January 15, 2021

This Friday we played a new game, We Were Here. Colleen is the one who suggested it and it is fun. In the game, we are stuck in two separate rooms with a walkie talkie and each has a different part of the puzzle. Colleen drowned because I didn’t find my part of the puzzle quick enough. Glad I wasn’t in that part, I have a fear of water. I think I would’ve quit there 🙂

Time for the end of the year list:

We decided to top three games and top ten restaurants.

Colleen’s top three games are

3. Fibbage

2. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

1.Overcooked

Here is my list:

3. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

2. Drawful 2

Overcooked

We both really enjoy Overcooked. It has a combination of working fast and figuring out to work it. It is tons of fun, even though we are only on part 2 🙂 Next week Colleen’s list for best restaurants.

January 8, 2021

This Friday is part two of Colleen making a character.

Colleen at least had an idea of what she wanted. So it did go a little faster, but still we never got to actually play the game again. Her character froze again and disconnected. Third time is the charm? I hope. We didn’t have much time to play, so we really didn’t play anything 😦

I don’t know really what to say about our country anymore. I doubt there are words that can make it better. I can understand the frustration that people feel. The price of everything keeps going up, but not the pay. More and more is taken away, but nothing is gained. Then there is the virus on top of it. I think that all people want is a decent home, car, good schools for their children, health care, some savings, being able to save a little for retirement and maybe a vacation once a year. That I feel, is the American dream. I think we can all agree on that. We just argue about how to get it. The media often stirs the pot. Trying to make us fight. I am not happy with the people who attacked the Capitol. I do hope, however, that it was a wake-up call.

January 1, 2021

We got to play a little for the first day of the year.

Colleen was going to surprise in Black Desert Online, but she got stuck trying to make it work. That would’ve been an awesome surprise! I think really she wants to see the elephants in the game, but I’ll take it. Black Desert is a MMO (massive multiplayer online). There are many ways you can play. I like the lifeskills. I like farming and riding my horse and climbing mountains and exploring new areas and………… there is a lot to the game. Colleen doesn’t like the fighting games and killing things. Sometimes though those games are great stress relievers. It is visually, a very beautiful game. So she tried to join me but…………. she kept getting disconnected. I would see her character and boom she was gone. So we gave up and tried to play Overcooked but her character froze. So we started to play Monkey Island. Monkey Island is an old game but it has many funny parts. The remake on steam is not made very well, but still, it’s still there.

It doesn’t look like a good start to the new year. I still feel a bit shell shocked over what happened to the Capitol. First of all, I would never imagine that it would be so easy to get to the Capitol. I would think that you would be shot if you tried. After all, you are attacking our democracy. They didn’t just enter some building, they entered the building where the people who make decisions that direct this country. The very seat of power. I think it pointed out our vulnerabilities and I hope that foreign countries don’t seek to use this information.

December 25, 2020

On Christmas day, Colleen and I exchanged presents Christmas eve. I think because she thinks I’ll open the present before Christmas 😦 Oops, the wrapping ripped?

I’ve always have tried new ideas when it comes to health. When I took my daughter to dance class, one year the moms were talking about candling. It’s where you light candles you can buy for this in your ear. DO NOT TRY. They had made it sound good. They made a party out of it. I told Colleen about it. She says, “It’s crazy, first you do not want to put fire near your face.” I must admit that is a good point.” There is no way it could work.” So this year imagine my surprise when she got me this……………………………

I thought she was giving me permission. Much sadness, when I realized no no……. she wasn’t giving me permission and the box was a joke. I must admit though, she is right candling is not a good idea and I will not try it. I guess not all health ideas are best, people used to use leeches. I won’t be trying that either.

I can’t help but wonder, what if 2021 is worse than 2020. Suppose we are saying, “Remember 2020 when all we had to do is wear a mask” as we zip up our hazard suits to get the mail. Best wishes for everyone, hope you have health and happiness in the next year 🙂

December 18, 2020

This Friday we sort of, went Christmas shopping together.

Colleen likes to wait until the last minute to shop. I guess she works better under pressure. My goal is to be finished by Thanksgiving, which I rarely attain. I feel I can enjoy the season better without the pressure. So, I kept Colleen company on the phone while she shopped and I wrapped Christmas presents. I had been putting it off and talking with Colleen made it go by fast. It was we would have done except, I would have been in the car and we would have stopped somewhere to have a nice lunch. It’s funny how things you put off go so much faster when you do them with friends.

While in Target Colleen had realized that she forgot her mask and had to run out to the car. Now I’m wondering if I was judging the woman at the Quikchek in the previous blog, too harshly. Maybe she too had forgotten. Maybe she was smiling because she felt stupid. I’m sure Colleen was smiling when she came out of Target. We often color our opinions of other people by past experiences or our own view of the world. A liar will often question you because they know they do it, so you must do it too. A cheater often is the same way. They will ask you over and over who you were with, even if there is no evidence. I guess I have been watching too much of the news, where people are openly not wearing masks. I hope that is the case, I’m tired of the all fighting and name-calling. I would think this virus would’ve brought us together. A common enemy we need to get rid of. Brought back our sense of community. I think our future depends on it.

