Quest for Muscle: The Return of the Pump
But we will be magnificent.
Support for the mood swings, we're rooting for you, Ox!
"Can we talk about... you know, us?"
Simmi gave him a sharp look, visible through the firelight. The small campfire that often functioned as a social space was burning merrily, though they were the only ones seated next to it. It was late: most stalkers around the camp had opted to turn in, and save the scavenging for daylight. Her tone was guarded: "What did you want to discuss?" Careful, Ox. "We're engaged to be married, and... we've been separated for so long." Her eyes found his. He could not tell what they held. "So what do you propose?" He realized that she was afraid he was thinking of leaving her.
"I'm yours. Now and always, and that was never be in doubt." Simmi didn't respond to that. But from her place on the ground next to him, she wrapped both arms around him and placed her chin on his shoulder. Ox relished being so close to her, and drew an arm around her. "So if you weren't going to break up with or separate from me, what did you want to talk about?" Ox cleared his throat.
"I was hoping we could talk about this wedding thing..."
Hey Bees!
Consecutive workout day ho!
So today was the first Pull day I've done in two weeks, and I felt as weak as a kitten. Anyway.
Deadlifts: 120 x 3.
Barbell Underhand Rows: 85 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 55 x 6.
Neutral Grip Chins: Top set of 5 reps.
Behind the Neck Machine Pulldowns: 55 x 5.
I could feel my trap muscle getting aggravated again, meaning that I'm clearly not back to 100%. Also, I'm experiencing some bizarre pain in my right hand when I turn it a certain way.
Ah well, they'll get better with time.
It'll be stormy the next few days, though not as badly as it was weeks ago. At least we won't have to suffer anymore record breaking heat. I hope.
Thank you warmly for your support @PetiteSheWolf and @JCU. It means the world to me.
Free hugs for you, Bees!
Funny: As a Canadian, I'm required to post this. It was funny to me when I watched it, and it's still funny.
"Can I finish? Can I finish? ...
Okay I'm finished."
Playing: Played a bit of Misery last night and rage quit, again. There's a certain monster you encounter in a very difficult area that condemns you to death - with five seconds to live. And you drop your equipment at that spot upon death, so getting back equipment involves a mad dash to that very spot, in that same dangerous bunker. So I rage quit, and cheesed my way back to an old save. Bah!
And Pathogenic, but that goes without saying these days.
There's a peculiar Morrowind-lite (how many of those are out there? Not enough, methinks!) called, *ahem*, The Lantern of the Laughless Saint.
Bizarre and fantastical title aside, it looks like a solid open world RPG. Depending on my budget, I may or may not give it a go. It certainly looks janky as all out get.
There's also a demo for survival-horror FPS Gutted: Infested Crypts. It sounds a lot like the title of an album to a Brutal Death Metal band! I don't know if the demo itself will be any good. Probably not, but them's the breaks.
Watching: Uh, didn't engage in any late night cinema last night. May try to get a start on Missing Couple, as I've heard the ending is just whack.
Still watching Peacemaker, and being thoroughly entertained.
Listening to: Korine - Elegance and You. Bringing back this classic slice of synth pop. I have these periods where I forget about great music, and then comes that moment where I come across an old song - what a great feeling.
"All I dream about are the stars
How I hope that they fall on you
I just like the way you move so perfect
Elegance and you"
Simmi gave him a sharp look, visible through the firelight. The small campfire that often functioned as a social space was burning merrily, though they were the only ones seated next to it. It was late: most stalkers around the camp had opted to turn in, and save the scavenging for daylight. Her tone was guarded: "What did you want to discuss?" Careful, Ox. "We're engaged to be married, and... we've been separated for so long." Her eyes found his. He could not tell what they held. "So what do you propose?" He realized that she was afraid he was thinking of leaving her.
"I'm yours. Now and always, and that was never be in doubt." Simmi didn't respond to that. But from her place on the ground next to him, she wrapped both arms around him and placed her chin on his shoulder. Ox relished being so close to her, and drew an arm around her. "So if you weren't going to break up with or separate from me, what did you want to talk about?" Ox cleared his throat.
"I was hoping we could talk about this wedding thing..."
Hey Bees!
Consecutive workout day ho!
So today was the first Pull day I've done in two weeks, and I felt as weak as a kitten. Anyway.
Deadlifts: 120 x 3.
Barbell Underhand Rows: 85 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 55 x 6.
Neutral Grip Chins: Top set of 5 reps.
Behind the Neck Machine Pulldowns: 55 x 5.
I could feel my trap muscle getting aggravated again, meaning that I'm clearly not back to 100%. Also, I'm experiencing some bizarre pain in my right hand when I turn it a certain way.
Ah well, they'll get better with time.
It'll be stormy the next few days, though not as badly as it was weeks ago. At least we won't have to suffer anymore record breaking heat. I hope.
Thank you warmly for your support @PetiteSheWolf and @JCU. It means the world to me.
Free hugs for you, Bees!
Funny: As a Canadian, I'm required to post this. It was funny to me when I watched it, and it's still funny.
"Can I finish? Can I finish? ...
Okay I'm finished."
Playing: Played a bit of Misery last night and rage quit, again. There's a certain monster you encounter in a very difficult area that condemns you to death - with five seconds to live. And you drop your equipment at that spot upon death, so getting back equipment involves a mad dash to that very spot, in that same dangerous bunker. So I rage quit, and cheesed my way back to an old save. Bah!
And Pathogenic, but that goes without saying these days.
There's a peculiar Morrowind-lite (how many of those are out there? Not enough, methinks!) called, *ahem*, The Lantern of the Laughless Saint.
Bizarre and fantastical title aside, it looks like a solid open world RPG. Depending on my budget, I may or may not give it a go. It certainly looks janky as all out get.
There's also a demo for survival-horror FPS Gutted: Infested Crypts. It sounds a lot like the title of an album to a Brutal Death Metal band! I don't know if the demo itself will be any good. Probably not, but them's the breaks.
Watching: Uh, didn't engage in any late night cinema last night. May try to get a start on Missing Couple, as I've heard the ending is just whack.
Still watching Peacemaker, and being thoroughly entertained.
Listening to: Korine - Elegance and You. Bringing back this classic slice of synth pop. I have these periods where I forget about great music, and then comes that moment where I come across an old song - what a great feeling.
"All I dream about are the stars
How I hope that they fall on you
I just like the way you move so perfect
Elegance and you"
-
GentleOx
-
Last edited:
"So it's set for next month?"
"Yes. We've made the date, and we're going to stick to it. Your set." Howie sighed and placed both hands on either side of the straight bar. Grunting with effort, he pushed the bar down to his thighs eight times. The makeshift weights clanked and dropped onto each other as he released the bar. "Your set," he said to Ox, gasping. Ox took hold of the bar and went through his set with less difficulty than Howie. Ox was stronger, but it was never a rivalry between the two. In fact, Ox considered Howie his closest friend and confidante, in addition to a mentee of sorts. "I feel a little obliged to point out that a month is pretty soon, by traditional wedding standards.
"Well... that's true. But we've already been delayed by that lost year. Simmi in fact proposed that we get married tomorrow." He did not add that she was probably only half-joking. Howie whistled. "That's mad, Boss! But I'm all for it." He jumped into his set, grinding out more repetitions. When he was done, Ox spoke. "We don't plan to invite anybody from outside of Carcosa. Simmi of course wanted The Broker to be a part of it, so he's coming." Howie groaned. Evidently he'd run afoul of the crime lord. "And of course, this being where it is, we're not planning on a big event. Oh, and you're my best man! Assuming you want the job." Howie grinned.
"It would be my honour."
Hey Bees.
So some gymming and some cyberpunking.
Anyway, today was another Push day.
Bench Press: 117.5 x 3.
Incline Press: 87.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 62.5 x 3. Getting into the groove took some sets.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 11 x 6. These felt great.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 16 x 26.
I was in a foul mood outside, wandering around in the heat, but now I'm at home, more calm and collected.
"Home where my thought's escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my love lies waiting silently for me"
I wrote a few pages of my YA novel last night (may post a snippet here, just to share), so let's see if I can get more done tonight.
Maybe I'll just stay home from the gym tomorrow and get some rest.
See you tomorrow, Bees! Hope this summer isn't too sweltering.
Cantonese Phrase of the Day: Da2 Tyuhn5 - Interrupt. Example: Mouh yisi, ngoh yiu da tyuhn nei - Sorry, I have to interrupt you.
Playing: Just Pathogenic last night, as well as a bit of Misery.
In Misery, I thought I was a buff, well-equipped adventurer, but I've been hideously slain multiple times by beasties I've hithero not seen. Some of the ugliest and nastiest creatures have shown up in this new update. Better keep my guns loaded.
Watching: Apart from Peacemaker, not much. Great series.
Will try to resurrect Late Night Cinema for a movie tonight... if I'm not super sleepy!
Listening to: Malcom Kirby Jr. - Hail to the Chief (Saints Row IV soundtrack). The bombastic first notes of Hail to the Chief give way to a sinuous dubstep tune that's great for unwinding.
"Yes. We've made the date, and we're going to stick to it. Your set." Howie sighed and placed both hands on either side of the straight bar. Grunting with effort, he pushed the bar down to his thighs eight times. The makeshift weights clanked and dropped onto each other as he released the bar. "Your set," he said to Ox, gasping. Ox took hold of the bar and went through his set with less difficulty than Howie. Ox was stronger, but it was never a rivalry between the two. In fact, Ox considered Howie his closest friend and confidante, in addition to a mentee of sorts. "I feel a little obliged to point out that a month is pretty soon, by traditional wedding standards.
"Well... that's true. But we've already been delayed by that lost year. Simmi in fact proposed that we get married tomorrow." He did not add that she was probably only half-joking. Howie whistled. "That's mad, Boss! But I'm all for it." He jumped into his set, grinding out more repetitions. When he was done, Ox spoke. "We don't plan to invite anybody from outside of Carcosa. Simmi of course wanted The Broker to be a part of it, so he's coming." Howie groaned. Evidently he'd run afoul of the crime lord. "And of course, this being where it is, we're not planning on a big event. Oh, and you're my best man! Assuming you want the job." Howie grinned.
"It would be my honour."
Hey Bees.
So some gymming and some cyberpunking.
Anyway, today was another Push day.
Bench Press: 117.5 x 3.
Incline Press: 87.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 62.5 x 3. Getting into the groove took some sets.
Straight Bar Pushdowns: 11 x 6. These felt great.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 16 x 26.
I was in a foul mood outside, wandering around in the heat, but now I'm at home, more calm and collected.
"Home where my thought's escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my love lies waiting silently for me"
I wrote a few pages of my YA novel last night (may post a snippet here, just to share), so let's see if I can get more done tonight.
Maybe I'll just stay home from the gym tomorrow and get some rest.
See you tomorrow, Bees! Hope this summer isn't too sweltering.
Cantonese Phrase of the Day: Da2 Tyuhn5 - Interrupt. Example: Mouh yisi, ngoh yiu da tyuhn nei - Sorry, I have to interrupt you.
Playing: Just Pathogenic last night, as well as a bit of Misery.
In Misery, I thought I was a buff, well-equipped adventurer, but I've been hideously slain multiple times by beasties I've hithero not seen. Some of the ugliest and nastiest creatures have shown up in this new update. Better keep my guns loaded.
Watching: Apart from Peacemaker, not much. Great series.
Will try to resurrect Late Night Cinema for a movie tonight... if I'm not super sleepy!
Listening to: Malcom Kirby Jr. - Hail to the Chief (Saints Row IV soundtrack). The bombastic first notes of Hail to the Chief give way to a sinuous dubstep tune that's great for unwinding.
The wedding was three weeks away. Once more, life in Carcosa, and the Freelancer Observatory, had settled back into its familiar routine.
Simmi had ably taken control of the operations, jobs, and intel managing like she used to. Much like slipping into an old pair of shoes, Ox thought. He had never commented on the wiriness of her physique after her time with the Harkavos, as he was trying to avoid being punched in the face. That said, he was pleased to see her putting on more weight, and had remarked a time or two on how much energy she had. The camp had warily welcomed her back; some harbored conspiracy theories, that she was plotting to take over and turn the fledgling mercenary group into her own personal fiefdom. She paid these rumors no mind, and sarcastically said that if she were conquering Carcosa, she would've picked smarter subordinates.
Ox took on the odd job or two as a way of killing time, as well as his anxieties over the wedding. He knew that it wasn't going to be a big occasion; it was simply the Freelancers who cared to show up, several Revolutionaries such as Mamma Roach (but hopefully not that turd Diego), and a few others; presumably the Broker. And so he was lost in thought, browsing the corkboard's pinned jobs, while Simmi watched him.
"I see you've got another job lined up," Simmi said, as Ox tore a memo off the corkboard.
"Seems easy enough. $300 for three cans of beans? Why hasn't someone taken this job already."
"Yeah, that's odd. Where's the job giver?"
"They run a store off of the M81." Simmi was silent a moment.
"Oh, them." She snickered.
"Something I should be aware of?"
"You've got to see it for yourself."
Hi Bees!
I went in to the gym for *another* Push day. I don't usually do these thrice a week, but I was kind of feeling the urge. So Squat day has been moved to Sunday.
Bench Press: 117.5 x 3. Then, 120 x 3.
Incline Press: 87.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 62.5 x 3. Still got the groove.
Dumbbell Alternating Curls: 16 x 24.
Plate Raises: 10 per arm x 6. Trying these out again, to boost shoulder strength.
No gym tomorrow.
Tomorrow we're going to our usual hot pot place for munchies. Beef Station! Om nom nom.
Going to be a quiet, slightly rainy weekend, it seems.
@CODawn I'm a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel. Several of their songs I know by heart!
We made it to Friday, Bees! Treat yourself.
Playing: Pathogenic, of course. Steadily exploring the boundaries of Misery, but it's been punishing progress so far!
Watching: Watched some Peacemaker yesterday, and today I watched a bit of the Damon and Affleck vehicle "The Rip". It's alright so far. A bit cliched, but them's the breaks.
Listening to: Three Dog Night - Shambala. An old, oft-listened to classic. I absolutely love that melody, and the vocal harmonies are great as well!
"Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain
With the rain in Shambala
Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala"
Simmi had ably taken control of the operations, jobs, and intel managing like she used to. Much like slipping into an old pair of shoes, Ox thought. He had never commented on the wiriness of her physique after her time with the Harkavos, as he was trying to avoid being punched in the face. That said, he was pleased to see her putting on more weight, and had remarked a time or two on how much energy she had. The camp had warily welcomed her back; some harbored conspiracy theories, that she was plotting to take over and turn the fledgling mercenary group into her own personal fiefdom. She paid these rumors no mind, and sarcastically said that if she were conquering Carcosa, she would've picked smarter subordinates.
Ox took on the odd job or two as a way of killing time, as well as his anxieties over the wedding. He knew that it wasn't going to be a big occasion; it was simply the Freelancers who cared to show up, several Revolutionaries such as Mamma Roach (but hopefully not that turd Diego), and a few others; presumably the Broker. And so he was lost in thought, browsing the corkboard's pinned jobs, while Simmi watched him.
"I see you've got another job lined up," Simmi said, as Ox tore a memo off the corkboard.
"Seems easy enough. $300 for three cans of beans? Why hasn't someone taken this job already."
"Yeah, that's odd. Where's the job giver?"
"They run a store off of the M81." Simmi was silent a moment.
"Oh, them." She snickered.
"Something I should be aware of?"
"You've got to see it for yourself."
Hi Bees!
I went in to the gym for *another* Push day. I don't usually do these thrice a week, but I was kind of feeling the urge. So Squat day has been moved to Sunday.
Bench Press: 117.5 x 3. Then, 120 x 3.
Incline Press: 87.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 62.5 x 3. Still got the groove.
Dumbbell Alternating Curls: 16 x 24.
Plate Raises: 10 per arm x 6. Trying these out again, to boost shoulder strength.
No gym tomorrow.
Tomorrow we're going to our usual hot pot place for munchies. Beef Station! Om nom nom.
Going to be a quiet, slightly rainy weekend, it seems.
@CODawn I'm a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel. Several of their songs I know by heart!
We made it to Friday, Bees! Treat yourself.
Playing: Pathogenic, of course. Steadily exploring the boundaries of Misery, but it's been punishing progress so far!
Watching: Watched some Peacemaker yesterday, and today I watched a bit of the Damon and Affleck vehicle "The Rip". It's alright so far. A bit cliched, but them's the breaks.
Listening to: Three Dog Night - Shambala. An old, oft-listened to classic. I absolutely love that melody, and the vocal harmonies are great as well!
"Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain
With the rain in Shambala
Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala"
-
GentleOx
-
Last edited:
The three cans of beans in his pack, Ox stood before the bulkhead door off of the M81.
There was a peculiar, haphazard and absolutely gonzo sign with letters of different colours displaying the words "SHOP HERE", while writing scribbled below that said "STORE". Ox was skeptical, and not for the first time, he was aware of how potentially dangerous this could be. Bulkhead doors were the preferred form of ingress into different areas around Carcosa, but like a famous savant had once said in a movie he'd watched, you never knew what you were going to get. Some led to friendly areas, like dwellings, taverns, and bases, while most were the entrances to what he could only describe as dungeons. Ox tentatively opened up the door, glancing one more time at the suspicious sign (methinks the lady doth protest too much, maybe).
Inside, a corridor lead to a shopfront as equally cobbed together as the sign had been. A door to the right was labeled "DO NOT ENTER", and Ox wisely took notice. The store shelves were chock a block with strange assorted merchandise, like cans jellied eels, glass jars with crickets in them, and a stuffed head or two. A bell was on the wooden counter. No one was in sight. Ox struck the bell. It emitted a sharp DING, and not two seconds later, one of the strangest creatures he'd ever encountered in all his travels popped into view. It looked at Ox in an appraising way, and then spoke!
"How can I help you today?
Hello once more, Bees!
It's me, GentleOx. After church I hit the gym for Legs day.
Squats: 90 x 3. Starting small.
Front Squats: 60 x 3.
Hack Squats: 80 x 6.
Leg Extensions: 55 x 6.
Back Extensions: Top set of six reps.
Then came home before it could rain on me.
Yummy ribs for dinner. Mom is watching Midlife Sing and Shine, but I kind of lost interest (don't like any of the contestants).
Tomorrow will be stormy, I may or may not go to the gym. Kinda pooped, to be honest.
The church I go to has this astonishingly cute and pretty woman who sings, and sometimes leads the choir. I've seen her there for at least a year or two, and never worked up the courage to approach her.
I finally did today. I eventually rocked up, engaged in some light conversation, told her I'd see her next Sunday. I didn't get her name, unfortunately. Maybe next time? I'm sure she already has a boyfriend or is married, but I've always wanted to chat with her, so no loss. What a gal!
Hope your weekend has been great, Bees!
Cantonese of the Day: co3 zau6 jiu3 jing6 daa2 zau6 kei5 ding6 錯就要認，打就企定。When you're wrong, admit your mistakes and stand still when beaten (or does it mean punished?). Yikes! I'd actually heard this one before playing a certain GTA clone, and it's good to have it in full context.
Playing: Playing more Misery. I'm revamping my bunker a little and reorganizing all the crap I've collected. Will do so again tonight.
And, *ahem*, some Pathogenic. Beyond those two, there are a few demos calling for my attention, so I'll give 'em a shot.
Watching: I'm nearly finished with The Rip. Will post a review next time I post.
Almost done with Peacemaker, just two episodes to go. What a crazy show!
Listening to: Simon and Garfunkel - I Am a Rock. A big shout-out to @CODawn. I'd forgotten quite a number of S&G songs that I'd listened to back in high school, but I'm listening to them again, and they're still absolutely amazing. It was hard to pick just one song, so I stuck with my absolute favourite, which has been with me for more than three and a half decades. Seriously. Curious how it's about being really closed off and solitary and neurotic, but the melody is so welcoming and warm.
"I've built walls
A fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain
I am a rock I am an island"
There was a peculiar, haphazard and absolutely gonzo sign with letters of different colours displaying the words "SHOP HERE", while writing scribbled below that said "STORE". Ox was skeptical, and not for the first time, he was aware of how potentially dangerous this could be. Bulkhead doors were the preferred form of ingress into different areas around Carcosa, but like a famous savant had once said in a movie he'd watched, you never knew what you were going to get. Some led to friendly areas, like dwellings, taverns, and bases, while most were the entrances to what he could only describe as dungeons. Ox tentatively opened up the door, glancing one more time at the suspicious sign (methinks the lady doth protest too much, maybe).
Inside, a corridor lead to a shopfront as equally cobbed together as the sign had been. A door to the right was labeled "DO NOT ENTER", and Ox wisely took notice. The store shelves were chock a block with strange assorted merchandise, like cans jellied eels, glass jars with crickets in them, and a stuffed head or two. A bell was on the wooden counter. No one was in sight. Ox struck the bell. It emitted a sharp DING, and not two seconds later, one of the strangest creatures he'd ever encountered in all his travels popped into view. It looked at Ox in an appraising way, and then spoke!
"How can I help you today?
Hello once more, Bees!
It's me, GentleOx. After church I hit the gym for Legs day.
Squats: 90 x 3. Starting small.
Front Squats: 60 x 3.
Hack Squats: 80 x 6.
Leg Extensions: 55 x 6.
Back Extensions: Top set of six reps.
Then came home before it could rain on me.
Yummy ribs for dinner. Mom is watching Midlife Sing and Shine, but I kind of lost interest (don't like any of the contestants).
Tomorrow will be stormy, I may or may not go to the gym. Kinda pooped, to be honest.
The church I go to has this astonishingly cute and pretty woman who sings, and sometimes leads the choir. I've seen her there for at least a year or two, and never worked up the courage to approach her.
I finally did today. I eventually rocked up, engaged in some light conversation, told her I'd see her next Sunday. I didn't get her name, unfortunately. Maybe next time? I'm sure she already has a boyfriend or is married, but I've always wanted to chat with her, so no loss. What a gal!
Hope your weekend has been great, Bees!
Cantonese of the Day: co3 zau6 jiu3 jing6 daa2 zau6 kei5 ding6 錯就要認，打就企定。When you're wrong, admit your mistakes and stand still when beaten (or does it mean punished?). Yikes! I'd actually heard this one before playing a certain GTA clone, and it's good to have it in full context.
Playing: Playing more Misery. I'm revamping my bunker a little and reorganizing all the crap I've collected. Will do so again tonight.
And, *ahem*, some Pathogenic. Beyond those two, there are a few demos calling for my attention, so I'll give 'em a shot.
Watching: I'm nearly finished with The Rip. Will post a review next time I post.
Almost done with Peacemaker, just two episodes to go. What a crazy show!
Listening to: Simon and Garfunkel - I Am a Rock. A big shout-out to @CODawn. I'd forgotten quite a number of S&G songs that I'd listened to back in high school, but I'm listening to them again, and they're still absolutely amazing. It was hard to pick just one song, so I stuck with my absolute favourite, which has been with me for more than three and a half decades. Seriously. Curious how it's about being really closed off and solitary and neurotic, but the melody is so welcoming and warm.
"I've built walls
A fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain
I am a rock I am an island"
-
GentleOx
-
Last edited:
Ox was not entirely sure what he was looking at.
It wasn't an Inheritor/lizard person like he was, nor was it a human being. Glowing eyes seemed to watch him from behind a wooden mask. Large antlers jutted out from a head crowned with white hair. Its clothing was no less strange. The shopkeep was wearing a purple tunic, and over that, a green and orange surcoat without any device. It wore armored greaves, and utility belt around its waist did not seem to be for show. Ox couldn't help but gaze at the figure's left hand, which was entirely mechanical. "Hey, take a picture buddy," the figure said sarcastically, "it'll last longer." Ox cleared his throat. "Sorry. Let's start again," he said, a little cowed.
