I feel poopy.
I'm not getting a damn thing done today, I have to go to bed in a bit, and in general, this weekend feels "blah." New Year's isn't looking terribly better. I was hoping to spend the entire night watching movies, getting drunk, and hanging with friends. Given that some people are busy, my New Year's is regulated to playing video games all day until very late (10:00pm-ish), then spending some time at the apartment for a drink or two (maybe friends?) before heading to bed, probably early.
Given that I'm beginning to want more time to myself, maybe this isn't a bad thing. If I had to rate my productivity over winter break on a scale of one to ten, I would rank in at a negative five: I'm seriously getting nothing done. My two small goals (lose five pounds and write a short story) are not really holding together very well, although I do plan to seriously cut back on my diet next week, so hopefully that'll get me moving along. I'm having trouble getting into a new short story, but I have a few ideas in mind, so I'm hoping that I can push along with that within reason.
If nothing else, I need to find motivation to do the things I love. Typically I always strive for something in life, and thus I'm able to grab hold of my interests with aplomb. Now I'm barely able to stay on the computer or Wii for more than ten minutes without becoming bored, looking for "the next big thing" to do.
One idea that might greatly help me: Community Center. I know I've been talking about going, but again, I haven't driven up enough motivation to get my ass out there. I think weekly or daily exercise would help my mood and motivation tremendously. I just need to make that effort in the first place.
*sigh*
B3 out.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas Joy
Christmas awesomeness starts here:
Pics of christmas, including lots of family pics, are available here on Facebook.
I'll be back soon with a full post.
Out.
- Family and friends, together.
- Food, food, and food.
- Presents:
- Guitar Hero III for the Wii
- A sweet Portal shirt.
- Pajamas.
- Cash.
- Lots of other stuff.
Pics of christmas, including lots of family pics, are available here on Facebook.
I'll be back soon with a full post.
Out.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
A Small Word...
Happy Holidays
to all my friends, the Critically Correct readership,
and anyone else lucky enough to enjoy today to its fullest!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas?
And now, for something completely different.
First up, here's the short story that I wrote this past semester. Originally entitled "I'd Rather Buy a Gallon of Gas," the revised short now goes by "Minor Thirsts." At the advice of my workshop and instructor, I've made numerous changes to the original draft (which is no longer available via the link in a previous post).
I have a lot of viable story ideas that are based in the universe first painted in "Minor Thirsts," and I hope to one day draw upon inspiration for future short stories in the vein of "Minor Thirsts." Enjoy the read.
Minor Thirsts (PDF format)
Anywho, something really weird is happening to me. Earlier today, while re-reading my first "What If..." blog post from the other day, I realized that my late-college life is partially repeating itself from high school. I'll spare the details of why, but let me just say this: if history repeats itself, then I'm expecting the next few months (years?) of my life to be simply spectacular.
Believe it or not, I'm sick of Christmas. Meijer has simply ruined every bit of joy left in me, and it'll take a few years away from Meijer before I fully recover, I suppose. Tomorrow is nonetheless, dinner with my family (at noon), which will be scary as hell, since I'll be introducing them to my presumed "girlfriend" - even though we are not as such. My family will still make the assumptions, cause the embarrassment, and probably cause us to leave dinner early, much as I did last year.
But you know what? I'm ass-butt tired and ready for bed. See you on the flip-side of the jolly holiday.
B3 out.
First up, here's the short story that I wrote this past semester. Originally entitled "I'd Rather Buy a Gallon of Gas," the revised short now goes by "Minor Thirsts." At the advice of my workshop and instructor, I've made numerous changes to the original draft (which is no longer available via the link in a previous post).
I have a lot of viable story ideas that are based in the universe first painted in "Minor Thirsts," and I hope to one day draw upon inspiration for future short stories in the vein of "Minor Thirsts." Enjoy the read.
Minor Thirsts (PDF format)
Anywho, something really weird is happening to me. Earlier today, while re-reading my first "What If..." blog post from the other day, I realized that my late-college life is partially repeating itself from high school. I'll spare the details of why, but let me just say this: if history repeats itself, then I'm expecting the next few months (years?) of my life to be simply spectacular.
Believe it or not, I'm sick of Christmas. Meijer has simply ruined every bit of joy left in me, and it'll take a few years away from Meijer before I fully recover, I suppose. Tomorrow is nonetheless, dinner with my family (at noon), which will be scary as hell, since I'll be introducing them to my presumed "girlfriend" - even though we are not as such. My family will still make the assumptions, cause the embarrassment, and probably cause us to leave dinner early, much as I did last year.
But you know what? I'm ass-butt tired and ready for bed. See you on the flip-side of the jolly holiday.
B3 out.
Overcoming Myself
I think I'm getting closer to the root of my recent downer-isms: I'm bored out of my mind.
Seriously. I talked a lot over the previous semester about being bored with routine, and yet, during school, I was always busy, even if staying busy meant running through a weekly, boring routine. Now it's ten times worse: I work, sit at home on the computer, or visit at the apartment. Indeed, I'm more bored now than ever before.
