It's funny... I have not kept up with this blog at all, and I have been thinking almost daily for a month or so that I really want to start... Yet, as I sit here, with topics overflowing my brain , I'm actually nervous to start. So I'll start with rambling... I have actually thought about all of the topics I wanted to cover and how I would do it for quite awhile now, but now that I'm looking at the screen, there doesn't seem to be a way to organize any of it. I guess the only way to start anything is from the beginning, right?
The reason I decided I need to start at this again is that I dream A LOT. Some nights I don't feel like I've slept at all because I've spent all night thinking so much in my dreams. Some nights, I actually don't sleep at all because of the constant rambling thoughts of my consciousness... So, my first objective is to get all this crap outta my head! I have a lot of new things going on in my life. Life is always changing and presenting new objectives and obstacles to clutter my brain. I think a major one is always moolah. Seems like no matter what I do, there just isn't enough. That then leads to finding a place and moving, which is a necessity, and still just out of reach. There is lots of talk of a wedding in my future, and that comes with ring shopping and lots of planning already going on in my already overflowing mind. There is also the new job. The new tasks don't quite focus all of my thoughts either, resulting in NPR, music, or an audio book in my ear while I tackle them. That in itself worries me in that I will eventually get bored and feel like I have again aimed too low in my job search, which cycles back to money.
When did life start revolving around money? Everything takes money. EVERYTHING. We can't even go anywhere anymore without thinking about if it'll be worth the gasoline it'll take to get there. With my new job, I got a decent raise, however I drive 45 minutes to get there. So much for a raise. If I could actually have that raise, I could maybe save enough to move closer. All an endless cycle. For now, a money tree would obviously be the most helpful... anyone know where to buy those? Oh wait... I need money for that.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Friday, September 16, 2011
Money, Moving, and Best Friends: Life's Lessons
So much has changed since I last posted, I have lots to talk about. I don't want this to turn into a diary, but I have learned a lot of difficult lessons in the last month and I decided to share.
I was working two jobs and going to school full time 6 months ago. Life was very, very busy, but I was making it work. I was working at the local Grocery and at the University where I went to school. I graduated in May, taking school out of the equation, but also taking out the second job. I have been struggling to make it work and did for a couple months, but finally decided I was too far behind and needed to move back home to my parents. It was a hard decision. As a 27 year old that has mostly been on my own since I was 19, I really feel sheepish living in my parents' basement. (Bahahah.) This is the best decision though, and I know that after a few months I will finally catch up with bills and get back on track. The biggest lesson here is that I should have done this a long time ago. My parents are wonderful and have more than welcomed me into their home. They have tried their best to make me comfortable and help me out in any way they can. I am very lucky and should have realized this before getting so behind with my finances. I will come out of this ok, and I know that, but I know now that its ok to take help and its ok to take a step backwards sometimes to get out of the mud and back on the path.
So I have made progress on the money issues, and I have moved back to my parents... Now on to friends. I seem to have always had one best friend my entire life. Before I started kindergarten I met Naomi, and we were best friends until late junior high. We have always stayed friends, more like acquaintances now, but when I was in 8th grade I met a friend Abby. Actually, she rode my bus and it was the late bus. While waiting for the bus everyday, I 'made' her give me money to buy food from the vending machine. The funny part of this story is that I was like 3'6" and Abby was like 5'7". Yea. I made her. I was tough for my size. Anyway, eventually she said no but I could share hers or something along those lines, and we became friends. She lived down the street from me and we were together constantly. Also, in 7th grade I made a friend when I started horseback riding lessons. I had started riding a year or two earlier, but hated the people I rode with. Well, one of them, Nell, ended up hating the rest of them, too, and so we became friends. We were friends mostly at the barn at first, then when I moved to the high school we spent a lot more time together because Abby was younger and wasn't in high school yet. I was still friends with Abby, but not as close. Nell and I were inseparable in high school, and have been best friends ever since! Big lesson: what happened to Abby? Well, when I moved away when I was 19, we kept talking about seeing each other when I was in town and we kept putting it off. Then, one day I was told she slipped in the shower and hit her head and then fell asleep and never woke up. Officially, all I know was that it was an 'accident in the home,' but I think about it every day. I never got to see her again. We may not have next week or even tomorrow to see someone again. It has really been on my mind a lot lately. I even visited Abby on my birthday, because I wanted to share it with her.
