Hello everyone! How have you all been? I’m just fine after a weekend that didn’t exactly go as planned, but I’m glad I could be there for people who needed me. Sometimes life just happens, including the not so fun stuff and all you can do then is just be the best friend, or partner, for your loved ones. Duty calls, so they say 😉
On Turning 41
Last Wednesday I turned 41 and I’m still as hopeless as you’d expect. Starting my 42nd rotation around the Sun, I think I’ve got a bit of a grasp on this thing called life, but at the same time I never stop learning. To be fair, despite my chronic back and shoulder pain, I don’t feel any older than I did ten years ago physically. However, I can tell that mentally I’ve become much more resistant to stress and feel that my burn-out from two years ago was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me in regards to showing me what’s truly important in life and how so much of the things I found important back then seem trivial now. In true Human fashion I learned a lot of stuff when it was too late, but thanks to those experiences I can now help others prevent what happened to me and I hope my blog can help people in that regard. One day I’ll write a book about it 😛
The gifts I got from Bren and Robin on my birthday were awesome too. Robin gave my Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a game we had played the demo of in coop mode. Bren’s challenge this year to not buy anything new made it quite difficult for her to get me something, but she really surprised me with a self-made card holder from leather scraps she recently obtained and she got me an absolutely stunning Ammonite fossil. At some point soon, I’m going to have to get myself a display case for these, as my collection is growing 😉
On Writing
Last night I still managed to get some writing done. Chapter 3 of my upcoming novel manuscript is nearly done. I can feel that I’m still looking for the “hook” of the story so that I can finally reel myself (and the reader) in, but after a smashing start in the first two chapters and skipping some time in chapter 3, I think it’s good that there’s only a bit of tension before all hell breaks loose. Sometimes you just need a chapter that leaves a bit of breathing room for the reader, and that’s okay.
On Reading
I’m currently going through three books. Or well, actually, one of them is “on hold”, until I finish my very last review book for The Book Dragon’s Nook, which will close down near the end of the month. The book is called “Water” by Lara Reims and it’s a sequel to her other book “Lucht”, which leads me to believe that it might become a four book series featuring all of the elements.
The other book I’m reading is Quirkology by Richard Wiseman and it’s a fun science book about the science of everyday lives. It features the results of many researches and why humans are so odd and quirky, but at the same time also quite predictable in their nature. I’ve already learned a ton of things from this book and am learning new things as I go. Definitely worth the time!
On Gaming
I was absolutely spoiled with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which I’ve been playing cooperatively. It’s such a fun and cute game and Kirby works wonderful in 3D too. I love how the game seems to be using Super Mario 3D World’s engine. The controls are very fluid and responsive and Kirby is just straight up fun, no matter what your age is!
There were also some really good deals on Indie games last week in the eShop and I decided to use a € 15 eShop card to get my hands on as much games as possible. I ended up buying four games!
This War of Mine, a game about the atrocities of war, where you don’t play as a soldier, but rather a group of civilians who are trying to get by in a city that’s been shelled to shreds.
Axiom Verge, an ode to the 8-bit era of Metroidvania games. One of my favourite subgenres when it comes to platform action games. So far, it’s been a lot of fun, but the game doesn’t hold hands and I often find myself guessing where to head off to next. It’s both a good and bad thing, but so far, I’m really glad I bought this game.
Blasphemous, another Metroidvania game and one that had been on my radar as well. It’s a very gritty game with lots of atmosphere and story. I’m really curious where it goes, but it does seem to explore fanaticism in religion. Definitely not a subject for everyone, but I think the delivery works quite well and I’m curious to sit down and play this game in its entirety.
Yes, Your Grace, seeing as I got so many new games, I haven’t taken the time to boot this one up yet. The premise is that you’re the king of a medieval looking country and you have to listen to your people as they plead for your assistance. The game is all about choices, as far as I can tell. I’ll share my thoughts in a review at some point or another, for sure!
Upcoming blogs
Overall, a lot of stuff that’s been keeping me busy! I’m hoping next weekend we’ll have some more rest and can finally get around to some of the hobby stuff Bren and I’ve been wanting to do. I’m also very keen on finishing the third chapter of my new story and starting a new one, and doing some plot work, because I feel that’s what I really need to pin down first. More on that in an upcoming blog about plotting and writing. I’m also in the mood for a mindset blog, focussing on some stoic principles of letting go, and maybe a review on Quirkology, but I’ll see if I feel up to it, or not.
I hope you’ll all have a great week!
Happy Monday!
Jeffrey