December 11, 2020

This Friday our time was short but we managed to play Keep Talking and Overcooked.

We played Keep Talking for a bit. The big news is that we FINALLY got two stars in the second area of Overcooked. Colleen said we could go on now. Phew! I’m afraid though, that I’m going to wish to go back to the other part. Who knows what lays ahead. I can’t imagine that it will be easier. I do think though as we get used to the game that beginning will seem easier.

They are starting the vaccine now for the coronavirus. I have so many questions. Viruses mutate, so if this virus mutates will the vaccine work? If it mutates will a new vaccine be easier to make, since they have an idea about how the virus works? Could this possibly wipe out the coronavirus or will we have to have a vaccine every year like the flu? If someone gets the vaccine can they still infect others if they are exposed? People, that have the vaccine, will still have to wear the mask? If they don’t, how will they be able to tell who had it and who didn’t? What is to keep those that didn’t have the vaccine from saying they did, just so they don’t have to wear masks?

December 4, 2020

We played Overcooked and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.

We went back and replayed Keep Talking and raised our scores in the game. It’s funny how when you go back it seems so much easier. We played Overcooked. We almost got two stars. I think Colleen’s favorite is Overcooked. There are just so many components to the game. The kitchen is so badly set up, I can see that there are many ways to play it.

The other day I gave someone a ride to the local Quikchek. As I was waiting, a woman came out of the store with no mask on. She was smiling and looking proud as she carried her purchased bag of items. I wondered if she was proud of her accomplishment of going into a store and being able to buy things without a mask. Anger rose inside of me, was she proud of possibly infecting other people with the virus? Was she proud that maybe one of those people could possibly go home and infect all that is dear to them? Was she proud that she could possibly be partly responsible for someone’s death? Was she proud that she could possibly infect herself and those that are dear to her? Was she proud that she could lose her life or those close to her? There is a tape of Tom Cruise going off on those who work with him for not abiding by the guidelines. I can understand his frustration. It’s such a simple thing to wear a mask. What do people think, that possibly someone woke up one morning and said “I’m tired of seeing people’s faces make them wear masks”. Not wearing a mask is not a symbol of rebellion. It is a sign of disrespect.

November 27, 2020

This Friday is Black Friday, but no shopping for us 😦 We did get to play through.

We played Overcooked, ugh we were so close to getting to the next level. A couple of more points until we get two stars. Three stars seem impossible. I don’t see how we are going to get it. We keep trying different ideas. I am tempted to see how other people play and what strategies they come up with. I know Colleen would say that is cheating. I don’t see it as cheating I see it as learning.

Black Friday, the day we shop until we drop. Like so many other things, this year is different. We dropped before we shopped. No shopping on black Friday, not even online. I guess next year we will have to shop double-time 🙂

November 20, 2020

This Friday real life took over 😦 So I guess it’s storytime……….this is how we started playing video games together. When my daughter was little, she would play video games. I joined her and soon I was addicted.

For a time, on our Fridays we would walk to the restaurants near my home. Then we would eat our lunch and watch some tv. After this, we would play video games. Colleen really didn’t play. One of the games I thought would be good for beginners was Little Big Planet. We had so much fun playing. You get to dress your characters in different clothes and decorate your pod. Your characters have to make it through levels of different obstacles to make it to the end. There is a winner, for whoever collects the most bubbles along the way. I should mention that you can hit each other and pull each other. Being the “good” sports that we are you can imagine the mayhem that was at the end of each round. There were some days where we would just hit each other and push each other. It was a good way to let off steam.

One day after we played, I wanted to see if there was anything I was missing in the next part of the game. I played through a future level for our next Friday. In one part of the game, there is a raft, as you are riding this raft a flaming log will swing by. You can bypass being hit by the log by jumping back one space. Friday was here and we are going to play this level. Now I had to show no emotion, not a smirk, no looking at her, not a glimmer in the eye because I know the second I do anything Colleen would know something was up. So we get on the raft, I jump back and swoosh 🙂 Colleen’s character goes flying. She still gets mad “friend shouldn’t let friends get hit by flaming logs” and I still laugh.

November 13, 2020

This Friday we repeated last week, but with more time.

We played Overcooked and ibb and obb. We did manage to get out more soup than before but unfortunately, the internet was not cooperating. 😦 I think we would have got much more soups out. We are starting to make plans about who does what. We, also played ibb and obb when the internet was misbehaving. We got past the part we were stuck on last time. So, I guess you can say that it was a success. It doesn’t matter anyway, we had fun. In the game we often drop the vegetables on the floor and use them, “It gives the soup flavor” Burnt soup everywhere, vegetables here vegetables there. I do not recommend our restaurant.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Try to be safe, because being indoors eating and talking to someone is the most viable way to catch it. I can imagine lots of grandparents are disappointed. I think we should start planning a big celebration when this is over, maybe it would take the sting out of not getting to be with those we care about. It would be nice if we could do it across the country. I feel it would be like emerging from hibernation into the bright sunshine of spring.