"Welcome to my humble super-emporium. I can tell you are a shrewd business...man? Woman? Eh, gender is just a construct." Ox leaned back, a little more comfortable. He could sense that the... fae meant no harm, and if it had, he likely would've stood no chance. Odd and eccentric it was, but he could sense that it was dangerous, too. "I'm here for the job? The three cans of beans?" The shopkeep perked up, and raised a finger, as if it had remembered something. "Ah yes! Oodles of beans, we're going to have a great time tonight, I'll tell you that. Oh, the things I'll get up to with beans!" Bemused, Ox said, "Something tells me you shouldn't go into specifics." The shopkeep looked at him in the eye with those yellow orbs, and said, slowly and clearly, "They're for dinner." Well, that settles that.
The transaction completed, Ox got ready to leave, but the shopkeep interrupted him. "Was there anything else today? You can browse our fine canned goods selection, stuffed toys, or discount heavy artillery. Oh, and if you find me three frogs, I'll pay you $120!" "Um, no thank you." The shopkeep looked at him, like he was being a nuisance.
"Then f*ck off!"
Hey Bees!
'Tis the Ox of Gentle disposition once more. I hit the gym for another Push workout, and upped the poundages slightly.
Bench Press: 120 x 3. Umf, this sucked. Still working out the movements again.
Incline Press: 90 x 3. I dunno, this felt better.
Overhead Press: 65 x 3.
Dumbbell Dual Curls: 18 x 12. Not bad, not bad.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 11 x 8.
I forgot to do plate raises today. Will do them next time.
It's cooler today, and a little rainy.
The folks upstairs damaged our ceiling awhile back, so next week they're repainting the ceiling - all of it! This means that mom and I are going to have to find lodging for a few days, and stay out of our dirtied home. I wanted to stay in the apartment (to save money), but mom suggested that the obstruction the painting will cause will be too much to bear.
I have a new snack fixation: Peanut M&Ms. No more Smarties! They're not helping my diet, but they're oh so tasty and crunchy and chocolatey! I will have to discontinue eating them altogether soon, as they're slowing my progress.
That said, my weight dropped to 79.1 kg a few days ago - that's the lightest I've been in years.
So maybe more M&Ms is the solution?!
Thank you kindly @JCU.
Stay high and dry, Bees!
Playing: Uh, still Pathogenic, and still lots of Misery. Misery is fun, but also frustrating. It makes more sense as an experience with more players, but I like maintaining my little bunker, all by myself. Oh well, the life of a loner. Some of the moments I've experienced have been absolutely thrilling, too.
Watching: Almost finished with Peacemaker.
Really want to see Buddy, which is a horror parody of Barney, and other children's shows. It looks absolutely nuts, but to its credit, capitalizes on subtle menace bubbling beneath the surface. @JCU It's not showing where I live, but you might want to check it out.
Astonishingly, the filmmakers sagely put together a youtube channel of the faux show! Here's a short from it.
Will watch The Scooby-Doo Project tonight. Had no idea it even existed, and it's supposedly somewhat creepy.
Listening to: Battle Tapes - One Night in Burbank. Been listening to this one a lot. It won't make my workout playlist, but it's quite catchy all the same.
It wasn't an Inheritor/lizard person like he was, nor was it a human being. Glowing eyes seemed to watch him from behind a wooden mask. Large antlers jutted out from a head crowned with white hair. Its clothing was no less strange. The shopkeep was wearing a purple tunic, and over that, a green and orange surcoat without any device. It wore armored greaves, and utility belt around its waist did not seem to be for show. Ox couldn't help but gaze at the figure's left hand, which was entirely mechanical. "Hey, take a picture buddy," the figure said sarcastically, "it'll last longer." Ox cleared his throat. "Sorry. Let's start again," he said, a little cowed.
"Welcome to my humble super-emporium. I can tell you are a shrewd business...man? Woman? Eh, gender is just a construct." Ox leaned back, a little more comfortable. He could sense that the... fae meant no harm, and if it had, he likely would've stood no chance. Odd and eccentric it was, but he could sense that it was dangerous, too. "I'm here for the job? The three cans of beans?" The shopkeep perked up, and raised a finger, as if it had remembered something. "Ah yes! Oodles of beans, we're going to have a great time tonight, I'll tell you that. Oh, the things I'll get up to with beans!" Bemused, Ox said, "Something tells me you shouldn't go into specifics." The shopkeep looked at him in the eye with those yellow orbs, and said, slowly and clearly, "They're for dinner." Well, that settles that.
The transaction completed, Ox got ready to leave, but the shopkeep interrupted him. "Was there anything else today? You can browse our fine canned goods selection, stuffed toys, or discount heavy artillery. Oh, and if you find me three frogs, I'll pay you $120!" "Um, no thank you." The shopkeep looked at him, like he was being a nuisance.
"Then f*ck off!"
Hey Bees!
'Tis the Ox of Gentle disposition once more. I hit the gym for another Push workout, and upped the poundages slightly.
Bench Press: 120 x 3. Umf, this sucked. Still working out the movements again.
Incline Press: 90 x 3. I dunno, this felt better.
Overhead Press: 65 x 3.
Dumbbell Dual Curls: 18 x 12. Not bad, not bad.
Straight Bar Pushdown: 11 x 8.
I forgot to do plate raises today. Will do them next time.
It's cooler today, and a little rainy.
The folks upstairs damaged our ceiling awhile back, so next week they're repainting the ceiling - all of it! This means that mom and I are going to have to find lodging for a few days, and stay out of our dirtied home. I wanted to stay in the apartment (to save money), but mom suggested that the obstruction the painting will cause will be too much to bear.
I have a new snack fixation: Peanut M&Ms. No more Smarties! They're not helping my diet, but they're oh so tasty and crunchy and chocolatey! I will have to discontinue eating them altogether soon, as they're slowing my progress.
That said, my weight dropped to 79.1 kg a few days ago - that's the lightest I've been in years.
So maybe more M&Ms is the solution?!
Thank you kindly @JCU.
Stay high and dry, Bees!
Playing: Uh, still Pathogenic, and still lots of Misery. Misery is fun, but also frustrating. It makes more sense as an experience with more players, but I like maintaining my little bunker, all by myself. Oh well, the life of a loner. Some of the moments I've experienced have been absolutely thrilling, too.
Watching: Almost finished with Peacemaker.
Really want to see Buddy, which is a horror parody of Barney, and other children's shows. It looks absolutely nuts, but to its credit, capitalizes on subtle menace bubbling beneath the surface. @JCU It's not showing where I live, but you might want to check it out.
Astonishingly, the filmmakers sagely put together a youtube channel of the faux show! Here's a short from it.
Will watch The Scooby-Doo Project tonight. Had no idea it even existed, and it's supposedly somewhat creepy.
Listening to: Battle Tapes - One Night in Burbank. Been listening to this one a lot. It won't make my workout playlist, but it's quite catchy all the same.
"So, how was your visit to the shopkeep?"
Simmi had a grin on her face. Ox pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You knew!"
"Of course I did. You knew I knew. And you're practically the only one in Carcosa who didn't."
"So that's what this is? A practical joke?"
"Not intentionally, but you stepped right into the punchline."
Ox set his pack down on the ground and sat on one of the chairs that surrounded the war room table. "Babe, I know it's fun to laugh at Ox, but that... shopkeeper? Yeah, that shopkeeper's no joke. I was so surprised, I could've shot them." Simmi wasn't laughing anymore. "And I'm glad you didn't. That's one of the last things I'd suggest you do." "Why? Because he'd die and we'd be absent another merchant in Carcosa?" "No... not that. I have a feeling the shopkeep is actually really hard to kill, for one. For another, I heard a rumor about a stalker who actually tried to rob the fae at gunpoint." Ox looked up. "And?" "He disappeared. Gone. There was nothing left of him. Whatever that thing is, it's quite dangerous. I'd suggest staying on its good side." Ox shivered. "But enough about that, how did the job go?" Ox finally cracked a smile.
"Easy money."
Hello again, Bees!
Today I went into the gym for a Pull workout. Primarily working on that deadlift.
Deadlifts: 140 x 3. This will be my new working weight moving forward. No more gauging the weight.
Underhand barbell Rows: 90 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 60 x 5.
Pull Ups: Top set of six reps. Auggh, these aggravated my trap pain, for some reason.
Behind the Neck Machine Pulldowns: 55 x 6. Wasn't feeling these today.
So mom and I have found a hotel to stay in temporarily while the paint in our ceilings is getting repaired. I suggested the cheapest place possible, which mom was against, unusually. We settled for a place that's a fifteen minute walk away from our apartment.
Yummy Korean bbq for Saturday. Om nom.
Have to see the shrink tomorrow and refill my prescription.
The weekend is waiting for us, Bees! You've got this.
@JCU Tell me how it is, I'm eagerly awaiting it. But not in cinema here, *sigh*.
Drumming Progress: 119 bpm eighth note doubles. I can feel my hands getting ever so slightly faster.
Writing: 40 pages in for the YA novel.
Playing: Tonight I'll play a little bit of Pathogenic, and some Misery. My adventures in Misery are still punishing, but progress is coming, little by little.
I just snapped up indie FPS Fortune's Run for 6 HKD. If you're an FPS player, probably an absolute bargain to end all other bargains, unfinished though it may be. So why is it that price, anyway? There's a lot of drama and poor decisions mentioned in the developer's increasingly off-the-rail posts on Steam that supposedly explains it. I'm just here for the game, one way or the other.
Also impulsively purchased the weirdly-titled Life Effect Survival. That title could've been one or two words, I figure. Anyway, if I don't conk off to sleep like I usually do, I'll give it a go and report back.
Watching: Resumed watching The Frame, though it kind of drags.
Will resume watching House of the Dragon Season 3, though I'm not particularly looking forward to its approach.
Still haven't finished The Scooby Doo Project, so that may take priority for late night cinema tonight.
Listening to: A double feature, for these two luminaries are no longer in the world with us.
Dolly Parton - Jolene. She had a voice of gold, and a heart to match. A songwriter of unparalleled talent. She never underestimated the power of sheer decency and brilliance. Rest in Peace.
"Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can"
Tim Curry - Sweet Transvestite. He was a demon, a clown, a jerk of a concierge, and also, a strange doctor from Planet Transylvania among many others. The world will never quite see someone like him again. Rest in Peace.
"Don't get strung out by the way that I look
Don't judge a book by its cover
I'm not much of a man by the light of day
But by night I'm one hell of a lover"
Simmi had a grin on her face. Ox pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You knew!"
"Of course I did. You knew I knew. And you're practically the only one in Carcosa who didn't."
"So that's what this is? A practical joke?"
"Not intentionally, but you stepped right into the punchline."
Ox set his pack down on the ground and sat on one of the chairs that surrounded the war room table. "Babe, I know it's fun to laugh at Ox, but that... shopkeeper? Yeah, that shopkeeper's no joke. I was so surprised, I could've shot them." Simmi wasn't laughing anymore. "And I'm glad you didn't. That's one of the last things I'd suggest you do." "Why? Because he'd die and we'd be absent another merchant in Carcosa?" "No... not that. I have a feeling the shopkeep is actually really hard to kill, for one. For another, I heard a rumor about a stalker who actually tried to rob the fae at gunpoint." Ox looked up. "And?" "He disappeared. Gone. There was nothing left of him. Whatever that thing is, it's quite dangerous. I'd suggest staying on its good side." Ox shivered. "But enough about that, how did the job go?" Ox finally cracked a smile.
"Easy money."
Hello again, Bees!
Today I went into the gym for a Pull workout. Primarily working on that deadlift.
Deadlifts: 140 x 3. This will be my new working weight moving forward. No more gauging the weight.
Underhand barbell Rows: 90 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 60 x 5.
Pull Ups: Top set of six reps. Auggh, these aggravated my trap pain, for some reason.
Behind the Neck Machine Pulldowns: 55 x 6. Wasn't feeling these today.
So mom and I have found a hotel to stay in temporarily while the paint in our ceilings is getting repaired. I suggested the cheapest place possible, which mom was against, unusually. We settled for a place that's a fifteen minute walk away from our apartment.
Yummy Korean bbq for Saturday. Om nom.
Have to see the shrink tomorrow and refill my prescription.
The weekend is waiting for us, Bees! You've got this.
@JCU Tell me how it is, I'm eagerly awaiting it. But not in cinema here, *sigh*.
Drumming Progress: 119 bpm eighth note doubles. I can feel my hands getting ever so slightly faster.
Writing: 40 pages in for the YA novel.
Playing: Tonight I'll play a little bit of Pathogenic, and some Misery. My adventures in Misery are still punishing, but progress is coming, little by little.
I just snapped up indie FPS Fortune's Run for 6 HKD. If you're an FPS player, probably an absolute bargain to end all other bargains, unfinished though it may be. So why is it that price, anyway? There's a lot of drama and poor decisions mentioned in the developer's increasingly off-the-rail posts on Steam that supposedly explains it. I'm just here for the game, one way or the other.
Also impulsively purchased the weirdly-titled Life Effect Survival. That title could've been one or two words, I figure. Anyway, if I don't conk off to sleep like I usually do, I'll give it a go and report back.
Watching: Resumed watching The Frame, though it kind of drags.
Will resume watching House of the Dragon Season 3, though I'm not particularly looking forward to its approach.
Still haven't finished The Scooby Doo Project, so that may take priority for late night cinema tonight.
Listening to: A double feature, for these two luminaries are no longer in the world with us.
Dolly Parton - Jolene. She had a voice of gold, and a heart to match. A songwriter of unparalleled talent. She never underestimated the power of sheer decency and brilliance. Rest in Peace.
"Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can"
Tim Curry - Sweet Transvestite. He was a demon, a clown, a jerk of a concierge, and also, a strange doctor from Planet Transylvania among many others. The world will never quite see someone like him again. Rest in Peace.
"Don't get strung out by the way that I look
Don't judge a book by its cover
I'm not much of a man by the light of day
But by night I'm one hell of a lover"
Yes, sad days.
"How's it been being back?"
His fiance shrugged, and leaned on the railing that lined the Observatory walkway. Simmi had been back a week. Ox relished that they could go back to their favourite smoking space conversations at the side of the observatory, though he remembered that the last time they had spoke there, she had been ready to depart, and his heart had been broken. "I love it, of course. I've been here more than a decade, guided the Freelancers through thick and thin, and coming back just reminds me of the ties I have to this place." Ox nodded, and took a cigarette out of its packet, noting the look of longing Simmi threw its way. He lit up, and took a puff, inhaling the cancerous smoke into his lungs. Minty. Simmi beckoned at him and he passed her the smoke, which she promptly took a puff of, herself.
"The whole year I was there, I never lit up one smoke, y'know?" Ox was a little stunned by this. She was more of a casual smoker than he was, but he was used to her smoking a cigarette with him every few days. "Any particular reason for that?" "It was a communal habit for the Harkavos. They did it so often that it ceased to be a conscious action, and became more of a... reflex, if you will." She let out a breath. "And it was disgusting. I'm not referring to the chemicals, which were bad enough. But they and their men tended to smoke the most obnoxiously expensive brands like Drovtsh and Carraway - that one's the most expensive cigar brand you can find." Ox was sussing out her inference. "You mean to say, you associated their smoking with moral decay? Like, there was good smoking - what we're doing, lighting up as more of a social thing, and bad smoking, which the bad people did." She looked back and smiled at him. "That's a touch simplistic, but I like that way of looking at it." He reminded himself that she likely bore trauma she wasn't sharing with him, but all in good time.
Ox took a deep breath. He wanted to avoid being slapped in the face, but the next topic was important.
"Can we talk about your physical health?"
Hello Bees.
I am quite tired after going to the psychiatrist and gym today, but glad I got these things done.
Today was the second Push day of the week. Here's how it went.
Bench Press: 120 x 3. I dunno, felt pretty good.
Incline Press: 90 x 3.
Overhead Press: 65 x 3. These kind of sucked. Just couldn't find the groove with them.
Plate Raises: 10 x 6.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 18 x 14. Good reps, but I screwed up my neck doing these. It's all about the form, Ox, not the weight.
Tomorrow is Korean BBQ noms.
RIP Peter Cullen, fellow Canadian, and the voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, among other characters. Hearing this piece of news deflated me, and made me quite inconsolable. He provided the voice of bar none, one of the most heroic characters in television. I grew up with that voice, and that series, and Cullen was legendary for his vocal skills and range, on par with the equal legendary Frank Welker. Granted, he was an older man, and it seems like he died of natural causes, and yet I'm still heartbroken. He once related something his older brother, a Vietnam veteran said, and this was no more apparent then in his performance as Optimus Prime. Hell, I try to live by these words myself:
"Be strong enough to be gentle."
Glad it's the weekend, Bees. Kick back and take it easy!
Playing: Uh, mostly just Pathogenic and Misery last night. They're my go-to. In Misery, I looted some more goodies from the Bunker biome (which has been one of my tensest horror experiences in years)
Life Effect Survival is tosh, and it runs like rubbish on my system, to boot. Boom! Uninstalled.
Still haven't played Fortune's Run.
Watching: Still haven't watched Rooby rooby - I mean, the Scooby Doo Project. Really need to get on that, it's only 20 minutes of my life.
I finished Peacemaker Season 2, so here's a trailer, summary, synopsis, and review.
The 11th Street Kids celebrate, having halted the Butterflies' world takeover plan. Peacemaker, after a failed attempt to join a new superhero gang in which he is roundly mocked, is dispirited, and this isn't helped by his being rebuffed by his crush, Emilia Harcourt. One day, while exploring his father's armory that opens up into other spaces, he makes a discovery; one of the doors in the armory leads to another dimension similar to his, with some key differences. In this new dimension, his brother is alive, and his father compassionate. After an accidental disaster, Peacemaker makes the fateful decision to live in this other world, little knowing that Argus, and its new leader, Rick Flag Sr., are watching him...
Synopsis: It's more of the same, but when the puerile jokes and heart-on-its-sleeve chemistry is so potent, this is a natural and potent continuation of Peacemaker's story.
If you're not a fan of James Gunn's over the top, stating-the-obvious humour, which is a touch repetitive, then this new entry in the Peacemaker series isn't going to change your mind. It's a serious, heartfelt story shot through with plenty of silliness, and most viewers who didn't like the first season that much will tune out. But where the first season trafficked in a predictable, aliens are out to take over the world kind of threat, this one is more down to earth. Flag Sr. and his gang are memorable antagonists who hound Peacemaker for entirely understandable reasons - even if they do it in the most dickish ways possible (there are some other antagonists later on who are absolute lowest-denominator and function as a hilarious surprise). I want to keep this sentence in mind: most of the people in this series are dicks for different reasons, but they're memorable, in their own way.
This particular scene is emblematic of the show's juvenile humour:
And the series' strongest characteristic, much like its lunk of an antihero, is its heart. It takes awhile for the various dramatic plot threads to cohere, but they resolve themselves in satisfying, heartwarming ways. And I caught myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue, too! There are a few action scenes, but I found them to be pretty bog-standard, and more showcases for gore and comedy than well-staged fights. Cena ably anchors the series because even though he's a musclehead jock (in the show, too), he's still surprisingly relatable and human. I found myself eagerly watching each episode unfold, and my next series on tap is House of the Dragon, which, for all its dragon's hoard of a budget, is not going to be anywhere as good as this one.
I give Peacemaker Season 2 four and a half slices of cold cuts out of five.
Listening to: The Sound - Golden Soldiers. A surprisingly positive from my favourite dour, underrated band. One of those few songs that I learned on the drums, but I'm rusty, so I should give it another go sometime.
"Sun on my face
And I can feel it glow
Some would draw the curtains
Sometimes I'd like to smash those windows open
Sun on my face
And I can feel it glow"
His fiance shrugged, and leaned on the railing that lined the Observatory walkway. Simmi had been back a week. Ox relished that they could go back to their favourite smoking space conversations at the side of the observatory, though he remembered that the last time they had spoke there, she had been ready to depart, and his heart had been broken. "I love it, of course. I've been here more than a decade, guided the Freelancers through thick and thin, and coming back just reminds me of the ties I have to this place." Ox nodded, and took a cigarette out of its packet, noting the look of longing Simmi threw its way. He lit up, and took a puff, inhaling the cancerous smoke into his lungs. Minty. Simmi beckoned at him and he passed her the smoke, which she promptly took a puff of, herself.
"The whole year I was there, I never lit up one smoke, y'know?" Ox was a little stunned by this. She was more of a casual smoker than he was, but he was used to her smoking a cigarette with him every few days. "Any particular reason for that?" "It was a communal habit for the Harkavos. They did it so often that it ceased to be a conscious action, and became more of a... reflex, if you will." She let out a breath. "And it was disgusting. I'm not referring to the chemicals, which were bad enough. But they and their men tended to smoke the most obnoxiously expensive brands like Drovtsh and Carraway - that one's the most expensive cigar brand you can find." Ox was sussing out her inference. "You mean to say, you associated their smoking with moral decay? Like, there was good smoking - what we're doing, lighting up as more of a social thing, and bad smoking, which the bad people did." She looked back and smiled at him. "That's a touch simplistic, but I like that way of looking at it." He reminded himself that she likely bore trauma she wasn't sharing with him, but all in good time.
Ox took a deep breath. He wanted to avoid being slapped in the face, but the next topic was important.
"Can we talk about your physical health?"
Hello Bees.
I am quite tired after going to the psychiatrist and gym today, but glad I got these things done.
Today was the second Push day of the week. Here's how it went.
Bench Press: 120 x 3. I dunno, felt pretty good.
Incline Press: 90 x 3.
Overhead Press: 65 x 3. These kind of sucked. Just couldn't find the groove with them.
Plate Raises: 10 x 6.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 18 x 14. Good reps, but I screwed up my neck doing these. It's all about the form, Ox, not the weight.
Tomorrow is Korean BBQ noms.
RIP Peter Cullen, fellow Canadian, and the voice of Optimus Prime and Eeyore, among other characters. Hearing this piece of news deflated me, and made me quite inconsolable. He provided the voice of bar none, one of the most heroic characters in television. I grew up with that voice, and that series, and Cullen was legendary for his vocal skills and range, on par with the equal legendary Frank Welker. Granted, he was an older man, and it seems like he died of natural causes, and yet I'm still heartbroken. He once related something his older brother, a Vietnam veteran said, and this was no more apparent then in his performance as Optimus Prime. Hell, I try to live by these words myself:
"Be strong enough to be gentle."
Glad it's the weekend, Bees. Kick back and take it easy!
Playing: Uh, mostly just Pathogenic and Misery last night. They're my go-to. In Misery, I looted some more goodies from the Bunker biome (which has been one of my tensest horror experiences in years)
Life Effect Survival is tosh, and it runs like rubbish on my system, to boot. Boom! Uninstalled.
Still haven't played Fortune's Run.
Watching: Still haven't watched Rooby rooby - I mean, the Scooby Doo Project. Really need to get on that, it's only 20 minutes of my life.
I finished Peacemaker Season 2, so here's a trailer, summary, synopsis, and review.
The 11th Street Kids celebrate, having halted the Butterflies' world takeover plan. Peacemaker, after a failed attempt to join a new superhero gang in which he is roundly mocked, is dispirited, and this isn't helped by his being rebuffed by his crush, Emilia Harcourt. One day, while exploring his father's armory that opens up into other spaces, he makes a discovery; one of the doors in the armory leads to another dimension similar to his, with some key differences. In this new dimension, his brother is alive, and his father compassionate. After an accidental disaster, Peacemaker makes the fateful decision to live in this other world, little knowing that Argus, and its new leader, Rick Flag Sr., are watching him...
