that game store sounds awesome. I'm going to have to check to see if they have anything like that here in Phoenix. Is your job winding down? Are you seasonal?
Random Update 8/13/13
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 On 08/13/2013 at 12:33 PM by Ranger1 See More From This User » |
Ah, August! The month when everyone suddenly realizes that summer is winding down and they need to frantically fit as much as possible into the next few weeks. And they take their frustrations out on park staff, store clerks, and other hospitality service employees. I have been very busy lately, of the go to work, come home, walk the dog, shovel dinner down my throat, and fall asleep in front of the TV variety. I did do some fun stuff in the last week or so, though. My mom came up to visit and we just hung out for the day, did a little shopping at Target, Reny's (local chain of discount department stores - they're awesome!), and I slipped into an independent gaming/comics store. The Gamebox has comics, current gen games for purchase and rental, a fine selection of retro games for all systems, and table top gaming. They also run table top games in the back of the store. The staff was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and relaxed. I will be shopping there in the future for most of my gaming needs. They also repair most consoles and some handhelds. I see myself shopping there for most of my future gaming needs and desires.
My mom is a bit forgetful (minor strokes will do that), and left her meds in on my futon when she left to visit some old friends who live up the coast. I noticed them too late, and decided "what the hey, it's a lovely day for a road trip!", picked up Jason, got stuff for a picnic, and we hit the road. I stopped at a roadside stand and bought two quarts of heaven: Maine wild blueberries. Cultivated ones taste nothing like them, by the way. Sweeter, juicier, and smaller that the cultivated ones. Next stop was our picnic site:
This is Fort Edgecomb State Historic site. It was built for the War of 1812, and the octagonal blockhouse is all that stands of the original fort. Inside, there is a lot of graffiti left from the very bored soldiers stationed there in the 1800s, all of it very intricately carved with fancy lettering.
And you can't beat the view. This was from our picnic table. The dots in the water are lobster buoys. From there, it was up to New Harbor, where my mom was staying, to drop off her meds. Jason and I did a little roaming around, I stopped in and visited with former co-workers at my first posting (no pics of that, unfortunately), and then we went down to the lighthouse. The place was swarming with people, I like it better in the winter when there aren't any tourists!
This is Pemaquid Lighthouse, or "The Point" as the locals refer to it as. It's the lighthouse featured on the Maine quarter, by the way. Jason leaned back so I could get this photo without people in it. He's such a good sport! We went back to the family friends my mom was staying with and visited with them for a bit before heading south again. And that was my big adventure so far this summer, lol.
Gaming: While at The Gamebox, I saw LBP Karting for $19.99, which was my magic number, so I bought it. I also found out that they have a rewards system at The Gamebox that is way better than GameStop's. So I've been playing story mode and swearing a lot at the non-racing levels. I hate mini-games. It's OK, I think the Sonic and Sega kart racers are better games, but it is a lot of fun being able to customize your costume and kart. And I may try my hand at level creation, if it doesn't seem too difficult. The main thing is that it is (mostly) fun. And isn't that what gaming is really all about? Still playing AC:Wild World sporadically, and I need to get back to Tomb Raider soon, because I was almost at the end when I stalled out. And I really, really want Tales of Xillia, I just can't afford it right now.
Also playing games on Kongregate. Lots of point and click games on there, plus many more time wasters. I know they're owned by the evil GameStop empire, but the games are free and don't involve me downloading them onto my laptop. Two of the most recently played ones were Panda's Big Adventure and the sequel: Panda's Big Adventure 2.
Listening: Been listening to a group from Newfoundland called Rawlins Cross lately. My friend Gary posted a link to one of their videos on my friend Kat's memorial thread and I really liked it. Also been listening to a couple of old Madonna CDs from the 80s. She's talented and I like her music, I just can't stand watching her perform it.
Reading: Still reading Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series, I like how they're all connected but you don't have to read them in order. I also read Bloodshot, which is about a vampire thief/PI. Normally I'm not into vampires, but this book was worth reading. I think Cherie Priest may be a new favorite author.
Ranger Stuff: I'm totally into dragonflies at the moment. Did you know that there are tons of different species in all different colors? And that the males are much more brightly colored than the females? My yard is full of them - at least five different species, plus all the ones at the frog pond and the marshes nearby. And the ones at work are different than the ones here in the field. I have a field guide to dragonflies that I'd forgotten I owned and I've been very busy identifying the ones that will stay still long enough for me to get a good look at them or take their picture. This one sat on my porch for hours Saturday morning and chased away all the other dragonflies that came by. He's a Common White-tail, which is a member of the Skimmer family.
There ya go: another installment of the exciting adventures of Rangergirl.
I'd love to visit Maine. I like seafood and lighthouses so I think there'd be tons to see and do, I bet Maine is my kind of place. I've never even seen the ocean with my own eyes before. The biggest body of water I've ever been around was Lake Michigan when I was younger and mom took me to the beach in Michigan City, Indiana. It was a long time ago but I remember seeing a lighthouse there on a pier of some kind and it was awesome. In Maine you guys have an actual ocean, and a ton more lighthouses I bet!
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