I think the reason that this is all coming flooding back is because I have a new best friend! Yes, exclamation point! It's not like before, where one friend fades away and a new one gets closer. Nell is still my best friend, and I cherish that very much. In fact, she had another best friend, Tricia, that I have recently gotten closer to, so now all THREE of us are best friends! lol... I know this is of little importance to you, but I feel extremely lucky lately. To have two friends who love each other and love me, I feel like Abby is looking over me and smiling. I try to not take their friendship for granted, and know that each day I have with them is a gift.
That is the hardest lesson I have ever had to learn. I miss Abby everyday, and think of her all the time. I hope she knows how much I love her.
I was working two jobs and going to school full time 6 months ago. Life was very, very busy, but I was making it work. I was working at the local Grocery and at the University where I went to school. I graduated in May, taking school out of the equation, but also taking out the second job. I have been struggling to make it work and did for a couple months, but finally decided I was too far behind and needed to move back home to my parents. It was a hard decision. As a 27 year old that has mostly been on my own since I was 19, I really feel sheepish living in my parents' basement. (Bahahah.) This is the best decision though, and I know that after a few months I will finally catch up with bills and get back on track. The biggest lesson here is that I should have done this a long time ago. My parents are wonderful and have more than welcomed me into their home. They have tried their best to make me comfortable and help me out in any way they can. I am very lucky and should have realized this before getting so behind with my finances. I will come out of this ok, and I know that, but I know now that its ok to take help and its ok to take a step backwards sometimes to get out of the mud and back on the path.
So I have made progress on the money issues, and I have moved back to my parents... Now on to friends. I seem to have always had one best friend my entire life. Before I started kindergarten I met Naomi, and we were best friends until late junior high. We have always stayed friends, more like acquaintances now, but when I was in 8th grade I met a friend Abby. Actually, she rode my bus and it was the late bus. While waiting for the bus everyday, I 'made' her give me money to buy food from the vending machine. The funny part of this story is that I was like 3'6" and Abby was like 5'7". Yea. I made her. I was tough for my size. Anyway, eventually she said no but I could share hers or something along those lines, and we became friends. She lived down the street from me and we were together constantly. Also, in 7th grade I made a friend when I started horseback riding lessons. I had started riding a year or two earlier, but hated the people I rode with. Well, one of them, Nell, ended up hating the rest of them, too, and so we became friends. We were friends mostly at the barn at first, then when I moved to the high school we spent a lot more time together because Abby was younger and wasn't in high school yet. I was still friends with Abby, but not as close. Nell and I were inseparable in high school, and have been best friends ever since! Big lesson: what happened to Abby? Well, when I moved away when I was 19, we kept talking about seeing each other when I was in town and we kept putting it off. Then, one day I was told she slipped in the shower and hit her head and then fell asleep and never woke up. Officially, all I know was that it was an 'accident in the home,' but I think about it every day. I never got to see her again. We may not have next week or even tomorrow to see someone again. It has really been on my mind a lot lately. I even visited Abby on my birthday, because I wanted to share it with her.
I think the reason that this is all coming flooding back is because I have a new best friend! Yes, exclamation point! It's not like before, where one friend fades away and a new one gets closer. Nell is still my best friend, and I cherish that very much. In fact, she had another best friend, Tricia, that I have recently gotten closer to, so now all THREE of us are best friends! lol... I know this is of little importance to you, but I feel extremely lucky lately. To have two friends who love each other and love me, I feel like Abby is looking over me and smiling. I try to not take their friendship for granted, and know that each day I have with them is a gift.