But there is a solution to my problems, I believe. Goals. I'm pretty sure that I need to set more goals, because if I'm always working towards an end, then I must be accomplishing something, right? So what is there to accomplish?
Seriously. I talked a lot over the previous semester about being bored with routine, and yet, during school, I was always busy, even if staying busy meant running through a weekly, boring routine. Now it's ten times worse: I work, sit at home on the computer, or visit at the apartment. Indeed, I'm more bored now than ever before.
But there is a solution to my problems, I believe. Goals. I'm pretty sure that I need to set more goals, because if I'm always working towards an end, then I must be accomplishing something, right? So what is there to accomplish?
- Goal Number One: Lose five pounds before the new semester begins. I know it sounds easy, but I want to try to work more time at the Community Center into my weekly schedule.
- Goal Number Two: Write one short story, at least two pages in length, before the new semester begins.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Bullet Points, Like This
Random thoughts = random blog post. Hit list time!
Finally, if nothing else, New Years should be a blast this year. If nothing else, I'm looking forward to drinking: something that I haven't done in a long time, and it'll be nice to kick several dozen proofs of liquor back with some friends.
B3 out.
- Sometimes it's hard to justify some of my favorite "things" in life. Such is the case with the film American Pie. It's been years since I've watched it, but I always put it among my top fifteen favorite movies. Having watched it again last night, I can safely say that despite a few aged-jokes, this film has aged gracefully. For being a landmark movie in the "teen sex comedy" sub-genre, it's weird to see so many films today that have roots in American Pie (I'm looking at you, Superbad).
- My mind is scattered: between the excitement of my last semester at BGSU coming up (and graduation imminent!), I'm spending more time thinking about life outside of northwest Ohio, away from my parents, and the type of person I think I can be on my own (read: a lot more active than I am in my borefest-of-a-home now).
- There are a few things that I know I need to do as a maturing student: I need to write more often, and I need to program more often. I'm not motivated to do either one. Why do I feel so crappy about my major interests all the time? Maybe I'm overdue for a reset?
- Finally, my previous blog post seemed to cause a few people to misinterpret my words which isn't terribly surprising. However, I meant no ill advice by any of the post - it was merely supposed to be a reflective and creative piece. Ah well, no harm done, hopefully.
Finally, if nothing else, New Years should be a blast this year. If nothing else, I'm looking forward to drinking: something that I haven't done in a long time, and it'll be nice to kick several dozen proofs of liquor back with some friends.
B3 out.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The "What If..." Post
While I work on an ode to Zelda ("My Legend With Zelda") for a near-future post, I present a rather special piece tonight that sees me diving deep into my personal past. Enjoy.
An intriguing idea struck me at work today, albeit one that has interested me in the past: what if a certain event in my life didn't take place? Would I still be where I am today? Would I have the job I have, or know the people I know? What if...? is a big question, with infinite branches of possibilities littering the past. Today, I ask the question "what if?" to several definable moments in my life. Deciding if an event was important enough to consider for my list was simple: was this event in my life something that opened up many branches of possibility for me? And if it did, is the branch that I choose worth questioning?
Thus, without further ado, what if...
The Event: I finally decide that Lindsay Queen isn't worth my time in high school.
The Fallout: I begin to find Lindsay's best friend, Lacey, extremely attractive.
What Happened: I discover my first true love, my first reason to live, and my first heartbreak.
What If... I didn't ever like Lindsay in the first place? I believe I would first and foremost be stuck on one of my previous crushes, all hopelessly not interested in me. Also, I could have certainly moved on to someone else, but given my track record of crushing on girls far out of my league, the rest of high school could have been a real stooper for me.
The Event: I lose my virginity to an ex-girlfriend, and lie to Lacey about it.
The Fallout: Once Lacey learned about my lying, she never again fully trusts me.
What Happened: Although Lacey was at the center of so many great things in my life, our relationship was ultimately tested throughout because of trust issues. Although I was loyal and honest with her to the end, she never could quite get over the initial lie that I told to her before we even ever dated.
What If... February 14th, 2003 never happened - what if I never slept with my ex-girlfriend? I certainly would have never blabbed about it to everyone at school while simultaneously lying to Lacey, only to get my butt kicked in the end - and I might have just lasted a bit longer with Lacey.
The Event: After high school, BGSU is my college of choice.
The Fallout: I eventually get together with the girl I love - for about a third of college.
What Happened: I knew in high school that Lacey meant a lot to me, and I wanted to be near her however possible. Although we spent a period of time separate from one another after graduating high school, we eventually did meet back up in college (at BGSU), and became instantly close and meaningfully in love a short time afterwards.
What If... I grew some balls and went to college where it mattered to me? I would most certainly have never dated Lacey, but instead maintained a meaningful long-distance friendship, and might have even opened up a ton of possibilities for my love life elsewhere. Life right now would be so different if I didn't stay around Bowling Green.