Synopsis: It's more of the same, but when the puerile jokes and heart-on-its-sleeve chemistry is so potent, this is a natural and potent continuation of Peacemaker's story.
If you're not a fan of James Gunn's over the top, stating-the-obvious humour, which is a touch repetitive, then this new entry in the Peacemaker series isn't going to change your mind. It's a serious, heartfelt story shot through with plenty of silliness, and most viewers who didn't like the first season that much will tune out. But where the first season trafficked in a predictable, aliens are out to take over the world kind of threat, this one is more down to earth. Flag Sr. and his gang are memorable antagonists who hound Peacemaker for entirely understandable reasons - even if they do it in the most dickish ways possible (there are some other antagonists later on who are absolute lowest-denominator and function as a hilarious surprise). I want to keep this sentence in mind: most of the people in this series are dicks for different reasons, but they're memorable, in their own way.
This particular scene is emblematic of the show's juvenile humour:
And the series' strongest characteristic, much like its lunk of an antihero, is its heart. It takes awhile for the various dramatic plot threads to cohere, but they resolve themselves in satisfying, heartwarming ways. And I caught myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue, too! There are a few action scenes, but I found them to be pretty bog-standard, and more showcases for gore and comedy than well-staged fights. Cena ably anchors the series because even though he's a musclehead jock (in the show, too), he's still surprisingly relatable and human. I found myself eagerly watching each episode unfold, and my next series on tap is House of the Dragon, which, for all its dragon's hoard of a budget, is not going to be anywhere as good as this one.
I give Peacemaker Season 2 four and a half slices of cold cuts out of five.
Listening to: The Sound - Golden Soldiers. A surprisingly positive from my favourite dour, underrated band. One of those few songs that I learned on the drums, but I'm rusty, so I should give it another go sometime.
"Sun on my face
And I can feel it glow
Some would draw the curtains
Sometimes I'd like to smash those windows open
Sun on my face
And I can feel it glow"
"You've noticed, have you. I've lost a lot of weight."
To her credit, she didn't sock him, or seem offended. But this response was a little blase, and Ox said as much to her. He also asked her how it had happened - if it was a gradual change, or if she'd set out to be lean and mean.
"It was not a decision, no. When everything started, I actually did make a decision to keep in shape, and to keep the knife sharp, so to speak. Things didn't work out that way, sadly. I was kept very busy, handled decisions of surprising consequence, and not exactly starved of quality food, but not granted a healthy diet. The Harkavos consume, much like with all their affairs, in excess. They had steak tartare, caviar, and plenty of red wine for their evening meals. It was the stuff of decadence. And while I joined in at first, out of necessity, there came a point where the food felt more like bile than it did anything nutritious.
Remember the smoking? Not quite the same thing, but there were echoes of it. I didn't want to eat the shit they were partaking in, to engage with that salaciousness. So I didn't. I ate in a very spartan sense. I pared my daily needs back to what I *needed* to eat, and after that, eating was more of a chore than a need. Fruit. Oatmeal. Vegetables. The occasional chicken breast. But it wasn't exactly healthy. My beloved Ox, I was sad, depressed even. And where some people overindulged, for me, taking care of myself was more of a privilege than a necessity." Ox was heartbroken to hear this, and at something of a loss for words.
"Are you very concerned?"
She poked him, and he surrendered the cigarette again. That she felt safe to smoke, and more importantly, tell him all these things after her ordeal, was both telling and comforting. Ox looked across the sea to see if he could catch any glimpse of the mainland, but the seas were vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, and placid and calm and eternal. "First of all, I love you no matter how you look. I know you. I know that given time, things will calm down again. You're safe now, and you can take care of yourself again. I have faith, and I have faith in you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a smoky scent. "By the way, the wedding is in two weeks."
Oh shit.
Hey Bees!
I didn't go to the gym on Sunday - I was a little sick with the sniffles, and my tummy was feeling odd, so I stayed at home.
Hit the gym again today and didn't regret it: Push day.
Bench Press: 122.5 x 3. Pretty good.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 3. Waaaah, this sucks. But the only solution is to do more of it.
Overhead Skullcrushers: 30 x 6. These were tougher than they used to be, but I'll build them up again, as they feel great.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: Just started with six reps. Will up it to eight next time, as they felt great.
Lots of little errands to run and things to adjust with the painters coming in on Thursday. Our hotel room for our staycation has already been booked.
You ever have that frustrating feeling when you just want the day to end? Some days I feel like I'm counting the minutes until I can curl up in bed again, get on Reddit, and not have to worry about tomorrow.
It's a shame how even though I take lots of medication and engage in lots of self care (gymming, reading, drumming, good food), I still get depressed fairly frequently. I guess that at the end of the day, it's not about preventing it altogether; it's about preventing it from getting worse. And I have definitely experienced worse.
Hope your week is starting well, Bees.
The Funnies: I've never heard such a foul-mouthed Elmo before. WARNING: Profanity, obviously. But it's pretty funny.
Cantonese: Hohng6 Muk4 - Item (not physical); an entry. Example: Hah yat go hohng muk yiu seungleung hah haih ni go zi taih (I'm too lazy to include the inflections): The next item we need to discuss is this issue. (Thanks to mum for helping me define this one).
A reflection: I didn't have to restart my Cantonese learning when I came back to Hong Kong. There are a surprising number of FBCs like me who never learned it growing up, only they choose not to. I felt an enormous amount of shame that I could never communicate with the language, hence my drive to learn it as well as I could. A lot of what I pick up is contextually learned, but sometimes even context fails me. I never decided to completely abandon my attempt, in all my years here. And when I move on to other pastures, I'll continue to learn it.
Playing: Uh, more of the same. Pathogenic and Misery. Tried some demos, though!
Horripilant is a dungeon crawler cum adventure game (or is it the other way around?); the two genres are tightly interwoven in this grimy, pixel-fest that harkens back to the first person dungeon crawling games of old. It's clear a lot of love went into even this demo, so for now, Boom! It Stays, and I'll play it s'more.
Ground Zero Hero is an attractively presented survivor game with a post-apocalyptic twist. I can't stand the survivor genre. Boom! Uninstalled.
"SHUT UP CLIFFYB OR IT'S BACK TO THE DUNGEON WITH YOU"
Guns 'n Goblins is a FP survival shooter with an interesting, base-building twist. I didn't find it very satisfying, though. Boom! Uninstalled.
Watching: I finished the Scooby Doo project. Here's the full film on youtube (it's only 27 minutes), as well as a synopsis, summary, and review!
The Scooby Doo gang hears that a certain forest is haunted. They set out in their van to document their investigation, and film themselves every step of the way. However, as the days pass, and the group struggles to survive the forest, they realize that they're not alone.
Their footage was found at the edge of the forest, along with their abandoned van.
Summary: It's a cute spoof on the Blair Witch Project, and its gentle ribbing very occasionally gives way to surprising spooks.
So this was made by Casper Kelly, who's the director of the recent Buddy movie, and who has a history of making very clever, meta, and fourth-wall boundary pushing projects (Too Many Cooks is the most well-known). You can see the incipient hints of that genius here. On its own, minus the Scooby gang, this is a very competent re-do of The Blair Witch Project. All the story beats and touches are there, and faithfully replicated. What this special has that the Blair Witch Project didn't is the Scooby Doo gang!
The whole gang's there, and very willing to chime in on their exploits, thoughts, and feelings as the journey grows long and the terror ramps up. I'm not a faithful Scooby Doo fan (apart from the fact that he's a great dane, one of my favourite breeds), but the narration and comments from each of the gang (who show up as cartoons in the film) helps to make the dour footage more light-hearted than it would otherwise be. The familiar found footage beats are there: the gang gets lost in the woods, they get more and more exasperated with each other, and something spooky is going on. If you haven't seen The Blair Witch Project, it would be a crime to give more away.
Is it scary? I didn't think so, but some of it is a little creepy, even though the gang injects much-needed levity. Again, this has to do with the found footage perspective matching much of The Blair Witch's intensity. I'm not sure I would show it to children (too late, it was broadcast on Cartoon Network). All in all, a faithful homage to The Blair Witch Project that ribs on it at the same time.
I give The Scooby Doo Project three and a half Scooby snacks (naturally) out of five.
Listening to: Polystation - Glados. Some gentle synth to see out the day.
To her credit, she didn't sock him, or seem offended. But this response was a little blase, and Ox said as much to her. He also asked her how it had happened - if it was a gradual change, or if she'd set out to be lean and mean.
"It was not a decision, no. When everything started, I actually did make a decision to keep in shape, and to keep the knife sharp, so to speak. Things didn't work out that way, sadly. I was kept very busy, handled decisions of surprising consequence, and not exactly starved of quality food, but not granted a healthy diet. The Harkavos consume, much like with all their affairs, in excess. They had steak tartare, caviar, and plenty of red wine for their evening meals. It was the stuff of decadence. And while I joined in at first, out of necessity, there came a point where the food felt more like bile than it did anything nutritious.
Remember the smoking? Not quite the same thing, but there were echoes of it. I didn't want to eat the shit they were partaking in, to engage with that salaciousness. So I didn't. I ate in a very spartan sense. I pared my daily needs back to what I *needed* to eat, and after that, eating was more of a chore than a need. Fruit. Oatmeal. Vegetables. The occasional chicken breast. But it wasn't exactly healthy. My beloved Ox, I was sad, depressed even. And where some people overindulged, for me, taking care of myself was more of a privilege than a necessity." Ox was heartbroken to hear this, and at something of a loss for words.
"Are you very concerned?"
She poked him, and he surrendered the cigarette again. That she felt safe to smoke, and more importantly, tell him all these things after her ordeal, was both telling and comforting. Ox looked across the sea to see if he could catch any glimpse of the mainland, but the seas were vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, and placid and calm and eternal. "First of all, I love you no matter how you look. I know you. I know that given time, things will calm down again. You're safe now, and you can take care of yourself again. I have faith, and I have faith in you." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a smoky scent. "By the way, the wedding is in two weeks."
Oh shit.
Hey Bees!
I didn't go to the gym on Sunday - I was a little sick with the sniffles, and my tummy was feeling odd, so I stayed at home.
Hit the gym again today and didn't regret it: Push day.
Bench Press: 122.5 x 3. Pretty good.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 67.5 x 3. Waaaah, this sucks. But the only solution is to do more of it.
Overhead Skullcrushers: 30 x 6. These were tougher than they used to be, but I'll build them up again, as they feel great.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: Just started with six reps. Will up it to eight next time, as they felt great.
Lots of little errands to run and things to adjust with the painters coming in on Thursday. Our hotel room for our staycation has already been booked.
You ever have that frustrating feeling when you just want the day to end? Some days I feel like I'm counting the minutes until I can curl up in bed again, get on Reddit, and not have to worry about tomorrow.
It's a shame how even though I take lots of medication and engage in lots of self care (gymming, reading, drumming, good food), I still get depressed fairly frequently. I guess that at the end of the day, it's not about preventing it altogether; it's about preventing it from getting worse. And I have definitely experienced worse.
Hope your week is starting well, Bees.
The Funnies: I've never heard such a foul-mouthed Elmo before. WARNING: Profanity, obviously. But it's pretty funny.
Cantonese: Hohng6 Muk4 - Item (not physical); an entry. Example: Hah yat go hohng muk yiu seungleung hah haih ni go zi taih (I'm too lazy to include the inflections): The next item we need to discuss is this issue. (Thanks to mum for helping me define this one).
A reflection: I didn't have to restart my Cantonese learning when I came back to Hong Kong. There are a surprising number of FBCs like me who never learned it growing up, only they choose not to. I felt an enormous amount of shame that I could never communicate with the language, hence my drive to learn it as well as I could. A lot of what I pick up is contextually learned, but sometimes even context fails me. I never decided to completely abandon my attempt, in all my years here. And when I move on to other pastures, I'll continue to learn it.
Playing: Uh, more of the same. Pathogenic and Misery. Tried some demos, though!
Horripilant is a dungeon crawler cum adventure game (or is it the other way around?); the two genres are tightly interwoven in this grimy, pixel-fest that harkens back to the first person dungeon crawling games of old. It's clear a lot of love went into even this demo, so for now, Boom! It Stays, and I'll play it s'more.
Ground Zero Hero is an attractively presented survivor game with a post-apocalyptic twist. I can't stand the survivor genre. Boom! Uninstalled.
"SHUT UP CLIFFYB OR IT'S BACK TO THE DUNGEON WITH YOU"
Guns 'n Goblins is a FP survival shooter with an interesting, base-building twist. I didn't find it very satisfying, though. Boom! Uninstalled.
Watching: I finished the Scooby Doo project. Here's the full film on youtube (it's only 27 minutes), as well as a synopsis, summary, and review!
The Scooby Doo gang hears that a certain forest is haunted. They set out in their van to document their investigation, and film themselves every step of the way. However, as the days pass, and the group struggles to survive the forest, they realize that they're not alone.
Their footage was found at the edge of the forest, along with their abandoned van.
Summary: It's a cute spoof on the Blair Witch Project, and its gentle ribbing very occasionally gives way to surprising spooks.
So this was made by Casper Kelly, who's the director of the recent Buddy movie, and who has a history of making very clever, meta, and fourth-wall boundary pushing projects (Too Many Cooks is the most well-known). You can see the incipient hints of that genius here. On its own, minus the Scooby gang, this is a very competent re-do of The Blair Witch Project. All the story beats and touches are there, and faithfully replicated. What this special has that the Blair Witch Project didn't is the Scooby Doo gang!
The whole gang's there, and very willing to chime in on their exploits, thoughts, and feelings as the journey grows long and the terror ramps up. I'm not a faithful Scooby Doo fan (apart from the fact that he's a great dane, one of my favourite breeds), but the narration and comments from each of the gang (who show up as cartoons in the film) helps to make the dour footage more light-hearted than it would otherwise be. The familiar found footage beats are there: the gang gets lost in the woods, they get more and more exasperated with each other, and something spooky is going on. If you haven't seen The Blair Witch Project, it would be a crime to give more away.
Is it scary? I didn't think so, but some of it is a little creepy, even though the gang injects much-needed levity. Again, this has to do with the found footage perspective matching much of The Blair Witch's intensity. I'm not sure I would show it to children (too late, it was broadcast on Cartoon Network). All in all, a faithful homage to The Blair Witch Project that ribs on it at the same time.
I give The Scooby Doo Project three and a half Scooby snacks (naturally) out of five.
Listening to: Polystation - Glados. Some gentle synth to see out the day.
"Yeowch!"
Ox flinched as the needle found his flesh. "Hey, you could do some serious damage with that thing." The seamster was crouched below him, and glared at him. If looks could kill, indeed. "Stop whining, little Ox. Ivan is the best in his trade, this side of the EDP." The broker was standing in front of them, smoking another of his cigars. The bodyguards traded amused looks, and Ox had endured almost too much. He shifted a little, the black fabric stretching slightly. Ivan tsked and shook his head, saying something in Russian. The broker barked out a laugh. "He says there are children braver than you." "You think I'm not..." Ox paused for a moment.
One week to go. Much as he would be more comfortable in his own fatigues, that would not do. He could not think of a place that would produce suitable finery for him, so feeling a little lost, he had consulted Simmi. Calling in a small favour with the broker (Ox thought this was a delight for the mafioso), she had sent him over to his bunker to get fitted for a tuxedo. That was not the problem. Getting married had seemed like this distant event, like an abstract that would never be real. But it was certainly becoming very real, and the fitting cemented it in his eyes. Was he afraid? Much as he loved Simmi and their relationship, he very much was. The seamster finally stepped back. He, the broker, and the two guards eyed Ox with undisguised appraisal. "You're going to be the belle of the ball!" The broker chortled.
Ox had never felt more exposed and embarrassed than in that moment.
Hey again Bees!
I'm back with another Pull day, so here it is.
Deadlifts: 140 x 3. Just right.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 95 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 62.5 x 5. May retire these for now, as they seem to be aggravating my trap/collarbone issues.
Pullups (yes, actual pullups): Top set of three.
Inverted Pullups: Top set of ten reps.
I absolutely love how the sun is coming down now, painting the city an orange hue.
Tomorrow the painters are coming in, so we're going to have to move into a hotel in the afternoon. We've stripped the house as best we can, and I'm going to have to take apart my computer (sigh) tonight.
I don't know if I will update again later this week, but I'll certainly try to.
@Dyneti It's a term I modified. It means Foreign Born Chinese.
Hope your week is going great, Bees!
Playing: The usual suspects, but I also purchased Wizard with a Gun (that sounds like a title for a 70s acid trip), which is a survival isometric shooter. It'll likely occupy my time for days to come.
In Misery, I'm still stockpiling my resources and hunting beasts. The factory biome is actually quite murderous, and there have been a few times that I haven't made it out. This 'ol rusty Kalashnikov is not doing the job properly. Good thing I have plenty of ammunition!
Watching: Thoroughly engrossed in Invincible Season 3. What a quality series. The writing is sharp and deft, and the moral dilemmas are not mere child's play.
Listening to: REO Speedwagon - Back On the Road Again. Another Ox classic, which I heard from watching Supernatural episodes back in the day. Supernatural! Man, that series was a trip. I lost interest... I don't remember after which season. It was after the big apocalypse arc, I recall.
"Please don't hate me mama for what I'm about to do
But the good times we've had together are just about now through
Please don't misunderstand me, I hate to see you cry
But I think that it might look better if I told you now goodbye"
Ox flinched as the needle found his flesh. "Hey, you could do some serious damage with that thing." The seamster was crouched below him, and glared at him. If looks could kill, indeed. "Stop whining, little Ox. Ivan is the best in his trade, this side of the EDP." The broker was standing in front of them, smoking another of his cigars. The bodyguards traded amused looks, and Ox had endured almost too much. He shifted a little, the black fabric stretching slightly. Ivan tsked and shook his head, saying something in Russian. The broker barked out a laugh. "He says there are children braver than you." "You think I'm not..." Ox paused for a moment.
One week to go. Much as he would be more comfortable in his own fatigues, that would not do. He could not think of a place that would produce suitable finery for him, so feeling a little lost, he had consulted Simmi. Calling in a small favour with the broker (Ox thought this was a delight for the mafioso), she had sent him over to his bunker to get fitted for a tuxedo. That was not the problem. Getting married had seemed like this distant event, like an abstract that would never be real. But it was certainly becoming very real, and the fitting cemented it in his eyes. Was he afraid? Much as he loved Simmi and their relationship, he very much was. The seamster finally stepped back. He, the broker, and the two guards eyed Ox with undisguised appraisal. "You're going to be the belle of the ball!" The broker chortled.
Ox had never felt more exposed and embarrassed than in that moment.
Hey again Bees!
I'm back with another Pull day, so here it is.
Deadlifts: 140 x 3. Just right.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 95 x 6.
Meadows Rows: 62.5 x 5. May retire these for now, as they seem to be aggravating my trap/collarbone issues.
Pullups (yes, actual pullups): Top set of three.
Inverted Pullups: Top set of ten reps.
I absolutely love how the sun is coming down now, painting the city an orange hue.
Tomorrow the painters are coming in, so we're going to have to move into a hotel in the afternoon. We've stripped the house as best we can, and I'm going to have to take apart my computer (sigh) tonight.
I don't know if I will update again later this week, but I'll certainly try to.
@Dyneti It's a term I modified. It means Foreign Born Chinese.
Hope your week is going great, Bees!
Playing: The usual suspects, but I also purchased Wizard with a Gun (that sounds like a title for a 70s acid trip), which is a survival isometric shooter. It'll likely occupy my time for days to come.
In Misery, I'm still stockpiling my resources and hunting beasts. The factory biome is actually quite murderous, and there have been a few times that I haven't made it out. This 'ol rusty Kalashnikov is not doing the job properly. Good thing I have plenty of ammunition!
Watching: Thoroughly engrossed in Invincible Season 3. What a quality series. The writing is sharp and deft, and the moral dilemmas are not mere child's play.
Listening to: REO Speedwagon - Back On the Road Again. Another Ox classic, which I heard from watching Supernatural episodes back in the day. Supernatural! Man, that series was a trip. I lost interest... I don't remember after which season. It was after the big apocalypse arc, I recall.
"Please don't hate me mama for what I'm about to do
But the good times we've had together are just about now through
Please don't misunderstand me, I hate to see you cry
But I think that it might look better if I told you now goodbye"
Aaaaah, the dreaded suit/dress fitting... Don't worry, story-Ox, you're not the only one who fears the tailor's needles, LOL!
Hello, Bees!
I'm going to give my Ox a break until next time, though this is also because I'm without a keyboard, and reduced to pecking away at my smartphone.
Anyways, I made time to hit the gym for a Push day.
Bench Press: 122.5 x 3. 125 x 3. Felt like rubbish today.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 67.5 x 3.
Skullcrushers: 30 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 14.
The hotel is alright, and it's nice to be in a pampered place such as this. I've got my own bed to myself and everything, and my gym is nearby, of course. Tomorrow I'll check out and head back home with mom.
Today's session at the gym was kind of lackluster, likely because I've mostly been eating too much candy. While at the hotel, I've severed my candy fix, and am back to watching my diet. Mostly.
The workers are done with the repair work, so mom and I are going to put everything back in their proper places tomorrow. Not relishing the work, but it's got to be done.
Kind of craving pizza.
Have a great weekend, Bees!
Playing: Because I'm away from my PC, I haven't been able to play anything. Grr...
Watching: Some Invincible at the gym, and may start Hokum tonight.
Listening to: Paul Draper - Omega Man (feat Steve Wilson). The problem with having an increasingly large music library is that you tend to acquire songs, forget you had them, and then promptly find them again randomly. This brooding synthpop treat is well composed and catchy. Not sure how I first heard of it, though.
"Sometimes I don't care about the future
It's just time to come and things unknown
Starry eyes
But the sounds of trains and summer rain
They serve to take me back to where I always feel at home
And where I always will belong
The bruising of my mind"
I'm going to give my Ox a break until next time, though this is also because I'm without a keyboard, and reduced to pecking away at my smartphone.
Anyways, I made time to hit the gym for a Push day.
Bench Press: 122.5 x 3. 125 x 3. Felt like rubbish today.
Incline Press: 92.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 67.5 x 3.
Skullcrushers: 30 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 14.
The hotel is alright, and it's nice to be in a pampered place such as this. I've got my own bed to myself and everything, and my gym is nearby, of course. Tomorrow I'll check out and head back home with mom.
Today's session at the gym was kind of lackluster, likely because I've mostly been eating too much candy. While at the hotel, I've severed my candy fix, and am back to watching my diet. Mostly.
The workers are done with the repair work, so mom and I are going to put everything back in their proper places tomorrow. Not relishing the work, but it's got to be done.
Kind of craving pizza.
Have a great weekend, Bees!
Playing: Because I'm away from my PC, I haven't been able to play anything. Grr...
Watching: Some Invincible at the gym, and may start Hokum tonight.
Listening to: Paul Draper - Omega Man (feat Steve Wilson). The problem with having an increasingly large music library is that you tend to acquire songs, forget you had them, and then promptly find them again randomly. This brooding synthpop treat is well composed and catchy. Not sure how I first heard of it, though.
"Sometimes I don't care about the future
It's just time to come and things unknown
Starry eyes
But the sounds of trains and summer rain
They serve to take me back to where I always feel at home
And where I always will belong
The bruising of my mind"
Ox moaned in pain.
He lay on his back, and not a single part of his body didn't hurt. Little bits and pieces that were hard and sharp were digging into his body where he lay. His head felt like it had been an anvil, struck by a hammer repeatedly. He could hear the sounds of conversation, footsteps, and people going about their daily tasks. And the occasional snicker and laugh. His limbs were leaden and stiff, and he forced his hand to his head, massaging his swollen temple. He raised his head and looked around. He was at the entrance to the Observatory camp. There was a body next to -- it stirred. It was Howie, who seemed to be less debilitated. Howie slowly sat up and looked around. He spied Ox on the ground next to him.
