That’s right: exactly three years ago today, I posted the first update to Many Words. Now, I’ll grant you, that figure includes at least a year’s worth of hiatus and probably about a year of spotty updates, but it’s either a one-year milestone or a three-year milestone, and either one would be pretty neat (although I’d hoped to have more readers by either of those milestones, it’s hard to blame that on anyone but myself).

Supposing I write this weekend like I’m planning to, the writing I was able to get done this week puts me further ahead than I was earlier, which was my goal. Having settled on a setting and a theme for the next story to run here, I got started on some character vignettes earlier this week, since they’re new creations, and I’m going to want to be comfortable with them before I get to writing this next tale if I’m going to pull off what I would like to pull off.

I also would like to once again highlight The Fish Bowl, a.k.a. Soapbox, where I’m moving gab about games. In recent weeks, it’s seen a post about the DCS P-51D, as well as the Ka-50 from the same place. The Mustang is one of history’s coolest aircraft, and having a nice, high-fidelity simulation of it is proving to be delightful.

In other news, on Tuesday, Penny Arcade Internet reality TV series Strip Search aired its finale episode (spoilers ahead!), and the contestant who I thought had the best shot (Katie Rice) won. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her art through the competition, but the concept she developed for the finale fit the art so well I could hardly help but like it.

Finally, some months ago, I replaced my faithful T-Mobile G1 with a newer phone, and I found this memorial I wrote for it. As silly and poignant as it was, I figured it was reasonable fit for a milestone such as one or three years.

O, G1, you most faithful of my devices! You who have served me from the dusty trails of Wyoming to the freezing streets of St. Petersburg! You who have survived the Northern rain, and twice survived the fall from my pocket to my driveway with only the slightest of scratches! You who taught me to touch-type with my thumbs!

Soon at hand is the day on which I shall finally commit you to your deserved rest, the day when I do not require you to run a version of Android you were never made to run, the day when you will no longer struggle to run Navigation and Music at the same time, or collapse under the strain of loading a webpage with Javascript. Soon, you will no longer labor to switch between my massive text message conversations. Soon, your burden will be lifted, and I will say to you, well done, good and faithful servant.