Health, shows, movies, and gaming update!
Oh man... I can't even spell. Apologizing now for any missed typos.
Tuesday was downright horrible. High fever, chills, the whole nine yards. On Wednesday the chills turned into coughing up a lung in pieces. That's still going on, so it's all fun times here. The fever seems to be going down, which I am really thankful about. I finally got in to see my normal doc, and she was both amused and irritated at how the other doc acted on Monday, especially since the other doc didn't even tell me I should be doing other things like taking aspirin or cough meds or using a humidifier (though I did figure that all out for myself, but as a health provider she still should have told me). The doc today was much more helpful and said she thinks I should be able to go back to work on Monday, so I'm excited about that. I feel really awful for not being at work this week. It just feels like I'm skipping and being lazy, even though I physically would not be able to work. Both of my bosses (my department has 2) are thankful that I'm staying home to get better and not share it, but it's viral so there wouldn't be anything to share. I'd really just be annoying everyone and grossing them out with my coughing. My productivity would be awful, too, but at least I would still be doing something to help. I feel terrible that I'm not able to help out. I'm not an exempt employee (that's several job titles above me) so I can't remotely log in and get any work done. Ugh.
I've been trying to get things done at home, since when you can't leave the house you figure you should be able to catch up on other things, but I can't seem to focus. I get half a page of a book read and realize I've been rereading the same line for ten minutes. I start up a game and zone out on the title screen trying to decide if I'm supposed to hit "load saved game" or "continue". I attempt to rest and just cough up another lung and then hurt too much to sleep. It's a no-win all around, and I can't wait until I get better and can go back to being productive.
On monday, we got new chairs and floor mats at work... I miss my nice new chair already. I wonder if it misses me :'(
I have managed to get some movies off of my Netflix queue, at least!
Movies/Shows: I did it. I caved and suffered thorugh The Emoji Movie. I don't think it quite deserved all of the horrific reviews it received, but it definitely was not a movie I want to sit through again. The plot was shallow, characters flat, and plot twists way too predictable. The animation was decent and there were a couple creative ideas that I enjoyed, like the dancing game scene and the bots that hunted down the main characters. Overall, though, it reminded me of the Angry Birds movie, in that it felt like a desparate bid for a quick buck that just wasn't planned out well before they dove in head-first.
Another movie I saw was Woody Woodpecker. It was a pleasant surprise to see Timothy Omundson in one of the lead roles. I loved him in Galavant! The kids in the movie did a pretty great job, too, especially since they were acting alongside a CGI animal, which I'm sure is always a challenge. I finally saw Paddington. Sort of. I fell asleep not even halfway through, and not beause I was sick. It was very uninteresting, and the acting felt sub-par. It made me sad to see a beloved classic character given such a B-list take. I will not be going back to finish it, nor do I recommend it. Yet another movie was Monster vs Aliens. I went into this one without any real expectations, and came out of it feeling no different. It was ok, but it was just ok. I'm not sure I would watch it again by choice, but I wouldn't be offended if it happened to come on and I had to watch it.
A more serious movie that I watched (on Valentines's Day, of course!) was Heartthrob. It is a thriller(ish) about obsession and love in that bittersweet summer after college graduation. It starred Keir Gilchrist, who I absolutely adore (and not because we are only 3 days apart in age), playing a boy obssessed with a female classmate. When he finds out she's sletp with other guys, he goes off the deep end and things get pretty... intense. I rather enjoyed it overall, and felt it was a decent pick for Valentine's Day.
I watched the new Netflix revamp of Queer Eye. I enjoyed it well enough. A couple episodes seemed to focus way too hard on making a political statement for my tastes, but I'm one of the people there for the feel good moments, while other may prefer the politics. Anotoni was definitely my favorite of the guys, and I wish he'd had more screen time. Honestly, they all could have used more time. The show tries to make a person over in 5 different areas of life. 45 minutes it not enough time for the audience to get the full experience. I would definitley have not minded at all if the eps were 60 mins each.
I checked out the show Revolting Rhymes. It was supposed to be a more traditional take on nursery rhymes, bringing them back to their roots while giving them a somewhat fresh feel. To be honest, I thought it was a bit much for kids these days, who are not necessairly used to seeing creatures being shot dead, eaten, or violently beaten. The connections between classic tales was interesting, but not enough to make me want to reommend it. Plus, the entire narration was very slow and dry.
