Dear Quarantine Diary – Week #26

Tags

covid-19 diary, covid-19 humour, dear diary, family, Geek, Halo, humour, marriage, photography, video games

Dear Diary – I could procrastinate no longer. I finally got busy cancelling Little Guy’s cell phone and my sucker tablet. Just to clarify, I was the sucker. I started with the online chat, which was relatively painless. Except he really thought I should convert the tablet to another new phone. No. Thanks. I’m trying to get rid of a phone. He also kept insisting I must know some one who would be thrilled to assume the number and the plan for the tablet. So I fired off a few text messages and suggested we proceed with cancelling Little Guy’s phone.

Little Guy’s phone was his birthday present, but it was partly for me. If he decided not to come straight home after school, he could let me know. He “disappeared” after school once and it was the most terrifying hour of my life! But he doesn’t like cell phones. It’s been dead and buried in the batcave for the last 18 months. So it needed to go!

Nicky called me on my phone to proceed, just as someone else called and the texts started flying in. I have never been so popular. I answered the second call and diligently waited on hold. Until they hung up on me. Undeterred, I called them after a short wait, kept saying no…repeatedly, and I’m happy to say, my phone bill just got a lot smaller.

Dear Diary – For our 15th wedding anniversary, I wrote:

“I love you. You annoy me more than I ever thought possible, but… I want to spend every irritating minute with you.”

Scrubs

This week we celebrated our 25th! We’re both pretty sure I’m one miracle away from sainthood. I always say, the first 15 years were the worst! Learning to live together and to blend as a family took a lot of prayer, a lot of tears, and a lot of commitment. Was it worth it? Yes. We may not have the same passion and romance as in our youth, but there is something to be said for familiarity and comfort, like a cozy, warm sweater. Some days we’re soulmates; others, were cell mates. Unlike some couples we know, we are still more than really good roommates, and will continue to work on our relationship. Best of all, we’ve learned to laugh together, and I have a feeling, the older we get, the more we’ll have to laugh about.

An archeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested in her he is.

Agatha Christie

Since we couldn’t celebrate in Italy this year, which was to be our first (and probably only) honeymoon, I suggested Italian takeout and white wine for dinner. We ate it in front of the t.v. with Little Guy. That’s more our style anway! We exchanged gifts this year too. Hubby received a new watch with a silver face, for our silver anniverary. I received tiny white gold and diamond studs (the link for which I sent to Hubby and said “buy these”). It took me 10 minutes, a lot of straining, and a consultation with my kid before we figured out how to release them from the packaging. The backings on the earrings are tiny screws, which is why I couldn’t pull them apart. Who knew? 🙂

Finally, I suggested we get Little Guy to take some goofy photos of us in the back yard. My intention had been to wear our wedding clothes. Hubby’s suit stopped fitting after the first year, thanks to my sub-par cooking, but he still owns a suit. I think he makes James Bond look like a goober! My wedding dress, however, was cause for many tears. Part of that was the timing. I tore my closet apart in a fit of panic because I had to sing at church in the morning and I had nothing to wear. My clothes fit into 3 categories: 1) too small; 2) almost fits; and, 3) isn’t fit to be seen in public. I now have 3 piles: 1) to give away; 2) to throw away; 3) to store in case I lose 5-10 lbs. Now my closet is full of cardigans. I may have to shop online, and I hate shopping online.

Back to my wedding dress. Sometime in the last 12 months, the girls outgrew it. The zipper wouldn’t go up all the way and the sleeves drooped like sad, satin butterflies. We tried. Believe me, we tried! I confess, after Hubby left, I sobbed on the floor like a 3 year old. I’m not proud of it, but it was the day before our anniversary and I couldn’t just wear a cardigan!

I finally settled on my going away dress, which my sister-in-law made for me. It was the same pattern as my bridesmaids, but red, because our song is….Lady in Red. It’s corny but when you’re “in love”, you can digest corn better. The dress zipped and if I stood up straight and sucked it in…and maybe if we angled the camera just right, and I thought skinny thoughts, it would work?

