Ten Days

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, I’ll start on a trip to a little town in the Catskill Mountains of New York.  My grandparents are there and it should be a lovely little trip with beautiful scenery and maybe a bit of snow.

The downfall to all this…a minimum of technology.  No email, no forums, no catching up on fanfics for ten whole days.  And as an added bonus, no cell phone coverage.  Yikes!

 

Return to Baldur’s Gate

Before my obsession with Knights of the Old Republic, there was Baldur’s Gate.  I’ve played the sequel, Shadows of Amn with the expansion Throne of Bhaal, many times. 

But I hadn’t played the Original in a long time.  It must be a good eight or nine years since I played it seriously.  After that, it sat on the shelf for a long time.  Perhaps because it was tainted by the memories of the people with whom I used to play or maybe like many toys, the new games were just spiffier.

In any case, it’s back out and I’m a good two-thirds of the way through the game and loving every minute of it.  There’s a certain nostalgia in reaching that point in the game where kobold commandos are no longer as fearsome as they were in the Nashkel mines.  Back when you didn’t need your toes to count your character’s hit points.

I’ve returned to Baldur’s Gate and I have to admit it’s a lot of fun.  Perhaps even more fun than when I played it the first time. 

To anyone who has it sitting on a shelf collecting dust:  Get it out and play again.  It’s worth it! 

Babies for Breakfast

My niece Lily has taken to calling many little things she likes babies.  She’s very good to all her little babies, so it’s not so bad.  She hugs them and kisses them and is overall very gentle.  Nice, right?

Here’s the catch.  Eggs are also her babies.  Straight from the fridge, she carries them and loves them until her mom takes them away.  The bad part:  Her mom takes them away to scramble and then feed to her. 

So, Lily is eating her babies for breakfast.  Anyone else sensing therapy in forty years? 

I think it’s time for Lily to learn some more words.

Thoughts on Valentine’s Day

Maybe it’s due to the anti-Valentine parties from college or just the leftover bitterness of the “ex who did me wrong” but I don’t like Valentine’s Day.  And before I’m acccused of just being lonely and disgruntled, I am in a happy commited relationship.  I just don’t like Valentine’s Day.

Maybe it’s because I don’t like being forced into declarations of affection because it’s marked on the calander.  Or maybe it’s beacuse it’s just too commercialized and overdone.  I just don’t like Valentine’s Day.

So, no cards, no boxes of little chocolates.  No elaborate dinner, no dressing up and going out.  A DVD and take-out Chinese, just like countless other nights, will be just fine.  The people I love know that I love them.  And that should be enough.  I just don’t like Valentine’s Day. 

Try again on a different holiday.  Maybe Halloween or Christmas.  I just don’t like Valentine’s Day. 

Lily learns to say “No!”

I have a very cute, sometimes snarky little niece.  She’s reached her terrible twos in full force, but she’s still adorable.  Since she lives pretty far away from me, I only get to talk to her over the phone.  We’ve had some very interesting conversations about Elmo and sometimes ducks and cows.  She’s good at making animal noises. 

Recently she’s been learning to count.  I’ve heard her do it in the background while talking to my sister.  She’s got one, two, and three down, but after that it’s a race to get to seven and she’s not afraid to leave out anything in between.

So, being the good aunt that I am, I try to get her to count for me over the phone.  The conversation went something like this…

“Can you count, Lily?  One…Two…Three…”

“Elmo.”

“Lily, can you count?  One..Two…”

“No!”

“Lily, count.  One…Two…”

“No.  Sshhh.”

Needless to say, it was very funny.  Watch out, World, Lily has learned to say, “No!”

Hand over the voodoo doll

Two weeks ago, it was a simple cold.  It decided to become a sinus infection.  No problem, not a big deal.  A trip to the doctor and an antibiotic later, I’m feeling much better.

All is well.  For a week anyway.  That’s when my body catches on to the presence of the antibiotic and protests.  For whatever twisted reason, it decides not to like the medication anymore because allergic reactions are so much more fun.

Sigh.  A trip to the e.r. and an injection later, I’m well enough to go home.  After a few days of the really good antihistamines, which I have to admit were a bit fun to be on, I’m feeling better.

That would be the cue to step on a piece of glass.  More annoyance, than actual injury.  But it does make me think that’s enough.  Whoever has it, it’s time to hand over the voodoo doll.