I often wonder if a persons birthday
has any baring on their taste in seasons. Is it simple coincidence
that makes myself and my related summer-borns hate the sun and heat
while those born in winter seem to cherish it? Is it some sort of
cosmic joke that you naturally dislike a point in the year when
you're supposed to be happy? Whatever the answer, the 4th
of July came & went altering a digit on all my paperwork.
Let's set the scene for this year.
Like a good amount of the U.S. My area was experiencing a nasty heat
wave, ensuring that outdoor activities be kept to a minimum. No
hanging out by the barbecue & lining up drinks this year, no sir.
Other than some brief excursions into the searing heat it was hanging
out indoors with a full house as even the cats didn't want to step
foot outside. Naturally this curbed most firework activities as well
though there were a few people with some nice ones that I was able to
watch from the back yard before an armada of mosquito threatened to
suck me dry.
Overall it was one of the least active
birthdays and independence days I've ever had, to the extent that it
didn't even feel quite much like a holiday, instead it was just a
very odd Wednesday. Even so, as a very possession obsessed person,
most people actually know what to gifts to get me which helps offset
the usual dull-drums that come with aging. This was somewhat
surprising this year as I figured the multitude of vet and hospital
bills from all the springtime insanity would have left people high
and dry. Granted you may not wish to read about my birthday haul but
bear in mind us old folks like to ramble. Plus none of my other blog
topics are anywhere near done. Turns out us old folks are lazy too.
My niece got a classic horror 4-pack
though it’s title is a little misleading as only 3 of the films fit
into a proper horror classification. Terror of the Tongs
(sadly not a killer salad flick) is one of those racist
adventure/crime flicks where somebody has to fend off an evil Chinese
gang made up almost exclusively of British actors in horrible
make-up. These kind of movies frequently sneak into budget horror
collections because of studio or actor cred. In this case it’s a
Hammer production staring Christopher Lee, pretty much catnip for
terror lovers. Granted I’ll most likely enjoy watching Lee do his
most dignified racial stereotype but the other movies are the real
reason to be excited. Just look at The Mad Magician. I mean
it’s Vincent Price as a illusionist on a revenge killing spree.
I received even more classic horror
flicks from my parents in the form of a classic sci-fi collection
(primarily made-up of monster flicks) and a blu-ray copy of Them!
Hadn't seen this bit of giant-ant mayhem since the 90s and it still
provides some decent entertainment, even if the ending is a little
lacking.
What could pair better with fine
horror cinema than some top quality hooch? Despite my enjoyment of
spirits I'm not usually much of a tequila fan,. Kirklands Anjeo from
Costco on the other hand is some really delicious stuff for a pretty
damn good price. Not much to elaborate on with this one. If you've
got a Costco membership you should probably buy a few bottles for
yourself. It may be the only tequila I've found that's good straight,
and it pairs excellently with a viewing of Monster on the Campus.
Yet another Star Wars novel was added
to the Summer reading pile, this time in the form of a Solo
tie-in titled Most Wanted. I'm well aware that I've fallen
behind on book reviews lately but there will be some extra free hours
over the next several weeks which should give me a chance at catching
up. I've been considering how to approach further entries in the
series after the past few have left me underwhelmed. Maybe finishing
this current stack of four books will help me decide how best to
continue.
Recently my tabletop gaming hobby has
been undergoing some change with my primary focus being game design.
Part of that has involved an obsession with studying old and
oftentimes forgotten collectible card games like On the Edge.
My sister was nice enough to grab me the burger box display,
seemingly a last ditch effort to get the game in more stores as it
offered a little bit of everything with minimal overhead. Clearly
this product push didn't pan out as it was the last item released for
the game. There’s a fascinating aspect to opening these
mid-nineties relics. I think it's because there's still so much
potential in these. If you buy an old stand-alone game it's just
that, it will never be anything more or less. With a collectible game
there's the entire lifespan of the game available in sealed packages
that might contain the best or worst of what the system had to offer
yet it's often available for dirt cheap. It's like a physical
manifestation of untapped potential. This isn't the only beastie I've
claimed as I also nabbed a sealed booster box of Wyvern and am
watching far too many others for it to be healthy. There's just so
many unique concepts in these old games and at such low prices, I
intend to plunder them for ideas and a little fun on the side.
Beyond that there are a couple of
Funko items, and a nice little two-player card game called Fox in
the Forest. Furthermore I got to actually go out and do something
a couple days later which made it feel as if I'd had a birthday
instead of a weekday with gifts. You'd better believe getting twenty
miles away from town to see a Marvel movie and pick up some picture
frames makes a world of difference. Now I can bask in the glory of
this Bloodsport print by Jeff Delgado. Least you think I was
completely selfish on my day out, I also did some shopping for other
family birthdays since they're all crammed together like sardines.
And that's the aimless story of my
birthday. Hopefully it will usher in a successful year as I go back
to college, expand my writing, and attempt to pitch a game design to
some willing publisher. Worry not, friends. I'll not let these
activities keep me from sharing all sorts of nonsense with you.
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