We're here on Hilton Head Island, after an interminable drive (albeit through some very gorgeous mountainous landscapes). The condo we're staying in is lovely--a 2 bedroom affair with massive windows and a deck overlooking a bayou that seems to be filled with graceful white herons and, uh...alligators. The Boy and I have been discussing whether we're awful people for watching the ducks and wondering if they're going to be summarily consumed by an alligator from below.
Hilton Head is a weird place in some ways. It's just lovely, filled with beautiful beaches and great restaurants...but every shrub, every oleander, every blade of grass is cultivated and sculptured. We were joking earlier that a pelican couldn't poop here without a landscaper rushing over and rearranging it into something attractive.
So far we've been incredibly lazy, and have eaten a lot of good seafood. Eventually we'll do things like dolphin watching tours and a day cruise to Savannah to poke around look at the fun southern gothic architecture and Civil War era graveyards.
Today at the beach I was slightly startled to see a pod of dolphins lazily cresting just off shore. The Boy managed to get within 20 feet of one. After bobbing around until we were absolutely prune-like, we wandered up the beach, dripping, and got ice cream. The taste of ice cream at the same time as smelling the ocean gave me a flashback to the days when our family would travel to the Jersey shore during the summer back when I was in first grade. The ocean has a wonderful, fresh, salty smell.
There's a dead tree on the other side of the bayou that becomes lacy with huge white herons right before the sun sets. They're all jostling each other and flapping about right now.
Yesterday we went to Savannah to pick up a friend who's joined us, and we all ended up wandering down into the historical district along the waterfront and trundling down the cobblestone streets until we found a place that served killer cajun food. We headed home full of shrimp, cornbread, and beignets. *sigh* So lovely.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Arr, Me Hearrrties!
Avast! I may have used this title for a post already. I occasionally have little fits of pirateism that must be indulged.
Actually, I've had a long and drawn-out fit of pirateism for the last few months, thanks to Puzzle Pirates. It's a little multiplayer online game that offers one heck of a long free demo for download. One's character is a rather lego-looking little pirate who can go island hopping, chat with fellow players, and play addictive puzzle games along the lines of tetris and bejeweled in order to interact with their world in such things as sailing, swordfighting, drinking, bilging, etc. If pirates had little chipper, round faces, were squeaky clean, and would rather challenge you to a puzzle than draw and quarter you, this would be just like sailing the high seas!
I'm a dork because I get into the ridiculous stuff like deciding which island to apply for citizenship on, or saving up for a new, more piratey outfit, or furnishing my shack with fancy little goodies. The thing I like the most about it though, is the fact that it's a darn fun way to interact with friends who are far away. I recommend it, even to non-gamers. The puzzles are not hard to learn, and they're good fun. If anyone would like to try it out, let me know, and I'll share some pieces of eight, and extra swag with ye (er...you.) so you don't have to start at the bottom of the barrel. It's handy to have someone to show you around at first too.
If you already play Puzzle Pirates, my pirate is called Miett, and she's on the Midnight Ocean--send me a "tell" and we can get together and maybe go on a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon pillage...
Actually, I've had a long and drawn-out fit of pirateism for the last few months, thanks to Puzzle Pirates. It's a little multiplayer online game that offers one heck of a long free demo for download. One's character is a rather lego-looking little pirate who can go island hopping, chat with fellow players, and play addictive puzzle games along the lines of tetris and bejeweled in order to interact with their world in such things as sailing, swordfighting, drinking, bilging, etc. If pirates had little chipper, round faces, were squeaky clean, and would rather challenge you to a puzzle than draw and quarter you, this would be just like sailing the high seas!
I'm a dork because I get into the ridiculous stuff like deciding which island to apply for citizenship on, or saving up for a new, more piratey outfit, or furnishing my shack with fancy little goodies. The thing I like the most about it though, is the fact that it's a darn fun way to interact with friends who are far away. I recommend it, even to non-gamers. The puzzles are not hard to learn, and they're good fun. If anyone would like to try it out, let me know, and I'll share some pieces of eight, and extra swag with ye (er...you.) so you don't have to start at the bottom of the barrel. It's handy to have someone to show you around at first too.
If you already play Puzzle Pirates, my pirate is called Miett, and she's on the Midnight Ocean--send me a "tell" and we can get together and maybe go on a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon pillage...
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Vacating
In a couple weeks, something rare and wonderful will be occurring, much like a blue moon, or a phoenix rising from the ashes...or a two headed turtle... or something. For the first time ever in our married lives, (honeymoon excluded) and pretty much the first time in the Boy's entire life, we will be going on a VACATION together. I'm all a-flurry!