That is the hardest lesson I have ever had to learn. I miss Abby everyday, and think of her all the time. I hope she knows how much I love her.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Dream Diary
I always have dreams at night and most of the time I remember bits and pieces when I wake up. This morning I had a dream and I remember it very clearly, so I thought I'd blog it. It's not very crazy, but there are some weird parts, and I always find it interesting to hear about other peoples dreams and I thought you might, too :)
The dream started at a farm that I have never seen before. There was a very muddy driveway, and it was dark out. I was with my best friend Nell, watching her little sister Shelby have a lesson, or I was supposed to be. When the dream first started, I was explaining to Shelby to stay out from under the horses' big hooves (she just got stepped on in real life, so this makes sense). Then we were standing outside, next to the muddy driveway, and I saw Jeff walk by. He is the husband of the riding instructor I had growing up, Sue. He did not acknowledge me and I figured he was mad because I don't speak to them anymore. Then Sue walked up out of nowhere and gave me a hug that was very awkwardly returned. I didn't really know what to say or how to greet her. And then I took off my shoes. I have no idea why. It was muddy out and might have been raining slightly. But it seemed like a good idea I guess. About then, Nell appeared and we started following Sue across the muddy driveway, and across the gravel road at the end of the driveway, to a few small barns clumped together. I wasn't sure we were supposed to be snooping around these barns, and I was in my socks, so I was very nervous. It looked like someone was setting up for a yard sale or something similar, as there was a whole bunch of junk labeled for sale in each of the barns, and some laying on blankets outside the barns.
At this point I think I was too nervous to continue that part of the dream because Sue was about to walk into one of the scary looking barns, so I jumped ahead in my dream.
I was now driving my car home from the barns/riding lesson. I was on Malta Road, but this Malta Road was very hilly and very muddy. At each dip in the road, there was standing water, and tracks outside the road where people had tried to go around the water and had gotten stuck. I had my faithful Flicka, though, and just hit the accelerator and plowed through. She made it through over a foot of water and lots and lots of mud with spectacular traction (maybe she was a 4x4 in my dream??). So I had gotten to a hill where there was an intersection at the top, and had gotten out to pull Flicka the rest of the way up the hill (either I have super strength or she was super light...) when I realized there was a nature path at the top. I had never noticed this before and slowed down towing my car up the giant hill as I realized it was there, and lost my grip and it rolled back down the hill. At this point, my roommate appeared walking with his new girlfriend on the nature trail. We did introductions and I asked if they took my dog on the walk with them and they said no (as he wasn't there - duh!). They then suggested instead of continuing on this crazy road with my car, I should just use the trail to go back to town and call a tow truck. So I grabbed the bike I just happened to have in my car and set off down the nature trail. There were a lot of people on it, and I was going very fast. At first I think my intention was to catch up to my roommate and his girl, but then I realized they left well before me, and I wasn't going to catch them. So then I was walking and realizing that I don't know this trail at all. I had no idea when I needed to get off the trail to get to Sycamore. So I started following some people to see if I could hear where they were going. They turned right to get off the trail and went into a swinging door, and then turned around and looked at me like I shouldn't have followed them. I said something like "Oh, this is your house? Sorry..." and they nodded and one said to the other "Even in Elburn you get people walking in like that, isn't it crazy?" And as I turned away go back to the trail, I was very confused. Elburn?? How could I have gotten all the way to Elburn already? It hadn't seemed like I traveled nearly that far! They must have said something else and I misunderstood them. So I continued along the trail. Slowly now, trying to figure out where I was. I turned at the next 'exit' as it was very similar to a highway system with ramps and exits. It seemed when I went through the door this time, that I had walked into a school. I was looking in classrooms and down hallways as I walked through the school, and did not recognize anything. It must have been late in the day, because there weren't many people there. I started looking for bulletin boards hoping there was something that says the school name or something like that. I did not find a bulletin board, but along the dark brick wall in the hallway were big gold letters that spelled Orange City. Orange City?? What in the world? The only Orange anything that I know is Orange County, and that's in Florida! Ok, I did not walk all the way to Florida. This must just be a school I have have never heard of. Just keep walking to the front of the school, they might have a pay phone and I can call my mom.
