Welcome To The Game Plan

Ha ha what game plan?

I have come to the realization that I have absolutely know idea what my long term goals are. This is a first for me. I have always had a plan and if the first plan didn't work out, I had a backup plan. Though I still make plans, they are mostly short term. This is a first.

I knew which college I wanted to attend at 9 years old. Yep 9. I think my parent's theory was to get me interested early so I had something to work towards. I then spend the next 9 years working my tail off getting in to said college. I was strategic. I did my research. I knew which programs in middle and high school to attend, the classes I needed to take and the grades I needed every step of the way.

I ended up burnt out by my sophomore year of college (I really don't recommend taking three math based classes and a language in one semester), but I did it. I acheived my goal.

My next step was to graduate college, find a job and move out. I am still occasionally amazed that I pulled all there of those goals off.

Honestly, I think the only reason I met those goals is because I wanted them badly. So badly I planned my very existence around it. There weren't any built in short cuts, no room to deviate from the paths I wanted to trek. I wanted it and I was going to work as hard as I could to earn it.

Now I don't know what I want.

Well, that's only partially true. I have a list of things that would be nice to have and would like to do. I am writing a novel and planning out several others (nearly at 50,000 words for the first one). I have yearly goals with my job and I am hopefully advancing in my career.

I just don't know what my next step in my life is. Do I want to get my Masters? If I do, then in what subject? Do I want to get married and have a family? Do I want to become a hobo and travel the world?

I don't know.

I know I like my place. I like my friends. I like my job. I guess that's what it means to be an adult: being confident to make decisions without having any idea where it might lead you. Not knowing what to do it normal and allows for some interesting things to happen. I'm just not sure where to go next because if I've learned anything, it's that nothing is permanent.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share of comment. I love hearing from my readers and hope you guys are getting something out of these posts. Until next week.

Welcome to the Alternative Route

I had a very action packed weekend, so this entry will likely be on the short side. I love going down to Williamsburge VA (I have mentioned it in several posts). The normal route to Williamsburge requires you to take three different highways, one of them two lanes. If there are any accidents on the two lane highway, you get to sit there...forever.

The way around this problem, backroads. There are a few alternative routes you can take and all can be kind of creepy at night. One of theme doesn't have any street lights whatsoever and you go through the tidewater farm country. Heck a little over a month ago my mom had us take all back routes through Richmond and then to Fredericksburg. We got hopelessly lost a few times, but had a great time sightseeing.

The worst though, is going through the woods at night in Northern Virginia. Not only are there lots of people (who don't know how to turn off their brights), there are a lot of winding roads with little to no stret lights with plenty of places for deer to jump out at you. Ah, yes deer, the enemy of all motorists (insert joke about roadkill dinner here).

Its not fun and there should be more areas for predators to keep the populations low. Alas, lots of people and fewer hunters equals explosive deer population. It's an aweful combination. I knew a girl whose car was hit by a deer. She was in the hospital for a while. It was pretty scary.

Taking backroads is usually fun. Especially with the leaves changing in the fall. I just don't like taking them at night with little to no lights. You never know what might pop out onto the road.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please leave a comment, like or share. I love hearing from my readers and hope you guys enjoy these as much as possible. Until next week.

Welcome To Unwinding With Video Games

So I am upset because I lost something that I really did not want to loose. Lesson, don't put things in your pockets if you aren't going from point A to point B. I'm just glad that it's nothing super important. I am upset because I really liked it. How do I overcome this feeling? Beating the living hell out of my opponents on Super Smash Brothers Melee.

It really does help. So does playing almost any game where I can just button mash. Any incarnation of Mario Cart is also good.

I am maybe a light to moderate gamer. I have a few systems and am debating about which one to invest in (it pretty much all hinges on Fatal Frame 5 coming to the US). I tend to spend a few hours every week playing something or other.

Unfortunately some of my favorite games have been played with so much they no loner work. Sad but true. Also it feels like gaming systems aren't built to last. The older consoles continue to chug away just fine, but the newer models all seem to have something or other that causes it problems. Heck I'm still able to get some good mileage out of my Gameboy color.

I'm also into watching Let's Plays (if you don't know what a Let's Play is, it's when you watch another person play a game and see their reactions). I personally like watching survival horror Let's Plays, as I'm not very good at those games and love the stories/atmosphere.

 So because I have an opinion, here are my favorite games (by system):

Gameboy Color: Pokemon (any version) - and it still works after all these years! Also serieously how does ditto plus any other Pokemon equal baby Pokemon. Wouldn't Ditto be the same gender as the Pokemon it copied?

N64: Mario 64 - Though I've never owned an N64 (actually I never owned a lot of these game systems) I did spend a lot of time playing on my friend's. Mario 64 is hands down my favorite Mario. Giant slide anyone?

PlayStation: Silent Hill - I don't think I've ever been more terrified of a little girl. (Except for maybe in the game FEAR).

PS2: Fatal Frame 2 - From one of the scariest game series ever. Twin sisters in a haunted village with tons of angry spirits. Why did you buy this Nintendo? Why?