"Glad to see you're alright, Boss." Ox didn't know if "alright" accurately described how he felt, but he was, unfortunately, alive, and suffering from the worst hangover he'd ever experienced. He emitted a low moan. Howie nodded, in commiseration. "The crew left me here to make sure you were okay." He was most definitely not okay. Simmi was going to kill him when she saw him in this wretched state. He looked to Howie, willing him to understand, all so that he wouldn't have to speak. Wait. He looked down, aware of the wind on his skin. He was in his skivvies, and they were shot through with... mud and grass stains. What had happened? "So Simmi showed up to see how we were. When the gang asked if she wanted you moved back to your bed, she said to leave you there. Then she laughed!" Oh, great.
"But hey, at least we had one big hurrah before you tie the knot tomorrow!"
Greetings, Bees!
The Ox is back in town! Back in my own home and bed, and ready to rock.
Today was a new week, and a Push day, so I upped the weights slightly.
Bench Press: 125 x 3. Better than before.
Incline Press: 95 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 3. These gave me less trouble than I expected.
Skullcrushers: 32.5 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 14. Ugh. A slog.
It's my birthday on Friday! We're having yummy Korean food at one of our favourite restaurants to celebrate. Om nom nom.
A reflection: Writing these posts as I have for the last five or six years is obviously not just a way to record my workouts. When you see my posts, they're very verbose and wordy and that may turn some people off.
But I kind of like this format and the work that I put into my posts. I didn't originally plan to include micro stories at the beginning of each post, it just... happened. And I happen to enjoy writing, which again, is evidenced by how long my posts are.
So I'm going to continue with this long-running experiment of mine, as writing these posts is a small form of therapy, and a part of my life that I can't easily give up anymore. And if you get a kick out of my many musings, then I am content.
Super sleepy. Logged 18000 steps today.
Hope your week is going well, Bees!
Drumming: 126 on doubles eighth notes.
Playing: I only played Misery last night. No Pathogenic, which is quite unusual. May play some Wizard with a Gun tonight, time allowing.
In Misery, I continue to refine my base and search for loot. My expeditions produce resources which allow me to go on further expeditions. It's a loop for now, but I have faith that there are more parts of the game I have yet to explore.
A bonanzo of demos. I have the 5 minute test - if a demo doesn't sell me within 5 minutes of gameplay, than it's likely not for me. Some games I've discarded even sooner (within getting a sense of their controls, or how they actually feel in motion).
Athanasia: It's an interesting Immersive Sim with Deus Ex's DNA running through its veins. But it just didn't grab me. Boom! Uninstalled.
Brigador Killers: I gave this one another shake. It reminds me a little bit of Fallout in its art design. It's a substantial demo and deserves a few more runthroughs. But for now, I'm out of content, so it's a Boom! Uninstalled for now.
Cold Sweat: A low poly extraction shooter. Not much that hasn't been done before. Boom! Uninstalled.
Mayday: A survival game which is handsomely presented. Still, it's not totally up my alley, so for now, Boom! Uninstalled.
Watching: Steadily making my way through Invincible (great), and House of the Dragon (kinda crappy).
Listening to: Big Freedia - Karaoke (ft. Lizzo). How about some of the unique hip hop vibes of Queen Diva Big Freedia? Funny enough, this one functions as a workout song for me. That chorus is simply gold. And I love that the video gives attention to black * and * white people!
"Touch down on the stage you know a bitch ain’t come to play
Clap clap when I sing so I know that you’re feelin me
If you live this loud show it show it show it
It’s ya moment now
Sing it sing it sing it shout"
He lay on his back, and not a single part of his body didn't hurt. Little bits and pieces that were hard and sharp were digging into his body where he lay. His head felt like it had been an anvil, struck by a hammer repeatedly. He could hear the sounds of conversation, footsteps, and people going about their daily tasks. And the occasional snicker and laugh. His limbs were leaden and stiff, and he forced his hand to his head, massaging his swollen temple. He raised his head and looked around. He was at the entrance to the Observatory camp. There was a body next to -- it stirred. It was Howie, who seemed to be less debilitated. Howie slowly sat up and looked around. He spied Ox on the ground next to him.
"Glad to see you're alright, Boss." Ox didn't know if "alright" accurately described how he felt, but he was, unfortunately, alive, and suffering from the worst hangover he'd ever experienced. He emitted a low moan. Howie nodded, in commiseration. "The crew left me here to make sure you were okay." He was most definitely not okay. Simmi was going to kill him when she saw him in this wretched state. He looked to Howie, willing him to understand, all so that he wouldn't have to speak. Wait. He looked down, aware of the wind on his skin. He was in his skivvies, and they were shot through with... mud and grass stains. What had happened? "So Simmi showed up to see how we were. When the gang asked if she wanted you moved back to your bed, she said to leave you there. Then she laughed!" Oh, great.
"But hey, at least we had one big hurrah before you tie the knot tomorrow!"
Greetings, Bees!
The Ox is back in town! Back in my own home and bed, and ready to rock.
Today was a new week, and a Push day, so I upped the weights slightly.
Bench Press: 125 x 3. Better than before.
Incline Press: 95 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 3. These gave me less trouble than I expected.
Skullcrushers: 32.5 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 14. Ugh. A slog.
It's my birthday on Friday! We're having yummy Korean food at one of our favourite restaurants to celebrate. Om nom nom.
A reflection: Writing these posts as I have for the last five or six years is obviously not just a way to record my workouts. When you see my posts, they're very verbose and wordy and that may turn some people off.
But I kind of like this format and the work that I put into my posts. I didn't originally plan to include micro stories at the beginning of each post, it just... happened. And I happen to enjoy writing, which again, is evidenced by how long my posts are.
So I'm going to continue with this long-running experiment of mine, as writing these posts is a small form of therapy, and a part of my life that I can't easily give up anymore. And if you get a kick out of my many musings, then I am content.
Super sleepy. Logged 18000 steps today.
Hope your week is going well, Bees!
Drumming: 126 on doubles eighth notes.
Playing: I only played Misery last night. No Pathogenic, which is quite unusual. May play some Wizard with a Gun tonight, time allowing.
In Misery, I continue to refine my base and search for loot. My expeditions produce resources which allow me to go on further expeditions. It's a loop for now, but I have faith that there are more parts of the game I have yet to explore.
A bonanzo of demos. I have the 5 minute test - if a demo doesn't sell me within 5 minutes of gameplay, than it's likely not for me. Some games I've discarded even sooner (within getting a sense of their controls, or how they actually feel in motion).
Athanasia: It's an interesting Immersive Sim with Deus Ex's DNA running through its veins. But it just didn't grab me. Boom! Uninstalled.
Brigador Killers: I gave this one another shake. It reminds me a little bit of Fallout in its art design. It's a substantial demo and deserves a few more runthroughs. But for now, I'm out of content, so it's a Boom! Uninstalled for now.
Cold Sweat: A low poly extraction shooter. Not much that hasn't been done before. Boom! Uninstalled.
Mayday: A survival game which is handsomely presented. Still, it's not totally up my alley, so for now, Boom! Uninstalled.
Watching: Steadily making my way through Invincible (great), and House of the Dragon (kinda crappy).
Listening to: Big Freedia - Karaoke (ft. Lizzo). How about some of the unique hip hop vibes of Queen Diva Big Freedia? Funny enough, this one functions as a workout song for me. That chorus is simply gold. And I love that the video gives attention to black * and * white people!
"Touch down on the stage you know a bitch ain’t come to play
Clap clap when I sing so I know that you’re feelin me
If you live this loud show it show it show it
It’s ya moment now
Sing it sing it sing it shout"
Ox was in disbelief.
No, there were no disasters or attacks or calamities going on. He was experiencing his own wedding, moment by moment, and there was no other place he would rather be. The wedding guests were largely the Freelancer community, the Revolutionaries, and a few surprise guests. Rozga was sitting in the front, and gave Ox a thumbs up when he caught his eye. Doctor Mosby was watching intently, his attention unwavering. Surprise guest Maris was standing in the back, well away from the other guests, a small smile on her face. One would think that the Insurgents or the Stalkers would take this opportunity to spring an attack, but the heavy security had deterred them, it seemed.
The wedding was held in the square outside of the observatory, with the shacks and lean-tos obligingly cleared away. It turned out that one of their number, Craw, had been a priest in his past life, and this being no official country, his former training would do. Simmi seemed to glide down the aisle, arm in arm with the Broker. Mask aside, he seemed particularly pleased and amiable. With no maternal figures in his life, Mamma Roach had stepped up and offered to take him down the aisle; her mechanical leg clanked with each step. The actual ceremony went by swiftly, punctuated with hoots and cheers by the watching stalkers.
"Simmi, do you promise to guide and nurture this Gentle Ox, until the very end?" Simmi was absolutely radiant. Her natural features were enhanced, not covered, with some light makeup, and it was beautiful to see her smiling again. "I do," she said warmly. "Gentle Ox, do you promise to protect and devote yourself to Simmi until the end of your days?" Ox did not smile. The solemnity of the occasion had pierced him. "I do. Now and always." He and Simmi placed their rings, and then came that moment.
"I hereby declare you to be husband and wife. You may kiss."
Simmi and Ox kissed each other.
Hola, Bees!
The Ox is back in town, and I hit the weights hard, but differently today. Today was a Pull day.
Machine Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 60 x 5.
Deadlifts: 145 x 3. Urgh. Doable, but tough.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 100 x 5. Worked up to five reps today.
Machine One Armed Rows: 75 x 5.
Prone Snow Angels: Five sets of ten reps. I felt like these were a good way to cool down and end the workout. Will probably keep on doing these.
My collarbone muscles are still in some pain, so I left the Meadows Rows off the menu for tonight.
I forgot to do pull ups. Just forgot. Will have to do them next time, I guess. I feel like the Snow Angels will lead to good things, for some reason.
Tomorrow we're having a Korean buffet dinner! My birthday is on Friday, but it's cheaper to eat on Thursday night, so go figure.
Have a great day, Bees!
Playing: Uh, mostly Misery. Lots of failed expeditions, lots of rage quitting. I'm trying to obtain a randomly spawned, rare weapon, so that I may level any monsters and ghoulies that get in my path.
Will try to get some time in with Wizard with a Gun, and a few minutes of Crac-err, Palworld.
Sprawl Zero was just released, and it looks like it's right up my alley.
Watching: Uh, no late night cinema. But watching Invincible at the gym a great deal.
Listening to: Boys Noize - Rock the Bells. A shoutout to Invincible for tipping me off to this awesome track. It's got dashes of hip-hop, techno, and a whole lot of attitude. Think The Prodigy if they were inclined to being playful. It's definitely made it onto my workout playlist.
No, there were no disasters or attacks or calamities going on. He was experiencing his own wedding, moment by moment, and there was no other place he would rather be. The wedding guests were largely the Freelancer community, the Revolutionaries, and a few surprise guests. Rozga was sitting in the front, and gave Ox a thumbs up when he caught his eye. Doctor Mosby was watching intently, his attention unwavering. Surprise guest Maris was standing in the back, well away from the other guests, a small smile on her face. One would think that the Insurgents or the Stalkers would take this opportunity to spring an attack, but the heavy security had deterred them, it seemed.
The wedding was held in the square outside of the observatory, with the shacks and lean-tos obligingly cleared away. It turned out that one of their number, Craw, had been a priest in his past life, and this being no official country, his former training would do. Simmi seemed to glide down the aisle, arm in arm with the Broker. Mask aside, he seemed particularly pleased and amiable. With no maternal figures in his life, Mamma Roach had stepped up and offered to take him down the aisle; her mechanical leg clanked with each step. The actual ceremony went by swiftly, punctuated with hoots and cheers by the watching stalkers.
"Simmi, do you promise to guide and nurture this Gentle Ox, until the very end?" Simmi was absolutely radiant. Her natural features were enhanced, not covered, with some light makeup, and it was beautiful to see her smiling again. "I do," she said warmly. "Gentle Ox, do you promise to protect and devote yourself to Simmi until the end of your days?" Ox did not smile. The solemnity of the occasion had pierced him. "I do. Now and always." He and Simmi placed their rings, and then came that moment.
"I hereby declare you to be husband and wife. You may kiss."
Simmi and Ox kissed each other.
Hola, Bees!
The Ox is back in town, and I hit the weights hard, but differently today. Today was a Pull day.
Machine Behind the Neck Pulldowns: 60 x 5.
Deadlifts: 145 x 3. Urgh. Doable, but tough.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 100 x 5. Worked up to five reps today.
Machine One Armed Rows: 75 x 5.
Prone Snow Angels: Five sets of ten reps. I felt like these were a good way to cool down and end the workout. Will probably keep on doing these.
My collarbone muscles are still in some pain, so I left the Meadows Rows off the menu for tonight.
I forgot to do pull ups. Just forgot. Will have to do them next time, I guess. I feel like the Snow Angels will lead to good things, for some reason.
Tomorrow we're having a Korean buffet dinner! My birthday is on Friday, but it's cheaper to eat on Thursday night, so go figure.
Have a great day, Bees!
Playing: Uh, mostly Misery. Lots of failed expeditions, lots of rage quitting. I'm trying to obtain a randomly spawned, rare weapon, so that I may level any monsters and ghoulies that get in my path.
Will try to get some time in with Wizard with a Gun, and a few minutes of Crac-err, Palworld.
Sprawl Zero was just released, and it looks like it's right up my alley.
Watching: Uh, no late night cinema. But watching Invincible at the gym a great deal.
Listening to: Boys Noize - Rock the Bells. A shoutout to Invincible for tipping me off to this awesome track. It's got dashes of hip-hop, techno, and a whole lot of attitude. Think The Prodigy if they were inclined to being playful. It's definitely made it onto my workout playlist.
-
GentleOx
-
Last edited:
Awwwww, what a nice ceremony 
Got a little tear from me, Ox!
Horror-movie-wise, recently watched 5 nights at Freddy 2, light fun, quickly forgetable, but nice all around. I wouldn't recommend spending a movie ticket on it, but if free or lighter prize go for it.
Got a little tear from me, Ox! Horror-movie-wise, recently watched 5 nights at Freddy 2, light fun, quickly forgetable, but nice all around. I wouldn't recommend spending a movie ticket on it, but if free or lighter prize go for it.
The wedding reception was a blur.
He and Simmi shared a dance; it was their first ever, and holding her gently, slow-dancing to Mr. Kitty's After Dark, Ox was certain he would be doing it again. A dance floor was later established for the more raucuous among the crowd, and a boombox set up, blasting sound. Ox was pushed into it (un)intentionally, and did his best Wrangler and Commander Shepard impressions, to hoots and amusement. Weasel was shockingly skilled with rhythm, her style drawing from pop and locking. The crowd roared as the beats punctuated her moves. Food and drinks were served, specially delivered from the mainland, but there was the matter of the Wedding Cake. They ordered several, and the attending stalkers and scavengers tucked into the best meal they could remember.
Eventually, Ox tired a bit of the festivities, and retreated to their favourite smoking spot. Simmi was already there, leaning on the railing with both hands. Ox stood next to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. She smiled, but the smile was a touch wan. Maybe the wedding had gotten old too soon. "You alright, babe? How about a smoke?" He removed his ever-present packet of menthol Merlbros. Simmi nodded, saying, "I definitely could use one of those." Ox lit up, and took a puff, the harsh and cool flavours spreading through his mouth. He took in a sucking breath, before passing the ciggy to her. After a toke, she looked out into the sea pensively.
"Something wrong?" Her smile warmed at this. "Of course not," she reassured him. "Just taking a break from the celebrating and thinking about the future. Which we'll have together, mind you." He passed her the cigarette, and that pensive look was back again. "What about our honeymoon?" "Beaches were never really my thing." An idea struck him.
"I might know where to go."
@PetiteSheWolf Thank you kindly my friend! I had a very mellow birthday doing my favourite thing: working out lol.
Hello Bees!
I'm tired and quite sore, but I made it into the gym for another great workout.
Today was another Push day.
Bench Press: 125 x 3. These felt pretty solid.
Incline Bench: 95 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 16.
Skullcrushers: 32.5 x 6.
My collarbone muscle pain acted up again, so I'm likely going to take it easy tomorrow and take a break from the gym. *sigh*
It's been a nice, quiet birthday, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
May go to Macau later on to visit dad. We'll see.
Have a great weekend, Bees! You deserve to!
Drums: 129 bpm double strokes.
Playing: Uhh, mostly Misery. A dash of Pathogenic. Will try to get in some WWaG, too.
Blackwood is a shooter that comes out NEXT WEEK. Wow, I'd had my eye on it, but that kind of took me by surprise. It's pricey, so I'll wait for initial reviews. If you're wondering what all the hubbub is, as of right now it's the closest we have to a John Wick game.
Time and reviews will tell if such an association is warranted.
Watching: The Invincible watch continues. Just great stuff.
Will watch Salmokji tonight. It's a Korean found footage horror, which is right up my alley.
Listening to: DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel (feat. De La Soul). Another new find, once again courtesy of the Invicible soundtrack. Smooth, but frantic sounds.
He and Simmi shared a dance; it was their first ever, and holding her gently, slow-dancing to Mr. Kitty's After Dark, Ox was certain he would be doing it again. A dance floor was later established for the more raucuous among the crowd, and a boombox set up, blasting sound. Ox was pushed into it (un)intentionally, and did his best Wrangler and Commander Shepard impressions, to hoots and amusement. Weasel was shockingly skilled with rhythm, her style drawing from pop and locking. The crowd roared as the beats punctuated her moves. Food and drinks were served, specially delivered from the mainland, but there was the matter of the Wedding Cake. They ordered several, and the attending stalkers and scavengers tucked into the best meal they could remember.
Eventually, Ox tired a bit of the festivities, and retreated to their favourite smoking spot. Simmi was already there, leaning on the railing with both hands. Ox stood next to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. She smiled, but the smile was a touch wan. Maybe the wedding had gotten old too soon. "You alright, babe? How about a smoke?" He removed his ever-present packet of menthol Merlbros. Simmi nodded, saying, "I definitely could use one of those." Ox lit up, and took a puff, the harsh and cool flavours spreading through his mouth. He took in a sucking breath, before passing the ciggy to her. After a toke, she looked out into the sea pensively.
"Something wrong?" Her smile warmed at this. "Of course not," she reassured him. "Just taking a break from the celebrating and thinking about the future. Which we'll have together, mind you." He passed her the cigarette, and that pensive look was back again. "What about our honeymoon?" "Beaches were never really my thing." An idea struck him.
"I might know where to go."
@PetiteSheWolf Thank you kindly my friend! I had a very mellow birthday doing my favourite thing: working out lol.
Hello Bees!
I'm tired and quite sore, but I made it into the gym for another great workout.
Today was another Push day.
Bench Press: 125 x 3. These felt pretty solid.
Incline Bench: 95 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 70 x 5.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 16.
Skullcrushers: 32.5 x 6.
My collarbone muscle pain acted up again, so I'm likely going to take it easy tomorrow and take a break from the gym. *sigh*
It's been a nice, quiet birthday, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
May go to Macau later on to visit dad. We'll see.
Have a great weekend, Bees! You deserve to!
Drums: 129 bpm double strokes.
Playing: Uhh, mostly Misery. A dash of Pathogenic. Will try to get in some WWaG, too.
Blackwood is a shooter that comes out NEXT WEEK. Wow, I'd had my eye on it, but that kind of took me by surprise. It's pricey, so I'll wait for initial reviews. If you're wondering what all the hubbub is, as of right now it's the closest we have to a John Wick game.
Time and reviews will tell if such an association is warranted.
Watching: The Invincible watch continues. Just great stuff.
Will watch Salmokji tonight. It's a Korean found footage horror, which is right up my alley.
Listening to: DJ Shadow - Rocket Fuel (feat. De La Soul). Another new find, once again courtesy of the Invicible soundtrack. Smooth, but frantic sounds.
BrianD
Not all who wander are lost....except the Lieutenant, he is definitely lost. Send an NCO to find him before he gets hurt or breaks something.
"I hate surprises, so you'd better tell me what you've got in mind."
That was the newly-certified Mrs. Ox speaking to him, a note of amusement in her voice. Ox had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept, and thanked the gods that he had gotten so lucky. After the wedding, things had quieted down again, and it was largely business as usual, with he and Simmi holding things together until their honeymoon. Speaking of which... Ox tapped at the keyboard a few times, and stretched. He wheeled the office chair around to face her. "I'm finalizing our hotel plans. We're going to Mei Sing." "That's in Asia, right? Sounds like the Sinese Republic." "That's right. I figured I'd take us over to my corner of the world." Simmi's face broke into wonder.
"The Sinese Republic. I've always wanted to go..."
"In my original world (that actually exists and nobody believes me about), we called the country China. And the city had a different name too."
"Well, now you're in my world, slave! For all time!" Simmi jumped onto his lap and pecked him on the cheek. The office chair squeaked in protest.
"Oh no, whatever shall I do." Grinning, he pretended to push her away.
"Finish booking that five-star experience, slave! I want to be pampered and bathed until I shine! So to speak."
"Married life is so demanding these days.
"And it's going to get worse!" Playfully, she pinched his nose.
Hopefully that was totally in jest.
Hello once more, Bees!
I come to you with another offering: a finished Leg day workout.
Squats: Mostly 95 x 3, with 100 x 3 at the end. This felt harder than it should've. This is mostly how 100 should've felt, and the final set at the end was tough. Eh, the price of progress, I suppose.
Front Squats: 65 x 3. Boo, hiss. But great, all the same.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 16 x 6.
Lying Leg Curls: 42.5 x 8.
Back Extensions: Top set of 12 reps. Great way to cool down.
Thank you kindly @CODawn, @JCU, @Mamatigerj, @BrianD and @Nox.
This workout just beat me into paste. I made it home, did my chores, practiced my rudiments, and I was just totally beat until dinner. Yummy noodle soup and har gau dumplings! I like!
So Macau is a go, we should be there for the whole day on Saturday, to visit dad and eat hot pot.
Looks like I've got more work coming this week, which is great.
Have a good Sunday, Bees!
Playing: Just Misery. Sheer Misery. I've made it through the hardest area, the Bunker a few times, but without the weapon drop I'm pining for. Stupid RNG.
Not sure what else to play. WWaG, or some Pathogenic. Maybe even Palworld.
Watching: Invisible has taken... a weird turn. Episode 7 of this season is very exciting, and features an inter-dimensional invasion that practically came out of nowhere. Very little foreshadowing and just as much buildup. Quite odd. The other plot threads in the season are unrelated, so watching the battle in this episode was thrilling, sure, but felt like it made little sense.
Listening to: Magic Sword - Legend of the Keeper. Fantasy synth! What an epic feel, it's like you're storming a castle, or fighting a pitched battle. Truly an epic feel to it that ably combines guitar and synth.
That was the newly-certified Mrs. Ox speaking to him, a note of amusement in her voice. Ox had a hard time wrapping his head around the concept, and thanked the gods that he had gotten so lucky. After the wedding, things had quieted down again, and it was largely business as usual, with he and Simmi holding things together until their honeymoon. Speaking of which... Ox tapped at the keyboard a few times, and stretched. He wheeled the office chair around to face her. "I'm finalizing our hotel plans. We're going to Mei Sing." "That's in Asia, right? Sounds like the Sinese Republic." "That's right. I figured I'd take us over to my corner of the world." Simmi's face broke into wonder.
"The Sinese Republic. I've always wanted to go..."
"In my original world (that actually exists and nobody believes me about), we called the country China. And the city had a different name too."
"Well, now you're in my world, slave! For all time!" Simmi jumped onto his lap and pecked him on the cheek. The office chair squeaked in protest.