I kept walking, and kept thinking that this must be a community college or something along those lines because it was huge. It took me longer to walk through the school I think than it did to actually get to the school. I finally started seeing a foyer and lots of doors, like the front entrance of a school. Looking out the left-most doors, I could see a bride posing with her groom for pictures. They do weddings at the school? Where the heck am I?? The wedding party was looking very annoyed as they watch the bride and groom pose, so I went out the door and walked over and asked if anyone might be able to help me with directions. One of the bridesmaids stood up and rushed me over to the side and said the bride would be upset if she saw me talking to them, but offered her assistance. I told her I was on the walking path, and I had never been on it, and I had gotten lost. Most importantly, I told her that I needed to get back to Sycamore. She explained that the ramp to get back onto the walking path had been blocked, but she knew a way to get passed. So I followed her around the outside of the school to where there was a slight hill going up, and a path with several round boulders taller than me blocking it. She said we just had to climb over, and that a lot of people do it, its not that hard. So we started to climb, with her, still in her dress, guiding me where to put my hands and feet. When I got to the top of the boulders, and was just about laying on my stomach on the top of the highest one, crawling over it, it started to move. It was like someone knocked them all loose. They started rolling. I jumped up from my stomach and jumped down the other side of them just in time to watch several of them roll down the gentle hill and settle at the bottom. The bridesmaid was standing at the bottom of the remaining boulders, too, having also escaped the danger. We started hurrying down the path, and I mentioned that if I could just call someone, I could get a ride home. We came upon some clothes on a bench and she plucked a cell phone out of the pants pocket, handed it to me as we continued walking, and said "this is an emergency, they'll understand." I took the cell phone and pocketed it, afraid someone would see me with it. She pointed to the 'entrance' to the trail and bid me fairwell.
The entrance was much like the exit. I had to go through another swinging door and was then in a rest stop like area. And then it occured to me, what is always at a rest stop? A MAP. I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket, started dialing my mom, and then spotted a map and went over to it, ready to tell her where I was. As I searched for something familiar on the maps (there were actually 4), my mom's cell phone went to voicemail. It was cutting in and out, but it said something along the lines of "Sorry I missed your call, I am in San Francisco." Oh no! I forgot my mom had planned a trip to California! She had left already?? Without saying goodbye?? Well, where am I on this map?! I pulled the maps off of the bulletin board out of frustration, and sat on a nearby bench and started pouring over them trying to find anything familiar. I saw Orange City College, and I saw the word Orlando stamped across one in big letters. I am NOT in Florida, there must be an Orlando in Illinois, too. There are lots of Springfields, right?
I started to wake up at this point, thinking all I have to do is call my dad. I know his cell phone number. Mom's out of town, Dad will come get me. And then Maizy started licking my arm. I must have moved and she knew I was awake. ;)
The dream started at a farm that I have never seen before. There was a very muddy driveway, and it was dark out. I was with my best friend Nell, watching her little sister Shelby have a lesson, or I was supposed to be. When the dream first started, I was explaining to Shelby to stay out from under the horses' big hooves (she just got stepped on in real life, so this makes sense). Then we were standing outside, next to the muddy driveway, and I saw Jeff walk by. He is the husband of the riding instructor I had growing up, Sue. He did not acknowledge me and I figured he was mad because I don't speak to them anymore. Then Sue walked up out of nowhere and gave me a hug that was very awkwardly returned. I didn't really know what to say or how to greet her. And then I took off my shoes. I have no idea why. It was muddy out and might have been raining slightly. But it seemed like a good idea I guess. About then, Nell appeared and we started following Sue across the muddy driveway, and across the gravel road at the end of the driveway, to a few small barns clumped together. I wasn't sure we were supposed to be snooping around these barns, and I was in my socks, so I was very nervous. It looked like someone was setting up for a yard sale or something similar, as there was a whole bunch of junk labeled for sale in each of the barns, and some laying on blankets outside the barns.
At this point I think I was too nervous to continue that part of the dream because Sue was about to walk into one of the scary looking barns, so I jumped ahead in my dream.
