Zephyrus of the Anemoi

Autumn came up with a really neat idea today to create cool night lights for the boys tonight. While at the hobby store, she picked up some jars shaped like light bulbs, complete with lids shaped like (made from?) actual bulb screws (and are even capable of being screwed into a light socket, which I don’t recommend unless you want to start a fire). We have around 50 glow bracelets in our house, because every time they’re on sale, Autumn buys a pack or two. Her idea was to cut them open and pour the liquid into the jars so that they glowed in the dark. However, during our trial run, we discovered that the liquid didn’t come out very easily and made a pretty big mess everywhere.

So, instead, we simply pushed the bracelets down inside the jars and screwed the lids back on tight. It actually turned out pretty cool. The boys put three glow bracelets into each jar. I went ahead and made one with four bracelets and took a couple of pictures of it to share with you all. The whole project cost $8 for 4 night lights ($1.75 a jar and $1.00 for 10 glow bracelets).

I originally wrote this review back in February of 2008. Not sure where I posted it, as it’s not on any old blog that I can find. Anyway, I was doing some “fall cleaning” on the computer and came across it. I thought it was interesting and chose to post it. I personally love that at the time I wrote it, it was still harder to find a Wii than Bin Laden.

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I have been waiting for a “game” like this my entire life.

I’m not even exaggerating with that statement. I love video games. I’ve devoted a great deal of my free time to this hobby, and will likely continue to do so until I’m old and grey and can’t move my fingers anymore (and with luck, I won’t need to in the future, anyway).

One of the big reasons I love video games is that I get to do things that I don’t normally get to do. Like fly, destroy buildings, slay monsters and demons, and rescue princesses from pirates.

Okay, I do occasionally get to do that last one.

And while I am certainly capable of going SCUBA diving off the coast of Manoa Lai, I realistically can’t afford something like that. Enter “Endless Ocean”, a game that allows you to attempt to capture that experience without all the water, sea sickness, and wet suits.

This game is (like the song that plays over the opening titles of the game, all over the web site, and the trailer) hauntingly beautiful. There isn’t a better way to describe it. From the sun’s light filtering down through the water to sparkle off the coral, sand and marine life, to the exquisite sound and music production that fills your head long after you quit playing.

And, since the game is simple enough that anyone can play, has no violence whatsoever, and is incredibly educational in the field of marine biology, all ages can enjoy it, even if they’re not yet old enough to read.

So go pick this game up, if you have a Wii. Or go play it at a friend’s house. Or just go buy it until you can actually find and/or afford a Wii. It’s worth it. As far as $30 games go, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this game.

Fall came early this year, as we finally got some much-needed rain on Saturday, breaking summer’s back. We were at Woodyard BBQ with our neighbors, one of whom is Lezlie Revelle. She was playing open mic at Woodyard BBQ (which was a lot of fun, and I recommend checking it out) and, in honor of Irish Fest in Kansas City this past weekend, she played several Irish ditties, which really made my day.

After our meal, Autumn was craving chocolate, so we went to Russell Stover’s and then back to the neighbors’ home to start watching Game of Thrones. Dave (neighbor and bestie) and I have read the books, but have wanted to wait to watch the series together with our wives. We weren’t disappointed. The first 15 minutes lived up to my expectations of the book, and throughout the episodes, we were both pleasantly surprised by how faithful it is. The ladies were quite impressed, as well, by the writing, the acting, and even the subject matter.

We ate a (very) late dinner while watching the second episode and listened to the rain pour down upon us. I had just picked up my yearly batch of pumpkin beer and brought over two bottles for everyone to try: O’Fallon’s and Schlafly’s. O’Fallon’s has long-been my favorite beer of all time, but I’d never had Schlafly’s. It’s very strong, both in flavor and alcohol content, but I still prefer O’Fallon’s. Schlafly’s spices completely overpowered the pumpkin, which is (in my opinion) the most important part of the beer.

The next day was one of those perfect fall days that make you want to sit on your porch and watch the world change while reflecting on the year. There’s something about fall that always evokes the most nostalgic part of me. I think it’s the scent in the air of leaves and rain and the feel of a cool breeze that brings it to me. I always think of high school football and carefree days of yesteryear. I spent most of the day playing Super Mario Galaxy with Liam and enjoying the weather. We went out to dinner again with the neighbors to get as much time in before Dave left for work again on Monday. After dinner we watched another three episodes of Game of Thrones, each one more exciting than the last. I’m really looking forward to episode 6, as I’m pretty certain I know what awesomely horrific scene it will contain.

Monday was another lazy day. Stan, the husband of my wife’s co-worker came over to replace the brake line on my car and I finished Super Mario Galaxy, by finally nabbing the 120th Star. Now I can play as Luigi, but I’ll save that for the next time I want to play through the game again. I started up Super Mario Galaxy 2 and can honestly say it is a better game in every way so far. It builds on the original so well, that it’s unbelievable that it was originally envisioned as Super Mario Galaxy 1.5. The music is fantastic. The levels are ingenious and much less repetitive than the first. The only flaw in the game is the story, when compared to the first, but that is easy to overlook, as I care much more about the gameplay—which is phenomenal.

It’ll probably be my game of choice for the next few weeks. Hopefully I can complete it 100%, as well. It should be easier, thanks to Avery being able to help more than hurt when assisting as Player 2.

Tonight, I think I’m going to have another O’Fallon and sit outside for a bit to enjoy the weather. Maybe go for a walk and think about what it was like playing the original Super Mario 3 when I was younger, as the leaves changed outside and the air turned and I got nostalgic for Super Mario 1 & 2, a glass of grape juice in my hand.