Dolls, Diamonds, or Dice?

Ever have the urge to just buy something new? Go out and just find something you don't have and bring it home? That's my current feeling. Melissa will cringe when she sees this. I have been known in the past to bring home some very "unnecessary" items in her mind. I would like to think this time would be different though. I'm sure she will do her giddy little goblin clap when she finds out I want to buy her something. The question is what? Melis and I have been together for fifteen years, married for seven. We have been through many interests in that time that have come and gone. Some things have stuck around, some are a flash in the pan, and others are still here waiting in the shadows to strike again someday. There was a period in time when Mel collected plush Eeyores. She will tell you it was me who was collecting them, but every time I brought one home for her she would smile. There was also a time when I would buy her jewelry. She never really asked for it or got excited about it, but isn't that what your supposed to buy women? Even just this last Christmas she asked for a Panadora bracelet. I was excited as this is a collection based item, and it's always fun to buy more. Alas she hasn't worn it that often, and minimal trips to complete her "checklist" have taken place. The one thing that has always been around with Melis and I, and to a larger extent my family, is games. I remember learning cribbage from my grampy, who still to this day I think cheated. Nana and I used to play rummy for entire afternoons. Again I think she cheated too. My family in the past has had whole nights devoted to Hearts, Spades, Queens, Penny poker, and more recently Wizard. Melis was introduced to a lot of my family at said game nights. She jumped right in and joined the fun. Well except when it came to marathon Monopoly games. She has played or at least tried most games I have played. In high school she even had her own Magic deck. I have tried to get her to try some newer card games (Pokemon, Maple Story) and some figure games (Star Wars, Hero Clix) but none have caught on with her. We have also enjoyed many a board game. I love trivial pursuit, she will every now and then entertain a game with friends. She is a big fan of Compatibility, I think only cause the dark side of her loves to see people get mad at their significant other. We have a whole closet of games that see the light of day every now and then. Mel knows the joy I get in game night and always urges me to go to the store on Tues nights. I want to return some of that joy to her by buying us a new game. I know she has enjoyed the last few games she has demo'd (Alhambra,Settlers of Catan) so I think I will either pick up one of those, or find something similar. It is difficult to ignore the feelings that I will like a game and focus on what she would like in a game. Hopefully I can find one we both enjoy as well as our friends.

You should be able to play what you want.

I sit here around the table with my gaming buddies, spewing out inside jokes to each other. Some of these require the knowledge of certain games, movies, shows, or instances in the store from the past. All of which have one of the players as the butt of the joke. One dead on comment spurs another tangent from someone until the table is laughing and no one remembers whose turn it is. Then it begins all again just as things seem to settle down. The ultimate goal is to be the last one to get the zinger. Or just plan distract the opponent. Often times horribly imitated dialects, make up a good portion of the rants. Until someone either does it too good or messes it up horribly. Laughing makes up a large portion of game nights, one of the main reasons I love coming to them. The company far outways the negative comments that are portrayed by nongamers, but even nongamers are gamers. Almost everyone plays some sort of game. Cribbage, Monopoly, Sorry, Crazy Eights, Scrabble. All games involving cards and or game pieces. Why do you play them? Could it be because you enjoy getting the family and friends to come over for a fun filled night? That's all that "gamers" are doing. Yea we might have fancy little dolls and binders full of cards, but all were doing is having a fun night. And getting a little ribbing in too. 

With a biased opinion comes great responsibility

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The trailer for the new spiderman reboot has been out for a few days now. I originally had mixed feelings about it. I was pleased with the acting job of Toby Mcquire and most of the cast. Kirsten Dunst being the exception, she does look good in a wet shirt, but I don't think she could get out of one. I have since watched the trailer multiple times and have seen it on the big screen, not persuading my overall opinion. I think it looks good. I do not however give two, hell three shits about 3D. It wasn't until people who in my opinion are not knowledged starting questioning and even trashing it, that I started to fight for the movie. I have defended the story, the actors, the writers, and even the 3D. All things I was fine with in the previous version or things I disagreed with in the new. I have no question that the movie will be good. I'll be the first in line next summer. Did I think a reboot was needed? Not really. But the fact that others who know nothing, or only know what the first movies told them, start shitting on this one, I feel the obligation to defend the web slinger. I am now the biggest proponent for the amazing spiderman reboot. 