I was now driving my car home from the barns/riding lesson. I was on Malta Road, but this Malta Road was very hilly and very muddy. At each dip in the road, there was standing water, and tracks outside the road where people had tried to go around the water and had gotten stuck. I had my faithful Flicka, though, and just hit the accelerator and plowed through. She made it through over a foot of water and lots and lots of mud with spectacular traction (maybe she was a 4x4 in my dream??). So I had gotten to a hill where there was an intersection at the top, and had gotten out to pull Flicka the rest of the way up the hill (either I have super strength or she was super light...) when I realized there was a nature path at the top. I had never noticed this before and slowed down towing my car up the giant hill as I realized it was there, and lost my grip and it rolled back down the hill. At this point, my roommate appeared walking with his new girlfriend on the nature trail. We did introductions and I asked if they took my dog on the walk with them and they said no (as he wasn't there - duh!). They then suggested instead of continuing on this crazy road with my car, I should just use the trail to go back to town and call a tow truck. So I grabbed the bike I just happened to have in my car and set off down the nature trail. There were a lot of people on it, and I was going very fast. At first I think my intention was to catch up to my roommate and his girl, but then I realized they left well before me, and I wasn't going to catch them. So then I was walking and realizing that I don't know this trail at all. I had no idea when I needed to get off the trail to get to Sycamore. So I started following some people to see if I could hear where they were going. They turned right to get off the trail and went into a swinging door, and then turned around and looked at me like I shouldn't have followed them. I said something like "Oh, this is your house? Sorry..." and they nodded and one said to the other "Even in Elburn you get people walking in like that, isn't it crazy?" And as I turned away go back to the trail, I was very confused. Elburn?? How could I have gotten all the way to Elburn already? It hadn't seemed like I traveled nearly that far! They must have said something else and I misunderstood them. So I continued along the trail. Slowly now, trying to figure out where I was. I turned at the next 'exit' as it was very similar to a highway system with ramps and exits. It seemed when I went through the door this time, that I had walked into a school. I was looking in classrooms and down hallways as I walked through the school, and did not recognize anything. It must have been late in the day, because there weren't many people there. I started looking for bulletin boards hoping there was something that says the school name or something like that. I did not find a bulletin board, but along the dark brick wall in the hallway were big gold letters that spelled Orange City. Orange City?? What in the world? The only Orange anything that I know is Orange County, and that's in Florida! Ok, I did not walk all the way to Florida. This must just be a school I have have never heard of. Just keep walking to the front of the school, they might have a pay phone and I can call my mom.
I kept walking, and kept thinking that this must be a community college or something along those lines because it was huge. It took me longer to walk through the school I think than it did to actually get to the school. I finally started seeing a foyer and lots of doors, like the front entrance of a school. Looking out the left-most doors, I could see a bride posing with her groom for pictures. They do weddings at the school? Where the heck am I?? The wedding party was looking very annoyed as they watch the bride and groom pose, so I went out the door and walked over and asked if anyone might be able to help me with directions. One of the bridesmaids stood up and rushed me over to the side and said the bride would be upset if she saw me talking to them, but offered her assistance. I told her I was on the walking path, and I had never been on it, and I had gotten lost. Most importantly, I told her that I needed to get back to Sycamore. She explained that the ramp to get back onto the walking path had been blocked, but she knew a way to get passed. So I followed her around the outside of the school to where there was a slight hill going up, and a path with several round boulders taller than me blocking it. She said we just had to climb over, and that a lot of people do it, its not that hard. So we started to climb, with her, still in her dress, guiding me where to put my hands and feet. When I got to the top of the boulders, and was just about laying on my stomach on the top of the highest one, crawling over it, it started to move. It was like someone knocked them all loose. They started rolling. I jumped up from my stomach and jumped down the other side of them just in time to watch several of them roll down the gentle hill and settle at the bottom. The bridesmaid was standing at the bottom of the remaining boulders, too, having also escaped the danger. We started hurrying down the path, and I mentioned that if I could just call someone, I could get a ride home. We came upon some clothes on a bench and she plucked a cell phone out of the pants pocket, handed it to me as we continued walking, and said "this is an emergency, they'll understand." I took the cell phone and pocketed it, afraid someone would see me with it. She pointed to the 'entrance' to the trail and bid me fairwell.
