PixlBit

The good news is that I still have my job. The University of Arkansas is closing all its buildings starting Monday and only essential personnel are allowed on the properties (campus police, custodians and some exceptions I'm not thinking of). So I still have to show up five days a week, sanitizing the buildings. But I am getting paid. So, it can be worse. 

So, as Rick Dalton has his moment of crisis and doubt and overcame it, I did the same with Super Mario World, as far as the main road to Bowser's Castle was concerned. The last 2 areas leading to the castle (Chocolate Island and Valley of Bowser, if memory serves correct) were the hardest of the journey, harder than I remember. Trying to make it through Larry Koopa's castle was so maddening (Magikoopa, eat shit and die, you fucking fuck) but I eventually powered through. SMW also has one of the great end credit sequences in a video game; the music, the character roster, the long trek back through all the worlds (at least as depicted through the background).

So there's a scene in the film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood where Leo DiCaprio's character, Rick Dalton, is describing the story of a book he's reading to a younger actor. The book is about a bronco buster named Easy Breezy who had a successful career earlier in his life. He has an accident that, while it doesn't keep him from being a bronco buster, it does hamper him a little physically and a lot mentally. According to Dalton, as Easy hits middle age he feels his best years are behind him and he's feeling more useless (and as he hits that last word, Dalton breaks down in tears). Now, this is mostly Dalton's insecurities and failure to grow as an actor (or person) talking more than his ability to act but I couldn't help thinking about that scene as I've been replaying Super Mario World. 

So as I'm typing this, it's 11:29 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16, so if I want to make the deadline with a new BaD blog, here we go. Good news is, this'll be brief.

I turn 40 later this year so to show that I'm truly on my way to cranky curmudgeon status, I'll start off by saying how much I hate winter weather season. My house is the kind that usually keeps cool during warmer weather so trying to heat this place makes my electricity and gas bills go up (honestly, that I spend more time gaming or using my tv rather than freeze to death outside also contributes to that). After this month, it should start to get warmer so I'll be happy then. 

As I'm writing this, its a little after 10 p.m. so the year/decade is about to wear down. I'm at home, warm and cozy, drinking some PBR and will probably bring in the new year by playing some games (mostly likely Gears 5 from the looks of things). I got home yesterday after staying with my parents and family for 6 days for the Christmas week; it was great, lots of good food, lots of time spent with my adorable 10-month old nephew and I got some decent gifts, most of which were practical but only a few could count as toys (The Making of Alien by J.W. Rinzler, Changes by David Bowie on vinyl, Led Zeppelin's 4th album on vinyl). 

November has passed and what it mostly consisted of is shitty weather, the usual grind of work and sleep, some better films than in October and gaming on the usual titles. Thanksgiving was rough at first due to being sick on the actual day. The day after, I was feeling better but bummed that I missed out on Thanksgiving for the first time in my life. Luckily, my older brother came to the rescue and invited me to a late Thanksgiving dinner with his wife and the in-laws. Good food, plenty of time spent with my now 9-month old nephew and the company of family. Perfecto.

October came and went and Halloween along with it. I worked during that day as usual. Someone that I follow on twitter posted a week ago that Halloween should take place on the last Friday of the month instead of the last day. The last day usually falls on a day during the week, when the likeliest participants are either dealing with school or work or both. I'm in agreement with this. Instead, I watched how friends celebrated through social media and that'll have to be enough. 

So, in the last 4 months or so since I posted a blog entry, the only big life change was when, at the end of July, I was in my first fender bender. It was an accident and it was my fault (I was cited for failure to yield) and no one was hurt (thank god), but the 1999 Honda CR-V was totalled. The front passenger side looked like it was caved in. I didn't have the car for very long (6 months shy of 2 years) but it was a good vehicle and it hurt to see it go. Again: accident, no one was hurt but I liked that car. 

Two years ago I did something that I truly regret: in desperate need of money, I sold my 3DS XL and knowing full well that my purchases couldn't be saved (or that they could and I didn't want to prep for that). I bought quite a few digital games and physical copies for that wonderful handheld. It didn't even matter to me that I had an older model (it wasn't a "new" 3DS).