Periodic, Picnic, and Plant

The ability to create something with your own hands is one of the most self satisfying feelings someone can have. To mold raw materials into a useful item is a skill that is slowly disappearing from today's society. Everything now is made from a mold,created by a machine, or done electronically. What happened to spending days in the shed, garage, or basement skipping dinner and staying up late to create a one of a kind masterpiece. I love the feeling when I figure out the last measurement and screw that last piece of wood into place. A physical object that I have but all my energy into, that I can hold in my hand and be proud of. Yea you might have bought a cooler shed or paid someone to build you a nicer deck, but I am way more proud of mine. I can tell you the who, what, when, where's, and whys about everything I have built. I can see all the little imperfections and love everyone of them because they have a story. I also love to look back at early projects and compare them to new ones. You can see the amazing differences in styles and techniques and how I have grown and improved. I spent my weekend working on three very different projects. All when finished provided the same level of pride and achievement. One is to be enjoyed by my friends, one is for strangers to enjoy,and the last is for the elderly to enjoy. They may not be for me, but I have already enjoyed them all.

Contradiction

Many things in life contradict themselves. Jumbo shrimp, Random order, Quiet Riot. I just may be one of those things. I am a dude yet I have no problem watching a chick flick, in fact I enjoy most of them. I love to run yet my favorite foods are fries and hot wings, I even brew my own beer. Not seeing much improvement in my level of fitness there. I am a responsible adult who plays with children's toys. I, who constantly complains of being too busy, is always taking on a new task or looking for something to do. Hell I even sit down to pee.

Numbers

How many numbers are in your head? Phone #'s, pin #'s, dates, bills, addresses, and who knows what else. Everyone has a set number of things that they must use almost everyday. Whether for work, school, or home. I have to use numbers and math all day while at work. Remembering phone extensions, screen numbers, counting, recounting, adding, multiplying, and a whole lot more. At the same time in my mind I have measurements, requirements, quantities, sizes, and a bunch of other construction related #'s rattling around in there. Then on a hobby side there are numerous other things. Restrictions, formats, points, and $ values. They told us in school we would need to remember this stuff later in life and we all scoffed at them. Granted I might not need to remember it all, most of it is by personal choice, and there are things we cannot forget no matter how hard we try. 2989NN, that's a license plate I was jokingly told to remember one day. That was like fifteen years ago. And in highschool I also learned that every can of Spaghetti-O's has 1750 O's. I wish I could forget these things so I could make room to remember my anniversary. 

Nope, I'm out

I was asked an interesting question at work yesterday. Yes it's a real job. I'm not an IT guy and no I'm not a level 17 elf either. It requires real work, I pick things up and put them down. Anyways it's not really an "interesting" question but it made me think. A new lady started at work about two months ago. She transferred up from our Boston location and has finally settled into "The way life should be". We have been talking and she seems like a really nice person. She approached me and asked if I had any single friends that were normal. My first response was "not ones that are normal". Then the more I thought about it I realized that no, I don't have any single friends. I told her I know quite a few eighteen year olds. She instantly laughed. As she should, she is in her mid forties and has kids the same age. Then it came to me! Yes I actually do have a single friend. I consider him to be as normal as my friends, and I proceeded to talk him up giving the details that I know.

He just turned forty.
response -"same age nice"
He has two jobs.
response - "a stable income that's good"
He is a personal trainer.
response - "hey I love going to the gym and working out"
He also works at the game store I go to.
response- "Nope, I'm out"

Makes me wonder how hard it would be now to find a girl, being a 32 year old gamer myself.