Happy Mother's Day

I know I usually do reviews, but I thought I'd do something special for Mother's Day.

So, as you may not know I am getting married soon, moving out and just got a new job. There are a lot of things I am going through that have either drained my funds or energy. And this isn’t to shine the light on myself but just another example of how all the mothers in my life have been there for me in so many ways. Not only have they all talked me through what’s going on in my life right now, they've also been there for me through support and pride which is the greatest thing I could ask for, besides their love.

I just wanted to let all the mothers in my life know how truly special you are to me:

Happy Mother’s Day to All the Mothers in My Life

A mother is someone who not only gives birth to you but someone who is there throughout your entire life.

A mother is someone who takes over responsibility for you when your birth mother works her whole life to provide for her children who she loves very much, or falls ill to a very tragic car accident.

A mother is someone who teaches her children about God and what is right and wrong.

A mother is someone who protects her children even when the worst things seem to always happen, never even thinking of putting herself first.

A mother is someone who packs you your favorite sandwich in a little brown bag, drawing a smiley face on the bag, the napkin, and with the mustard on your sandwich (which you used to be embarrassed about, but later you’d secretly smile when no one was looking).

A mother is someone who stands by you no matter what decision you make or who you become and completely supports you along the way.

A mother is someone who is there for her little boy when he scraps his knee or his heart is broken.

A mother is someone who doesn’t have enough money to pay the bills but always finds money to send her son to school, the daycare and buy him toys and clothes, so he rarely has to want for anything.

A mother is someone who is there for her son when he loses his dad and thinks the world and God have done him wrong. Not understanding, but mom is there to help.

A mother is someone who not only thinks about her son in every decision, but would drop everything she’s doing in case there is an emergency, physically or of the heart.

A mother is someone who takes care of her sister when her mom isn’t able to. Who helps her grow and becomes her best friend.

A mother is someone who accepts a new woman into the family as a daughter-in-law and loves her as if she were her birth mother.

A mother is someone who not only invites this daughter-in-law to come over anytime she wants, but to every special occasion and holiday. Getting her just as many presents and spending just as much time with her as the rest of her kids. Making it feel like every holiday is something exciting to look forward to. It’s greatly appreciated.

A mother is someone who helps her daughter-in-law plan the most exciting day of her life and not even hesitate to take on a task to help relieve the stress.

A mother is someone who doesn’t make her daughter-in-law even feel like a daughter-in-law, but a daughter - and very much loved.

A mother is someone who has Alzheimer’s but still remembers her niece’s birthday, and about every detail of what’s going on in her life.

A mother is someone who not only calls or texts EVERY DAY, but genuinely cares and wants to know what’s going on in her niece’s life.

A mother is someone who offers to take care of her niece at the drop of a hat, always making sure she has food in her pantry, clean clothes and a person to talk to.

A mother is someone who put her own issues and struggles aside to focus on her niece and help her through her own battles.

A mother is someone who even through she’s exhausted from the day and just wants to go to sleep, invites her niece into her California king-sized bed for a midnight chat.

Most of all, a mother is someone who is there for their daughter, sister, daughter-in-law or niece no matter what she is going through. No matter how hard things get, these special woman are there for this girl and support her every step of the way.

I am so very blessed to have all of these great woman in my life. I cannot even express to you how much you all mean to me.

I know that every line starts with  “A mother is someone”- but isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t we be appreciating our mothers more than just once a year. “A mother”, what a powerful woman. Helping all their children turn into great moms and dads themselves. Being there every step of the way. Everything starts and ends with, “A mother”.

New Republic Tattoo, Foo!

Have you ever walked into a tattoo and/or piercing shop and thought, 'Did I just walk through a hole in the wall and end up in a dumpster?' Then all the artists stop what they're doing to look up at you and make you feel extremely uncomfortable and out of place. There almost seems to be a glint of crazy in their eyes, as you feel the floor start to open. That’s NOT what you’re going to find at Donny Manco’s New Republic Tattoo.

The tale of this beautiful friendship began only a couple years ago.  I was searching the world’s wide web to shed some light on the whole “tattoo” thing, which I knew nothing about. I was extremely timid about the idea of having goo-gone resistant ink on my arm. As I explored my Google searches with much trepidation, among the shops found I discovered New Republic Tattoo. They not only had no counts against their shop for cleanliness issues, they have also been awarded with the Fort Wayne Reader’s Choice Best of Tattoo Shops for three consecutive years, claiming the title for 2011. This intrigued me to say the least. I knew with the plethora of tattoo shops sprouting up all over Fort Wayne that I had to approach the experience of my first tattoo with some thoughtful consideration.

