Far and Away from my PS4

Day 77: Robots in Disguise

Its been over a week since I blogged but the delay has been for the best possible reasons—the ocean and a mec (plus I had a crap ton of grading to do).

The Mec

A few weeks ago a guest speaker in one of my communication courses reported that the Target distribution center in Kern county is bigger than the Empire state building laying on its side.  Inside this local Target warehouse lives a giant robot that helps the human workers (so much awesome).  Since this revelation, and buying the game Helldivers, I have been fixated on getting a Mec to control in game (just to be clear, the game Helldivers not the Target mec). 

And it finally happened, last Thursday we finally got exosuit and now every game we play I just clank behind John and mow down all oncoming bugs/cyborgs/illuminate.  On a side note, if my character walks to close to the hubs character in game, while I am wearing the big metal suit it does damage because I stomped on him.  What a great metaphor for life, when I am fully suited in my armor and get too close to the hubs I can make him bleed.

Since we earned the exosuit we have been playing Helldivers every spare moment we can get.  I even played a few planets with our son who is a few levels behind me.  When I played with our son, as soon as I called my Mec he climbed inside forcing me to call my backup because he loved playing as a robot as much as his mama.  Over the weekend we were away from our PS4 for almost 72 hours and had to instead rely on our mobile games.

Our Fav Mobile Game

My last out of town trip was solo and John installed Carcossone and Agricola on our mobile devices so that we could pass and play.  Since that trip we have ongoing games of virtual Carcassone that often take days to complete.  Since the first time we ever played Carcassone on our phones I have only beaten the hubs once, and it was before we watched the tutorial and understood how to play, so my first win does not entirely count.

The Ocean

New blue hair with the hubs at the ocean

We travelled out of town to attend a marriage workshop near the beach.  We thought it would be all sand and relaxation but the trip was actually a lot of work and simultaneously we suffered some PS4 

withdrawal.  The most enjoyable aspect of the trip was meeting another couple that like us are also board game geeks.  They proclaimed they are “strange” because their standard celebratory gifts are board games to one another (um, most romantic thing ever). 

Unsurprisingly this couple, like the hubs and me, had also brought board games along on their weekend away.  After playing Sushi Go and Carcassonne, people who started as strangers became our fast friends.  The beach was beautiful but my favorite part of the trip was the first time we play the RL copy of Carcassonne (and I won and have included a photo of our awesome board).

The game Carcassonne is wonderful digitally but it is so much better face-to-face.  The face-to-face game is easier to modify and as the pieces start to weave together you move in closer to the people around you and start to silently communicate in building a region from nothing.

Tip of the day: Some days play without your armor so you don’t make your partner bleed.  And, always take the opportunity to play games, even with strangers you never know what you will find out about yourself and your coupleship.    

Handstands at Ocean

Coping with PS4 withdrawal

 requires inversions

Final board for my first Carcossone victory

Upgrade your phone, not your wife

Day 30: Hold me close, Text me far away

I want to preface this post by saying that I truly love my union thugs, and I feel energized by my time spent with fellow educators.  Today I have been inspired, well feed, and continue to enjoy the stormy Nor Cal weather.  But I miss the hubs, the kids, and my games.  We are playing turn-based games on our iPhones but it is not the same.  Equating turn-based mobile gaming to face-to-face games is like saying texting is the same as cuddling:  cuddling is so much better.  But when I can not be cuddling, I am happy to fill the time organizing with my fellow faculty from the CSU's. 

Post by California Faculty Association. aka where I am at today.

Is texting evil?

I love technology.  But one of the most important things I have learned is that nothing can replace being with people.  Learning, gaming, communicating, none of it is ever the same when it is fully digital.  I have learned and grown more during one shared meal with fellow educators than the combination of all of the online professional development trainings I have ever taken part in.  I think technology provides us amazing tools but tech is not a replacement for connections.  The more you love the people in your life, the truer this becomes.  Phones may be upgradable, but people are irreplaceable. 

