Category: IRL

Cruis’n Riders

Well, it’s just about that time of year again. In just a little over a month, I’ll be riding a bicycle for charity again, and for the fifth year in a row, I’ve been asked to create a promotional image for my team. For the first time ever, though, I’m posting it here before it goes live anywhere else. Don’t you feel special!?

Any guesses as to what this year’s artwork is referencing? It’s not exactly subtle, so if you don’t see it right away, you almost definitely don’t know.

And of course, if you should feel the need to support me in this endeavor, you can donate here!

‘Mato & Egger

Some time ago, I downloaded a cookbook that is made up entirely of recipes from Final Fantasy XV. I’ve only tried to make two of them to date, because I keep forgetting it’s a thing, but here’s how my Classic Tomato & Egg Stir-fry turned out:

I liked this dish so much that I’ve actually made it several times. It also helps that it’s super easy and all the ingredients are staples in my kitchen. It doesn’t quite look the same as Ignis’ version (below), but honestly, I think mine wins as far as presentation goes. I really like the vibrant, contrasting colours a lot more than the soupier alternative.

Now, where did I find that cookbook? That’s a good question, and I don’t remember. Google it!

Number Two

Did you know that I still draw things from time to time? Well, it happens. I just… can’t be bothered to upload them here, I suppose.

So here’s the front of the birthday card I drew for my nephew back in November when he turned two. The inside had doodles too, but I guess I never took a picture of it? Whoops!

Hi, I’m here

I haven’t written anything this month. I’ve been very distracted.

Much of that distraction has been video games, as you’ll see in a couple days on the MEVGWU. But a other stuff is going on too.

Like, for instance, I saw Fantastic Four: First Steps last weekend. It’s good. Not really fantastic, but it was enjoyable enough that I didn’t fall asleep. I just didn’t really feel very strongly about it in any way. A perfectly average film.

The best part was that it takes place in an alternate universe, and as such it was allowed to have its very own, very excellent-looking, retro-futuristic visual identity. It’s too bad that it’s going to get absorbed into the rest of the increasingly bland MCU.

The worst part is when they send an eight-months-pregnant woman into space. I don’t care if she’s a super hero. There’s just no way. And then they spend the rest of the movie protecting the baby at literally all costs. It’s… I mean, a lot of things happen in this movie just so the plot can move forward, but that was the least believable.

It was fun to see on the big screen, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Also the tickets were just shy of $25, which is way out of control. I’d like to go see more movies in the theatre, but when it costs just as much as it does to buy them? Hard to justify.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Maybe I’ll write more in August. Maybe I won’t!

A Tradition of Art

So I drew this thing:

Overall, I’m very satisfied with it. It aligns very well with the vision that I had before starting up. Of course, as an artist, I look at it and can immediately pick out a hundred little things I’d like to tweak or clean up. But I can’t; it’s already been submitted and published. So I won’t bother losing any sleep over it.

The ONE thing that I do want to grouse about is -in my opinion- the not entirely cohesive style. When I began this project, I decided to go more cartoony than I normally do. And I think that’s very clear over on the right side of the image. But as I made my way up and around through the various characters, I think I kind of lost sight that direction and faded a bit into my more usual style; I got a little too distracted by trying to figure out how to make each person at least somewhat recognizable and distinct. And it’s fine! It’s not a big deal! I don’t think anyone but me would even notice. But it bugs me just a little.

A Thing (Pre-)Happened

I pre-ordered my Nintendo Switch 2 today. It was… kind of a boring experience. Way more people came out than I’d expected (what with all the online bellyaching about prices), and I stood in line for an hour to secure my console.

Turns out an hour’s not so bad, though. My mom waited in a two-hour line to get a pre-order for my brother, and I’ve heard that people were in queues for up to eight hours trying to pre-order online. Crazy stuff. I guess Nintendo’s not dead quite yet, eh bellyachers?

And look, I know it seems weird that I’d get the Mario Kart bundle, since I’m not a Mario Kart player in really any capacity these days, but Mario Kart World looks freakin’ awesome. I’m honestly looking forward to just driving around the world looking for secrets and tucked-away details. Races? Who needs ’em?

I used the word “look” four times in that last paragraph. Now you’re going to fixate on that fact. Enjoy.

I also have more thoughts about Switch 2. Obvi. I haven’t written anything yet because I was thinking about doing a video on it, but I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen at this point. But, I mean, it’s the new Nintendo machine. I’m buying one and I’m pretty dang excited about it. This should come as no surprise to anybody. That’s kinda my jam, you know?

Coffee Table Bloodbath

A few weeks ago, I watched a movie called The Coffee Table. It’s a 2022 Spanish-language film available on Shudder (and maybe elsewhere) that had randomly caught my attention and sat on my watch list for weeks before I finally pulled the trigger on it.

This movie is about a couple who have recently had their first child, and they buy this gaudy-looking coffee table. The first 20-ish minutes are all build-up, then there is an incident wherein the baby receives a rather severe head-related injury from the coffee table. From that point, the movie is basically 100% building tension until it all comes to a head in the last five minutes. I don’t think I would ever recommend this movie, mostly because I don’t think that anyone I know would enjoy it, but I liked it.

So I watched this movie, and the very next day, I kid you not, I get a text telling me that my one-year-old nephew bashed his head open on the edge of a coffee table. Tears and blood everywhere, an all-around horrifying situation. Though I make it sound worse than it was; the poor little guy had to get four (I think) stitches, and as I record this he’s still got a pretty wicked scar where an eyebrow used to be, but as far as I’m aware he’s doing just fine. Had a rough time in the moment, but was happy and smiling just a couple hours later.

And that’s my latest story of an absolutely wild coincidence. I watched a movie called The Demon Disorder the following weekend and wondered to myself if I ought to send out a warning to keep my nephew away from anything that might possess him, but figured “eh, what are the chances of that?”

Just for the record, he was not possessed by anything the next day.

A Box of Discs

I did a big clean of my condo this week, and part of that was sorting through a number of boxes that I haven’t opened in years. One of those boxes held all of my physical PC games. Behold!

The un-labeled cases contain, in no particular order: Day of the Tentacle, Doom II, Relentless: Twinsen’s Adventure, Hidden & Dangerous: Devil’s Bridge, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert.

Final Fantasy VIII and Command & Conquer were late for picture day.

I would normally do some reminiscing or analysis here, but I think I’d rather just present this without commentary. Draw your own conclusions. Judge me as you will.

Deep Ryan Lore

A random thought pooped into my head today: it has been exactly 20 years since the first time I ever asked a girl on a date. Well, like, 20 years and a day? Or a week? I’m 98% sure it was on a Saturday, but whether it was the 19th or 26th, I haven’t got a clue. I can’t pinpoint these things that precisely.

Anyway, she turned me down. To make myself feel better, I bought a PlayStation 2. Oh, how different life might have been…

Coincidentally, it’s been 10 years (and a month) since my ex-wife walked out on me. Fortunately, there are currently no women in my life in that capacity, and thus my heart cannot possibly be broken this year. The cycle of pain ends! Hooray!

(Please note that I did notice the typo in the first paragraph and almost corrected it, but then I decided that it’s funnier as-is.)