Bella vs Sookie

I don't think I'll be in much danger of producing a spoiler here, but just in case...you've been warned.

I recently completed the Twilight series, then a slight dodge to the left and read the latest Harry Dresden/Butcher book, and now I have started on the first Sookie Stackhouse novel. It never occurred to me until now, that all of them have vampires.

Anyways...The Sookie Stackhouse series is written by Charlaine Harris and I am told the HBO series True Blood is based on them. I'm only 63 pages into the first book but I have already found it a bit disconcerting to discover an all too familiar story line...mortal meets vampire. One of them is telepathic and can hear the thoughts of every person in the world except for...you guessed it. In Twilight, Edward, the vampire, is telepathic and the mortal, Sookie, is in the Stackhouse book. I'm sure I'm not the only person that has noticed this glaring similarity. As I said I'm only 63 pages in, I'll hold my judgement for a while...but I am still reading. I am not above ditching a book that does not hold my attention. I don't know if Sookie will win me over...we'll see. Right now she just seems a little too perky, but then that may be easier to deal with than the insecure needy Bella.

Stark raving

I live in a world of stark contrasts.

Those words have been inside my head all afternoon. They're true, but I wonder why the sudden echo. Are they famous or quotable words from some movie? I never could...well with rare exception, do movie quotes.

My world is one of stark contrasts. Mostly having to do with who I am, who I need to be, who I am expected to be and who I want to be. Sometimes, I get them confused and the wrong person shows up and all hell breaks loose. I sometimes think I'm playing my own straight man...that would be a comedy, not sexual, reference. I could explain why that would never work as a sexual reference but then you'd scream your head was hurting and ramble off claiming to be bliiiiind.

That's how life works sometimes.

Don't kill the guys on horses

That would be the lesson I've learned in my first 24 hours of playing Oblivion. Actually there have been lots of lessons...most of them involving the buttons on the controller and the scrolling of menus. I am, at least, capable of defending myself...most of the time. Let's just say, that I am dead less often.

I bought my Xbox earlier this year and set about conquering Lost Odyssey. I discovered several problems early on...mainly the characters annoyed me and I hated the dream/movie sequences. I kept thinking, if I had the chance I'd kill several of my own party members. I managed through 3 of the 4 disks, then I ran into a problem that I couldn't solve...and didn't care. The linear design of the game kept me from wandering aimlessly, but it also kept me from exploring. The turn based fighting helped me learn the buttons but made the fights feel preordained. I absolutely hated all the swirly lights (dramatic effect?) wasting my time prior to every combat. I also did not like that I had to reach a certain save point before ending the game. That made it very difficult to play when time is often limited.

So Saturday, I traded in Odyssey for Oblivion...a game I have heard so many rave about. I spent many of my first hours being killed...by one particular gremlin witch that liked throwing electricity at me. But I found myself laughing that I was being thwarted so early in the game. I will also note here that I spent a tremendous amount of time designing the look of my character to hardly ever see her. I killed an Imperial Guard, quite by accident....I know, tell it to the judge. Except there isn't one. I paid my fine and happily went on my way. The next time I wasn't so lucky...no gold. What the hell, I resisted arrest and again went happily on my way...but not for long. Off to jail, do not pass GO!, do not collect $200. I did my time...and did not realize that when I was released, I was practically naked. That's a sense of humor for you.

I have no clue where I am, and only a slight clue as to where I may be going. Actually I'm standing in front of a gigantic wooden door...helpful? I didn't think so. I am enjoying the game. Hopefully I can keep myself occupied so that I do not feel like I am aimlessly wandering...unless that is exactly what I am doing.

Not applicable

On the outside looking in...or the inside looking out, but somehow separated by an invisible line of impenetrable barrier. A wisp. A thought, that holds you back. A choice once made. A decision, not forced. A hand never played. Leaving only what-ifs and maybes. No satisfaction gained. Irreversible. You don't want what you want. Can't have back what it was. No future...and what's the point if all you can do is look back? Looked upon through rose colored glasses...now cracked.

Snorkeling

Have you ever been snorkeling? I went for the first time a little over a week ago. I had booked the excursion from my safe, comfy, living room...then flew approximately 1181.54 miles, took a van, then a ferry, then a glass bottom boat to a reef at which point I am given flippers I can't walk in, a mask I can't breathe in, invited to jump into 40 feet of water and hyperventilate through a straw...all to look at fish? I ask, what was I thinking? I can stand on perfectly good dry land, breathing all the air I want and look at fish at most local pet stores...or travel approximately 89.5 miles and go to the aquarium in Newport. What have I learned from all of this?

I want to do it again!

Explains a lot

I am apparently surrounded by unseen forces, for arguments sake and because it's my blog, we'll call them fairies. I guess we could call them unicorns, but I refuse to believe that I would miss the evidence of something that big occupying even invisible space with me. I could also call them angels...or demons, but they seem much more benign. I also do not like trolls, as they are smelly...so I select fairies. These fairies seem quite content to live on the periphery of my world...stealing socks, poking holes in perfectly good shirts, moving things to trip me up. They seem endlessly amused by applying bright silver color to my hair while I sleep...so that I have to color it back to it's proper multi-toned hues every few weeks to keep from looking like a Christmas tree layered in tinsel. I mean if they want me all sparkly, how about jewelry? Not all of their activities are so detrimental, they can be rather helpful. Last Sunday when I went to bed, I forgot that my alarm clock was set to the god awful hour of 4:30AM (set the weekend before to clear security and catch the flight to Mexico). I set two alarms every night, one to radio, the second to an annoying beep-beep-beep sound that I do not want to start my day with...but have just in case I sleep through the radio. I have in a semi-dazed predawn mind wondered why someone was talking in my room while I was trying to sleep, before realizing it was the radio signaling time to start my day. Anyway, the fairies stepped in to rescue me from my oversight and turned the volume of the radio off! Thus allowing me to sleep undisturbed until the wonderful hour of 5:40AM! So I have to ask myself, is it worth it...or should I try mouse traps?