It was 29C but felt closer to 40C when we stepped into our backyard at 4:30 p.m. The thunderstorms had finally blown through, and everything was dripping. The air was still. I knew I had a short window before Hubby would start to complain about the heat in his black suit. My dress was already clinging to me like bare skin on a vinyl car seat, so we posed quickly.

First with Halo weaponry, provided by Big Guy’s friend. Why? Because I was out of creative ideas and I play Halo. I told Hubby to think Mr. and Mrs Smith. Except I was smiling and he was not. Sigh…

Then “Covid shots” because it’s as much a part of our history as our wedding day 25 years ago.

Finally, zombie apocolypse? Why? Because together, we have survived just about everything else.

I’m not sure which I like best. What’s your favourite?

My husband and I have never considered divorce…murder sometimes, but never divorce.

Dr. Joyce Brothers

Dear Diary – Tonight is the night. What a way to celebrate Canada Day! I’m getting my second Covid vaccination! Two boys to go and I can breathe a sigh of relief! With my mask on. 😉

It’s Halo Night

Tags

birthday, Halo, Overwatch, photography, sunsets, video games, zombies

It’s Halo Night!

Even though we haven’t actually played Halo in a couple of years, choosing to play Overwatch instead, Big Guy and I connect weekly on Wednesdays. It’s his fault I became a gamer. However, video games are good for me, I’ve learned some things, and there are a bunch of reasons that I play! I could probably add to that list now.

Big Guy has helped me try out some other things too! He ran in Mud Hero with me (so he’d know where my body was buried in the woods). He took me to the gun range for my 45th birthday. He also bought me my zombie killing axe after I won an axe throwing “tournament”.

Last year we were planning to ride in a tank. Instead, the highlight was my Tim Horton’s steeped tea, black (after a 40 day fast) and standing in line outside the liquor store with a group of scrawny, tattooed small town mountain men, to buy pink champagne!

My, how the times have changed!

Tonight, on the eve of my 48th birthday, I will be fighting for world domination as a battle angel with my Big Guy. Tomorrow night, I will be fighting for world domination as a Spartan with my Little Guy (who is now significantly taller than me and loving it)!

I know I’ve always said I’ve wanted a daughter, but who better to have beside me in the event of the apocalypse, than my boys!?!

Happy Wednesday!

Dear Quarantine Diary – Week #5

Tags

covid-19 diary, covid-19 humour, dear diary, gamers, games, home, quarantine life, shopping, video games, winter

Dear Diary – Semester 1 of Grade 10 ended on Friday. Little Guy was so relieved to be done. In fact, he was downright pleasant to be around. Sunday afternoon we played a game of Carcassone. The difficulty, however, is that with the dining table now a home office, there’s no surface large enough for all the tiles. We sat side-by-side in lawn chairs in front of my small desk upstairs. Even though we shortened the river pieces to eliminate a few tiles, as the game neared, we were in trouble. So we added a windowsill and a mat on top of an open drawer. It’s a 3D board!

There’s a thin line between thinking outside the box and a caffeine-induced psychotic idea

Dear Diary – I ordered groceries for 2 weeks again online. It took me 4 hours to plan meals and compare prices between stores. When it arrived 3 days later, it felt like Christmas. I waved excitedly to the driver. He waved back, probably wondering what kind of nut lived here. Hubby helped me bring the bags inside and put things away.

It wasn’t until the job was complete that I realized, there was no bread! Was it their error, or mine?

It was mine. I ordered 8 loaves of bread for curbside pick-up the next day. There may only be 3 of us in the house, but we go through 5-6 loaves of bread in 2 weeks! Man cannot live on bread alone, but my men can’t seem to live without it!

Dear Diary – I’ve noticed a pattern lately with my instagram account and middle-aged guys. They follow my instagram account for a few weeks, liking most of my posts, especially the selfies. Some of them try to send me a direct message. When I don’t respond, they unfollow. Most of them have no description about who they are, what they like, etc. Some boldly share that they are looking for a relationship. I’m not sure this is the platform I would choose were I single and looking, but who am I to judge? The last guy to follow really made me chuckle. For his description, he wrote: “I’m here looking for a serious relationship that can take good care of me”. Well, as long as the relationship is all about you…who could resist?