We're going to Hilton Head Island, which is kind of funny, because it's a fancy dancy golf resport and we are neither fancy-dancy, nor do we golf. BUT it has pretty beaches, good food, and one can go swimming, play with dolphins etc, or have a boat dump you on one of the little nearby islands for the afternoon so you can poke through old graveyards or have a picnic. Also close by is Savannah, Georgia, which I have wanted to visit since I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It's supposed to be a really intersting town, with lots of gorgeous southern gothic architecture, and fantastic old cemetaries.
All I can say, is that I hope the Boy gets a taste for vacations. Planning and looking forward to something is almost as happy a thing as going on the trip.
We're going to Hilton Head Island, which is kind of funny, because it's a fancy dancy golf resport and we are neither fancy-dancy, nor do we golf. BUT it has pretty beaches, good food, and one can go swimming, play with dolphins etc, or have a boat dump you on one of the little nearby islands for the afternoon so you can poke through old graveyards or have a picnic. Also close by is Savannah, Georgia, which I have wanted to visit since I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It's supposed to be a really intersting town, with lots of gorgeous southern gothic architecture, and fantastic old cemetaries.
All I can say, is that I hope the Boy gets a taste for vacations. Planning and looking forward to something is almost as happy a thing as going on the trip.
On the positive side...
It's odd that, although for the most part, I'm enjoying Psychonauts, I can only play for limited amounts of time. Now games like Dark Cloud 2, or Katamari Damacy, I negotiate by getting everything done in real life so I can play for large chunks of time... But Psychonauts is different, for some reason. I just end up turning the game off after an hour or so. Hmm.
I must admit, it has one of the most entertaining and wildly varying series of levels I've encountered. You pop into the subconscious of someone with a Napoleon complex, and find you're a miniature piece on a terrain model battle map, which, up close, is a sunny countryside divided into sections. It's fun to run about on. Slightly less fun, however, is dealing with the game in that area.
Another level is in the subconscious of a Spanish painter - The level is called Black Velvetopia, which should give a hint as to what things look like. There are no whites at all--everything looks like...well, a painting on black velvet. This was probably my favorite level. The boss fights were reasonable, and everything was just so darn...neat to look at. I suppose having to avoid a massive magenta bull that comes hurtling down the narrow street you're trying to traverse every 6 seconds or so could get old pretty quickly, but fortunately, I found it more entertaining than anything.
Ah well. Toro!
I must admit, it has one of the most entertaining and wildly varying series of levels I've encountered. You pop into the subconscious of someone with a Napoleon complex, and find you're a miniature piece on a terrain model battle map, which, up close, is a sunny countryside divided into sections. It's fun to run about on. Slightly less fun, however, is dealing with the game in that area.
Another level is in the subconscious of a Spanish painter - The level is called Black Velvetopia, which should give a hint as to what things look like. There are no whites at all--everything looks like...well, a painting on black velvet. This was probably my favorite level. The boss fights were reasonable, and everything was just so darn...neat to look at. I suppose having to avoid a massive magenta bull that comes hurtling down the narrow street you're trying to traverse every 6 seconds or so could get old pretty quickly, but fortunately, I found it more entertaining than anything.
Ah well. Toro!
Monday, September 05, 2005
Cycle-Nots!
The only occasionaly bane of my existence is Psychonauts (for the PS2). I'm about 10 hours in, and have spent some time mucking around in some of the more enjoyable aspects of the game--bouncing really high on a big ball of psychic energy, exploring, and shooting stuff with my mind. Oh--I also sort of enjoy the "collecting stuff" aspect of the game, although I know many people would grind their teeth about this. A lot.
The setting(s) are entertaining: the game takes place at a (government sponsored) woodsy children's camp, where potential psychics are trained in the arts of levitation, focusing mental energy, and burning stuff with your mind. Oh, and you can prolly go canoeing too. The camp is extensive, and eventually, you can also run the about in people's minds as well, for completely different levels. While you're in there, you can clean up mental cobwebs, and clear out emotional baggage. And when I say emotional baggage, I actually mean it. Like, crying duffle bags, and sobbing purses. I wish it were this easy. I'd totally be a shrink, if all it took was popping into someone's subconscious to dust and organize crap.
The thing that really makes me flail and stomp is the boss fights. Some of them require you to do something so arbitrary and weird that you've wasted most of your lives before you figure out what the heck is expected of you. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was an encounter with a completely random and detached boss on a particular level. I was walking along, minding my own business, when I fell through the sidewalk into a fiery cave where I was forced to waste lives and health increasers on a boss who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the level or the game, and for whom beating held no reward to speak of. In fact, it felt almost as if the boss had snuck in from another game. Zelda, perhaps. When, in a flurry of cursing, I defeated the boss, my words were, (through clenched teeth) I *never* want to do that again."
1. Pause game
2. Save to make sure nothing happens to make me have to accidentally have to relive that.
Imagine my joy when abruptly, 10 minutes later, I fell through the sidewalk AGAIN, and had to fight the SAME boss I had just killed, again for no reward or benefit. I was thrilled. What is this? Busy work? For pete's sake, it's a video game! Isn't a time waster IN a time waster a little redundant?? Are they trying to draw out the game somehow?