The Event: A chance encounter with a friend, Aryn, leads me to learn the name of a cute girl.
The Fallout: I learn the name of a girl who spent months prior intriguing the hell out of me, and ultimately becomes my best friend.
What Happened: During my sophomore year at BGSU, I made passing glances on a weekly basis to a girl with beautiful long hair, loud pants, and a quirky smile (she walked past me frequently in the student union, third floor lounge). At the random advice of my friend Aryn one day, I visited the game room - only to discover that the mystery girl with the long hair also hangs out in the game room - bingo! The rest is (developing?) history.
What If... I said "no" to Aryn's invitation that day? I most likely would not have made the game room connection, nor would I have ever worked up the balls to introduce myself to the girl with the long hair, meaning I would likely have never figured out that her name was "Colleen." Enough said.
The Event: Laura introduces me to her friend, Kristin.
The Fallout: Laura's dream backfires, and I find myself strangely attracted to her best friend.
What Happened: A cute blond girl at work, the young Ms. Kolpien, invites me to meet her friends at Dairy Queen one day. What happens next is quite a year-long journey: plenty of fun trips all over BG (sledding, Grounds, late nights, etc.), but filled with plenty of drama (indecision, crushes, hopes, urges), and ends with hatred all over the place (sex, old anger, lost lust).
What If... I was never introduced to Kristin? Laura and I might have grown considerably closer (dated, even?), there would still be one more virgin in the world, and I wouldn't be so uptight about growing close to my friends. Still, a whole year of my life would have been a lot less stressful, but at the same time, a lot less interesting.
You may have noticed that the above events generally concerned my social life. With future iteration of this series, I will approach different aspects and periods of my life, so stay tuned for a future article similar to this one.
B3 out.
An intriguing idea struck me at work today, albeit one that has interested me in the past: what if a certain event in my life didn't take place? Would I still be where I am today? Would I have the job I have, or know the people I know? What if...? is a big question, with infinite branches of possibilities littering the past. Today, I ask the question "what if?" to several definable moments in my life. Deciding if an event was important enough to consider for my list was simple: was this event in my life something that opened up many branches of possibility for me? And if it did, is the branch that I choose worth questioning?
Thus, without further ado, what if...
The Event: I finally decide that Lindsay Queen isn't worth my time in high school.
The Fallout: I begin to find Lindsay's best friend, Lacey, extremely attractive.
What Happened: I discover my first true love, my first reason to live, and my first heartbreak.
What If... I didn't ever like Lindsay in the first place? I believe I would first and foremost be stuck on one of my previous crushes, all hopelessly not interested in me. Also, I could have certainly moved on to someone else, but given my track record of crushing on girls far out of my league, the rest of high school could have been a real stooper for me.
The Event: I lose my virginity to an ex-girlfriend, and lie to Lacey about it.
The Fallout: Once Lacey learned about my lying, she never again fully trusts me.
What Happened: Although Lacey was at the center of so many great things in my life, our relationship was ultimately tested throughout because of trust issues. Although I was loyal and honest with her to the end, she never could quite get over the initial lie that I told to her before we even ever dated.
What If... February 14th, 2003 never happened - what if I never slept with my ex-girlfriend? I certainly would have never blabbed about it to everyone at school while simultaneously lying to Lacey, only to get my butt kicked in the end - and I might have just lasted a bit longer with Lacey.
The Event: After high school, BGSU is my college of choice.
The Fallout: I eventually get together with the girl I love - for about a third of college.
What Happened: I knew in high school that Lacey meant a lot to me, and I wanted to be near her however possible. Although we spent a period of time separate from one another after graduating high school, we eventually did meet back up in college (at BGSU), and became instantly close and meaningfully in love a short time afterwards.
What If... I grew some balls and went to college where it mattered to me? I would most certainly have never dated Lacey, but instead maintained a meaningful long-distance friendship, and might have even opened up a ton of possibilities for my love life elsewhere. Life right now would be so different if I didn't stay around Bowling Green.
The Event: A chance encounter with a friend, Aryn, leads me to learn the name of a cute girl.
The Fallout: I learn the name of a girl who spent months prior intriguing the hell out of me, and ultimately becomes my best friend.
What Happened: During my sophomore year at BGSU, I made passing glances on a weekly basis to a girl with beautiful long hair, loud pants, and a quirky smile (she walked past me frequently in the student union, third floor lounge). At the random advice of my friend Aryn one day, I visited the game room - only to discover that the mystery girl with the long hair also hangs out in the game room - bingo! The rest is (developing?) history.
What If... I said "no" to Aryn's invitation that day? I most likely would not have made the game room connection, nor would I have ever worked up the balls to introduce myself to the girl with the long hair, meaning I would likely have never figured out that her name was "Colleen." Enough said.
The Event: Laura introduces me to her friend, Kristin.
The Fallout: Laura's dream backfires, and I find myself strangely attracted to her best friend.