Dear Diary – Big Guy gets hot under the collar when people dismiss video games as having no value. We know that gaming is more than just about the game; it’s also about community and so much more.

He passed on a positive story this week. A mom wrote that her 15 year old son has been hanging out with his friends a lot online during the quarantine. One evening, the friend and 5 of his friends were “hanging out” and they invited a solo player to join their “crew”. This gamer was much younger and had been spending a lot of time alone. In fact, it was the eve of his 11th birthday. So they threw him a virtual birthday party. They took him on quests, shared their loot, helped him win battles he couldn’t do on his own, and stayed with him until after midnight so they could sing him “Happy Birthday”. This random pack of guys could imagine the disappointment and heartache of this kid alone on his 11th birthday because of quarantine, and I’m sure this is now a birthday he will never forget!

Courtesy of http://www.9gag.com

Dear Diary – Semester 2 started this week. The first day was a half day so students could connect with their teachers. It took some sleuthing but I tracked down the missing teacher.

“No, please. Please don’t make me get up and go to school!”

“Honey, you have to go to school. You’re the teacher!”

Dear Diary – I was halfway down the stairs, counting all my steps, when I decided it would be less work to retrieve my fitbit from the charger, than to run around the house counting. With it being so cold outside, every step counts! As I charged up the stairs, Hubby asked me where I was going. I told him I was going to get my fitbit.

“What’s a pitbit?” he shouted after me. “Is that some kind of tool that measures how much you’re perspiring?”

When it is warm enough to go out, I feel like this snowman – a round pig squeezed into restrictive, poufy outwear that is slowly coming apart around the edges. On the days when I don’t get out, I kind of feel like I’m coming apart anyway. The bulky coat, sloppy boots, moulding mittens and hat that is just plain too big, make walking feel more like waddling, and then I do start to sweat. Maybe I need a pitbit after all!

My favourite winter activity is going back inside and putting my pajamas on!

Mercy

Tags

games, humour, Overwatch, photography, video games, Wordless Wednesday

But mercy is above this sceptered sway. It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings

Portia, The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I

Happy Wednesday!

Gaming for Seniors

Tags

games, humour, midlife crisis, video games

As a parent, I normally take great pride in my children’s accomplishments. I’m pretty sure it’s a written rule somewhere in The Parenting Handbook…which was buried centuries ago on Oak Island. But I’m competitive too, and that’s not always a good thing. Especially when those accomplishments overlap. I’m pretty sure there’s also something in that handbook about being a gracious loser, and I am. Or at least I try really hard to be. We all have our moments of parenting fails, and that’s when we have to admit our mistakes and trust our kids are gracious with us.

Don’t worry – I’m not writing about a parenting fail. At least, not right now.

It’s no secret I like video games. The obsession interest took shape just before Big Guy moved out. He got me hooked on Guitar Hero. And since his Xbox 360 went with him, he conspired with Hubby to give me my very own. I’ve wasted hours of my life since.

Unlike Little Guy, I’m not obsessed with earning all the trophies and racing through the levels. I try to enjoy the journey. Until I get stuck and force one of my kids to get me over the hump. I’ve helped them through a few too, but at an ever decreasing rate. Worse, I’m at a higher level than both of them, but can’t seem to kill it quite the same way. And the algorithm groups me with players who are levels below me.

It can be frustrating!

In the Summer, after a particularly brutal game of Monopoly, I felt conflicted, so I wrestled through this question: When did my kids get better at everything than me (leaving me feeling like a washed up loser who is ready to sit in a senior centre and weave baskets while singing Kum Ba Ya)?

An aging gamer, Theo Karasavvas described gaming in his younger days as “breathing…then all of a sudden, after thousands of hours spent playing across genres and platforms, boredom hit me hard for the first time”. He assumed he need only find a different game to stimulate his interest once again. He also blamed more responsibilities and stress in life for ruining his appetite. But is his reasoning completely accurate?