"Oh no, whatever shall I do." Grinning, he pretended to push her away.
"Finish booking that five-star experience, slave! I want to be pampered and bathed until I shine! So to speak."
"Married life is so demanding these days.
"And it's going to get worse!" Playfully, she pinched his nose.
Hopefully that was totally in jest.
Hello once more, Bees!
I come to you with another offering: a finished Leg day workout.
Squats: Mostly 95 x 3, with 100 x 3 at the end. This felt harder than it should've. This is mostly how 100 should've felt, and the final set at the end was tough. Eh, the price of progress, I suppose.
Front Squats: 65 x 3. Boo, hiss. But great, all the same.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 16 x 6.
Lying Leg Curls: 42.5 x 8.
Back Extensions: Top set of 12 reps. Great way to cool down.
Thank you kindly @CODawn, @JCU, @Mamatigerj, @BrianD and @Nox.
This workout just beat me into paste. I made it home, did my chores, practiced my rudiments, and I was just totally beat until dinner. Yummy noodle soup and har gau dumplings! I like!
So Macau is a go, we should be there for the whole day on Saturday, to visit dad and eat hot pot.
Looks like I've got more work coming this week, which is great.
Have a good Sunday, Bees!
Playing: Just Misery. Sheer Misery. I've made it through the hardest area, the Bunker a few times, but without the weapon drop I'm pining for. Stupid RNG.
Not sure what else to play. WWaG, or some Pathogenic. Maybe even Palworld.
Watching: Invisible has taken... a weird turn. Episode 7 of this season is very exciting, and features an inter-dimensional invasion that practically came out of nowhere. Very little foreshadowing and just as much buildup. Quite odd. The other plot threads in the season are unrelated, so watching the battle in this episode was thrilling, sure, but felt like it made little sense.
Listening to: Magic Sword - Legend of the Keeper. Fantasy synth! What an epic feel, it's like you're storming a castle, or fighting a pitched battle. Truly an epic feel to it that ably combines guitar and synth.
"So what do we pack?"
He called up to Simmi, who was busy in her loft. In a moment, she called back. "You tell me! You've been there before." Even from two stories below, he could hear her bustling. "Babe, can you at least take a pause from stuffing your fur coats and skimpy dresses into your luggage?" Simmi descended from the loft, glaring at him. "Packing is serious business, I'll have you know. I haven't had a vacation in a very long time." "Babe, hear me out. Here in Carcosa, it ranges from pleasant to brutally cold. I know you're used to those climates. Hell, you tolerate the cold better than I do. But Mei Sing is muggy, hot, and tropical. Not to mention humid as hell." She raised an eyebrow to this. "So what you're trying to say is...?"
"We'll want to dress lightly. Short sleeve t's, shorts, that kind of stuff. And don't overpack! We'll need to grab lots of gifts and goodies for our friends back home." "Pack light?" "Pack light." "Go armed?" Ox hesitated on this count. "Now I'm going to level with you. Mei Sing is home to the triads, who are the local criminal faction. While the city is generally safe, there are certain unsavoury areas we'll want to avoid." "So... guns?" Ox sighed. For the last year and a half, he had been used to carrying at least a single firearm on his person, and he would admit that he felt naked without it. "No guns. The Sinese exercise strict control of firearms, and when we fly in, we'll be searched. So much as I'd love to have 'em with me, no bueno." Simmi pouted. "Can't a girl have some fun?"
"Aww, you'll have plenty of fun with me."
Hey Bees!
Ox here, with another Push workout.
Bench Press: 127.5 x 3. Ugh. Did not go so smoothly. Eh, there's still time.
Incline Press: 97.5 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 72.5 x 6. No PRs, but still a great lift.
Skullcrushers: 35 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 16.
The workout was not me at my greatest. Little else to do but continue the grind and take care of myself.
We have our tickets booked, and we're all set for Macau, to visit my dad, on Saturday.
I will take a break from the gym tomorrow to rest and recuperate, but I'll definitely be back on Wednesday.
Stay cool out there, Bees!
Cute: Watch with Bruce! An adorable and intensely concentrating golden retriever has this fixation on watching his human play video games. It's surprisingly cute and sweet!
Playing: Uh, a dash of Pathogenic, but mostly Misery.
Sunken Realm: Played this demo for a souls-lite that blah blah blah. It was totally rough, even for a demo, and not worthy of further consideration. Boom! Uninstalled.
Starcraft and Diablo 5 have been announced? When they're years away, who really cares?
Watching: I finished Invincible Season 3, but I'm lazy, so I'll write a review next time.
Maybe watch some Missing Couple tonight? I'm not sure.
Listening to: Kansas - Wayward Son. Stone cold prog rock classic. The Supernatural song. A song for cheering me up whenever I've lost my way. This one has it all!
"Carry on!
You will always remember
Carry on!
Nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you"
He called up to Simmi, who was busy in her loft. In a moment, she called back. "You tell me! You've been there before." Even from two stories below, he could hear her bustling. "Babe, can you at least take a pause from stuffing your fur coats and skimpy dresses into your luggage?" Simmi descended from the loft, glaring at him. "Packing is serious business, I'll have you know. I haven't had a vacation in a very long time." "Babe, hear me out. Here in Carcosa, it ranges from pleasant to brutally cold. I know you're used to those climates. Hell, you tolerate the cold better than I do. But Mei Sing is muggy, hot, and tropical. Not to mention humid as hell." She raised an eyebrow to this. "So what you're trying to say is...?"
"We'll want to dress lightly. Short sleeve t's, shorts, that kind of stuff. And don't overpack! We'll need to grab lots of gifts and goodies for our friends back home." "Pack light?" "Pack light." "Go armed?" Ox hesitated on this count. "Now I'm going to level with you. Mei Sing is home to the triads, who are the local criminal faction. While the city is generally safe, there are certain unsavoury areas we'll want to avoid." "So... guns?" Ox sighed. For the last year and a half, he had been used to carrying at least a single firearm on his person, and he would admit that he felt naked without it. "No guns. The Sinese exercise strict control of firearms, and when we fly in, we'll be searched. So much as I'd love to have 'em with me, no bueno." Simmi pouted. "Can't a girl have some fun?"
"Aww, you'll have plenty of fun with me."
Hey Bees!
Ox here, with another Push workout.
Bench Press: 127.5 x 3. Ugh. Did not go so smoothly. Eh, there's still time.
Incline Press: 97.5 x 3.
Shoulder Press: 72.5 x 6. No PRs, but still a great lift.
Skullcrushers: 35 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 16.
The workout was not me at my greatest. Little else to do but continue the grind and take care of myself.
We have our tickets booked, and we're all set for Macau, to visit my dad, on Saturday.
I will take a break from the gym tomorrow to rest and recuperate, but I'll definitely be back on Wednesday.
Stay cool out there, Bees!
Cute: Watch with Bruce! An adorable and intensely concentrating golden retriever has this fixation on watching his human play video games. It's surprisingly cute and sweet!
Playing: Uh, a dash of Pathogenic, but mostly Misery.
Sunken Realm: Played this demo for a souls-lite that blah blah blah. It was totally rough, even for a demo, and not worthy of further consideration. Boom! Uninstalled.
Starcraft and Diablo 5 have been announced? When they're years away, who really cares?
Watching: I finished Invincible Season 3, but I'm lazy, so I'll write a review next time.
Maybe watch some Missing Couple tonight? I'm not sure.
Listening to: Kansas - Wayward Son. Stone cold prog rock classic. The Supernatural song. A song for cheering me up whenever I've lost my way. This one has it all!
"Carry on!
You will always remember
Carry on!
Nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you"
"How long to Mei Sing?"
The headphones clamped over his ears tightly, and the mic poked into his mouth. Even with the muffling, Ox could heard the rotor's blades cut through the air. Ox adjusted both while he waited for Austin, the pilot, to speak. "If the weather's smooth, then about four hours." It was a long flight time, but not unusual, considering how far away the Sinese Republic was. They'd left in the afternoon, but it was dark out, and the windows to the outside were all black. At least the chopper interior had lights. There was something else that bothered Ox. "If?" He tried to place as much emphasis on the syllable as he could.
"Well, it's looking all gravy so far, but it's September, and weather in The Sign is known for being a bit choppy." "How about Mei Sing?" Austin sounded chipper and cheery and more confident than he should've, but Ox reminded himself that the man was a seasoned veteran of several conflicts. "You know, I hear they've got typhoon weather right now." "Should we disembark somewhere further away?" "No way! This Black Hawk's a tough bird, and she'll take a licking. Just sit back and enjoy the ride; you're on your honeymoon." Their first day of a week away from the Observatory had just begun. He could feel her reassuring weight on her shoulder, and cast a glance to his right.
Simmi was fast asleep, peaceful and dreaming.
Hey Bees!
I hit the gym again for another Pull workout. And pulled my collarbone muscle again. Ow.
Deadlifts: 150 x 3. Went pretty well, surprisingly.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. Not bad.
Machine One Armed Rows: 77.5 x 5. Ugh. Did not feel good.
Pull Ups: 2 2 3 2 2.
Reverse Snow Angels: 10 x 5.
With the pull ups, after I experienced pain in my collarbone, I focused on pulling with my lats, and less every upper body muscle. That seemed to help, though the pain was still there.
Today was a day in which I felt good. I got in my workout, cyberpunk'ed around Causeway Bay, went shopping, bought lots of sweets (!), got my steps in, and had yummy pigeon dinner.
The villain hitters were turning a profit today.
If my Chinese serves, the bubble tea promotion is due to the shop having just opened for business. The noodles look tempting, too!
Mmm... junk food. But the prices are bizarrely cheap! Maybe they're going out of business.
An offering to the Earth god, found next to a restaurant.
We got moon cakes as an early treat from a friend! The sweet potato ones are quite tasty.
I want to draw a distinction: there are days which are good, in which I get in my steps, go to the gym and put in the work, and don't pig out on too much food. They're good because I am productive, and have taken care of myself, and usually feel quite tired at the end of the day.
And then there are the days where I actually feel good, where there's this effervescent feeling I have, like it's hard to believe that I'm experiencing this. These feelings are always ephemeral, and they're pretty rare. I may be in the midst of a hypomanic phase, too, though I don't think it's likely.
I love having days in which I feel great, but I also need to remind myself that the days in which I take care of myself are winners, too.
@CODawn I loved how they used it for the season finales.
Stay cozy out there, Bees!
Interesting: This is a fascinating video about self-defense, particularly focusing on woman's self defense. Very practical stuff.
Playing: Take a guess. At something of a stagnant patch in Misery. Haven't made any progress, and still looking for that rare weapon.
Alabaster Dawn is on sale! I'm snapping it up instantly! It looks like a fantastic gem.
Blackwood is coming out tomorrow! Excited to see what the reviews say.
Watching: I finally got started on the 1981 animation film Heavy Metal, despite knowing about it for more than 20 years! It's a hell of a trip, and I'll have a review ready when I'm done.
Listening to: A lot of Doomtree, of course. Replaying Beacon a lot, because so many of the lyrics in the song speak to me.
"I am reborn, but I am not me
No identity, and I am finally free"
Today's song is Soul Asylum - Somebody to Shove. This is another song I grew up with, and it stayed with me all these years. Its winning, quasi-grunge sound encapsulates that feeling of loneliness, and desperately wanting to connect with somebody; even if you just want to push them. I would argue that it's more relevant than ever in a world which is stuck doomscrolling, or watching tik-tok videos, or even stupid text messages: this song is the panacea for that stifled repetition.
"Hello, speak up, is there somebody there?
These hang-ups are getting me down
In a world frozen over with over exposure
Let's talk it over, let's go out and paint the town"
The headphones clamped over his ears tightly, and the mic poked into his mouth. Even with the muffling, Ox could heard the rotor's blades cut through the air. Ox adjusted both while he waited for Austin, the pilot, to speak. "If the weather's smooth, then about four hours." It was a long flight time, but not unusual, considering how far away the Sinese Republic was. They'd left in the afternoon, but it was dark out, and the windows to the outside were all black. At least the chopper interior had lights. There was something else that bothered Ox. "If?" He tried to place as much emphasis on the syllable as he could.
"Well, it's looking all gravy so far, but it's September, and weather in The Sign is known for being a bit choppy." "How about Mei Sing?" Austin sounded chipper and cheery and more confident than he should've, but Ox reminded himself that the man was a seasoned veteran of several conflicts. "You know, I hear they've got typhoon weather right now." "Should we disembark somewhere further away?" "No way! This Black Hawk's a tough bird, and she'll take a licking. Just sit back and enjoy the ride; you're on your honeymoon." Their first day of a week away from the Observatory had just begun. He could feel her reassuring weight on her shoulder, and cast a glance to his right.
Simmi was fast asleep, peaceful and dreaming.
Hey Bees!
I hit the gym again for another Pull workout. And pulled my collarbone muscle again. Ow.
Deadlifts: 150 x 3. Went pretty well, surprisingly.
Underhand Barbell Rows: 100 x 6. Not bad.
Machine One Armed Rows: 77.5 x 5. Ugh. Did not feel good.
Pull Ups: 2 2 3 2 2.
Reverse Snow Angels: 10 x 5.
With the pull ups, after I experienced pain in my collarbone, I focused on pulling with my lats, and less every upper body muscle. That seemed to help, though the pain was still there.
Today was a day in which I felt good. I got in my workout, cyberpunk'ed around Causeway Bay, went shopping, bought lots of sweets (!), got my steps in, and had yummy pigeon dinner.
The villain hitters were turning a profit today.
If my Chinese serves, the bubble tea promotion is due to the shop having just opened for business. The noodles look tempting, too!
Mmm... junk food. But the prices are bizarrely cheap! Maybe they're going out of business.
An offering to the Earth god, found next to a restaurant.
We got moon cakes as an early treat from a friend! The sweet potato ones are quite tasty.
I want to draw a distinction: there are days which are good, in which I get in my steps, go to the gym and put in the work, and don't pig out on too much food. They're good because I am productive, and have taken care of myself, and usually feel quite tired at the end of the day.
And then there are the days where I actually feel good, where there's this effervescent feeling I have, like it's hard to believe that I'm experiencing this. These feelings are always ephemeral, and they're pretty rare. I may be in the midst of a hypomanic phase, too, though I don't think it's likely.
I love having days in which I feel great, but I also need to remind myself that the days in which I take care of myself are winners, too.
@CODawn I loved how they used it for the season finales.
Stay cozy out there, Bees!
Interesting: This is a fascinating video about self-defense, particularly focusing on woman's self defense. Very practical stuff.
Playing: Take a guess. At something of a stagnant patch in Misery. Haven't made any progress, and still looking for that rare weapon.
Alabaster Dawn is on sale! I'm snapping it up instantly! It looks like a fantastic gem.
Blackwood is coming out tomorrow! Excited to see what the reviews say.
Watching: I finally got started on the 1981 animation film Heavy Metal, despite knowing about it for more than 20 years! It's a hell of a trip, and I'll have a review ready when I'm done.
Listening to: A lot of Doomtree, of course. Replaying Beacon a lot, because so many of the lyrics in the song speak to me.
"I am reborn, but I am not me
No identity, and I am finally free"
Today's song is Soul Asylum - Somebody to Shove. This is another song I grew up with, and it stayed with me all these years. Its winning, quasi-grunge sound encapsulates that feeling of loneliness, and desperately wanting to connect with somebody; even if you just want to push them. I would argue that it's more relevant than ever in a world which is stuck doomscrolling, or watching tik-tok videos, or even stupid text messages: this song is the panacea for that stifled repetition.
"Hello, speak up, is there somebody there?
These hang-ups are getting me down
In a world frozen over with over exposure
Let's talk it over, let's go out and paint the town"
Love your pics of street life / street food, makes me want to visit and experiment first-hand Hugs, it is good that you keep an eye on your moods and phases, I hope it stays under control.
Hugs, it is good that you keep an eye on your moods and phases, I hope it stays under control."Nimen jai nali lai de?"
The immigration official looked bored. Sitting in his booth, he seemed to typify the unambitious job-seeker that could not rise beyond the drudgery of his job. Ox wasn't sure if he even spoke English, but he had to try. He made an attempt to respond in his broken Putonghua. "Dweibuqi, wo de Putonghua hen chaabuduo. Kebukeyi yung yingyu shuohua?" He asked, the words halting and the tones fumbling: Sorry, my Chinese is pretty bad. Can we use English to speak? The official glared at him. So that was a no? He threw caution to the wind, switching to Cantonese. "Ngohdeih leizi Carcosa." We are from Carcosa. There was no point in lying, as there were cameras all around, and the Sinese Republic took their intelligence seriously.
The official sat up straighter. Uh oh. "Neihdeih gungjok?" What's your job? So he did speak Cantonese. Makes sense. Ox indicated Simmi, who was waiting patiently and was calmer than he was. Again, honesty. "Ngohdeih haih gujung bing." We're mercenaries. Ox noticed the official make a note on his computer, and then stretch his hand to the side of his booth. Careful, Ox. "Gujungbing. Soyi dimgaai neih wuih leih Mei Sing??" The official asked, tensely. Mercenaries. So, what are you doing in Mei Sing?
Time for a Hail Mary.
Ox raised his hand, and Simmi raised hers. The pair of rings shone gently in the sterile airport lighting. The official's harsh expression softened a touch. Ox spoke. "Ah sir, ngohdeih aam aam git fan. Nigo haih ngohdeih get matyut; ngoh yauh dai taitai leih yausik, tungmaih leuihung. Ngohdeih janhaih m'seung gaau yeh." Sir, we just got married. This is our honeymoon, we're here to relax, and travel. We're not interested in starting trouble. The official sat back in his office chair, thinking for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "Wujiu?" Passports? Ox and Simmi handed them over. Ox was grateful to Weasel for for-err, making a passport for him.
The official looked through them, checked his computer, and then stamped both. "Fuunying leih Mei Sing."
Welcome to Mei Sing.
(Some notes about tonight's Ox short: Mei Sing is my alternate version of Hong Kong. In real life, if you fly into Hong Kong and pass through immigration speaking English, you'll be fine. The Putonghua and Cantonese romanizations I wrote are authentic, at least to the standards of my ability - which isn't much when it comes to Putonghua).
Hello again Bees!
I'm super sleepy, but I made it through my workout and back home again.
Today was another Push day, before I move up in weight next week.
Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. Okay, but not great.
Incline Press: 97.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 72.5 x 3. Augh, these were impossible today.
Skullcrushers. 35 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 18. Easy money. Will go for twenty reps next time.
Super sleepy...
Will go to Macau for the day tomorrow to visit dad. Hopefully he's well.
Strained my collarbone muscles again. Really need to be careful next time!
My mood instability is frustrating, but I've managing to stay calm so far. And I'm still taking my meds diligently.
@PetiteSheWolf Thank you so much, friend. I hope so too. And hope that my cyberpunking turns up more new sights!
Enjoy the weekend, Bees! Take a load off.
Playing: Mostly just Misery. Haven't found the fabled Saiga shotgun yet.
Trying out a new extraction/2D game called Hope 01; it comes very highly recommended. The mechanics are punishing, but it's interesting so far.
Downloaded a plethora of demos and games to try out.
Watching: Saw Resident Evil last night, so here's a trailer, synopsis, and a review!
It's winter, and Bryan, a medical courier, is ready to retire for the night, and come back home to his newly-pregnant girlfriend. That is, until a new, very lucrative job pops up: Bryan is to deliver a small medical satchel and its contents to a hospital in another town. That town? Raccoon City.
Bryan makes the drive up the mountains through the snow until an accident occurs. From then on, this night is a frenzied fight for survival as Bryan stumbles from one place to another, and terror after terror besets him.
Summary: This is the best videogame movie ever made (not that that's saying much), and an absolute horrific delight.
I'm not going to go into the less than stellar history of the Resident Evil movie adaptations, which liberally plucked characters and monsters from RE lore, and barfed them into ridiculous situations and fight scenes. Zach Cregger's adaptation almost completely severs ties with RE canon, but is the most faithful to the spirit of the games.
Watching this is like watching a videogame being played. The camerawork is stellar, and often adopts an over the shoulder perspective that slowly reveals less than you want, and closely follows our protagonist into hell. Speaking of which, our protagonist is not a soldier, or a secret service agent, or a veteran police officer. He's a regular joe who reacts with panic and fright and everything he sees, and struggles to survive each new situation. And that's it: the situations change, much like stages or environments in the game. In one scene, Bryan is exploring a seemingly abandoned house, picks up a weapon upgrade (a double barrel shotgun), the next he's in the city, and still next, the sewers (which features one of the grossest and goriest encounters in the movie). Bryan has to scrabble for supplies (the scene in the house, where he searches for shells, is worth its weight in gold), and has almost no idea how to use guns.
So what you have is the most vindicating videogame movie you could ever make. And it doesn't skimp on the gore, or the fright. I jumped several times from different scares, and found myself thoroughly grossed out at certain encounters. And the humor! It's a trademark of Cregger's, and it just helps ground the film. Perhaps the most obvious running gag involves Bryan coming across padlocks that are curiously resistant to bullets, but Bryan's remarks and interplay with the few characters in the film are hilarious. That's good, because the film is all muscle, almost zero fat - it's only 90 minutes long (a panacea for me after the overlong Spiderman Blah Blah Day), and not a single moment is wasted. Well... maybe one or two. The emotional backbone of the movie isn't totally successful (Bryan's struggle to accept his girlfriend's pregnancy), and it's not surprising as to why: we're having too much fun watching Bryan bumble his way through every danger.
A lot of fans are miffed that the film doesn't use characters from the franchise. I think it's a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don't. This is not a Marvel movie, and it would be tremendously easy to screw up the inclusion of Leon or Claire. Cregger had his vision, set his sights high, quietly directed the movie, and followed through. And it bore fruit.
I give Resident Evil five, yes five shotgun shells out of five.
Listening to: Resident Evil 2 - Save Room Theme. I remember hearing this as a thirteen year old. May this small piece of music have the respite and peace that Bryan almost never finds in the movie.
The immigration official looked bored. Sitting in his booth, he seemed to typify the unambitious job-seeker that could not rise beyond the drudgery of his job. Ox wasn't sure if he even spoke English, but he had to try. He made an attempt to respond in his broken Putonghua. "Dweibuqi, wo de Putonghua hen chaabuduo. Kebukeyi yung yingyu shuohua?" He asked, the words halting and the tones fumbling: Sorry, my Chinese is pretty bad. Can we use English to speak? The official glared at him. So that was a no? He threw caution to the wind, switching to Cantonese. "Ngohdeih leizi Carcosa." We are from Carcosa. There was no point in lying, as there were cameras all around, and the Sinese Republic took their intelligence seriously.
The official sat up straighter. Uh oh. "Neihdeih gungjok?" What's your job? So he did speak Cantonese. Makes sense. Ox indicated Simmi, who was waiting patiently and was calmer than he was. Again, honesty. "Ngohdeih haih gujung bing." We're mercenaries. Ox noticed the official make a note on his computer, and then stretch his hand to the side of his booth. Careful, Ox. "Gujungbing. Soyi dimgaai neih wuih leih Mei Sing??" The official asked, tensely. Mercenaries. So, what are you doing in Mei Sing?
Time for a Hail Mary.
Ox raised his hand, and Simmi raised hers. The pair of rings shone gently in the sterile airport lighting. The official's harsh expression softened a touch. Ox spoke. "Ah sir, ngohdeih aam aam git fan. Nigo haih ngohdeih get matyut; ngoh yauh dai taitai leih yausik, tungmaih leuihung. Ngohdeih janhaih m'seung gaau yeh." Sir, we just got married. This is our honeymoon, we're here to relax, and travel. We're not interested in starting trouble. The official sat back in his office chair, thinking for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "Wujiu?" Passports? Ox and Simmi handed them over. Ox was grateful to Weasel for for-err, making a passport for him.