And finaly, I started watching Mad Men, and am on season 3. I originally only gave it a try because it stars Vincent Kartheiser, but it's definitely grown on me. I love the 50s/60s feel, with the fedoras and sundresses. I've often said if I could choose when I was born it would have been 1932, so I turned 18 in 1950 and could become a suburban housewife. As much as I think I'd go crazy now, I truly think I would have liked that life. There are some aspects of that show that feel forced, like pretty much anything to do with Peggy after the first couple episodes, but overall it is interesting to watch.
Games: I don't think I ever posted about this, but I finally finished The Talos Principle. What a trip! There are over 120 puzzles in the entire game, and many of them are three-dimensional logic puzzles. You, an anroid, solve those to obtain "sigils" (tetriminoes) which you use to solves tangram-esque puzzles and unlock levels. Throughout the game you have 3 main sources trying to influence your decisions. The big voice from the sky is Elohim who asks only that you follow his instruuctions without question and he will grant you access to a wonderful land made just for you. There are a ton of computer terminals scattered around, and in them lives the Library Assistant, who pushes you to question Elohim, and even defy the voice. In these terminals are tons of data files with bits and pieces about the real world, the end of days, mythology, and the Talos program. As you walk around, you find QR codes scattered on walls eveywhere, in the world and in the puzzles. These codes were left by those who came before you, and as you play you can read what decisions they made, why, and what others thought. Some of them preach that Elohim will lead you to safety, while others violently oppose him. Still others remain mostly quiet, but when they speak their words reveal a surprising truth that you may not have noticed. There are three different endings, depending on what choices you make and which path you choose to follow. I was reallt surprised that I liked all three endings. Each one left me satisfied that it wrapped up well, while still letting you answer certain questions yourself. I can't lie, the game did spark an existential crisis or two in me, as it is very philosophical and will constantly ask you what your purpose is, what it is that make you think you exist, and it will force you to defend your morals. I thought it was incredibly well done and if you enjoy puzzles, philosophy, or both, I highly recommend it.
Tuesday was downright horrible. High fever, chills, the whole nine yards. On Wednesday the chills turned into coughing up a lung in pieces. That's still going on, so it's all fun times here. The fever seems to be going down, which I am really thankful about. I finally got in to see my normal doc, and she was both amused and irritated at how the other doc acted on Monday, especially since the other doc didn't even tell me I should be doing other things like taking aspirin or cough meds or using a humidifier (though I did figure that all out for myself, but as a health provider she still should have told me). The doc today was much more helpful and said she thinks I should be able to go back to work on Monday, so I'm excited about that. I feel really awful for not being at work this week. It just feels like I'm skipping and being lazy, even though I physically would not be able to work. Both of my bosses (my department has 2) are thankful that I'm staying home to get better and not share it, but it's viral so there wouldn't be anything to share. I'd really just be annoying everyone and grossing them out with my coughing. My productivity would be awful, too, but at least I would still be doing something to help. I feel terrible that I'm not able to help out. I'm not an exempt employee (that's several job titles above me) so I can't remotely log in and get any work done. Ugh.
I've been trying to get things done at home, since when you can't leave the house you figure you should be able to catch up on other things, but I can't seem to focus. I get half a page of a book read and realize I've been rereading the same line for ten minutes. I start up a game and zone out on the title screen trying to decide if I'm supposed to hit "load saved game" or "continue". I attempt to rest and just cough up another lung and then hurt too much to sleep. It's a no-win all around, and I can't wait until I get better and can go back to being productive.
On monday, we got new chairs and floor mats at work... I miss my nice new chair already. I wonder if it misses me :'(
I have managed to get some movies off of my Netflix queue, at least!
Movies/Shows: I did it. I caved and suffered thorugh The Emoji Movie. I don't think it quite deserved all of the horrific reviews it received, but it definitely was not a movie I want to sit through again. The plot was shallow, characters flat, and plot twists way too predictable. The animation was decent and there were a couple creative ideas that I enjoyed, like the dancing game scene and the bots that hunted down the main characters. Overall, though, it reminded me of the Angry Birds movie, in that it felt like a desparate bid for a quick buck that just wasn't planned out well before they dove in head-first.
