It just first became completly real to me that my sister Chris is no longer here. She passed away Sunday, May the 24th 2010 at around 5pm. Being a life long type 1 diabetic, she was pretty used to fighting for her life. Chris went through many medical procedures and hospital stays throughout her 42 and a half years. But she never gave up. Granted, her disease took its toll on her and it’s only natural that she would have angry or depressed times. But for the most part, she always had a witty one liner or Bugs Bunny quote to throw out. An avid horror fan, like myself, we would often discuss our favorite moments of fright and both agreed that the majority of horror film “monsters” are misunderstood. Ironically, food was also a topic that came up frequently in our conversations. I say that’s ironic, because food was basically a chore for Chris. It was something she HAD to do, not usually something she felt like doing or even enjoyed. But non-the-less, we swapped recipes and ideas for meals and snacks. One of her favorites was Starkist smoked Albacore tuna mixed with Velvetta shells n cheese. It’s something I still have yet to try, but will soon for sure. Chris and I will continue our conversations. Probably more now then ever. I just hope she’s happy. She can rest now. No more needles or tests. Just relax. We’ll all be together again someday.
I’m on a bit of a nostalgia kick. I recently acquired a Nintendo 64. There are a few games for that system that rank in my top 20 all time favorite games. So I went on the hunt for some of these great time passers from years ago. Luckily, a local video game store had what I wanted and after trading in some of my older game stock, I walked out with 6 games that I absolutely love. Here are the games I picked up, ordered from fun to fantastic.
Banjo Kazooie: This game is a great platformer with some hilariously cheesy moments. The puzzles are challenging but not so difficult that you get stuck.
Blast Corps: One of those games that you either love or hate. How can you not love a game where the main goal is to level everything in the path of a missile toting flatbed truck??
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire: The Hoth battle level is enough to give this game a spot in anyones most memorable gaming moments. Flying over the snow laden landscape while Emperial drones and huge AT-ATs try to splatter your rebel rump is a very tense and enormously fun experience.
Mischief Makers: In my opinion, Mischief Makers was one of the best but most over looked games of the N64 library. A great 2.5D side scroller (in the vein of the Mega Man series), Mischief Makers is as fun to play as it’s story is crazy. You play a semi-robotic maid trying to free her teacher from a hoard of robotic bosses and odd little bowling ball-esque characters. It sounds a little off but it’s a great game.
Castlevania: It’s NOT called Castlevania 64. It’s just Castlevania. Being a long time fanboy of the Castlevania series, I’m a bit biased when it comes to this game. Most gamers where a little ticked off at the choice to make this game 3D. While the game does come off a bit stiff in spots, it’s still a very satisfying experience and one that should be a mandatory play for anyone that considers themselves a Castlevania fan.
Pilotwings 64: This is my FAVORITE game on the N64. The music is a relaxing mix of airy melodies that lift you through the hang gliding missions while switching to jazzier beats for the faster paced gyro copter and rocket pack levels. Throw in bonus levels like bird man and cannon ball (shooting a character out of a cannon to hit a target on the other side of an island is a very VERY rewarding feeling) and you’ve got a dish that I could eat every night.
All in all, it’s been a fun trip back to the time when Nintendo ruled. I’ve played these games in emulators on my PC for years but they never seem to feel quite right. Now with a real N64 controller in my hand and my favorite carts at the ready, I’m all set to swim with the Dolphins.
Just got home from seeing Iron Man 2 with Emily. It has successfully taken the rank as my favorite comic book movie to date. The pace, effects, action, etc.. all great. Now I’m even more excited for the upcoming Avengers movie!! Keep it up Marvel Studios. You’ve found the recipe for great comic book to movie translations.
I don’t normally like to “gripe” about things that seem trivial. At least, not on my blog. I realize that most things are relative to a person’s situation and/or attitude. One man’s inconvenience is another man’s emergency. But this is just one of those times that I want to spout off. So here goes. I like to talk. I admit it. I like to talk. I love the stimulation that my mind feels while talking. It could be about anything. And with the abundance of information on the internet, it just fuels my need for discussion. So where’s the problem in that, you ask? My wife does not like to talk. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect to her by that statement. I understand that I can (and usually am) very long winded. I come from a family that ALWAYS has things to talk about. If this were the age of kings, we would be the court story tellers. But it’s something that can be very annoying to someone that doesn’t exactly share the same zest for the spoken word. Luckily, I have this space to shout in. It may not be quite the same as a good verbal conversation or exchange of ideas. But it’s an outlet that always listens. No matter what I have (or don’t have) to say.