The official looked through them, checked his computer, and then stamped both. "Fuunying leih Mei Sing."
Welcome to Mei Sing.
(Some notes about tonight's Ox short: Mei Sing is my alternate version of Hong Kong. In real life, if you fly into Hong Kong and pass through immigration speaking English, you'll be fine. The Putonghua and Cantonese romanizations I wrote are authentic, at least to the standards of my ability - which isn't much when it comes to Putonghua).
Hello again Bees!
I'm super sleepy, but I made it through my workout and back home again.
Today was another Push day, before I move up in weight next week.
Bench Press: 127.5 x 5. Okay, but not great.
Incline Press: 97.5 x 3.
Overhead Press: 72.5 x 3. Augh, these were impossible today.
Skullcrushers. 35 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 18. Easy money. Will go for twenty reps next time.
Super sleepy...
Will go to Macau for the day tomorrow to visit dad. Hopefully he's well.
Strained my collarbone muscles again. Really need to be careful next time!
My mood instability is frustrating, but I've managing to stay calm so far. And I'm still taking my meds diligently.
@PetiteSheWolf Thank you so much, friend. I hope so too. And hope that my cyberpunking turns up more new sights!
Enjoy the weekend, Bees! Take a load off.
Playing: Mostly just Misery. Haven't found the fabled Saiga shotgun yet.
Trying out a new extraction/2D game called Hope 01; it comes very highly recommended. The mechanics are punishing, but it's interesting so far.
Downloaded a plethora of demos and games to try out.
Watching: Saw Resident Evil last night, so here's a trailer, synopsis, and a review!
It's winter, and Bryan, a medical courier, is ready to retire for the night, and come back home to his newly-pregnant girlfriend. That is, until a new, very lucrative job pops up: Bryan is to deliver a small medical satchel and its contents to a hospital in another town. That town? Raccoon City.
Bryan makes the drive up the mountains through the snow until an accident occurs. From then on, this night is a frenzied fight for survival as Bryan stumbles from one place to another, and terror after terror besets him.
Summary: This is the best videogame movie ever made (not that that's saying much), and an absolute horrific delight.
I'm not going to go into the less than stellar history of the Resident Evil movie adaptations, which liberally plucked characters and monsters from RE lore, and barfed them into ridiculous situations and fight scenes. Zach Cregger's adaptation almost completely severs ties with RE canon, but is the most faithful to the spirit of the games.
Watching this is like watching a videogame being played. The camerawork is stellar, and often adopts an over the shoulder perspective that slowly reveals less than you want, and closely follows our protagonist into hell. Speaking of which, our protagonist is not a soldier, or a secret service agent, or a veteran police officer. He's a regular joe who reacts with panic and fright and everything he sees, and struggles to survive each new situation. And that's it: the situations change, much like stages or environments in the game. In one scene, Bryan is exploring a seemingly abandoned house, picks up a weapon upgrade (a double barrel shotgun), the next he's in the city, and still next, the sewers (which features one of the grossest and goriest encounters in the movie). Bryan has to scrabble for supplies (the scene in the house, where he searches for shells, is worth its weight in gold), and has almost no idea how to use guns.
So what you have is the most vindicating videogame movie you could ever make. And it doesn't skimp on the gore, or the fright. I jumped several times from different scares, and found myself thoroughly grossed out at certain encounters. And the humor! It's a trademark of Cregger's, and it just helps ground the film. Perhaps the most obvious running gag involves Bryan coming across padlocks that are curiously resistant to bullets, but Bryan's remarks and interplay with the few characters in the film are hilarious. That's good, because the film is all muscle, almost zero fat - it's only 90 minutes long (a panacea for me after the overlong Spiderman Blah Blah Day), and not a single moment is wasted. Well... maybe one or two. The emotional backbone of the movie isn't totally successful (Bryan's struggle to accept his girlfriend's pregnancy), and it's not surprising as to why: we're having too much fun watching Bryan bumble his way through every danger.
A lot of fans are miffed that the film doesn't use characters from the franchise. I think it's a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don't. This is not a Marvel movie, and it would be tremendously easy to screw up the inclusion of Leon or Claire. Cregger had his vision, set his sights high, quietly directed the movie, and followed through. And it bore fruit.
I give Resident Evil five, yes five shotgun shells out of five.
Listening to: Resident Evil 2 - Save Room Theme. I remember hearing this as a thirteen year old. May this small piece of music have the respite and peace that Bryan almost never finds in the movie.
It was like being dropped into the deep end.
Bathed in the glare of a thousand street lights, Simmi closely followed Ox as they made their way through the crowded streets, their luggage rolling as they walked. Everywhere you looked, there were people. Some of them were just walking, others were in conversation, some were parked at the mouths of alleys having a smoke, and some had set up small booths with which to engage in commerce. Maneuvering around the many pedestrians was no spectator sport.
Simmi dithered by a bent over old woman who sat behind a blanket. Displayed on the blanket were a variety of bracelets, rings, and other assorted jewelry with small price tags attached. The woman looked up with interest as she approached. "Leng lui, taih hah di jyubouh! Nidi gaaizi houh ngaam nei!" She must've been in her 60s, but she delivered her verve with such pluck. "Beih neih hou dai gaam gaa!" The language was melodic and harsh and completely alien to her ears.
She felt a tug on her arm. Ox nodded with his head in the direction of their destination, and with an odd twinge of reluctance, she walked on. "I've never seen a place like this before," she remarked to her husband, as she matched his pace. "You've been to a big city before - surely Ruscov counts." "It's not quite like this. So many people, so many buildings..." There were skyscrapers and apartments looming over every street. Neon-lined signs enticingly displayed their store's names, and cars rushed by, with audible curses and honking following the traffic crush. "You don't seem very surprised by all of this, babe." He snorted with amusement. "I didn't grow up here, but it's definitely a familiar place." He stopped before a small, unassuming apartment building painted white.
"Here we are."
Hey Bees.
I'm quite tired from the weekend, but I wanted to start strong with another workout.
I always start my weeks with Push days, and today was no exception.
Bench Press: 130 x 3. Ugh. This just did not move well. I was not feeling well, so that may have had something to do with it, but I'm hoping that I'll recover enough to try it again this week.
Incline Press: 100 x 3. Pretty decent.
Overhead Press: 75 x 5. The real victory. I beasted my way to five reps, which I'm satisfied with.
Skullcrushers: 37.5 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 18.
So mostly decent, apart from the bench press. Bleh.
A lot of drama resulting from our trip to Macau that I don't really want to put down in writing right now. So now I feel a little deflated and depressed.
Maybe if I pack up my sadness and all those little hurts, storing them away, I'll forget about them in time.
Well, I've still got the week ahead of me. Chin up.
Have a great Monday, Bees!
Playing: So... Hope 01 has taken up my spare time. I said I wanted a game that would addict me into the early hours of the morning, and I got it. It's a 2D game with a vast, vast map, and I have many hours to go before I get a handle on navigation (to say nothing of the unforgiving combat).
A time or two, I've gotten into scrapes I was not equipped for, and then headed through a doorway to another room in order to escape. Was I safe? Hell no! The foe I encountered chases me, and I'm left with a big fat game over. Will play more.
I've stuffed Misery in my custom-designed, patented Ox cryogenic chamber, and it will remain there, frozen and unopened, until the devs release more content.
Haven't even heard of Cosmology of Kyoto, which is a painstakingly-constructed, supernatural-tinted recreation of a grim and pitiless adventure through ancient Kyoto. It looks terrifying, complex, ambitious, and very laudable (it is purportedly the only game that Roger Ebert considered to be art). Maybe I'll get around to playing it.
Fascinating stuff: but it requires a very strong stomach.
Speaking of games that require a very strong stomach, there's Hellraiser: Revival, which is a continuation of the long-running horror series. I played the demo for a bit - to my complete surprise, it runs decently on my system. It's astonishingly violent and gory. I don't know if I was shocked or offended (I've taken in some pretty disgusting content in my years), but I was certainly surprised by all the violence. Boom! Uninstalled (it took up too much room on my hard drive).
Silent Hill Townfall looks very intriguing, though I doubt my creaky old PC can run it.
Watching: A bit of Heavy Metal, a little bit of Invincible, and House of the Dragon. The last is the least enjoyable, I find.
Will try to start Missing Couple for my late night cinema tonight.
Listening to: William Shatner (originally Pulp) - Common People. Not the type of song you hear everyday. Combine Shatner's distinctly articulate spoken-vocals with top-notch backing and production from Ben Folds and you have a surprisingly good match.
I don't really think much of Britpop, so the original doesn't really strike a chord with me; to wit, it sounds like a stoned hipster at a karaoke bar. Shatner's version has bite to it, and it's propulsive and hard-hitting from the get-go. The message is still sharp and incisive, and functions not just in the song's original paradigm, but as an indictment of the rich.
"You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere else to go"
Bathed in the glare of a thousand street lights, Simmi closely followed Ox as they made their way through the crowded streets, their luggage rolling as they walked. Everywhere you looked, there were people. Some of them were just walking, others were in conversation, some were parked at the mouths of alleys having a smoke, and some had set up small booths with which to engage in commerce. Maneuvering around the many pedestrians was no spectator sport.
Simmi dithered by a bent over old woman who sat behind a blanket. Displayed on the blanket were a variety of bracelets, rings, and other assorted jewelry with small price tags attached. The woman looked up with interest as she approached. "Leng lui, taih hah di jyubouh! Nidi gaaizi houh ngaam nei!" She must've been in her 60s, but she delivered her verve with such pluck. "Beih neih hou dai gaam gaa!" The language was melodic and harsh and completely alien to her ears.
She felt a tug on her arm. Ox nodded with his head in the direction of their destination, and with an odd twinge of reluctance, she walked on. "I've never seen a place like this before," she remarked to her husband, as she matched his pace. "You've been to a big city before - surely Ruscov counts." "It's not quite like this. So many people, so many buildings..." There were skyscrapers and apartments looming over every street. Neon-lined signs enticingly displayed their store's names, and cars rushed by, with audible curses and honking following the traffic crush. "You don't seem very surprised by all of this, babe." He snorted with amusement. "I didn't grow up here, but it's definitely a familiar place." He stopped before a small, unassuming apartment building painted white.
"Here we are."
Hey Bees.
I'm quite tired from the weekend, but I wanted to start strong with another workout.
I always start my weeks with Push days, and today was no exception.
Bench Press: 130 x 3. Ugh. This just did not move well. I was not feeling well, so that may have had something to do with it, but I'm hoping that I'll recover enough to try it again this week.
Incline Press: 100 x 3. Pretty decent.
Overhead Press: 75 x 5. The real victory. I beasted my way to five reps, which I'm satisfied with.
Skullcrushers: 37.5 x 6.
Dumbbell Flat Curls: 20 x 18.
So mostly decent, apart from the bench press. Bleh.
A lot of drama resulting from our trip to Macau that I don't really want to put down in writing right now. So now I feel a little deflated and depressed.
Maybe if I pack up my sadness and all those little hurts, storing them away, I'll forget about them in time.
Well, I've still got the week ahead of me. Chin up.
Have a great Monday, Bees!
Playing: So... Hope 01 has taken up my spare time. I said I wanted a game that would addict me into the early hours of the morning, and I got it. It's a 2D game with a vast, vast map, and I have many hours to go before I get a handle on navigation (to say nothing of the unforgiving combat).
A time or two, I've gotten into scrapes I was not equipped for, and then headed through a doorway to another room in order to escape. Was I safe? Hell no! The foe I encountered chases me, and I'm left with a big fat game over. Will play more.
I've stuffed Misery in my custom-designed, patented Ox cryogenic chamber, and it will remain there, frozen and unopened, until the devs release more content.
Haven't even heard of Cosmology of Kyoto, which is a painstakingly-constructed, supernatural-tinted recreation of a grim and pitiless adventure through ancient Kyoto. It looks terrifying, complex, ambitious, and very laudable (it is purportedly the only game that Roger Ebert considered to be art). Maybe I'll get around to playing it.
Fascinating stuff: but it requires a very strong stomach.
Speaking of games that require a very strong stomach, there's Hellraiser: Revival, which is a continuation of the long-running horror series. I played the demo for a bit - to my complete surprise, it runs decently on my system. It's astonishingly violent and gory. I don't know if I was shocked or offended (I've taken in some pretty disgusting content in my years), but I was certainly surprised by all the violence. Boom! Uninstalled (it took up too much room on my hard drive).
Silent Hill Townfall looks very intriguing, though I doubt my creaky old PC can run it.
Watching: A bit of Heavy Metal, a little bit of Invincible, and House of the Dragon. The last is the least enjoyable, I find.
Will try to start Missing Couple for my late night cinema tonight.
Listening to: William Shatner (originally Pulp) - Common People. Not the type of song you hear everyday. Combine Shatner's distinctly articulate spoken-vocals with top-notch backing and production from Ben Folds and you have a surprisingly good match.
I don't really think much of Britpop, so the original doesn't really strike a chord with me; to wit, it sounds like a stoned hipster at a karaoke bar. Shatner's version has bite to it, and it's propulsive and hard-hitting from the get-go. The message is still sharp and incisive, and functions not just in the song's original paradigm, but as an indictment of the rich.
"You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere else to go"
It didn't look like much on the outside, that was for sure.
After exiting the old, rickety elevator, wheeling their luggage down the hallway which ended in a single door, Simmi idly wondered if they were walking into some sort of trap. A numbered padlock on the doorknob hung there loosely, until Ox entered the combination and took the key from within. Unlocking the door, they stepped inside. To Simmi's surprise, it was not a post-industrial hatched job of a flat, but a warm and dimly lit space with plenty to offer. The living room was tastefully decorated, with glass windows which showcased a beautiful view of the city lights. A large white sofa sat before a television mounted on the wall, and hanging on the walls were tasteful photographs of the city in all its guises. The ceiling was rather low, until she noticed a set of stairs to the side of the living room leading upward. Stepping fully inside, she could see that the steel stairs led to a loft, in which there was an incredibly soft and comfy-looking bed.
"Wow, what a loft." Ox quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a reference to something?" Simmi giggled. "Yeah, it harkens back to my gaming days. The game was called 'Home Villain'. You ever heard of it?" Ox took a look around. "It sounds oddly reminiscent of something, but I'm not sure what. What do you think?" She beamed at him. "It's beautiful!" "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure that a regular hotel would do the trick, so," he raised his arms, "here we are." Simmi plopped down on the sofa, feeling more drained from the chopper ride than she cared to admit. But she still had a feeling of mischief in her. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she struck a seductive pose. "So... what do we do now?" She intoned, in a husky voice. But Ox didn't take the bait. "We don't have time for such silliness." Simmi glared at him. "Do you want to sleep on this sofa tonight?" Ox continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I'm starving. And I could use some good dim sum. C'mon!" He turned around and headed back down the hallway, not even waiting for her to follow, or sparing a glance at her look of astonishment.
Wait, wha...?
Hello again, Bees!
I'm back on the beam, having delivered another Push workout!
Bench Press: 130 x 3. Moved more smoothly than before.
Incline Press: 100 x 3.
Overhead Press: 75 x 3. Ugh. Merely okay today.
Skullcrushers: 37.5 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20.
I've been experiencing a lot of angry moods and general emotional instability as of late. I've calmed down a little tonight. There's little use in fighting an angry mood when it happens; best to just ride it out and show it the door when the time is right.
Met with an old friend from my high school days today. I'm not much of a socializer, but it's definitely good to be able to catch up with buddies from days past. His nickname is Beef.
We're going back to Macau on Saturday to visit dad again. Better make sure all my lesson planning and preparations are done before then!
Stay cozy, Bees.
Drumming: Didn't do any rudiments tonight. Tomorrow, will start doubles at 138 bpm.
Playing: Hope 01 has taken up most of my gaming time. It's just too much fun! I even found dim sum in the game itself!
If I can tear myself away from Hope 01 (an unlikely proposition), I'll play some Expedition Into Darkness and COD: WaW.
Watching: A bit of House of the Dragon, and some Invincible.
Listening to: Trevor Something - Fade Away. Used to listen to this one a lot. When I'm feeling burnt out and raw from even the lightest of days, it helps me to relax.
"You don't know where to go
Lost in this world and everyday is the same
Don't know why we still try
It never works but still we do it again"
After exiting the old, rickety elevator, wheeling their luggage down the hallway which ended in a single door, Simmi idly wondered if they were walking into some sort of trap. A numbered padlock on the doorknob hung there loosely, until Ox entered the combination and took the key from within. Unlocking the door, they stepped inside. To Simmi's surprise, it was not a post-industrial hatched job of a flat, but a warm and dimly lit space with plenty to offer. The living room was tastefully decorated, with glass windows which showcased a beautiful view of the city lights. A large white sofa sat before a television mounted on the wall, and hanging on the walls were tasteful photographs of the city in all its guises. The ceiling was rather low, until she noticed a set of stairs to the side of the living room leading upward. Stepping fully inside, she could see that the steel stairs led to a loft, in which there was an incredibly soft and comfy-looking bed.
"Wow, what a loft." Ox quirked an eyebrow. "Is that a reference to something?" Simmi giggled. "Yeah, it harkens back to my gaming days. The game was called 'Home Villain'. You ever heard of it?" Ox took a look around. "It sounds oddly reminiscent of something, but I'm not sure what. What do you think?" She beamed at him. "It's beautiful!" "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure that a regular hotel would do the trick, so," he raised his arms, "here we are." Simmi plopped down on the sofa, feeling more drained from the chopper ride than she cared to admit. But she still had a feeling of mischief in her. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she struck a seductive pose. "So... what do we do now?" She intoned, in a husky voice. But Ox didn't take the bait. "We don't have time for such silliness." Simmi glared at him. "Do you want to sleep on this sofa tonight?" Ox continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I'm starving. And I could use some good dim sum. C'mon!" He turned around and headed back down the hallway, not even waiting for her to follow, or sparing a glance at her look of astonishment.
Wait, wha...?
Hello again, Bees!
I'm back on the beam, having delivered another Push workout!
Bench Press: 130 x 3. Moved more smoothly than before.
Incline Press: 100 x 3.
Overhead Press: 75 x 3. Ugh. Merely okay today.
Skullcrushers: 37.5 x 6.
Hammer Curls: 20 x 20.
I've been experiencing a lot of angry moods and general emotional instability as of late. I've calmed down a little tonight. There's little use in fighting an angry mood when it happens; best to just ride it out and show it the door when the time is right.
Met with an old friend from my high school days today. I'm not much of a socializer, but it's definitely good to be able to catch up with buddies from days past. His nickname is Beef.
We're going back to Macau on Saturday to visit dad again. Better make sure all my lesson planning and preparations are done before then!
Stay cozy, Bees.
Drumming: Didn't do any rudiments tonight. Tomorrow, will start doubles at 138 bpm.
Playing: Hope 01 has taken up most of my gaming time. It's just too much fun! I even found dim sum in the game itself!
If I can tear myself away from Hope 01 (an unlikely proposition), I'll play some Expedition Into Darkness and COD: WaW.
Watching: A bit of House of the Dragon, and some Invincible.
Listening to: Trevor Something - Fade Away. Used to listen to this one a lot. When I'm feeling burnt out and raw from even the lightest of days, it helps me to relax.
"You don't know where to go
Lost in this world and everyday is the same
Don't know why we still try
It never works but still we do it again"
Simmi held the strange yellow lump of food up for examination.
"You called it 'shao mei'?" Ox was busily savouring a bite of the local fare, and took his time before responding. "Here, we call it 'siu mai'. Try it, it's great!" She could barely hear him over the hustle and bustle and noise of the market. Upon entering the somewhat rundown streets, Ox had taken them to a small street-side market in which the patrons sat on stools, and ordered food from vendors at their carts. Simmi was never one to back down from a new experience. She brought the small dumpling up into her mouth, chewed - and relished the taste. "This is great!"
It was a flavourful mix of pork, flour, and shrimp that were absolutely a welcome experience for her taste buds. Ox turned to the vendor, who stood at a cart stacked with wooden steamers. "Wai! Lou sai. Tai tai hou jungyi di siu mai." The vendor-stroke-chef laughed appreciatively and said something in return. Simmi looked at Ox quizzically. "I said my wife likes the siu mai. He said that if that's true, we should order more." With Simmi's encouragement, Ox did so, and more steamers were brought to their rickety folding table. Ox tipped the vendor generously, and received an appreciative bow in return. The lids of the steamers were uncovered, and more strange, but no doubt sublime dishes were revealed.
Good thing they had the whole night ahead of them.
Hey Bees!
I felt a little better today. Still a little down in the dumps, but hit the gym all the same.
I was not in the mood for a big, taxing Pull session, so I put the deadlifts on the back burner (will do them next week), and instead did a very fluffy workout. So here it is!
Pull ups: 2 3 3 3 2. Getting better at these.
Neutral Grip Rows: 60(?) x 5.
One Armed Cable Rows: 30 x 6. Tougher than I remember them being.
Inverse Rows: Top set of 16 reps.
Reverse Snow Angels: 5 sets of 10.
It occurs to me after the fact that this might be a "deload" workout, just to keep my body refreshed and going.
I got all my stuff done. I went to the gym, left my home. So that counts as a good day.
Yummy Mid-Autumn festival dinner with mom, complete with a tasty mooncake. Tomorrow we're going to Macau for the day to see dad, once again.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Bees!
Drumming: 138 bpm doubles. Didn't feel great, but I put in the time nonetheless.
Playing: Take a guess. Yep, still on Hope-01. Getting farther, but the bosses keep kicking my butt!
Watching: A bit of Invincible, and a bit of House of the Dragon.
Listening to: High on Fire - King of Days. This ol' warhorse symbolizes my mood as of late. Sludgey, hard-hitting, and more than a little bleak. Love this song!
"They sail a burning sun
A war they never won
They toss the fear aside
Never to ask for - pride"
"You called it 'shao mei'?" Ox was busily savouring a bite of the local fare, and took his time before responding. "Here, we call it 'siu mai'. Try it, it's great!" She could barely hear him over the hustle and bustle and noise of the market. Upon entering the somewhat rundown streets, Ox had taken them to a small street-side market in which the patrons sat on stools, and ordered food from vendors at their carts. Simmi was never one to back down from a new experience. She brought the small dumpling up into her mouth, chewed - and relished the taste. "This is great!"
It was a flavourful mix of pork, flour, and shrimp that were absolutely a welcome experience for her taste buds. Ox turned to the vendor, who stood at a cart stacked with wooden steamers. "Wai! Lou sai. Tai tai hou jungyi di siu mai." The vendor-stroke-chef laughed appreciatively and said something in return. Simmi looked at Ox quizzically. "I said my wife likes the siu mai. He said that if that's true, we should order more." With Simmi's encouragement, Ox did so, and more steamers were brought to their rickety folding table. Ox tipped the vendor generously, and received an appreciative bow in return. The lids of the steamers were uncovered, and more strange, but no doubt sublime dishes were revealed.
Good thing they had the whole night ahead of them.
Hey Bees!
I felt a little better today. Still a little down in the dumps, but hit the gym all the same.
I was not in the mood for a big, taxing Pull session, so I put the deadlifts on the back burner (will do them next week), and instead did a very fluffy workout. So here it is!
Pull ups: 2 3 3 3 2. Getting better at these.
Neutral Grip Rows: 60(?) x 5.
One Armed Cable Rows: 30 x 6. Tougher than I remember them being.
Inverse Rows: Top set of 16 reps.
Reverse Snow Angels: 5 sets of 10.
It occurs to me after the fact that this might be a "deload" workout, just to keep my body refreshed and going.
I got all my stuff done. I went to the gym, left my home. So that counts as a good day.