What Happened: A cute blond girl at work, the young Ms. Kolpien, invites me to meet her friends at Dairy Queen one day. What happens next is quite a year-long journey: plenty of fun trips all over BG (sledding, Grounds, late nights, etc.), but filled with plenty of drama (indecision, crushes, hopes, urges), and ends with hatred all over the place (sex, old anger, lost lust).
What If... I was never introduced to Kristin? Laura and I might have grown considerably closer (dated, even?), there would still be one more virgin in the world, and I wouldn't be so uptight about growing close to my friends. Still, a whole year of my life would have been a lot less stressful, but at the same time, a lot less interesting.
You may have noticed that the above events generally concerned my social life. With future iteration of this series, I will approach different aspects and periods of my life, so stay tuned for a future article similar to this one.
B3 out.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Reviews / Notes / Sadness
So much to cover, so little time to talk. I'll squeeze out as much as I can.
The Orange Box Review
You can go to plenty of real, commercial, or outright sleezy websites to get a decent review of Valve Software's The Orange Box, but I'm going to cover just my quick views of the game(s).
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
I wasn't won over by Episode Two until the very end. Don't get me wrong, it is the strongest game in this package, and a much-needed follow-up to Episode One, but with Episode Two diving into the underground spaces of antlions very early on, I found myself losing interest in the awkwardly-paced exploratory missions of the game. My interest perked up right after the antlion tunnels: a knuckle-busting, brain-tingling, trigger-happy, guitar-crunching antlion battle proves the value of Episode Two: the tides have turned for the Combine, and Gordon and company are ready to strike back.
Indeed, storytelling has always been Half-Life's strongest selling point, but Episode Two takes it to such a new level that my jaw sat draped on the floor as the closing scenes of the game faded from my screen. By the end of Episode Two, I felt an unexplainable attachment to the characters. Some are mean-spirited, some are sad, some are egotistical, and a few even bite the dust, proving in Episode Two that Valve has done for games what movies have done for decades: create real, honest emotion.
New enemies turn into awesome adversaries (Combine hunters), and the final battle sequence is a gaming delight. My only real complaint(s) about Episode Two? A somewhat slow start and far-too short overall length (I clocked in at just under six hours). If nothing else, Episode Three can't come soon enough.
Portal
I jumped into Portal right after installing all three games on my PC, and I'm glad I did. Portal is embarrassingly short (I beat it on my first play-through in just about two hours), but was insanely fun for every one of those one-hundred and twenty minutes. The portal mechanic, while perhaps simple by concept, redefines moving about first-person, 3D environments.
Portal may be short, but with a large modding community (and Valve's support), I'm sure plenty of Portal maps will be had around the Internet by this time next year. As a concept, Portal succeeds in every regard, but as a game it fails for being so short. If the game design concepts of Portal are implemented in future Valve Products down the line, we should be in for a nice gaming surprise.
Finally, Portal drops a few hints as to its place in the Half-Life universe, and thanks to a brief interlude in Epidsode Two, it's obvious that Portal and Episode Three might just play hand-in-hand somehow. Brilliant, I say.
Team Fortress 2
I spent many years, beginning in 1999 or so, playing Team Fortress, then Day of Defeat, then Counter-Strike. As my multiplayer gaming tastes matured over the years, Team Fortress was the first game to leave my hard drive.
Team Fortress 2 is fun. I've only spent a few hours logged on so far, but I'm enjoying the game. The class-based gameplay is strong: each class is certainly tailored to a specific task, and I've always played on a few unbalanced teams, and the results aren't pretty. I also have a favorite class (the Spy) and a favorite map (2Fort, updated of course). The graphics are as pretty as anyone else will tell you, and I find the action well-paced and worth sticking with for some time to come.
With that, I'll wrap up my Orange Box review. I'll be spending a lot of time this winter break blowing the hell out of people in Team Fortress 2 and designing my own Portal maps. I'll publish the best of them on Critically Correct.
In random news, I'm starving for New King right now. I've been wanting to go since late last week, but I either haven't had time or the people I'm with don't want to go (tired of it!?!?). Which is why tonight kind of sucks: I had cold potatoes and a can of Pepsi for dinner (it did fill me up), while someone is enjoying delicious New King, a fact I didn't learn until after I ate. Ah well.
Anywho, I'm off to work in the morning, then hanging around BG to get some things done (car wash, Grounds, and perhaps working out) before venturing out for bonerless wings or chinese food.
B3 out.
The Orange Box Review
You can go to plenty of real, commercial, or outright sleezy websites to get a decent review of Valve Software's The Orange Box, but I'm going to cover just my quick views of the game(s).
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
I wasn't won over by Episode Two until the very end. Don't get me wrong, it is the strongest game in this package, and a much-needed follow-up to Episode One, but with Episode Two diving into the underground spaces of antlions very early on, I found myself losing interest in the awkwardly-paced exploratory missions of the game. My interest perked up right after the antlion tunnels: a knuckle-busting, brain-tingling, trigger-happy, guitar-crunching antlion battle proves the value of Episode Two: the tides have turned for the Combine, and Gordon and company are ready to strike back.