The entrance was much like the exit. I had to go through another swinging door and was then in a rest stop like area. And then it occured to me, what is always at a rest stop? A MAP. I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket, started dialing my mom, and then spotted a map and went over to it, ready to tell her where I was. As I searched for something familiar on the maps (there were actually 4), my mom's cell phone went to voicemail. It was cutting in and out, but it said something along the lines of "Sorry I missed your call, I am in San Francisco." Oh no! I forgot my mom had planned a trip to California! She had left already?? Without saying goodbye?? Well, where am I on this map?! I pulled the maps off of the bulletin board out of frustration, and sat on a nearby bench and started pouring over them trying to find anything familiar. I saw Orange City College, and I saw the word Orlando stamped across one in big letters. I am NOT in Florida, there must be an Orlando in Illinois, too. There are lots of Springfields, right?
I started to wake up at this point, thinking all I have to do is call my dad. I know his cell phone number. Mom's out of town, Dad will come get me. And then Maizy started licking my arm. I must have moved and she knew I was awake. ;)
Friday, July 8, 2011
Gamer Nerd Alert
I have been wanting to write a few blogs on different types of media/entertainment for awhile now. The problem is that it takes a lot of spare time that I have been short of lately, so I apologize for the delay in a new post.
I want to start with my favorite type of media - video games. I have played video games as along as I can remember. I think my favorite growing up was RC ProAm on the original Nintendo.
Now, there are few games I play outside of the Call Of Duty series. Here's a quick history of Call Of Duty recap: ActiVision owns and publishes the Call Of Duty games, but they are developed by two main developers. Infinity Ward started the developing with the original Call Of Duty (2003), and then Call Of Duty 2 (2005). Treyarch then jumped in the developers' competition with Call Of Duty 3 (2006) and then was followed by Infinity Ward's first Modern Warfare game in Call Of Duty 4 (2007). Treyarch's World At War (2008) was a big hit, following up their WWII storyline that they started in COD3. Next came Inifinity Ward again with Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), to be followed by the current version Call Of Duty: Black Ops (2010) by Treyarch.
In reviewing the history of COD, I have never realized how many there actually are! I started playing on my Playstation 2, and moved up to my Xbox360. I have played them all, and I tend to like the Infinity Ward games over the Treyarch games. As I play mostly the online gaming, I find that small things have held Treyarch back, such as bad spawning, the classic problem of shooting someone a thousand times and not killing them, and of course there are always glitches, but there always seem to be more in the Treyarch games (some may disagree, but WAW was ridiculous). I love WWII history, so their story lines were interesting, and it was a lot of fun shooting the old German and American guns from the era, but there was always something missing. Infinity Ward, however, has never made me feel that way. I was still hung up on WAW despite the glitches to play much of Modern Warfare, however when I started, I could barely leave it alone until MW2 came out. I was completely addicted to MW2 and it is still probably my favorite overall. Now we have Black Ops, which, again leaves me wanting a little something more. Of course, being Treyarch, spawning is horrible, and the guns are all the same and boring at this point, and the whole earning money to buy the guns idea is just annoying to me. I still like it, though, and actually think that maps are more complicated and fun this time around.
I do love the back and forth competition from the developing teams in the COD series, and the only real overall complaint I would have about them is that they are too short! I do play the online more than the story, but it only takes a good 5 to 6 hours at the most to get through them. And it always leaves me wanting more, no matter which developer it is. I suppose that's so you'll buy the next one that comes out, though, right? And that leads us to what this whole blog was supposed to be about!
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3! This is going to be epic. Here is a peak (may I suggest full screen in HD):
Z!O!M!G! I am so extremely excited about this game. It comes out, as you saw, November 8th. Don't expect to talk to me for weeks, maybe months following the release. It gives me the whole World At War feeling (or WW3 as they put it), but with modern technology, and amazing graphics. Hopefully Infinity Ward has a few surprises in their pocket, too, that turn out way cooler than a remote control car and exploding arrows (Black Ops).