Sure, our appetites changes as we grow older, but (sometimes sadly) so do other things. Like our priorities, our sense of accomplishment changes too. High scores pale compared to a lower body mass index, especially as muffins tops sprout exponentially with every decade.

The desire to compete also decreases with age. The core gaming market targets 18-30 year olds. Many of the first-person shooter-style games, like my favorites, Halo & Overwatch, take time to develop skills. Older gamers simply don’t want to invest that amount of time, and prefer slower-paced, or solo games.

And who can forget that our bodies and brains are slowing down with every passing birthday! We tend to buy into the lie that we can’t keep up with our younger counterparts and our struggles become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sometimes we can’t keep up, but gaming continue to have benefits as we age.  There are a number of reasons why I play video games. And as long as my kids don’t mind if I sometimes slow them down, I’m going to keep playing. This “senior gamer” prefers to call it – leveling up!

Happy weekend!

Unlikely Heroes

Tags

charity, gamers, humour, video games

So it’s no secret: I like to play video games. For a lot of reasons. Some of them good.

I don’t  judge others on what they like to do in their spare time so please don’t judge me!

Wednesdays this year haven’t been Halo Night…they’ve been Overwatch night. It’s actually a game the whole family plays…just one at a time. But we watch each other’s backs and cheer each other on.  I fare much better at it than I do at RISK or Monopoly.

“Heroes never die!” – Mercy, Overwatch

Overwatch is a team-based multiplayer online first-person shooter video game, which boasts over 20 characters. Each character possesses different functions and armaments which  complement each other.

My first choice is Mercy, a healer with the ability to heal team mates, boost their fire power, and occasionally resurrect a team mate during play. She doesn’t possess armour or a high health level, only a small pistol with which to defend herself. While Mercy’s primary objective is to heal and support her team mates, sometimes she will be an aggressive “battle mercy” (cough, cough). She rarely earns  the coveted “Play of the Game” honour, but it has been known to happen (cough, cough). [Before Big Guy comments, in my defence, I can manage to both heal, resurrect and wreak havoc on the other team – just saying!]

Earlier this year, video game creator Blizzard, introduced a limited $15 pink skin for Mercy. Blizzard pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A lot of people criticized the move, claiming they were exploiting a worthy cause for their own gain. Most fans applauded the effort, and generously raised $12.7 million. While that figure included a limited edition t-shirt, the majority of it came from Mercy’s pink skin.

The money will go toward “prevention strategies, improved treatments…and quality of life for breast cancer patients worldwide,” said Stephanie Kauffman, Chief Strategic Alliances Officer at BCRF.

I guess this proves that even gamers can be unlikely heroes. 🙂

(Plus…PINK)!

Happy Friday!

 

V is for Video Games: Why I Play Halo

Tags

#atozchallenge, games, humour, video games

That’s right…tonight is Halo Night, probably the last one for a few months.

My oldest son scolded me earlier this month because I didn’t do “H is for Halo”. It’s his fault that I’m playing it now. It was a forbidden game in our house when he was much younger. I cited the usual…addiction to violence, inability to separate fantasy and reality, dangers to physical health, blah, blah… I tried playing it once, maybe 6 years ago. The controls were confusing. Actually, figuring out how to look around was confusing. It went like this:

“Nope, mom, that’s the sky. Look down. Too far, that’s your feet. Ok, now just…nope. You’re dead!”

I don’t know how he talked me into trying it ever again. But we did…together. I learned some things about myself as I learned to defend the universe.  I’ve been criticized for playing, told I need to “grow up”, but I believe part of growing up is discovering who you are, finding what you like to do, and not letting anyone steal your joy. Here’s why I play Halo:

6) It’s fun! It may not be your idea of a good time, and that’s OK. Go watch a documentary on the life cycle of a water beetle, drool in a recipe book, or inventory your lint trap collection. Find something that makes you happy.