Indeed, storytelling has always been Half-Life's strongest selling point, but Episode Two takes it to such a new level that my jaw sat draped on the floor as the closing scenes of the game faded from my screen. By the end of Episode Two, I felt an unexplainable attachment to the characters. Some are mean-spirited, some are sad, some are egotistical, and a few even bite the dust, proving in Episode Two that Valve has done for games what movies have done for decades: create real, honest emotion.
New enemies turn into awesome adversaries (Combine hunters), and the final battle sequence is a gaming delight. My only real complaint(s) about Episode Two? A somewhat slow start and far-too short overall length (I clocked in at just under six hours). If nothing else, Episode Three can't come soon enough.
Portal
I jumped into Portal right after installing all three games on my PC, and I'm glad I did. Portal is embarrassingly short (I beat it on my first play-through in just about two hours), but was insanely fun for every one of those one-hundred and twenty minutes. The portal mechanic, while perhaps simple by concept, redefines moving about first-person, 3D environments.
Portal may be short, but with a large modding community (and Valve's support), I'm sure plenty of Portal maps will be had around the Internet by this time next year. As a concept, Portal succeeds in every regard, but as a game it fails for being so short. If the game design concepts of Portal are implemented in future Valve Products down the line, we should be in for a nice gaming surprise.
Finally, Portal drops a few hints as to its place in the Half-Life universe, and thanks to a brief interlude in Epidsode Two, it's obvious that Portal and Episode Three might just play hand-in-hand somehow. Brilliant, I say.
Team Fortress 2
I spent many years, beginning in 1999 or so, playing Team Fortress, then Day of Defeat, then Counter-Strike. As my multiplayer gaming tastes matured over the years, Team Fortress was the first game to leave my hard drive.
Team Fortress 2 is fun. I've only spent a few hours logged on so far, but I'm enjoying the game. The class-based gameplay is strong: each class is certainly tailored to a specific task, and I've always played on a few unbalanced teams, and the results aren't pretty. I also have a favorite class (the Spy) and a favorite map (2Fort, updated of course). The graphics are as pretty as anyone else will tell you, and I find the action well-paced and worth sticking with for some time to come.
With that, I'll wrap up my Orange Box review. I'll be spending a lot of time this winter break blowing the hell out of people in Team Fortress 2 and designing my own Portal maps. I'll publish the best of them on Critically Correct.
In random news, I'm starving for New King right now. I've been wanting to go since late last week, but I either haven't had time or the people I'm with don't want to go (tired of it!?!?). Which is why tonight kind of sucks: I had cold potatoes and a can of Pepsi for dinner (it did fill me up), while someone is enjoying delicious New King, a fact I didn't learn until after I ate. Ah well.
Anywho, I'm off to work in the morning, then hanging around BG to get some things done (car wash, Grounds, and perhaps working out) before venturing out for bonerless wings or chinese food.
B3 out.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
My "Oops" Post
I promised a big update over the weekend... it's now Monday. Oops! I blame it on spending too much time at the apartment with not enough laptop power.
Anywho, coming soon, my review of Portal. There is a chance that I might end up doing a full review of The Orange Box, as I'm already halfway through Episode Two, so stay tuned.
But in the mean time, what I originally was going to get to...
Exam week feels like it was months ago. In fact, all of last semester feels like it was months ago. It's only the first Monday of winter break, but it feels like I've been out of school for a long, long time. I'm thrilled, actually. I have to work at Meijer for forty hours every week over break, but I should get New Year's off and I might even get a Sunday or two off, which means I'm going to have tons of fun.
The winter storm that came through this past weekend was quite a surprise: not as bad as I originally thought it would be, really. I'm looking forward to getting out to play in the snow with Elli, and perhaps sled (alone!?) later this week.
But anywho, I'm off to play Episode Two a bit, then exercise tonight, grocery shop, and play plenty of Wii to satisfy my cravings for Super Mario Galaxy.
Out.
Anywho, coming soon, my review of Portal. There is a chance that I might end up doing a full review of The Orange Box, as I'm already halfway through Episode Two, so stay tuned.
But in the mean time, what I originally was going to get to...
Exam week feels like it was months ago. In fact, all of last semester feels like it was months ago. It's only the first Monday of winter break, but it feels like I've been out of school for a long, long time. I'm thrilled, actually. I have to work at Meijer for forty hours every week over break, but I should get New Year's off and I might even get a Sunday or two off, which means I'm going to have tons of fun.
The winter storm that came through this past weekend was quite a surprise: not as bad as I originally thought it would be, really. I'm looking forward to getting out to play in the snow with Elli, and perhaps sled (alone!?) later this week.
But anywho, I'm off to play Episode Two a bit, then exercise tonight, grocery shop, and play plenty of Wii to satisfy my cravings for Super Mario Galaxy.
Out.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
NWS Said It
THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST SUNDAY.
SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL OHIO THIS
MORNING AND COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE
SNOW MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN TONIGHT.
STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM
6 TO 12 INCHES THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING WITH SOMEWHAT LESS SNOW
WHERE SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS NEAR
TOLEDO AND BOWLING GREEN COULD HAVE OVER A FOOT OF SNOW FROM
THIS STORM. WINDS WILL INCREASE SUNDAY AND PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW... ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE OPEN
COUNTRYSIDE. NORTH WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST WITH GUSTS
OF 35 TO 40 MPH. NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR AT
TIMES SUNDAY.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Portalling Soon
Coming up: a busy, busy weekend on the blog. Stay tuned for:
- The Orange Box's Portal gets reviewed.
- I recap my exam week and discuss the semester.
- I look ahead to winter break.
- Several Virtual Console games get reviewed (if time permits).
- An ode to Ocarina.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Long December
"I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower,
Makes you talk a little lower
about the things you could not show her;
And its been a long December and theres reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last,
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass..."
(Counting Crows)
Makes you talk a little lower
about the things you could not show her;
And its been a long December and theres reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last,
I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass..."
(Counting Crows)
December just won't die. Don't get me wrong; December is all things awesome: Christmas, snow, birthdays, and very little school.
But this is a December of change.
Christmas means nothing to me. Decorations are up, parades are on television, but by and large, segregation is the key word: my family is segregated, either separated by distance or death. It'll be a small, quiet, disturbing family dinner this year. As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather curl up in bed with a warm, beautiful girl all day on December 25th than visit with my family.
If my family wasn't enough, Meijer has simply drained the holiday spirit from me: sale this, price that, move those, push product - Christmas at work isn't about the holiday spirit, it's about money. I hate that.
And where's the damn snow? We've had a ton of rain so far, and a teasing of snow (and ice!). All I want is for the week leading up to Christmas to be filled with the fluffy white stuff. I want a winter wonderland everywhere I look. It puts me in the mood so much more than this crappy half-rain/half-ice mixture.
But yes, birthdays can be fun in December. I really don't want to say much (can't say much?) about it, but Colleen's birthday was a quiet event, rounded out with a tiny birthday dinner, friends, and Wii all day long. I wasn't able to get Colleen what I really wanted to (a Wii to call her very own), but I hope that presents don't particularly matter in the long run anyway.
School is over... almost. I have one more exam to take, tomorrow at 3:30pm, and I'm periodically studying throughout the day today in order to be ready. Next semester is my last, and I'm already beginning to feel a form of independence that is new to me.
I really do want to move out of my house. Thing is, I don't want to move out maliciously like my sister did. Against all of my parents (sometimes overbearing) wishes, she jumped ship and moved in with her boyfriend at age 18. But truth be told, I'm perfectly capable of striking out onto my own this time: financially speaking, I'm more than able to support myself with two-thirds of life's expenses. With careful planning and forethought, I can reasonably move out for just next semester to gain some practical experience of living on my own while having a blast at the same time.
But there are questions that I'm beginning to consider. Living with two other people in a two bedroom place isn't a huge deal, but the proximity with which my entire private life will be to them worries me. In my house now, I have my own room, and plenty of space to move about, store stuff, and express myself. In the confines of a tiny bedroom in BG, I would barely get any room to myself. I also couldn't bring all of my possessions, the most important of which is my "Dragonfly" desktop computer, containing most of my digital life. Of course, I would simply be sharing my life with someone whom isn't my significant other (...) - a notion that I haven't quite come to fully comprehend yet.
*sigh*
But you know what? I say "what the hell?" and fuck it... I might as well as spend my last semester at BG doing what I love, being with people I love, and enjoying myself in every last way possible.
B3 out.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Quickie Goodness
Been about a week since I've updated, eh?
Well let me recap very quickly, as I'm getting ready to soon be on the road yet again.
Finals week is here, and my most stressful exam is over with (English literature), so I'm halfway on easy street. Tomorrow should be stress-free: exam early, at 8:30, maybe lunch out, then I'm taking the rest of the day off to write, clean, game, and generally enjoy myself, before diving into one final study session for my CS 409 exam on Thursday.
And then, of course, winter break! Hopefully I can update on a more regular basis after finals.
B3 out.
to
Well let me recap very quickly, as I'm getting ready to soon be on the road yet again.
Finals week is here, and my most stressful exam is over with (English literature), so I'm halfway on easy street. Tomorrow should be stress-free: exam early, at 8:30, maybe lunch out, then I'm taking the rest of the day off to write, clean, game, and generally enjoy myself, before diving into one final study session for my CS 409 exam on Thursday.
And then, of course, winter break! Hopefully I can update on a more regular basis after finals.
B3 out.
to
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
What the Hell Am I Doing?
A proposal has been made to me in the past week: an opportunity to move out of my house has been presented to me.