There are other games I play other than COD. I tend to like first person shooter games and have tried Army Of Two (first one), Rainbow Six, Medal Of Honor, and Halo (3 of them - how many are there now?). I really didn't like any of them all that much. They were entertaining for a couple of weeks, but they just didn't have the the longevity that COD always seems to have (Halo fans, I'm sorry - just doesn't compare). I do own Left 4 Dead and L4D2. I like the first one the best, and they are entertaining to play once in awhile, especially with a group of friends.
I suppose that this is all old news to the gamers out there, and will probably not be read by anyone that isn't a gamer, but it was fun to write, and I hope to kick your butt in COD multiplayer! >:[ <-- pwnd face. ;)
I want to start with my favorite type of media - video games. I have played video games as along as I can remember. I think my favorite growing up was RC ProAm on the original Nintendo.
Now, there are few games I play outside of the Call Of Duty series. Here's a quick history of Call Of Duty recap: ActiVision owns and publishes the Call Of Duty games, but they are developed by two main developers. Infinity Ward started the developing with the original Call Of Duty (2003), and then Call Of Duty 2 (2005). Treyarch then jumped in the developers' competition with Call Of Duty 3 (2006) and then was followed by Infinity Ward's first Modern Warfare game in Call Of Duty 4 (2007). Treyarch's World At War (2008) was a big hit, following up their WWII storyline that they started in COD3. Next came Inifinity Ward again with Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), to be followed by the current version Call Of Duty: Black Ops (2010) by Treyarch.
In reviewing the history of COD, I have never realized how many there actually are! I started playing on my Playstation 2, and moved up to my Xbox360. I have played them all, and I tend to like the Infinity Ward games over the Treyarch games. As I play mostly the online gaming, I find that small things have held Treyarch back, such as bad spawning, the classic problem of shooting someone a thousand times and not killing them, and of course there are always glitches, but there always seem to be more in the Treyarch games (some may disagree, but WAW was ridiculous). I love WWII history, so their story lines were interesting, and it was a lot of fun shooting the old German and American guns from the era, but there was always something missing. Infinity Ward, however, has never made me feel that way. I was still hung up on WAW despite the glitches to play much of Modern Warfare, however when I started, I could barely leave it alone until MW2 came out. I was completely addicted to MW2 and it is still probably my favorite overall. Now we have Black Ops, which, again leaves me wanting a little something more. Of course, being Treyarch, spawning is horrible, and the guns are all the same and boring at this point, and the whole earning money to buy the guns idea is just annoying to me. I still like it, though, and actually think that maps are more complicated and fun this time around.
I do love the back and forth competition from the developing teams in the COD series, and the only real overall complaint I would have about them is that they are too short! I do play the online more than the story, but it only takes a good 5 to 6 hours at the most to get through them. And it always leaves me wanting more, no matter which developer it is. I suppose that's so you'll buy the next one that comes out, though, right? And that leads us to what this whole blog was supposed to be about!
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3! This is going to be epic. Here is a peak (may I suggest full screen in HD):
Z!O!M!G! I am so extremely excited about this game. It comes out, as you saw, November 8th. Don't expect to talk to me for weeks, maybe months following the release. It gives me the whole World At War feeling (or WW3 as they put it), but with modern technology, and amazing graphics. Hopefully Infinity Ward has a few surprises in their pocket, too, that turn out way cooler than a remote control car and exploding arrows (Black Ops).
There are other games I play other than COD. I tend to like first person shooter games and have tried Army Of Two (first one), Rainbow Six, Medal Of Honor, and Halo (3 of them - how many are there now?). I really didn't like any of them all that much. They were entertaining for a couple of weeks, but they just didn't have the the longevity that COD always seems to have (Halo fans, I'm sorry - just doesn't compare). I do own Left 4 Dead and L4D2. I like the first one the best, and they are entertaining to play once in awhile, especially with a group of friends.