5) It’s even more fun when it surprises others! Recently, an electrical apprentice struck up a conversation at work over the week he was there. He was shocked to find out I wasn’t in my 20s. He was shocked to find out I had a 27 year old son. He was shocked to find out I had a tattoo (considering I work in a church, for some…that is shocking)! At the end of the week, somehow, Halo came up. As he packed up his gear, he smiled at me and told me, “Jenn, you are full of surprises”! I’m a plain, quiet, middle-aged “church lady”, so…cool!

I’ve wasted far too much of the first half of my life crying, so I am determined to laugh more (even if it means by myself or laughing at myself – I will never cease to be amused). – jennsmidlifecrisis

4) For health reason. A 2003 study showed that action gamers were better than non-gamers at quickly processing complex info, estimating numbers, controlling their attention spatially, and switching between tasks. Video games can also  help with fine motor control and reaction time, as well as in developing strengths like patience, perseverance, and strategizing/problem-solving. I enjoy the mental stimulation of a challenge, and the euphoria of success!

3) I find it relaxing. I can zone out from the real world for a short time, which gives my mind and my body a break. I can take my frustrations in a place where I won’t cause harm. Increased dopamine helps reduce frustration. It’s one of the strongest drivers of work ethic because we focus on building successes or positive outcomes. Our brains then create optimistic and hopeful feelings. As our focus shifts to improving, it can heighten our sense of having control in a situation, which then transfers into the real world. We all, at times, need to “reboot”.

2) I can do it! There are a lot of things I can’t do, for one reason or another. I have physical limitations – the spirit is willing, but the body can’t keep up! I have mental limitations – math, for example, is not my friend! The gifts and talents I have been given are not transferrable to every area, in every part of the known universe. But in this world, I am strong. I am capable. I am in control. I feel like a dangerous and invincible warrior!

Warriors are those who choose to stand between their enemy and all that he loves or holds sacred – Author unknown

1) I get to spend time with my kid. He grew up too fast. He’s moved away and building his own life. I’m proud of him – that’s how it’s supposed to be. So if he still wants to hang out with me, from time to time, bring it on! Relationships are a two-way street. If I don’t take an interest in the things that interest him, we might drift apart, and I can’t bear the thought of not having him in my life. Besides, I’ve improving and sometimes, I can kick his butt!

Bonus – I get to do it in a hot body!

 

M is for Minecraft: Good for Kids

Tags

#atozchallenge, children, video games

 

It’s a video game that is shaping the next generation! There’s no complex story line, no timers furiously counting down, no pressing deadlines, and no graphic violence. The Minecraft universe is made up of blocks representing materials such as dirt, stone, various ores, wool, and water, and it’s a place I like to escape in my world for a bit at the end of the day.

Some would say that I’m wasting my time (because watching soaps would be so much better-yuck!), while others would argue that video games are inherently evil. But research has shown that sometimes gaming is good for you, and can have medical benefits. There’s even talk now that Minecraft is good for kids.

Castle Chapel

It encourages creativity and imaginative play. Minecraft was initially meant to be solely a survival game, but as it garnered attention, players began stretching their imaginations to build castles, tree houses and buildings that could only exist in a fantasy world. Imaginative behavior is based on the brain using and combining what we’ve learned and reworking them to generate new ideas. Minecraft is an open world and the challenge becomes shaping it to suit their desires. It also gives them the flexibility to decide if they want to build, mine, farm, or just explore the world.

Minecraft encourages learning. Kids are learning everything from programming, science, math, art and design, and history. Kids are mastering computer coding, engineering, architecture, and urban planning. My Little Guy loves the fictional ore called Redstone, a material that carries electrical signals to activate sophisticated machinery. He has created logic circuits to form a working computer inside the game, as well as elevators, cannons, and conveyor belts.

Players explore the world and learn how to gather materials needed to survive. In survival, peaceful mode, players require tools and shelter. In the survival, non-peaceful mode, they will also require food, and weapons for hunting and protection from enemies. They need to be aware of their surroundings in order to avoid swimming in lava or being killed by a Creeper.

A sky sidewalk connects my castle and watch towers (shown) with LG’s castle

It motivates kids to design their own projects, set their own goals, develop a plan, and work towards its completion. It often means reasoning out visual and spatial aspects, troubleshooting snags, and stretching their self-regulation skills.