Texting can facilitate breaking down barriers of what we are often afraid to say.  My college students text me questions about assignments and deadlines (so much faster than emails).  I think it’s a great triumph when a student who never speaks a word in class discussion feels comfortable texting me.  My son who is still learning to spell loves to text emojis.  Even my grandmother has become a texter.  So my argument is not that texting is bad, it is just that it is better to be present.  

Tip of the day: If you are downloading new games to play I recommend watching a tutorial before you play through an entire board game online.  It is easy to be lazy when playing online because the device will facilitate your moves within the guidelines and rules of the game.  Sadly, there is little joy, some petty joy but only a little, in winning a game when you have no idea how you did actually triumph.

I received two emails from folks who read the blog and are starting a letter writing campaign to get Wil Wheaton to come play board games in Bakersfield. Wil Wheaton needs to come to Bakersfield for our Extra Life gaming marathon, to play at Paladin Game Castle, or just to meet his most adorable little fanboy.

My grin after reading your emails

Leaving My Family

Day 29: Alliteration  

Birthdays and Batman

The birthday fairy visited our home yesterday to celebrate the birth of my favorite little man.  He requested bacon, eggs, and gold coins for dinner.  He also asked to play Lego Batman and totally made me feel completely inadequate as he guided me through each level with ease.  Because he is a generous little person, he let me play as Batman and I chuckled as the lego version of the dark knight followed behind Robin as we jumped platforms and built contraptions.  We told my son he could do anything he wanted with the family on his day, and he chose to play video games with his mom.  There are a lot of things that I am failing miserably at this phase in my life, but I think I am doing alright with raising this kid (the jury is still out on the other one).

Birthday Fairy visited 

Family Birthday Selfie 

 Traveling and Trusting

Today I am leaving Bakersfield for the Bay Area and will be gone for three full days.  My heart aches that I am leaving the hubs and kiddos behind.  Several people have inquired about the “plan” while I am traveling and I happily reported that turn-based games Carcassonne and Agricola have been added to our digital devices by the hubs.  After yapping on for a few moments, I realized that the intention of this question was not about my plan to keep up my gameplay while I travel.  So truth time, we don’t have a plan.  All we have is trust.  Well trust and a strategy that we will keep playing video games, even while we are apart, and that everything will be okay.  If you find that as you read that last line, you are shaking your head from side-to-side, just remember, it is technically none of your business, and you are being super judgy right now. 

RL Romance (so ominous)

It is a little over a week until Valentine’s Day and if you read this blog you know that subtly is not in my arsenal.  In case I forgot about the looming holiday, the 50 Shades trailer that shows on every Hulu show I watch reminds me in regular intervals (vomit).  I am thinking of re-posting my blog from last month about why it is great to send gear and not roses to your fellow gamer.  I am torn because maybe sometimes it is good to send the guy in your life flowers.  Not because consumer culture deems that you should, in fact we are told all women want jewelry and flowers by every commercial currently running on Hulu (FYI big ole lie).  So to challenge gender norms, to support small business, to have something pretty blooming in the house maybe I should send my husband roses.  But just so I am being totally clear, I fully expect and desire to receive gear in my Diablo 3 mailbox on Valentine’s Day.  I would also not object to a clean house in RL with that gear.

Wil Wheaton & other Blog Updates

As soon as I arrive back from my trip this weekend we will start playing Grim Fandango on the PS4.  The blog received a twitter challenge by another couple to defend the Ticket to Ride title and I will post the outcome soon.  The hubs is open to guest blogging again but I need to come up with some questions.  If the two people who read this blog have anything they want him to write about, please tweet or write in the comment section below.   

Most importantly, I have not heard anything new about Wil Wheaton coming to Bakersfield.  I went to mass yesterday and added Wil's visit to my silent intentions.  What did you do today to get Wil to B-town?  What should we be doing?  How can we make this happen?