Talk about mixed emotions. More than ever before, this is an opportunity that is perfectly feasible for me: I can cover a whole month's worth of expenses in just one paycheck (with plenty of cash still leftover). I also believe that it would be a good idea to get some practical experience of living on my own without actually being too far from home (Bowling Green is my life, afterall). The term would be short: far less than a year, meaning my commitment would be reduced by comparison to me having to sign a full lease.
I suppose that the issue at hand, for me, is two-fold: attachment and attachment. Huh? you ask.
Talk about mixed emotions. More than ever before, this is an opportunity that is perfectly feasible for me: I can cover a whole month's worth of expenses in just one paycheck (with plenty of cash still leftover). I also believe that it would be a good idea to get some practical experience of living on my own without actually being too far from home (Bowling Green is my life, afterall). The term would be short: far less than a year, meaning my commitment would be reduced by comparison to me having to sign a full lease.
I suppose that the issue at hand, for me, is two-fold: attachment and attachment. Huh? you ask.
- On one hand, I'm terribly comfortable in my current groove: my parents take good care of me at home, I get free food, and I'm generally well-off (if not also enjoying the ability to spend my extra cash on cool stuff!).
- On the other hand, moving out on my own means that I wouldn't just have a roommate, but an actual roommate. As in, most of my personal time would be occupied with someone else next to me. I'm a bit unsure of how to approach this concept, especially given other factors at work.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Wasting the Night Away
"What do you think we are?"
The question was asked to me, and for once in my life, I froze up like a deer caught in headlights. The context of the situation (of when the question was asked) was certainly a clue, and lent itself well to an obvious answer.
But really, what are we? Man... it's a question that has two answers: the proper answer and the obvious answer. I really have never been stumped by a question so simple, but now I can't get it off my mind. Damn.
The question was asked to me, and for once in my life, I froze up like a deer caught in headlights. The context of the situation (of when the question was asked) was certainly a clue, and lent itself well to an obvious answer.
But really, what are we? Man... it's a question that has two answers: the proper answer and the obvious answer. I really have never been stumped by a question so simple, but now I can't get it off my mind. Damn.
Event Horizon, Draft 2
If I'm going to spend any time this winter on my creative writing, then I suppose it wouldn't hurt to begin with Event Horizon. As my most-developed story in my portfolio, it holds the most promise for immediate publication. Even though I have worked on it for a few years now and have finished a first draft, I still have many places that I would like to take the story, and I'm going to now spend some time introducing the story, its history, and where I intend to take it in the future.
History of the Horizon
The idea for Event Horizon began with my interests in dreams. Dreams are, as most anyone knows, a rather powerful yet mysterious element of the human mind. For a period of about a year (probably 2004/2005ish), I had a long series of dreams that were always vivid, easy to recall, frequently reoccurring, and more than anything, usually ended up being disturbing or insightful twists on events in my life at that time. On occasion, I would find that some of my dreams began to interfere with reality. That is, I would have a dream that seemed so grounded in reality that I mistook it for a memory later in the day, rather than a dream. Thus Event Horizon was born. I wanted to explore the idea that dreams can substitute as memories, and all the power/frustration that such an idea can bring to a person's life.
I've written very few stories where my characters are 100% fictional. More than not, I usually base my characters on real people - friends, family, or quirky coworkers. In the case of this new story I was writing, I decided to create everything from scratch, including my characters. I was quick to formulate a unique cast, although I would later have trouble fleshing them all out as much as I desired. Once I was underway with my draft, I needed a name. "Blocchi" (pronounced 'blah-chee') is the Italian word for "the blocks," and I wanted that translation to invoke a the idea of a prison (you'll see...).
Suffice to say, as time went on and I wound into the final third of my first draft, I felt that "Blocchi" was too limiting and a bit awkward for the scope of my story, so I altered the title to invoke the scientific idea that matter is able to fall off the edge of the universe (literally be destroyed) with "Event Horizon."
In September of 2007 I finished an 82-page draft of the story, and was intent on publishing it as-is at the time. As my school semester progressed that year, however, I realized that there were so many other things that I wanted to include in the story, and so many other things that I wanted to take out. All in all, my decision not to publish came down to one simple idea: the finished first draft was not the story I wanted to tell, and a rewrite was necessary. Hence, here I am today.
The Story I Want To Tell
Above all else, Event Horizon is a love story. I did not set out to write a love story (see above), but that's really what the first draft turned into. I've since aligned my goals for the story to be as such, and I'm pressing on with the 'love story' concept in my second draft. My original idea of exploring how dreams substitute as memories is now a mechanic of my narrative, not the focus. This has allowed me to base the second draft on character, not plot. Thus far, I'm loving the idea of a more character-driven narrative, and I'm having quite a blast developing my cast of characters (Kale, Shaylee, Colby, Spike, and Stacey).
I was hoping to write up a small section that would detail the main characters of Event Horizon, but I'm not quite sure of where each of the characters stands in the second draft yet, so I'm going to hold off on that for a bit. I hope to be talking about Event Horizon again by the middle of next semester. See you then.