GameCube: Super Smash Brothers Melee - It was a tough call between this and Double Dash, but Melee has provided so many years of fun. (Double Dash will always be my favorite Mario Cart).

PC: American McGee's Alice - Beautiful art design and seriously messed up story. This game is a must for any who thought wonderland wasn't messed up enough the first time Alice went down the rabbit hole.

Wii: Epic Mickey - Another incredibly visual game. The use of the Wii remote to either paint or thin out areas of the map is a lot of fun. The story is also very interesting. I especially enjoy the in-between short levels with early 20th century cartoon themes.

 Just remember these are my opinion and if you disagree, well write about it in your own blog.

Hopefully things start to look up for me. Until then I'm going to destroy some stuff on Harry Potter Lego. I'll be here next week.

If you enjoyed this post or it really pissed you off please like, share and/or leave a comment. I like hearing back from my readers. Thank you again.

Welcome To Fall

It's The Best Season

It's officially the greatest season: Fall. It is the prettiest season. It is the most comfortable weather wise. Everything also seems to smell better in the fall. And don't forget the food, which is the most important.

Winter is way too cold, Spring is allergy hell and Summer is too hot. Ergo Fall wins. I especially love the flavors and decorations. I've seen some pretty cool Halloween decorations in stores (anyone for a wreath of skulls).

Since I've seen those lists on buzzfeed/facebook/insert social media here, I've wanted to do my own list. So here are my top 13 about fall. Why top 13, because I like prime numbers and have watched Nostalgia Critic.

1) Taking a walk - pretty simple and not too demanding. I like to leisurely take in the decorations and scenery. When I lived in Williamsburg, this was also the optimal time to go to the colonial area and get a mug of hot cider.

Speaking of hot apple cider...

2) Getting a mug of hot apple cider - I don't get it as often any more. Though I do still go out any buy the cold stuff and then heat it up. Hot apple cider is like having fall in a mug (pumpkin spice lattes are a close second).

3) Apples - Sure I can buy apples any time of year, but there's something special about fall apples. There always seems to be more variety of apples in the fall. Yumm.

But we can't forget about...

4) Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere - Fall is pumpkin season, no questions asked. I love my pumpkin spice latte as much as the next girl (though I love pumpkin flavored coffee way more). I also just finished making pumpkin spice bread.

5) Novelty coffee - Specifically Target brand fall novelty coffee (no I'm not being paid by Target to advertise). Last year they had a really cool flavor called candy-corn. I was almost too afraid to try it. It was my favorite, totally beat pumpkin pie flavor.

6) Creepy kids' movies - I'm currently listening to Coraline in the background while writing this. I recommend both seeing the movie and reading the book (one of my favorite reads). I don't know what it is about scaring little kids using movies, but it's a lot more fun now that I'm an adult. Any Tim Berton claymation movie or some nostalgic Disney Channel original movie (Halloweentown anyone?) are a must see at this time of year.

7) Scary Old Movies - I'm not a big fan of slasher films. I prefer the creepy atmostphere of the original 13 Ghosts, Haunted House on Haunted Hill (not the 90s version), and Night of the Living Dead to today's blood fest. Well I do enjoy some older blood fest. There is just something more compelling with the older films.

8) Long drives - I grew up near the Shenandoah. I don't think I need to explain any further.

9) Cheap gas prices - Yeah, this is the time of year gas prices start to fall. I think it's a combination of it being the off travel season and the need to get rid of summer supply before the fall. Whatever the reason, gas prices fall and I am happy.

10) Sweater / Jean Jacket weather - Whether it's being warm and fuzzy or fashionable, sweaters and jean jackets are great at this time of year.

11) Barbeque - Now most people think BBQ is a summer food. I would like to disagree. Barbeque is best during the crisper months. You can really savor that smoked flavor when the air is less heavy and you really crave something to warm you up.

12) Corn mazes - Want to go on a date and see how well you both do when hopelessly lost? Hoping to see some cute animals? Love farm fresh food? Corm mazes are the place to go. Usually on some farm (they're the ones who grow the corn so obviously you go to a farm AJ) somewhere, corn mazes often have other attractions along with the maze. A few you can even do at night. They are well worth the number of hours you spend looking for the exit.

And Finally....

13) Celebrating Halloween - Arguably the best holiday, Halloween allows for even the oldest adults to dress up and feel like a kid again. When else is it appropriate to dress up, scare a few friends, and party all night long (fine anime/comic conventions don't count in this case). Halloween is awesome. And don't forget to remember All Saint's Day the day after. Halloween is the day that the spirits of our dearly departed loved ones get to cross over and spend some ghoulish time with us.

And that's my top 13 favorite things about fall. Let me know what you guys think is the best thing about fall in either my facebook comment section or the blog posts. Until next week!

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, comment or share it with friends, family or your worst enemies. I'll keep blazing through Wonderland while you guys sit back and read as the adventure unfolds.

Welcome To Terror

Well it's almost Halloween...