I called their shop for general information and to set up an appointment - they were super nice. I decided it was time to visit the shop to allow the artist to get a better idea of what I was wanting. As I walked inside I was greeted right away and didn't feel as out of place as I was expecting to feel. I sat down with Donny, the owner, and talked with him about my tattoo ideas. He not only took note of what I said but made suggestions that I didn't even think about. To this day I still get compliments on my wolf tattoo. Since then I have returned to their shop for three more tattoos: a cupcake, a half-sleeve Marvel tattoo, and an Underoath symbol done by Zeke. All of which I LOVE and constantly have admirers for. Donny Manco's New Republic Tattoo is my first, no, make that only place to get tattoos. In fact, I have quite a few additional tattoos planned out, it's just finding the time and money.

Now this post isn't to say that any of the other tattoo shops are mediocre, I just wouldn't go anywhere else to get more work done. I love going into New Republic Tattoo and getting some permanent ink put on my skin, and having fun just hanging out in the mean time. All the guys there are great and I'm a long term customer, and friend to their shop. So, if you're in the area and looking for a great tattoo shop, check it out!!

"Mirror Mirror" by Tarsem Singh

I'm what you'd consider as your typical Sci-Fi and fantasy movie lover. So I jumped at the opportunity to watch Tarsem Singh's newest film "Mirror Mirror" with one of my comrades. After a quick run to Wal-Mart for an assortment of chocolate, chips, and 16oz. milk jugs, we were ready for the silver screen. As the introduction of the movie progressed, I nearly tore my armrests from their fastened structure. The credits along with the narration were incredible, to say the least. The animation was great and the story seemed to be off to an intriguing start. However, things slowly began to fall to shambles as the movie went on. The acting was mediocre as well as the entirety of the film. I can't describe the disappointment I felt after seeing such a mind-blowing introduction.

Upon seeing trailers before viewing the actual film, I was eagerly anticipating this movie's release. It's a fairly typical interpretation of Snow White's story. The one aspect I did enjoy the most was the exaggerative elements to the film, such as a normal bow on a dress would be the scale of the character's entire body. The costume design along with every scene's environment was eye-catching - it's too bad the acting and movie's progression had to fall short. So, props to the cinematography but that's about it. They could have made the parts with the queen more frightening and also your mood didn't change with the environment that each character was occupying.

Overall, it's worth watching the film, but I wouldn't pay money to see it in theaters, Redbox or your local movie store is a better bet.

Re-Discoverd Little Wheel Post!!

I found this treasure hidden in one of my older blogs and have re-surfaced it for your reading enjoyment (circa...a while ago.):

I am what you would call a "casual gamer". But this is somewhat of an understatement. I'm not into long drawn out games unless I get to hit enemies with blunt objects repeatedly (swords are fine too). I play casual games quite a bit, breaking the mold of a "casual gamer". Upon my search for the next flash game to give me my fix; I found a game called "Little Wheel" by Fast Games. I love point-and-click games so I figured this was a good fit.

The introduction opens with the story of how all the robots within the world were just going through their daily routines and then their main power source was unplugged by a clumsy worker robot. This power source not only operated the world but every robot within it. As everyone loses energy, it seems that there is no hope left for these poor robots. Without energy to function, they cannot live. Lightning strikes one of the patrol towers where a single robot happens to be asleep. The lightning re-energizes the patrol tower and awakens the robot. After 10,000 years of sleep, the fate of the entire robot world is now in the hands of one lucky robot.

As you click your way through the world you can admire the slow-paced music, imaginative scenery and interesting characters. The robot also gives you some comic relief throughout the game in his own clumsy way. I cannot get over how amazing the world is in this game. I love everything about it: from the single-wheeled robots, to the architecture, even the colors add to the world's charisma.

I suggest this game to anyone who loves casual games like I do. It is cute and is a lot of fun. You may even find yourself playing it more than once.

Yielding of a Solo Man

As you may have read before, my undying passion towards Left 4 Dead remains evident. L4D is by far one of my most beloved video games, and not solely based on it’s zombie-bashing weaponry or putridly designed enemies. The story of triumph and brotherhood (including a lady) is an encouraging tale to follow. Watching four characters with different personalities come together as one team to survive the zombie apocalypse is raw indeed, unabashed sentiments and the chronicle of their four lives colliding together. It wasn’t enough to just enjoy the video game; I had uncover their journey to collectivity.

 

During my search for the tale of how these four non-infected citizens met, I discovered each of their back stories in an online comic called The Sacrifice, which I recognize as no coincidence to the story’s dismal but glorious ending. For those of you who are reading this and are unsure of the premise; I’ll leave you the tale for your own discovery. After enjoying the petite-sized comic, I came to the realization that stories behind character interactions hold more excitement than just playing a game to ‘hit the bad guys’. It was rewarding to see their courage under a horde of ‘brain-thirsty’ zombies, of which not all enjoyed the brain--an arm or leg would often do. Their valor was truly a spectacular image to behold; one of which will be difficult to forget.

