants in a sensitive area. The only worry I had was getting back to my desk without anyone noticing the spot on my trousers. Thank goodness I brought a copy of EGM to the restroom, which I could position strategically on my way back to my seat.

Speaking of EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly), there was an excellent article on EA's upcoming Godfather game. The screen mock-ups were reportedly supposed to illustrate what the game would look like on the Xbox 2 (or Xenon, or Xbox Next, or whatever it will be called), and they were impressive. Plus, the gameplay sounds very good, as the plot will follow the books/movies to a degree, with some GTA-style freedom included. I hadn't thought much about this game, but after reading the article, I'm impressed (I love a good mafia story). The release date is this Christmas, which is an indicator that indeed the next version of the Xbox should make it out before the holiday season. That's not a very well-kept secret, anyway. I have to be honest, I haven't thought much about buying the "Xbox 2," but after reading about this game, I'm starting to get interested. I wonder what else we'll find out about that system and its launch games at May's E3 Expo.