This weekend I went to Buschgardens in Williamsburg. Yes Hallowscream has started, yes it technically won't be fall until tomorrow and yes, I don't really like haunted houses/mazes even though Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. However, seeing the decorations and shows (little sense they really make) is a lot of fun. I especially love the workers who really get into character to play up the experience. 

I like the stories and general idea of the terror. I just hate the in your face part of the experience. It's way too freaky. I prefer to watch at a distance.

This time of year is also when some of the movies and TV specials start. I especially love the older Disney Channel movies (Phantom of the Megaplex or Don't Look Under the Bed anyone?). I also love watching survival horror Let's Plays on YouTube. EricvanWilderman is probably my favorite because he has a good sense of humor, but there are others out there. 

I actually managed to find a copy of the original Resident Evil for GameCube. Of course I've died twice so far on the first major bad guy. I think it's the controls. Yep, definatly going to blame the controls, not my aweful video game skills. 

Anyway, I hope everyone is ready for fall. The pumpkin flavored stuff is already on the market and I'm craving a latte. Also here's a Bronycon picture! Please enjoy before the scary pics show up.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed the post or it really pissed you off, please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my reader and my mind reading powers let me know you guys are there. Also trolls will be left to the boogeyman. Thanks again!

Welcome To Improvising

Proof Of Creativity At It's Finest

Today was sunny and beautiful. Yesterday was rainy. So of course my friends and I had a picnic yesterday. It makes sense. We're an adventurous bunch. I love late summer rain showers (this is a fact). And more importantly FOOD!

We had everything except a spatula. That's right, the rain wasn't what almost foiled our plans. It was a spatula. How did we get around this? By grabbing a durable stick, wrapping it in aluminum foil and creating our own spatula.

Everything else was delicious and eventually the sun did come out.

But it made me think. How often do I now improvise as an independent adult without the advantage of my parents around. My answer is a lot. Most of my cleaning supplies revolve around vinegar and baking soda (I've graduated to bleach, but that was under duress). Since I don't have my own washing machine I've learned to do a lot of hand wash (also therapeutic to punch the living daylights out of my cloths). I've also fixed an exploding toilet with duck tape (don't ask) before the maintenance guys showed up.

Ah duck tape, the go to item for fixing anything. Why isn't it in more video games? It should just come standard in the inventory.

I recall my days in scouts where the troop moms turned improvising into an art. Heck we once made rice in a plastic bag (at least I think it was a plastic bag and it tasted great too). I'm sure I'll get to that level eventually. Though I did use a bike pump to keep the tires in my first car filled (don't ask).

Now back to trailblazing Wonderland with a hair pin, 42 Lego bricks and duck tape. Hopefully I'll find something to help me upgrade to better items soon.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please leave a comment, like or share with friends, family, or your worst enemy. I do love hearing from  my readers (and yes I know you're there; Google tells me so). Until next week.

Welcome To The Balancing Act

It's harder than it looks...

Before I start, did anyone else catch Schoolhouse rock on ABC tonight. "I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill and I'm sitting here on Capital Hill." Anyway back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

Huh, looking at this picture, I realize I never quite seem able to get to that last one. Maybe I should have included a person running along the scale to show the actual effort to balance it (like the ones in Wii Fit or Mario Party [insert number here]) and keeping it steady. It's challenging and not always worth the effort (that's when people don't hear from me for weeks on end, send out search parties, the whole bruhaha when I'm actually hiding under a rock in my place).

My scale at it's simplest (see above) can be any number of combinations: work and home life, being social and not being social, exercise and laziness. Just take your pick, I do. I'm also under the impression that other people have these "scales" and try to balance them just as much as I do. There seem to be a lot of examples of this in the media and workforce promotions in college. They tend to use the phrase "work - life balance". They should add the word "act" to it.

There are a lot of things I want to do (and as I was watching the Schoolhouse Rock special a few hours ago), I'm reminded of all the things I could do as a kid. There wasn't as much responsibility, plenty of play time and nap time (though I hated nap time back then). My point is, being an adult drains the energy out of me. I miss the days I felt rejuvenated after school and could ride my bike for hours. Now I get home from work and am lucky to be motivated enough to make dinner. I primarily blame traffic.

One of my friends had a great status on Facebook after she started her job. I don't remember what exactly it was word for word, but, in summary, she was asking how it was possible for people to come home from work and make dinner or workout. All she wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch TV. My only response was motivation. I need lots and lots of motivation when I get home.

If I don't cook dinner, I don't get dinner.

If I don't do laundry, I have nothing to wear.

If I don't work out, I am grouchy (well grouchier).

I'll get there eventually. Then I'll tell all of my secrets to my readers. That's why I'm still mapping out Wonderland, so you don't have to!

Oh no, I'm watching too much Nostalgia Critic again. To the anime section!

If you enjoyed this post please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and getting feed back. If you have any questions don't hesitate to comment. Though trolls will be banished to live under bridges the rest of their lives (and not the picturesque Michigan lower peninsula). Until next week.