Other than that sort of crap, the game has been fairly interesting. I'll give a final verdict later.
The setting(s) are entertaining: the game takes place at a (government sponsored) woodsy children's camp, where potential psychics are trained in the arts of levitation, focusing mental energy, and burning stuff with your mind. Oh, and you can prolly go canoeing too. The camp is extensive, and eventually, you can also run the about in people's minds as well, for completely different levels. While you're in there, you can clean up mental cobwebs, and clear out emotional baggage. And when I say emotional baggage, I actually mean it. Like, crying duffle bags, and sobbing purses. I wish it were this easy. I'd totally be a shrink, if all it took was popping into someone's subconscious to dust and organize crap.
The thing that really makes me flail and stomp is the boss fights. Some of them require you to do something so arbitrary and weird that you've wasted most of your lives before you figure out what the heck is expected of you. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was an encounter with a completely random and detached boss on a particular level. I was walking along, minding my own business, when I fell through the sidewalk into a fiery cave where I was forced to waste lives and health increasers on a boss who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the level or the game, and for whom beating held no reward to speak of. In fact, it felt almost as if the boss had snuck in from another game. Zelda, perhaps. When, in a flurry of cursing, I defeated the boss, my words were, (through clenched teeth) I *never* want to do that again."
1. Pause game
2. Save to make sure nothing happens to make me have to accidentally have to relive that.
Imagine my joy when abruptly, 10 minutes later, I fell through the sidewalk AGAIN, and had to fight the SAME boss I had just killed, again for no reward or benefit. I was thrilled. What is this? Busy work? For pete's sake, it's a video game! Isn't a time waster IN a time waster a little redundant?? Are they trying to draw out the game somehow?
Other than that sort of crap, the game has been fairly interesting. I'll give a final verdict later.
The Bee's Knees
Or in my case, "the bee's stinger in my knee." Technically a wasp. Ow. Darn those flying snippets of evil. Bees I don't have a problem with. They make hunny (rum-pumpum) and they actually die if they sting you, because they leave their stinger behind, along with what looks like a chunk of guts. I tend to imbue them with logic and such: "Well, I know that huge human is wearing that gawd-awful shirt, but is it really worth the price of death to sting them for it? I'll wait until someone gets a fly swatter. Then I'll attack."
Wasps sting with impunity. And because they *like* to, the little bastards. Actually, the particular sting to which I refer was more educational than anything. At the age of 5-ish, I stuck a stick into a large ground hornet colony and was "well rewarded" for my efforts. Supposedly, I am semi-immune to wasp stings because of it. The sting hurt like the dickens for about 5 minutes, and then almost completely went away, leaving a large but unswollen red mark. And that's how it stayed, with the exception of some itching over the next couple days.
Long, dumb story made longer and dumber.
I realized the other day just how much I like life recently. Incredibly, I am not on medication. I'm just rather content and happy. Which...is really sort of strange. Not that I've never been content or happy before--or indeed, both at the same time. Oh yes, I've managed it--but it's just that this seems to be a pretty permanent state.
I suppose it could have to do with the contrast of the first five months of this year to the last three months. The last three months have just been...good. I'm gaining back a sense of self, a little dignity (but not too much), I'm purging myself of unrealistic expectations and unnecessary guilt, and have worked at putting completely out of my mind the things that make my bloodpressure rise. Surprisingly, it's pretty much worked. And now, apparently, I've also just written a trite and slightly annoying self-help book (see above paragraph, which is long and boring.).
Wasps sting with impunity. And because they *like* to, the little bastards. Actually, the particular sting to which I refer was more educational than anything. At the age of 5-ish, I stuck a stick into a large ground hornet colony and was "well rewarded" for my efforts. Supposedly, I am semi-immune to wasp stings because of it. The sting hurt like the dickens for about 5 minutes, and then almost completely went away, leaving a large but unswollen red mark. And that's how it stayed, with the exception of some itching over the next couple days.
Long, dumb story made longer and dumber.
I realized the other day just how much I like life recently. Incredibly, I am not on medication. I'm just rather content and happy. Which...is really sort of strange. Not that I've never been content or happy before--or indeed, both at the same time. Oh yes, I've managed it--but it's just that this seems to be a pretty permanent state.
I suppose it could have to do with the contrast of the first five months of this year to the last three months. The last three months have just been...good. I'm gaining back a sense of self, a little dignity (but not too much), I'm purging myself of unrealistic expectations and unnecessary guilt, and have worked at putting completely out of my mind the things that make my bloodpressure rise. Surprisingly, it's pretty much worked. And now, apparently, I've also just written a trite and slightly annoying self-help book (see above paragraph, which is long and boring.).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)