Yummy Mid-Autumn festival dinner with mom, complete with a tasty mooncake. Tomorrow we're going to Macau for the day to see dad, once again.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Bees!
Drumming: 138 bpm doubles. Didn't feel great, but I put in the time nonetheless.
Playing: Take a guess. Yep, still on Hope-01. Getting farther, but the bosses keep kicking my butt!
Watching: A bit of Invincible, and a bit of House of the Dragon.
Listening to: High on Fire - King of Days. This ol' warhorse symbolizes my mood as of late. Sludgey, hard-hitting, and more than a little bleak. Love this song!
"They sail a burning sun
A war they never won
They toss the fear aside
Never to ask for - pride"
"Em... goy?"
Ox let out a small laugh. "M'goi. You're getting there." Simmi sat back in the plush cafe chair. She could feel a few satisfying cracks as she arched her back; quality sleep was going to be a priority tonight. She stifled a yawn. "This jet lag is murder." Ox looked a little faded too, even though he seemed peppy and cheerful. "I want to at least get a few words down before we leave this cafe." Ox blew a raspberry. "It's not the phonics that are difficult, if you ask me. It's the tones." Still, Simmi was determined. "Mm goy," she said, with more emphasis. "Level tone, then a high tone." He demoed it for her out loud, before taking a sip of his bubble tea, slurping up several of the tapioca balls. Simmi took a sip of her matcha tea.
"Okay, I've got this. M'goi." "Better! Remember, it's all about the tones. A lot of the words are homophones - they have the same sound, and the tones are the only thing differentiating them. 'M'goi' means thanks, but with a different emphasis, it means to not correct a problem." "Okay, professor. So how can I use the phrase?" "Every time someone does you a small service, or is doing their job, you say it. But if you're given a gift, or someone does you a big favour, you say 'do je'." Simmi beamed. "Kind of like now."
"Do je."
Hey Bees!
I ate too many peanut m&ms last night, so my penitence was hitting the gym hard today.
And boy, did I. Today was a Leg day. Urk.
Squats: 100 x 3. Actually felt okay.
Front Squats: 70 x 3. Not so much these. They were a trial!
Bulgarian Split Squats: 20 x 5.
Lying Leg Curls: 42.5 x 10, 50 x 5. Pretty good.
Back Extensions: Top set of 16 reps.
And now my legs are totally beat. Yay!
Thank you kindly @JCU. Have you ever tried moon cake?
It's still hot out. I keep hoping for a cool spell, but we'll have to wait for October... at the very least.
Dad is still angry, and hard to put up with. *sigh* What else is new. At least we're back in Hong Kong and settled in again.
Looking forward to the week ahead, oddly enough. The past two weeks have been so difficult since my moodswings have started.
I will put all my personal emphasis on staying calm, sober, and happy!
Hope you're having a great Sunday, Bees!
Funny: It's dangerous to go alone, jerkwad!
Playing: Uh... mostly Hope 01. Beat the hospital boss that was giving me so many problems. But there are still areas that are absolutely kicking my butt.
Maybe a bit of Misery later? I'm kind of lukewarm on going back to it, right now. There's just not enough content, yet.
Intrigued by the news of ARC Raiders and Marathon going PVE - eventually. Let's see how it goes.
Also shopping for a new gaming laptop. No sales yet; may have to wait until Black Friday.
Watching: More House of the Dragon at the gym. Started watching Missing Couple, which is about... well, you can guess.
Listening to: The Cranberries - Twenty One. I don't consciously remember listening to their second album, No Need to Argue, but a lot of the riffs and hooks have stuck out in my mind for a long time. Some of them I haven't remembered for years, only to resurface once I gave them a spin on Youtube. My big sister originally owned the CD, so maybe I listened to it secondhand?
When I think of the Cranberries, I think of the overplayed songs like Linger, Dreams, and Zombie, but the winners on this album make it clear that they had some real songwriting chops (or at least, Dolores O'Riordan sure did).
"I don't think it's going to happen anymore
You took my thoughts from me, now I want nothing more
And did you think you could just take it all away
I don't think it's happening, this is what I say"
Ox let out a small laugh. "M'goi. You're getting there." Simmi sat back in the plush cafe chair. She could feel a few satisfying cracks as she arched her back; quality sleep was going to be a priority tonight. She stifled a yawn. "This jet lag is murder." Ox looked a little faded too, even though he seemed peppy and cheerful. "I want to at least get a few words down before we leave this cafe." Ox blew a raspberry. "It's not the phonics that are difficult, if you ask me. It's the tones." Still, Simmi was determined. "Mm goy," she said, with more emphasis. "Level tone, then a high tone." He demoed it for her out loud, before taking a sip of his bubble tea, slurping up several of the tapioca balls. Simmi took a sip of her matcha tea.
"Okay, I've got this. M'goi." "Better! Remember, it's all about the tones. A lot of the words are homophones - they have the same sound, and the tones are the only thing differentiating them. 'M'goi' means thanks, but with a different emphasis, it means to not correct a problem." "Okay, professor. So how can I use the phrase?" "Every time someone does you a small service, or is doing their job, you say it. But if you're given a gift, or someone does you a big favour, you say 'do je'." Simmi beamed. "Kind of like now."
"Do je."
Hey Bees!
I ate too many peanut m&ms last night, so my penitence was hitting the gym hard today.
And boy, did I. Today was a Leg day. Urk.
Squats: 100 x 3. Actually felt okay.
Front Squats: 70 x 3. Not so much these. They were a trial!
Bulgarian Split Squats: 20 x 5.
Lying Leg Curls: 42.5 x 10, 50 x 5. Pretty good.
Back Extensions: Top set of 16 reps.
And now my legs are totally beat. Yay!
Thank you kindly @JCU. Have you ever tried moon cake?
It's still hot out. I keep hoping for a cool spell, but we'll have to wait for October... at the very least.
Dad is still angry, and hard to put up with. *sigh* What else is new. At least we're back in Hong Kong and settled in again.
Looking forward to the week ahead, oddly enough. The past two weeks have been so difficult since my moodswings have started.
I will put all my personal emphasis on staying calm, sober, and happy!
Hope you're having a great Sunday, Bees!
Funny: It's dangerous to go alone, jerkwad!
Playing: Uh... mostly Hope 01. Beat the hospital boss that was giving me so many problems. But there are still areas that are absolutely kicking my butt.
Maybe a bit of Misery later? I'm kind of lukewarm on going back to it, right now. There's just not enough content, yet.
Intrigued by the news of ARC Raiders and Marathon going PVE - eventually. Let's see how it goes.
Also shopping for a new gaming laptop. No sales yet; may have to wait until Black Friday.
Watching: More House of the Dragon at the gym. Started watching Missing Couple, which is about... well, you can guess.
Listening to: The Cranberries - Twenty One. I don't consciously remember listening to their second album, No Need to Argue, but a lot of the riffs and hooks have stuck out in my mind for a long time. Some of them I haven't remembered for years, only to resurface once I gave them a spin on Youtube. My big sister originally owned the CD, so maybe I listened to it secondhand?
When I think of the Cranberries, I think of the overplayed songs like Linger, Dreams, and Zombie, but the winners on this album make it clear that they had some real songwriting chops (or at least, Dolores O'Riordan sure did).
"I don't think it's going to happen anymore
You took my thoughts from me, now I want nothing more
And did you think you could just take it all away
I don't think it's happening, this is what I say"
-
GentleOx
-
Last edited:
"Wake up, sleepy head!"
Simmi cracked an eye open, and could see her husband standing at the foot of the bed, as fresh and invigorated as if they hadn't kept each other up last night. "Ox," she groused. "I love you, and nonetheless, I am going to kill you." Her threats bounced off of him as if he were oblivious. He grabbed the mattress and shook it. "Got places to be, sights to see, food to eat." Now Simmi pulled the covers over her head and groaned. "Seven hours of sleep is not going to do it! We can head out later." No answer. And then she bounced, and let out a yelp as Ox jumped onto the bed beside her, and pulled the covers down. Piecing together the last of her dignity, and summoning all the irritation she could, she glared at him. "Now it will be slow and painful." Again, that dorky smile.
"I made us coffee." He got up and headed downstairs to the small kitchenette. Simmi made an appreciative noise. "I take it back. It will merely be painful." After a minute, Ox brought a white mug with a slogan over to her. Simmi sat up, gratefully took the mug, and examined the words on the side: COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS! She delicately sipped the black beverage. Strong, but tasty. Ah... so refreshing and sharp. She already felt more awake... for what little that was worth. Ox watched her, amused. "You need to get ready soon!" "I'll be ready, but it won't be soon. Sorry to dash your hopes." He snorted. "We've got to beat all the tourists if we want to get to the Peak."
The Peak?
Hello, Bees!
The week has started and I definitely feel better.
Today was another Push day... the weights were upped slightly.
Bench Press: 132.5 x 3. Ooof, this didn't go down easily. But I got it.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 3. Still not too difficult.
Overhead Press: 77.5 x 3, until the final set was for 2. Will stick with 2 reps moving forwards.
Dumbbell Flat Curl: 20 x 20. Eeeep!
Skullcrushers: 40 x 6.
Since I've beaten my body to a pulp this week, I'm going to take a break tomorrow and head out to the computer centre to go shopping.
Mom and I have decided to grab some hot pot on Saturday. Looking forward to it!
I'm happy to let this new week wash away the frustrations of the past two weeks.
@JCU Huh, I've never thought of homemade moon cake. If you try making again, let me know.
Stay cozy, Bees. Hope your week starts off well!
Playing: More of Hope 01. Steadily making heads and tails of the game world, but it's a pretty daunting task (the game does not provide an ingame map). Have encountered lots of enemies I can't beat, yet, and am still getting my tail kicked repeatedly.
Watching: More HotD. No late night cinema last night, but seeing that I can sleep in a bit, that's likely to be different tonight.
Listening to: Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again. I had this song pop up again, and it's always a good listen. Amusingly, there are numerous interpretations surrounding the lyrics. Is it about friendship? Alienation? You know what I think? Drugs. Yep, it's a song about drugs, and it's hard to interpret it any other way. Oh well.
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
Promises me I'm as safe as houses
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again"
Simmi cracked an eye open, and could see her husband standing at the foot of the bed, as fresh and invigorated as if they hadn't kept each other up last night. "Ox," she groused. "I love you, and nonetheless, I am going to kill you." Her threats bounced off of him as if he were oblivious. He grabbed the mattress and shook it. "Got places to be, sights to see, food to eat." Now Simmi pulled the covers over her head and groaned. "Seven hours of sleep is not going to do it! We can head out later." No answer. And then she bounced, and let out a yelp as Ox jumped onto the bed beside her, and pulled the covers down. Piecing together the last of her dignity, and summoning all the irritation she could, she glared at him. "Now it will be slow and painful." Again, that dorky smile.
"I made us coffee." He got up and headed downstairs to the small kitchenette. Simmi made an appreciative noise. "I take it back. It will merely be painful." After a minute, Ox brought a white mug with a slogan over to her. Simmi sat up, gratefully took the mug, and examined the words on the side: COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS! She delicately sipped the black beverage. Strong, but tasty. Ah... so refreshing and sharp. She already felt more awake... for what little that was worth. Ox watched her, amused. "You need to get ready soon!" "I'll be ready, but it won't be soon. Sorry to dash your hopes." He snorted. "We've got to beat all the tourists if we want to get to the Peak."
The Peak?
Hello, Bees!
The week has started and I definitely feel better.
Today was another Push day... the weights were upped slightly.
Bench Press: 132.5 x 3. Ooof, this didn't go down easily. But I got it.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 3. Still not too difficult.
Overhead Press: 77.5 x 3, until the final set was for 2. Will stick with 2 reps moving forwards.
Dumbbell Flat Curl: 20 x 20. Eeeep!
Skullcrushers: 40 x 6.
Since I've beaten my body to a pulp this week, I'm going to take a break tomorrow and head out to the computer centre to go shopping.
Mom and I have decided to grab some hot pot on Saturday. Looking forward to it!
I'm happy to let this new week wash away the frustrations of the past two weeks.
@JCU Huh, I've never thought of homemade moon cake. If you try making again, let me know.
Stay cozy, Bees. Hope your week starts off well!
Playing: More of Hope 01. Steadily making heads and tails of the game world, but it's a pretty daunting task (the game does not provide an ingame map). Have encountered lots of enemies I can't beat, yet, and am still getting my tail kicked repeatedly.
Watching: More HotD. No late night cinema last night, but seeing that I can sleep in a bit, that's likely to be different tonight.
Listening to: Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again. I had this song pop up again, and it's always a good listen. Amusingly, there are numerous interpretations surrounding the lyrics. Is it about friendship? Alienation? You know what I think? Drugs. Yep, it's a song about drugs, and it's hard to interpret it any other way. Oh well.
"I'm taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
Promises me I'm as safe as houses
As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers
I hope he never lets me down again"
"Babe, are you mad?"
Ox was sitting on the sofa next to her, emitting the opposite of the puppy-like energy he'd had waking up. They had not ended up going to the Peak. Simmi had expressed that they would be better off staying in, rather than going on such an expansive day trip, and that the jet lag would kick in again. Ox turned to her. He didn't seem angry. "Mad? Of course not." Simmi nodded, a little reassured. "I know that you wanted to take me to what sounds like an amazing landmark with the best of views, but I wasn't feeling it today. If I disappointed you, I'm sorry." Ox raised an eyebrow. "I'm not disappointed at all. There's so much to do in the city that we'd have to come back on a second trip to see it all. Besides, we still have a full week with which to get our bearings." Simmi made a noise of assent.
"Why don't you show me around the neighborhood? I hear that it's dangerous and crime-driven and exciting." Ox straightened up and looked at her intently when she said that. Uh oh, had she touched a nerve. "I can show you around, certainly. But there are some places that are gang owned and operated; I can show them to you from a distance," he said, relaxing a little. "But more importantly, I'm starving!" Simmi quirked an eyebrow at this. "You big lunk of an Ox, you just ate two hours ago. Are you a trash compactor or something?" He patted his belly comically. "You can never have enough food, and we should eat like kings while we're here." Simmi laughed, and then stood up, yawning.
"Where to, first?"
(I didn't really feel like writing anything too detailed or meaningful, so this bit of fluff was what I came up with).
Greetings, Bees!
I come to you from the scorching land of Hong Kong, where I braved the weather and plugged away at a Pull day workout.
Deadlifts: 155 x 3. Can I still go up in weight? I think so, but it'll be a fight, I'm sure.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6.
Machine One Arm Rows: 80 x 5.
Pullups: Five sets of three reps.
Reverse Snow Angels: Top set of 16 reps.
It was really hot today, and I didn't even realize it. I kind of take the heat for granted these days. But it's set to be all rainy on Friday, so maybe it'll cool down a bit.
Bought some yummy Chiuchow duck for dinner tonight. Mmm-mm!
I may or may not work out tomorrow. I'll see how I'm feeling.
For the month of October, I'm going to celebrate, as I always have, by spooking up my posts. What form this will take (spooky songs, or scary movie moments), I have yet to decide. I'm leaning toward showcasing horror flicks that influenced me in some way.
Tomorrow (which is a holiday) starts spooky season!
Woooooo Bees!
Playing: Hasn't changed. Still making my way through Hope 01 in piecemeal fashion. I beat another boss, but there are still regions on the map that I'm definitely (and justifiably) very afraid to play around in.
Just purchased No Man's Home (for what, the third time now?). Will try to give it a fair shake this time.
Watching: HotD, a little bit of Invincible, and some Missing Couple (which is slooooowww so far).
Listening to: Lorn - Ice. What a beautiful and snowy treat. Lorn has a skill at taking dark and foreboding sounds that would be haunting on other occasions, and stitching them together to form absolutely memorable melodies.
Ox was sitting on the sofa next to her, emitting the opposite of the puppy-like energy he'd had waking up. They had not ended up going to the Peak. Simmi had expressed that they would be better off staying in, rather than going on such an expansive day trip, and that the jet lag would kick in again. Ox turned to her. He didn't seem angry. "Mad? Of course not." Simmi nodded, a little reassured. "I know that you wanted to take me to what sounds like an amazing landmark with the best of views, but I wasn't feeling it today. If I disappointed you, I'm sorry." Ox raised an eyebrow. "I'm not disappointed at all. There's so much to do in the city that we'd have to come back on a second trip to see it all. Besides, we still have a full week with which to get our bearings." Simmi made a noise of assent.
"Why don't you show me around the neighborhood? I hear that it's dangerous and crime-driven and exciting." Ox straightened up and looked at her intently when she said that. Uh oh, had she touched a nerve. "I can show you around, certainly. But there are some places that are gang owned and operated; I can show them to you from a distance," he said, relaxing a little. "But more importantly, I'm starving!" Simmi quirked an eyebrow at this. "You big lunk of an Ox, you just ate two hours ago. Are you a trash compactor or something?" He patted his belly comically. "You can never have enough food, and we should eat like kings while we're here." Simmi laughed, and then stood up, yawning.
"Where to, first?"
(I didn't really feel like writing anything too detailed or meaningful, so this bit of fluff was what I came up with).
Greetings, Bees!
I come to you from the scorching land of Hong Kong, where I braved the weather and plugged away at a Pull day workout.
Deadlifts: 155 x 3. Can I still go up in weight? I think so, but it'll be a fight, I'm sure.
Barbell Rows: 100 x 6.
Machine One Arm Rows: 80 x 5.
Pullups: Five sets of three reps.
Reverse Snow Angels: Top set of 16 reps.
It was really hot today, and I didn't even realize it. I kind of take the heat for granted these days. But it's set to be all rainy on Friday, so maybe it'll cool down a bit.
Bought some yummy Chiuchow duck for dinner tonight. Mmm-mm!
I may or may not work out tomorrow. I'll see how I'm feeling.
For the month of October, I'm going to celebrate, as I always have, by spooking up my posts. What form this will take (spooky songs, or scary movie moments), I have yet to decide. I'm leaning toward showcasing horror flicks that influenced me in some way.
Tomorrow (which is a holiday) starts spooky season!
Woooooo Bees!
Playing: Hasn't changed. Still making my way through Hope 01 in piecemeal fashion. I beat another boss, but there are still regions on the map that I'm definitely (and justifiably) very afraid to play around in.
Just purchased No Man's Home (for what, the third time now?). Will try to give it a fair shake this time.
Watching: HotD, a little bit of Invincible, and some Missing Couple (which is slooooowww so far).
Listening to: Lorn - Ice. What a beautiful and snowy treat. Lorn has a skill at taking dark and foreboding sounds that would be haunting on other occasions, and stitching them together to form absolutely memorable melodies.
Oooh, regarding older horror movies, I recently watched Wes Craven's "Shocker" - I was already a fan of Mitch Pileggi (Mulder and Scully's boss in the X files), and it was lots of fun. It is as foul-mouthed and blackly comedic as the Freddy Kruger movies, I was surprised I didn't hear more about it. Maybe because it is a once-and-done story ? maybe. Anyway, always loving to see your takes on horror movies.
Streets upon streets, layer upon layer.
There was so much to take in, and it was almost overwhelming. Simmi could not help but let her eyes wander. A vendor on the street behind a cart of roasting chestnuts. The tallest of skyscrapers looming over the city. A gang of toughs in the alley who wolf-whistled and cast salacious eyes over her as she passed. Ox was in front of her, and had stopped, evidently noticing. Simmi took his arm and gently pulled him forward, and he got the message. As a woman in her thirties in a position of authority, she had been hit on, ogled, threatened, and otherwise insulted and demeaned. That came part and parcel with her post as the leader of the Freelancer Observatory faction. Dressing in fatigues and body armour, she had downplayed her femininity, and when something offensive came up, for the most part she would turn the other cheek: unless it was unforgivable.
She slipped her arm in Ox's and slowed their pace a little. "Is it worth it?" She asked, rhetorically. "They were insulting you," he replied, a little tensely. "I'm a compassionate and caring person, I like to think." He reached over with his other hand and squeezed hers. "I seem to remember you enacting the mother of all forms of vengeance on your enemies not too long ago." "Apples and oranges, my dear Ox. Want to know about my personal rule for these things?" "What would that be?" "It's almost never worth it. Walk away. If it is, or you can't, then scorch the earth, salt it, and leave nobody standing.""Remind me to never piss you off." She chuckled.
"As the saying goes, hell hath no fury..."
Hey Bees!
I'm totally beat, but still standing.
Today was a Push day. Went pretty well, I'd say.
Bench Press: 132.5 x 3. Felt pretty good, reps gelled well.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 3. Zzzzz...
Overhead Press: 77.5 x 3, then 2.
Bodyweight Triceps Extensions: Top set of six reps. Oooff. My triceps felt beaten and beat up today, so I couldn't do any real weighted exercises.
Hammer Curls: 22 x 12. Starting low.
Today is a Creature Feature!
This was the most recent time I've seen the pharmacy cat. Such a cheery little kitty!
A rare photo of the gym kitty. She didn't stand around for more photos, so this was the best I got.
And finally, a soaking wet, grumpy Ox. That's the last time I forget to bring an umbrella when it rains. Right.
At least the weather has cooled down appropriately.
Teaching tomorrow. No weekend for me!
Sunday is pizza day! Om nom. Mom is afraid that with Golden Week started, all the visitors will take up spaces at the hot pot restaurants, and there's some merit to that.
You've made it to Friday, Bees! Take a break.
@PetiteSheWolf Mitch Pileggi is awesome! I remember him from X-Files too! I think I've heard of Shockers. I may have to add it to my horror queue.
October Spookies: To start off my celebration of spooky season, I'm going to feature, every time I post, a horror movie that was seminal or important for me. Tonight's is Friday the 13th (the very first one).
The Friday the 13th franchise is a bit of a running joke, and as much of a shambling abomination as its signature villain, but let's turn the clocks back a little.
Before I watched this, I could not stand horror movies. I would burst into tears, hide my gaze, or run away. One night, I hunkered down in my parent's room with the big television, and resolved to sit through this scary flick. Why this one in particular? I don't know. It's not an unusually good or interesting slasher, unlike John Carpenter's Halloween, and SPOILERS. Looking back after the slasher genre was more firmly ensconced, it relies on the tired tropes of stupid teens, sex = death, and a final girl, and would be eclipsed by its successors because they would give prominence to SPOILERS.
But it was my horror movie awakening. I sat through all the gory kills, the jump scares, and that shock ending without flinching. And it was like a switch was flipped in me. I could tolerate horror movies, and indeed sought them out (kinda hindered as I was a kid in the 90s and had to catch things on HBO). But I write about this one because it was a life-changing experience, and the beginning of my horror journey.
And I've never stopped since.
Playing: I beat another boss in Hope 01. But there are more to go, and I still get my butt handed to me periodically. It's amazing to think that this is only the early access release, as it feels like a full game.
Will play some No Man's Home later, and... it's the Steam SALE.
Better get my wallet handy. I aim to buy Killing Time: Remastered, at least, as that one's been on my radar for some time now.
Watching: Still steadily progressing through HotD, and Invincible. Still haven't made any inroads into Missing Couple.
Listening to: Elton John - Amoreena. It's a summer song, and summer's on the way out, but eh, whatever. I first heard it as the opening song (and the only music in) Dog Day Afternoon. It's probably one of Elton's best ever songs, combining sunny instrumentation with Elton's love-struck vocals.
"And when it rains, the rain falls down
Washing out the cattle town
And she's far away somewhere in her eiderdown
And she dreams of crystal streams
Of days gone by when we would lean
Laughing, fit to burst upon each other"
There was so much to take in, and it was almost overwhelming. Simmi could not help but let her eyes wander. A vendor on the street behind a cart of roasting chestnuts. The tallest of skyscrapers looming over the city. A gang of toughs in the alley who wolf-whistled and cast salacious eyes over her as she passed. Ox was in front of her, and had stopped, evidently noticing. Simmi took his arm and gently pulled him forward, and he got the message. As a woman in her thirties in a position of authority, she had been hit on, ogled, threatened, and otherwise insulted and demeaned. That came part and parcel with her post as the leader of the Freelancer Observatory faction. Dressing in fatigues and body armour, she had downplayed her femininity, and when something offensive came up, for the most part she would turn the other cheek: unless it was unforgivable.