Kids can measure success by their standards (not an adult’s standards). Minecraft allows them to be in control of the game and helps them build confidence in their ideas and abilities.

It encourages teamwork. Players can work together to build and protect their world and each other. It requires cooperation, sharing resources, trading supplies, and negotiating projects.

We worked together to lay the patterned marble floor

It can also bring together kids from different social groups and help kids who struggle in social situations, find common ground with their peers. (See the world built by a girl with autism to help her cope in the real world – it’s really cool!). More kids are teaching other kids by publishing tutorials, sharing designs and code, and helping each other online. They are connecting on a global scale.

Relaxation. Video games, like most anything, can become an obsession, but it can also be a form of relaxation. Our kids are stressed by homework and extracurricular activities. Introverts, in particular, rejuvenate in solitude.

It’s also been a way to “play together” as a family at the end of the day. It gets us talking – it keep us connected.  I don’t think I will ever consider this time as anything but well-spent, and as long as they want to spend time with me, I’m hanging out with my kids! We’ve a lot to teach each other!

Our “Poppy Castle” -from the front

From the North Side

References:

https://www.popsugar.com

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2014/04/26/minecraft-is-shaping-a-generation/#447ddb8f66b6

https://www.cnet.com/special-reports/minecraft/

https://deangroom.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/8-ways-minecraft-works-on-your-brain/

 

 

Confession #9

Tags

Big Bang Theory, Halo, humour, video games

I haven’t been posting regularly on Thursdays and I know I’ve been missed. Ok, no one has noticed, but…

Since Big Guy moved in (temporarily) 8 weeks ago…I have been immersing myself in an epic battle for the universe. After pretending to listen  listening to Big Guy talk about the video game for years, he finally got me to agree to give try it.  In the process, I’ve learned a few things about myself:

• I can’t drive military vehicles. I drive off cliffs, get stuck on every tree, bush and mountain in my path, and roll over in the blink of an eye. Flying is much, much worse.
• I am guilty of committing “friendly fire” more often than I am a victim of it.
• I shouldn’t be allowed to carry grenades. I tend to blow myself up! Or I blow Big Guy up! Or both…
• My reflexes are terrible. So is my aim. Unless my enemies are kind enough to come 1 or 2 at a time, or I have time to aim carefully. Then I’m a good shot. I’m an amazing sniper!
• I usually follow orders.
• If Big Guy is shooting a vehicle out of the air, it will probably land on me.
• I can’t navigate.
• I also can’t jump…but I can run. I run away from Hunters, Brute Chieftains, grenades…pretty much anything that explodes or can kill me with one hit.
• When too many enemies come at me at once, I panic and hit the wrong buttons. Sometimes that works in my best interest. Sometimes not.
• Thank goodness…

Photo courtesy of: http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

…because I respawn A LOT!

• I need to wait for Big Guy to answer when I ask questions. For example, I asked him which button to push to shoot, then pulled a trigger, punched him in the face and killed him. We had been playing less than 10 seconds.
• Apparently alien parasites and Big Guy look the same.
• I may walk like a “dude” but I can still rock body armour with a pink emblem.
• It’s always “hammer time” when I have a Brute Chieftain’s hammer.
• “The Flood” is not referring to water or an overwhelming need to pee. It’s much worse than an overwhelming need to pee while trapped in a subway car, between tunnels, in the dark…
• I will run into the fray to protect Big Guy, even if it means I will die.

You may think I’m immature and I need to act my age, but before you pass judgment –

• growing up is optional and I like to leave my options open.
• If my adult kid wants to hang out with me, then I’m doubly blessed!
• And I read somewhere that video games are good for me.

Let’s just say that if this were real life…

I have some blog posts reading to do too! 🙂 Happy Weekend!

 

Battle for Earth

Tags

games, humour, Mass Effect, photography, video games

Critical Mission Failure. The Epic Battle for Earth is finally over…

The Reapers won…

“By Grabthar’s hammer, by the suns of Worvan, you shall be avenged.”

Hug your loved ones! Eat pudding! Have a Happy Weekend!