 

Experience this quick tale of each individual’s life before and after the virus invasion for yourself: http://www.l4d.com/comic/

It’s All About Dem Wolves

As yet another bookstore travels down the highway of not…two things immediately come to mind, ‘yay!’ and ‘not again…’ I begin to ponder on the thought - “Cheap books and other goodies to help ease the pain of my boredom”, but then the feeling of sadness slowly creeps in.

There is some sort of connection made when you physically flip through the pages of a book, novella, or comic that makes the whole experience that much more exhilarating. Giving your favorite stories dog ears as you await the next day just so you can open the pages to the same adventure from the day before is something you cannot get from any electronic device. Running your fingers down the page as you keep your place or using your favorite old or new bookmark creased neatly between the pages you wish you didn’t have to abandon. That’s a great feeling. Not being able to resist one more peek at the story’s next events, leading you right back to the alternate reality the story and your mind have created.

It’s always a terrible feeling when a bookstore has to go out of business, but there was a gleam of light shining that day as I leafed through the leftover delicacies they still had to offer. One of the stories I found called Werewolves by Paul Jessup caught my eye. I naturally cling to any media that involves mysterious or mythical creatures, except Twilight, sorry…I know that must bum someone out…somewhere? But- I thought I would give this short tale a try. After reading the back cover, interest swallowed my fear of just another typical read.

This tale is a narrative account of the transformation a sister and brother go through as their normal teenage lives turn from focus on their high school angsty situations now to their voracious appetites and large destructive paws. The entire encounter is through the eyes of the sister, Alice, who is not aware of the changes that are already overpowering her full anatomy. The story leads one to believe that this is in fact a genuine anecdote by explaining the events that led up to the finding of this journal. Throughout the retelling, you see the physical and mental changes the characters experience as their normal lives fade away. The circumstances that arise can originate feelings of curiosity, sympathy, or even sadness throughout the happenings of this great tale.

This story may be short but well worth the read, giving the reader more of a realistic depiction of what could happen if werewolves did exist…or do they?

“Hey, You Hear When the Water’s Gonna Come Back On?”

I’m what you would call a casual gamer, if there is a name for it. I started my gaming experience playing mindless match 3 games, point-and-clicks, and the occasional puzzle game. Aside from the infrequent run-in with a crazy airtight game (i.e. Limbo), I felt myself reaching a dead end. I’ve always hesitated playing anything more difficult than these three great but limiting alternatives, due to the fear of failure. Lame, right? I hate the feeling of losing and do not take the disappointment lightly.  

In an attempt to put these notions aside, I agreed to try my first crash course in Borderlands. I had enough courage to play Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance for Game Cube by myself, simply due to the fact that I played a hack n slash character, which is my chief MO. So, I figured I could enjoy time spent with this video game as well. The opening is pretty much amazing as well as the menu and character options. As per usual, I chose the tank character that takes and deals a massive amount of damage, Brick. I was ready to start this party. We even had this cute little metal contraption, Claptrap, greet us at the gate - man, I was getting excited. While preparing myself to have a mind-blowing experience, I enjoyed all the beginning encounters the game had to offer, especially the scavenged, post apocalyptic environment. Then Claptrap gave us a pep talk, opened the gate and we ran inside…and it quickly went downhill from there. I couldn’t figure out how to aim and shoot, and ended up frantically spinning in circles looking at the sky. Which resulted in myself literally throwing the controller to the ground in frustration and walking away with a little more hatred in my heart.

After some time passed, weeks or months, I caved in and decided to give the game another try, and have never looked back. It’s super fresh and really addicting! The fact that I gave this amazing game another chance makes me smile a little brighter, and because I use whitening paste, but mainly the second one. Borderlands reminded me of how much fun shooters can be, taking me away from my thought that RPGs are always better than shooters. From the creative thought up enemies to the tormented inhabitants of the land, this is a game worth the sacrifice. I encountered the feeling of failure and did not squint in fear or feel overcome with fret. I no longer had to drag others into playing continuous matches of L4D, although L4D 1 and 2 are definitely in my top 3 games of all time. A small accomplishment was undergone that day, as well as the reward of achievements to boot! Because of this gaming experience; I have opened my mind to almost all other forms of video games, other than racing and sports games, I just can’t do it. You get to meet some pretty interesting characters and get to blow up all kinds of stuff, which is my favorite part. This really is a game for anyone.

Unfortunately, the day will soon come when we will beat Borderlands, but no worries, games are meant to be replayed.