She slipped her arm in Ox's and slowed their pace a little. "Is it worth it?" She asked, rhetorically. "They were insulting you," he replied, a little tensely. "I'm a compassionate and caring person, I like to think." He reached over with his other hand and squeezed hers. "I seem to remember you enacting the mother of all forms of vengeance on your enemies not too long ago." "Apples and oranges, my dear Ox. Want to know about my personal rule for these things?" "What would that be?" "It's almost never worth it. Walk away. If it is, or you can't, then scorch the earth, salt it, and leave nobody standing.""Remind me to never piss you off." She chuckled.
"As the saying goes, hell hath no fury..."
Hey Bees!
I'm totally beat, but still standing.
Today was a Push day. Went pretty well, I'd say.
Bench Press: 132.5 x 3. Felt pretty good, reps gelled well.
Incline Press: 102.5 x 3. Zzzzz...
Overhead Press: 77.5 x 3, then 2.
Bodyweight Triceps Extensions: Top set of six reps. Oooff. My triceps felt beaten and beat up today, so I couldn't do any real weighted exercises.
Hammer Curls: 22 x 12. Starting low.
Today is a Creature Feature!
This was the most recent time I've seen the pharmacy cat. Such a cheery little kitty!
A rare photo of the gym kitty. She didn't stand around for more photos, so this was the best I got.
And finally, a soaking wet, grumpy Ox. That's the last time I forget to bring an umbrella when it rains. Right.
At least the weather has cooled down appropriately.
Teaching tomorrow. No weekend for me!
Sunday is pizza day! Om nom. Mom is afraid that with Golden Week started, all the visitors will take up spaces at the hot pot restaurants, and there's some merit to that.
You've made it to Friday, Bees! Take a break.
@PetiteSheWolf Mitch Pileggi is awesome! I remember him from X-Files too! I think I've heard of Shockers. I may have to add it to my horror queue.
October Spookies: To start off my celebration of spooky season, I'm going to feature, every time I post, a horror movie that was seminal or important for me. Tonight's is Friday the 13th (the very first one).
The Friday the 13th franchise is a bit of a running joke, and as much of a shambling abomination as its signature villain, but let's turn the clocks back a little.
Before I watched this, I could not stand horror movies. I would burst into tears, hide my gaze, or run away. One night, I hunkered down in my parent's room with the big television, and resolved to sit through this scary flick. Why this one in particular? I don't know. It's not an unusually good or interesting slasher, unlike John Carpenter's Halloween, and SPOILERS. Looking back after the slasher genre was more firmly ensconced, it relies on the tired tropes of stupid teens, sex = death, and a final girl, and would be eclipsed by its successors because they would give prominence to SPOILERS.
But it was my horror movie awakening. I sat through all the gory kills, the jump scares, and that shock ending without flinching. And it was like a switch was flipped in me. I could tolerate horror movies, and indeed sought them out (kinda hindered as I was a kid in the 90s and had to catch things on HBO). But I write about this one because it was a life-changing experience, and the beginning of my horror journey.
And I've never stopped since.
Playing: I beat another boss in Hope 01. But there are more to go, and I still get my butt handed to me periodically. It's amazing to think that this is only the early access release, as it feels like a full game.
Will play some No Man's Home later, and... it's the Steam SALE.
Better get my wallet handy. I aim to buy Killing Time: Remastered, at least, as that one's been on my radar for some time now.
Watching: Still steadily progressing through HotD, and Invincible. Still haven't made any inroads into Missing Couple.
Listening to: Elton John - Amoreena. It's a summer song, and summer's on the way out, but eh, whatever. I first heard it as the opening song (and the only music in) Dog Day Afternoon. It's probably one of Elton's best ever songs, combining sunny instrumentation with Elton's love-struck vocals.
"And when it rains, the rain falls down
Washing out the cattle town
And she's far away somewhere in her eiderdown
And she dreams of crystal streams
Of days gone by when we would lean
Laughing, fit to burst upon each other"
"Do you miss Carcosa?"
Ox did not answer immediately, leaning against her in the park bench they sat in; obviously, it was not going to be a simple answer. It was a little after five, and the sun was coming down on the promenade. The view across the harbour of Mei Sing island was a spectacular array of buildings from this perspective. A ray of light shone upon Ox's face, making him look particularly beatific. "It's ah, a little complicated." She poked him in the ribs. "I gathered. It's a complicated question for me too, y'know." There were fewer people here than in the city proper, and the park featured long paths and exercise equipment. She could see runners doing their laps down the trail. Finally, Ox spoke.
"I miss parts of it. I miss the thrill of danger, the satisfaction of a job well done, and, as always, I miss the camaraderie and closeness of being with friends. I could do without the rest, to be honest. What about you?"
"I love doing my job, for one. Seeing my stalkers come home safe and alive, of course. The feeling of being away from... you know. And I'm really happy to have you right beside me." To punctuate this, she kissed him on the cheek. Ox smiled.
"Now for the horrible part. I don't miss the death. The warfare. The monsters out of your worst nightmares."
"The feeling when one of mine doesn't make it out of the field. The shitty food. The heartbreaks and the losses that have added up over the years."
Ox turned his head to look at her, and his gaze wavered a moment.
"We can't do this forever, Sim."
Hey again, Bees!
A quiet Sunday was punctuated by a massive workout in the gym.
It was Leg day (groan), so here are the details.
Squats: 105 x 3, 110 x 3. Ugh. Tough, but doable, and gelled fairly well.
Front Squats: 75 x 3. Ironically, even tougher than the squats themselves. Let's see how 80 goes.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 22 x 4. Building up to five rep sets.
Lying Leg Curls: Top set of six reps at 50 kg. Ugh.
Body Extensions: Top set of 15 reps.
So lots of tough lifts today, but I'm glad I got it done. Probably won't feel that way tomorrow though:
We saw a kitty today! It was the grocery store kitty. But I didn't capture any pics. It was getting lots of attention from passersby.
Had yummy cha chaan teng food for dinner. I don't know how to say any of the dishes in English, but trust me, they were yum out of 10.
Going to take tonight off to do some gaming, though I have more work later in the week.
Hope your weekend's been great, Bees!
October Spookies #2: Tonight's spooky October movie is the Night of the Living Dead Remake (1990).
This is the film that forever cemented my fascination with zombies. It was showing on HBO, and I must've watched it age 14 or so. At the time, I did not know that this film was a remake of the more seminal original, and even now, I couldn't care less. The idea is simple: Barbara, a buttoned-up young woman goes with her brother Johnny to pay their respects to their deceased mother in a cemetery. However, things get very out of hand, and Barbara, searching for help, finds herself trapped in a house with several other survivors: they are beset by strange ghouls that consume flesh. Will they ever make their way out?
It's a gory, taut, suspenseful and a surprisingly insightful view on how, in crisis, we humans refuse to get along. But I will forever remember the zombies: slow, shuffling, eerie, and almost totally unstoppable. They're an inexorable menace, and not the most interesting idea ever, but the way situations revolve around them has always been intriguing (this was explored in more detail in Dawn of the Dead). I've had a love of zombie movies ever since, and it's been an absolute joy to see the genre evolve. And then the Resident Evil series on the Playstation came along and into my life but that... is a story for another day. For now, NotLD (1990) was my first introduction to a monster that refused to die: both on the screen, and in my imagination.
Playing: More Hope 01. Beat another boss in a particularly hair-raising and hairy encounter (the boss had no hair, actually...) There's still more of the map to explore, so my adventures aren't quite over.
Also purchased, on a whim, Dreamspring, which seems to be very highly recommended. Of all the games that are discounted and available on Steam right now, only this one caught my eye; maybe it's a sign of sorts.
Watching: Same old. HotD. Haven't watched Invincible today. Will try to resume Late Night Cinema tonight, if I don't conk out first.
Listening to: Paul Romero - Celeste (Might and Magic VII soundtrack). While limited by the fashions of the time and the limitations of the medium, (game soundtracks were usually audio from a CD), I found this one positively transcendent. Pun not intended. It really does capture the feeling of what it would be like to enter Heaven.
Ox did not answer immediately, leaning against her in the park bench they sat in; obviously, it was not going to be a simple answer. It was a little after five, and the sun was coming down on the promenade. The view across the harbour of Mei Sing island was a spectacular array of buildings from this perspective. A ray of light shone upon Ox's face, making him look particularly beatific. "It's ah, a little complicated." She poked him in the ribs. "I gathered. It's a complicated question for me too, y'know." There were fewer people here than in the city proper, and the park featured long paths and exercise equipment. She could see runners doing their laps down the trail. Finally, Ox spoke.
"I miss parts of it. I miss the thrill of danger, the satisfaction of a job well done, and, as always, I miss the camaraderie and closeness of being with friends. I could do without the rest, to be honest. What about you?"
"I love doing my job, for one. Seeing my stalkers come home safe and alive, of course. The feeling of being away from... you know. And I'm really happy to have you right beside me." To punctuate this, she kissed him on the cheek. Ox smiled.
"Now for the horrible part. I don't miss the death. The warfare. The monsters out of your worst nightmares."
"The feeling when one of mine doesn't make it out of the field. The shitty food. The heartbreaks and the losses that have added up over the years."
Ox turned his head to look at her, and his gaze wavered a moment.
"We can't do this forever, Sim."
Hey again, Bees!
A quiet Sunday was punctuated by a massive workout in the gym.
It was Leg day (groan), so here are the details.
Squats: 105 x 3, 110 x 3. Ugh. Tough, but doable, and gelled fairly well.
Front Squats: 75 x 3. Ironically, even tougher than the squats themselves. Let's see how 80 goes.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 22 x 4. Building up to five rep sets.
Lying Leg Curls: Top set of six reps at 50 kg. Ugh.
Body Extensions: Top set of 15 reps.
So lots of tough lifts today, but I'm glad I got it done. Probably won't feel that way tomorrow though:
We saw a kitty today! It was the grocery store kitty. But I didn't capture any pics. It was getting lots of attention from passersby.
Had yummy cha chaan teng food for dinner. I don't know how to say any of the dishes in English, but trust me, they were yum out of 10.
Going to take tonight off to do some gaming, though I have more work later in the week.
Hope your weekend's been great, Bees!
October Spookies #2: Tonight's spooky October movie is the Night of the Living Dead Remake (1990).
This is the film that forever cemented my fascination with zombies. It was showing on HBO, and I must've watched it age 14 or so. At the time, I did not know that this film was a remake of the more seminal original, and even now, I couldn't care less. The idea is simple: Barbara, a buttoned-up young woman goes with her brother Johnny to pay their respects to their deceased mother in a cemetery. However, things get very out of hand, and Barbara, searching for help, finds herself trapped in a house with several other survivors: they are beset by strange ghouls that consume flesh. Will they ever make their way out?
It's a gory, taut, suspenseful and a surprisingly insightful view on how, in crisis, we humans refuse to get along. But I will forever remember the zombies: slow, shuffling, eerie, and almost totally unstoppable. They're an inexorable menace, and not the most interesting idea ever, but the way situations revolve around them has always been intriguing (this was explored in more detail in Dawn of the Dead). I've had a love of zombie movies ever since, and it's been an absolute joy to see the genre evolve. And then the Resident Evil series on the Playstation came along and into my life but that... is a story for another day. For now, NotLD (1990) was my first introduction to a monster that refused to die: both on the screen, and in my imagination.
Playing: More Hope 01. Beat another boss in a particularly hair-raising and hairy encounter (the boss had no hair, actually...) There's still more of the map to explore, so my adventures aren't quite over.
Also purchased, on a whim, Dreamspring, which seems to be very highly recommended. Of all the games that are discounted and available on Steam right now, only this one caught my eye; maybe it's a sign of sorts.
Watching: Same old. HotD. Haven't watched Invincible today. Will try to resume Late Night Cinema tonight, if I don't conk out first.
Listening to: Paul Romero - Celeste (Might and Magic VII soundtrack). While limited by the fashions of the time and the limitations of the medium, (game soundtracks were usually audio from a CD), I found this one positively transcendent. Pun not intended. It really does capture the feeling of what it would be like to enter Heaven.
Kathe O'higgins
Building the habit of eating healthy and exercising every day.
"Do you miss Carcosa?"
Ox did not answer immediately, leaning against her in the park bench they sat in; obviously, it was not going to be a simple answer. It was a little after five, and the sun was coming down on the promenade. The view across the harbour of Mei Sing island was a spectacular array of buildings from this perspective. A ray of light shone upon Ox's face, making him look particularly beatific. "It's ah, a little complicated." She poked him in the ribs. "I gathered. It's a complicated question for me too, y'know." There were fewer people here than in the city proper, and the park featured long paths and exercise equipment. She could see runners doing their laps down the trail. Finally, Ox spoke.
"I miss parts of it. I miss the thrill of danger, the satisfaction of a job well done, and, as always, I miss the camaraderie and closeness of being with friends. I could do without the rest, to be honest. What about you?"
"I love doing my job, for one. Seeing my stalkers come home safe and alive, of course. The feeling of being away from... you know. And I'm really happy to have you right beside me." To punctuate this, she kissed him on the cheek. Ox smiled.
"Now for the horrible part. I don't miss the death. The warfare. The monsters out of your worst nightmares."
"The feeling when one of mine doesn't make it out of the field. The shitty food. The heartbreaks and the losses that have added up over the years."
Ox turned his head to look at her, and his gaze wavered a moment.
"We can't do this forever, Sim."
Hey again, Bees!
A quiet Sunday was punctuated by a massive workout in the gym.
It was Leg day (groan), so here are the details.
Squats: 105 x 3, 110 x 3. Ugh. Tough, but doable, and gelled fairly well.
Front Squats: 75 x 3. Ironically, even tougher than the squats themselves. Let's see how 80 goes.
Bulgarian Split Squats: 22 x 4. Building up to five rep sets.
Lying Leg Curls: Top set of six reps at 50 kg. Ugh.
Body Extensions: Top set of 15 reps.
So lots of tough lifts today, but I'm glad I got it done. Probably won't feel that way tomorrow though:
We saw a kitty today! It was the grocery store kitty. But I didn't capture any pics. It was getting lots of attention from passersby.
Had yummy cha chaan teng food for dinner. I don't know how to say any of the dishes in English, but trust me, they were yum out of 10.
Going to take tonight off to do some gaming, though I have more work later in the week.
Hope your weekend's been great, Bees!
October Spookies #2: Tonight's spooky October movie is the Night of the Living Dead Remake (1990).
This is the film that forever cemented my fascination with zombies. It was showing on HBO, and I must've watched it age 14 or so. At the time, I did not know that this film was a remake of the more seminal original, and even now, I couldn't care less. The idea is simple: Barbara, a buttoned-up young woman goes with her brother Johnny to pay their respects to their deceased mother in a cemetery. However, things get very out of hand, and Barbara, searching for help, finds herself trapped in a house with several other survivors: they are beset by strange ghouls that consume flesh. Will they ever make their way out?
It's a gory, taut, suspenseful and a surprisingly insightful view on how, in crisis, we humans refuse to get along. But I will forever remember the zombies: slow, shuffling, eerie, and almost totally unstoppable. They're an inexorable menace, and not the most interesting idea ever, but the way situations revolve around them has always been intriguing (this was explored in more detail in Dawn of the Dead). I've had a love of zombie movies ever since, and it's been an absolute joy to see the genre evolve. And then the Resident Evil series on the Playstation came along and into my life but that... is a story for another day. For now, NotLD (1990) was my first introduction to a monster that refused to die: both on the screen, and in my imagination.
Playing: More Hope 01. Beat another boss in a particularly hair-raising and hairy encounter (the boss had no hair, actually...) There's still more of the map to explore, so my adventures aren't quite over.
Also purchased, on a whim, Dreamspring, which seems to be very highly recommended. Of all the games that are discounted and available on Steam right now, only this one caught my eye; maybe it's a sign of sorts.
Watching: Same old. HotD. Haven't watched Invincible today. Will try to resume Late Night Cinema tonight, if I don't conk out first.
Listening to: Paul Romero - Celeste (Might and Magic VII soundtrack). While limited by the fashions of the time and the limitations of the medium, (game soundtracks were usually audio from a CD), I found this one positively transcendent. Pun not intended. It really does capture the feeling of what it would be like to enter Heaven.
I agree with you, leg days feel sluggish because of how much weight you lift
.""Have you got the popcorn ready?"
There was a *ding* from the apartment's microwave, and a minute later, Ox had two bowls of hot, fresh, popcorn on hand. Ox had insisted that in addition to buttered popcorn, they have sweet caramel on hand as well. While this was sacrilege to Simmi, when she'd heard Ox's preferences, she'd simply laughed it off. Ox brought the bowls over to the coffee table and sat down on the sofa beside Simmi, who was already curled up. "Well, what are we watching?" Simmi ran through the channels aimlessly. "I have no idea, maybe enlighten me?"
As they changed through the programs, Ox offered insights into the things that titillated the citizens of Mei Sing. There were a lot of cooking shows, a few game shows, and even a singing contest. Simmi bit into several pieces with that joy you get when you're just starting to eat a treat. "This is the sort of dreck that people put up with?" Ox popped a few kernels of the sweet variety into his mouth, crunching away delightedly. "I have a feeling that no matter where you go, television's a lot like this. People don't want to worry about the potential collapse of the world."
"If stations are putting out trash like this, maybe the end of the world would be a good thing," observed Simmi. "I mean, over in Carcosa, we have a front-row seat to the kind of mayhem the rest of the world is sheltered from. People need to realize that something disastrous is going on in a small pocket of the world." Speaking of which, they hadn't discuss the conversation they'd had on the waterfront, and Simmi knew why. Too many could bes and maybes; instead, they wanted to enjoy the now. She could feel Ox's shrug. "What would you expect them to do? What can you do?" Simmi laughed harshly at this.
"Not much."
Hey again Bees!
Wow! Another two workouts in two days. How about that.
Today I continued my Push series of workouts, though I'm going to have the lighten up on the reps sooner, rather than later.
Bench Press: 135 x 3. Not gonna lie, this was pretty tough. I'll have to lighten up on the reps moving forward.
Incline Press: 105 x 3. Zzzz...
Overhead Press: 80 x 3, 80 x 2. I'm proud of this one! Shoulder pressing your bodyweight is considered a big deal, and I managed three reps (technically, I'm actually 78.9 kg, so a bit lighter than the weight).
Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 22 x 12. Something new.
Rope Pushdowns: 8 x 8. I gave up on all the progressive overload overload I'd previously been going for. Just doing these for the pump.
My legs are like toothpicks right now, thanks to yesterday.
@Kathe O'higgins You know the feeling! And I'm definitely feeling it today.
I was one breath away from conversing with my gym crush. I swear! Maybe next time...
Listening to some depression music again (Korn is big on my unhappy moods playlist). A bit down, but I had a good day. So that much needs to be appreciated.
Going to take tomorrow off to recuperate a little. Where to go, what to do...
Have a good start to your week, Bees!
Playing: Still exploring the habs of Hope 01. Found a new character. Got my butt handed to me a few times.
Misery lies dormant... I feel like I've exhausted much of what is offered at the moment.
Still haven't played Dreamspring! Should get on that tonight.
Watching: Have watched more of the abominable HotD Season 3, as well as some Invincible (which sits in dramatic contrast to the hot mess that is HotD). Still haven't resumed my watch of Missing Couple. Maybe tonight (yeah right!)?
Listening to: The Sound - I Can't Escape Myself. I will never stop praising The Sound, who were probably the most undeservedly forgotten of the new-wave/post-punk bands. I listened to this song a lot during my drinking days, I recall. It's as dire, stark, and punishing as its title suggests, and kind of apropos for the mixed feelings I've had these weeks.
No matter where you go, there you are.
"So many feelings pent up in here
Left all alone, I'm with the one I most fear
I'm sick and I'm tired of reasoning
Just want to break out, shake off this skin"
There was a *ding* from the apartment's microwave, and a minute later, Ox had two bowls of hot, fresh, popcorn on hand. Ox had insisted that in addition to buttered popcorn, they have sweet caramel on hand as well. While this was sacrilege to Simmi, when she'd heard Ox's preferences, she'd simply laughed it off. Ox brought the bowls over to the coffee table and sat down on the sofa beside Simmi, who was already curled up. "Well, what are we watching?" Simmi ran through the channels aimlessly. "I have no idea, maybe enlighten me?"
As they changed through the programs, Ox offered insights into the things that titillated the citizens of Mei Sing. There were a lot of cooking shows, a few game shows, and even a singing contest. Simmi bit into several pieces with that joy you get when you're just starting to eat a treat. "This is the sort of dreck that people put up with?" Ox popped a few kernels of the sweet variety into his mouth, crunching away delightedly. "I have a feeling that no matter where you go, television's a lot like this. People don't want to worry about the potential collapse of the world."
"If stations are putting out trash like this, maybe the end of the world would be a good thing," observed Simmi. "I mean, over in Carcosa, we have a front-row seat to the kind of mayhem the rest of the world is sheltered from. People need to realize that something disastrous is going on in a small pocket of the world." Speaking of which, they hadn't discuss the conversation they'd had on the waterfront, and Simmi knew why. Too many could bes and maybes; instead, they wanted to enjoy the now. She could feel Ox's shrug. "What would you expect them to do? What can you do?" Simmi laughed harshly at this.
"Not much."
Hey again Bees!
Wow! Another two workouts in two days. How about that.
Today I continued my Push series of workouts, though I'm going to have the lighten up on the reps sooner, rather than later.
Bench Press: 135 x 3. Not gonna lie, this was pretty tough. I'll have to lighten up on the reps moving forward.
Incline Press: 105 x 3. Zzzz...
Overhead Press: 80 x 3, 80 x 2. I'm proud of this one! Shoulder pressing your bodyweight is considered a big deal, and I managed three reps (technically, I'm actually 78.9 kg, so a bit lighter than the weight).
Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 22 x 12. Something new.
Rope Pushdowns: 8 x 8. I gave up on all the progressive overload overload I'd previously been going for. Just doing these for the pump.
My legs are like toothpicks right now, thanks to yesterday.
@Kathe O'higgins You know the feeling! And I'm definitely feeling it today.
I was one breath away from conversing with my gym crush. I swear! Maybe next time...
Listening to some depression music again (Korn is big on my unhappy moods playlist). A bit down, but I had a good day. So that much needs to be appreciated.
Going to take tomorrow off to recuperate a little. Where to go, what to do...
Have a good start to your week, Bees!
Playing: Still exploring the habs of Hope 01. Found a new character. Got my butt handed to me a few times.
Misery lies dormant... I feel like I've exhausted much of what is offered at the moment.
Still haven't played Dreamspring! Should get on that tonight.
Watching: Have watched more of the abominable HotD Season 3, as well as some Invincible (which sits in dramatic contrast to the hot mess that is HotD). Still haven't resumed my watch of Missing Couple. Maybe tonight (yeah right!)?
Listening to: The Sound - I Can't Escape Myself. I will never stop praising The Sound, who were probably the most undeservedly forgotten of the new-wave/post-punk bands. I listened to this song a lot during my drinking days, I recall. It's as dire, stark, and punishing as its title suggests, and kind of apropos for the mixed feelings I've had these weeks.
No matter where you go, there you are.
"So many feelings pent up in here
Left all alone, I'm with the one I most fear
I'm sick and I'm tired of reasoning
Just want to break out, shake off this skin"