History of the Horizon
The idea for Event Horizon began with my interests in dreams. Dreams are, as most anyone knows, a rather powerful yet mysterious element of the human mind. For a period of about a year (probably 2004/2005ish), I had a long series of dreams that were always vivid, easy to recall, frequently reoccurring, and more than anything, usually ended up being disturbing or insightful twists on events in my life at that time. On occasion, I would find that some of my dreams began to interfere with reality. That is, I would have a dream that seemed so grounded in reality that I mistook it for a memory later in the day, rather than a dream. Thus Event Horizon was born. I wanted to explore the idea that dreams can substitute as memories, and all the power/frustration that such an idea can bring to a person's life.
I've written very few stories where my characters are 100% fictional. More than not, I usually base my characters on real people - friends, family, or quirky coworkers. In the case of this new story I was writing, I decided to create everything from scratch, including my characters. I was quick to formulate a unique cast, although I would later have trouble fleshing them all out as much as I desired. Once I was underway with my draft, I needed a name. "Blocchi" (pronounced 'blah-chee') is the Italian word for "the blocks," and I wanted that translation to invoke a the idea of a prison (you'll see...).
Suffice to say, as time went on and I wound into the final third of my first draft, I felt that "Blocchi" was too limiting and a bit awkward for the scope of my story, so I altered the title to invoke the scientific idea that matter is able to fall off the edge of the universe (literally be destroyed) with "Event Horizon."
In September of 2007 I finished an 82-page draft of the story, and was intent on publishing it as-is at the time. As my school semester progressed that year, however, I realized that there were so many other things that I wanted to include in the story, and so many other things that I wanted to take out. All in all, my decision not to publish came down to one simple idea: the finished first draft was not the story I wanted to tell, and a rewrite was necessary. Hence, here I am today.
The Story I Want To Tell
Above all else, Event Horizon is a love story. I did not set out to write a love story (see above), but that's really what the first draft turned into. I've since aligned my goals for the story to be as such, and I'm pressing on with the 'love story' concept in my second draft. My original idea of exploring how dreams substitute as memories is now a mechanic of my narrative, not the focus. This has allowed me to base the second draft on character, not plot. Thus far, I'm loving the idea of a more character-driven narrative, and I'm having quite a blast developing my cast of characters (Kale, Shaylee, Colby, Spike, and Stacey).
I was hoping to write up a small section that would detail the main characters of Event Horizon, but I'm not quite sure of where each of the characters stands in the second draft yet, so I'm going to hold off on that for a bit. I hope to be talking about Event Horizon again by the middle of next semester. See you then.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Repeating the Cycle
I had a quick thought today, and here it is in word form.
Look at the Nintendo/Mario gaming influence in the 1980's:
Super Mario Bros. is released, and revolutionizes the industry, creating a genre-defining game in the process.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is released, and strays far from the original game's platforming paradigm, changes the location and familiar characters, but enjoys moderate success.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is released, and marks a return to Mario's initial gaming glory: strong platforming with an emphasis on new worlds and constant action.
Now flash forward to 1996, where I feel the same cycle has taken place, albeit over a much longer time span.
Super Mario 64 is released, revolutionizes the industry, and creates a genre-defining game (particularly in the field of 3D).
Super Mario Sunshine is released, and strays from the precedent that Mario 64 set. While a strong platformer in its own right, the new worlds, unfamiliar faces, and quirky presentation bring it to only moderate success.
Super Mario Galaxy is released, and is generally a return to Mario's initial 3D gaming glory: strong platforming, familiar faces (although in new places), and a strong emphasis on constant action.
In other words, Super Mario Galaxy is the Super Mario Bros 3 of this generation (perhaps a nod to this is given in game, as much of the game features enemies and music from SMB3). Either way you look at it, it's one hell of a game.
Next up in the blogging world, I revisit some notes from Event Horizon.
Look at the Nintendo/Mario gaming influence in the 1980's:
Super Mario Bros. is released, and revolutionizes the industry, creating a genre-defining game in the process.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is released, and strays far from the original game's platforming paradigm, changes the location and familiar characters, but enjoys moderate success.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is released, and marks a return to Mario's initial gaming glory: strong platforming with an emphasis on new worlds and constant action.
Now flash forward to 1996, where I feel the same cycle has taken place, albeit over a much longer time span.
Super Mario 64 is released, revolutionizes the industry, and creates a genre-defining game (particularly in the field of 3D).
Super Mario Sunshine is released, and strays from the precedent that Mario 64 set. While a strong platformer in its own right, the new worlds, unfamiliar faces, and quirky presentation bring it to only moderate success.
Super Mario Galaxy is released, and is generally a return to Mario's initial 3D gaming glory: strong platforming, familiar faces (although in new places), and a strong emphasis on constant action.
In other words, Super Mario Galaxy is the Super Mario Bros 3 of this generation (perhaps a nod to this is given in game, as much of the game features enemies and music from SMB3). Either way you look at it, it's one hell of a game.
Next up in the blogging world, I revisit some notes from Event Horizon.
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