I suppose that this is all old news to the gamers out there, and will probably not be read by anyone that isn't a gamer, but it was fun to write, and I hope to kick your butt in COD multiplayer! >:[ <-- pwnd face. ;)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Naming A Blog
I have been thinking for several months now about starting a blog. I have ideas, thoughts, and suggestions for the world that, when I think them, seem to be great to put into a blog. It may turn out that these mumblings in my head are nothing worth reading, but I thought I would give it a shot.
I had a few hours this morning, as my new job has not started yet as planned, so I thought it was a great time to get started. I had read a friends blog and realized, I can really do this. The problem started after I logged in and was prompted for a name for my blog. I had thought too far ahead, and not of the details at all. So, I posted on facebook for my friends to give me some suggestions. Unfortunately, everyone is at work and I have zero responses after an hour, so I plunged ahead looking everywhere for a name for my blog.
I started with looking around my room. If you know me, you know that my room is full of unpacked boxes and random piles of clothes. I started with Keep Refrigerated. Thought it seemed interesting and intriguing to a would-be reader. However, that is already taken. So I looked around some more, trying to think of something to do with the lamp on my bedside table, or the xbox360 box that says Kinect on it, and then a box that said Hpnotiq on it - a type of liquor apparently. I then looked at my dog, Cash, and thought of naming it after him. He is a huge part of my life, and I'm sure some of the blogs will be about him, or people and their dogs, but I felt that naming it just after him would seem like I'm basing the whole blog on him. My intention was not to make a blog about my dog. Then, he is named after Johnny Cash - I could name it after one of his songs? But, as much as I love his music, that just didn't seem like the right idea. I was on the right track though. What other singers do I like?
Wynonna. I often get teased when I say she is one of my favorite singers. Not many people think of her as a great singer, as I do. When I hear her sing, it makes me think of one of my favorite people. When I am really down, or I am really excited, it is Wynonna who I share it with. The song that I have become most fond of is called "The Other Side." It's a song about being sad and lonely, but knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My favorite line: "One of these days, your gonna whistle up those hell-hounds of yours and make 'em sit up and beg," sung only as Wynonna can sing it. Makes me feel better every time.
So that's what I named the blog after. A song that gives me inspiration and that has meant the world to me in my life. It may seem silly, but it really fits.
I had a few hours this morning, as my new job has not started yet as planned, so I thought it was a great time to get started. I had read a friends blog and realized, I can really do this. The problem started after I logged in and was prompted for a name for my blog. I had thought too far ahead, and not of the details at all. So, I posted on facebook for my friends to give me some suggestions. Unfortunately, everyone is at work and I have zero responses after an hour, so I plunged ahead looking everywhere for a name for my blog.
I started with looking around my room. If you know me, you know that my room is full of unpacked boxes and random piles of clothes. I started with Keep Refrigerated. Thought it seemed interesting and intriguing to a would-be reader. However, that is already taken. So I looked around some more, trying to think of something to do with the lamp on my bedside table, or the xbox360 box that says Kinect on it, and then a box that said Hpnotiq on it - a type of liquor apparently. I then looked at my dog, Cash, and thought of naming it after him. He is a huge part of my life, and I'm sure some of the blogs will be about him, or people and their dogs, but I felt that naming it just after him would seem like I'm basing the whole blog on him. My intention was not to make a blog about my dog. Then, he is named after Johnny Cash - I could name it after one of his songs? But, as much as I love his music, that just didn't seem like the right idea. I was on the right track though. What other singers do I like?
Wynonna. I often get teased when I say she is one of my favorite singers. Not many people think of her as a great singer, as I do. When I hear her sing, it makes me think of one of my favorite people. When I am really down, or I am really excited, it is Wynonna who I share it with. The song that I have become most fond of is called "The Other Side." It's a song about being sad and lonely, but knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel. My favorite line: "One of these days, your gonna whistle up those hell-hounds of yours and make 'em sit up and beg," sung only as Wynonna can sing it. Makes me feel better every time.
So that's what I named the blog after. A song that gives me inspiration and that has meant the world to me in my life. It may seem silly, but it really fits.
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