Another movie I saw was Woody Woodpecker. It was a pleasant surprise to see Timothy Omundson in one of the lead roles. I loved him in Galavant! The kids in the movie did a pretty great job, too, especially since they were acting alongside a CGI animal, which I'm sure is always a challenge. I finally saw Paddington. Sort of. I fell asleep not even halfway through, and not beause I was sick. It was very uninteresting, and the acting felt sub-par. It made me sad to see a beloved classic character given such a B-list take. I will not be going back to finish it, nor do I recommend it. Yet another movie was Monster vs Aliens. I went into this one without any real expectations, and came out of it feeling no different. It was ok, but it was just ok. I'm not sure I would watch it again by choice, but I wouldn't be offended if it happened to come on and I had to watch it.
A more serious movie that I watched (on Valentines's Day, of course!) was Heartthrob. It is a thriller(ish) about obsession and love in that bittersweet summer after college graduation. It starred Keir Gilchrist, who I absolutely adore (and not because we are only 3 days apart in age), playing a boy obssessed with a female classmate. When he finds out she's sletp with other guys, he goes off the deep end and things get pretty... intense. I rather enjoyed it overall, and felt it was a decent pick for Valentine's Day.
I watched the new Netflix revamp of Queer Eye. I enjoyed it well enough. A couple episodes seemed to focus way too hard on making a political statement for my tastes, but I'm one of the people there for the feel good moments, while other may prefer the politics. Anotoni was definitely my favorite of the guys, and I wish he'd had more screen time. Honestly, they all could have used more time. The show tries to make a person over in 5 different areas of life. 45 minutes it not enough time for the audience to get the full experience. I would definitley have not minded at all if the eps were 60 mins each.
I checked out the show Revolting Rhymes. It was supposed to be a more traditional take on nursery rhymes, bringing them back to their roots while giving them a somewhat fresh feel. To be honest, I thought it was a bit much for kids these days, who are not necessairly used to seeing creatures being shot dead, eaten, or violently beaten. The connections between classic tales was interesting, but not enough to make me want to reommend it. Plus, the entire narration was very slow and dry.
And finaly, I started watching Mad Men, and am on season 3. I originally only gave it a try because it stars Vincent Kartheiser, but it's definitely grown on me. I love the 50s/60s feel, with the fedoras and sundresses. I've often said if I could choose when I was born it would have been 1932, so I turned 18 in 1950 and could become a suburban housewife. As much as I think I'd go crazy now, I truly think I would have liked that life. There are some aspects of that show that feel forced, like pretty much anything to do with Peggy after the first couple episodes, but overall it is interesting to watch.
Games: I don't think I ever posted about this, but I finally finished The Talos Principle. What a trip! There are over 120 puzzles in the entire game, and many of them are three-dimensional logic puzzles. You, an anroid, solve those to obtain "sigils" (tetriminoes) which you use to solves tangram-esque puzzles and unlock levels. Throughout the game you have 3 main sources trying to influence your decisions. The big voice from the sky is Elohim who asks only that you follow his instruuctions without question and he will grant you access to a wonderful land made just for you. There are a ton of computer terminals scattered around, and in them lives the Library Assistant, who pushes you to question Elohim, and even defy the voice. In these terminals are tons of data files with bits and pieces about the real world, the end of days, mythology, and the Talos program. As you walk around, you find QR codes scattered on walls eveywhere, in the world and in the puzzles. These codes were left by those who came before you, and as you play you can read what decisions they made, why, and what others thought. Some of them preach that Elohim will lead you to safety, while others violently oppose him. Still others remain mostly quiet, but when they speak their words reveal a surprising truth that you may not have noticed. There are three different endings, depending on what choices you make and which path you choose to follow. I was reallt surprised that I liked all three endings. Each one left me satisfied that it wrapped up well, while still letting you answer certain questions yourself. I can't lie, the game did spark an existential crisis or two in me, as it is very philosophical and will constantly ask you what your purpose is, what it is that make you think you exist, and it will force you to defend your morals. I thought it was incredibly well done and if you enjoy puzzles, philosophy, or both, I highly recommend it.