It is hard to know where to start in a review of this game because it is so exciting, fresh, new, and huge.  The game world is awesomely huge and interactive.  From starting out in a cart on your way to your execution to being “saved” by a dragon attack on the town to taking off and exploring the world on your own, Skyrim offers so much.  I immediately felt immersed in the game.  It is clear that Bethesda put so much into every detail of the world.  You walk by a beautiful stream where water is rushing along and you’re amazed to notice salmon swimming upstream.  The mountains and nature in this game are breathtaking.  It is like taking a vacation to some wonderful place like New Zealand where the Lord of the Rings was shot without ever leaving your home.

I was surprised and tickled pink whenever a wolf howled when it came nearby.  My avatar looked at the wolf as it sat there growling at me.  Finally, it decided to attack.  I fought the creature off and claimed its pelt as a reward.  Later, I came upon an encampment of bandits in the woods.  One cool aspect of this game is that they did not immediately attack me.  When I got within a certain distance of them, they raised their weapons and warned me not to come closer.  When I came closer, they charged towards me only to meet their end on the point of my sword.  After poking around like this for a while, I decided it was time to get serious and move on to the first village in the storyline.  This village was not as big as some you’ll see later in the game, but it was still nice.

One impressive and fun aspect of this game is the crafting system.  You actually find all of the things you’d need to craft out in nature in this game (for the most part).  You can cook meat and other foods you find exploring.  You can mix ingredients to form potions as an alchemist.  You can use soul gems to enchant weapons and armor.  You can make and improve your armor and weapons by tanning hides to make leather, smelting ore you find exploring, and forging materials into new items.  You can even chop firewood for some honest money if so inclined.  I found myself spending tons of time just doing these things within the game as they are interesting, fun, and challenging.

People and creatures in this game are breathtaking as well.  Of course, the show stealers are the dragons.  Fighting your first dragon is definitely a rush.  I made the fatal mistake of going up to a dragon’s face and trying to attack it with my sword when fighting my first dragon.  He clutched me in his mighty jaws and flung me far away to my demise.  This was definitely a lesson learned.  And dying wasn’t even that disappointing.  Learning that the dragon could do that was really cool.

I could probably go on and on about this game until your eyeballs were ready to bleed from reading so much, so I’ll go ahead and cut this short.  In closing, I would recommend this game to anybody.  It is absolutely beautiful and completely open-ended.  You can go into the game at any time and go do anything you desire.  The leveling system is great and you have a lot of control over your perks as you level different skills within the game.  If you’ve played Oblivion and/or Fallout 3/New Vegas, then I suggest playing this game as well.  It is like taking Oblivion, making it stunningly beautiful, changing a few things to keep it interesting, and improving upon everything.  If Oblivion was the girl you had a crush on in high school, then Skyrim is the same girl when you see her at the reunion ten years later and she is twice as hot, totally single, and has eyes only for you.  So, if you haven’t bought Skyrim, take it from a single dad living on a meager income who never buys games on release dates…go ahead and get it.  It is so worth it.  Every penny.  (Not to mention that I totally lucked out and caught an awesome sale at Toys R’ Us.  They were having a sale this past Friday (11/11/2011) where you got a free $20 Toys R’ Us gift card when you purchased Skyrim.  So, that was awesome!)

So, inspiration stuck.  And I drew for the first time in a long time and wrote a poem.  You see, I’ve met a pretty rocking girl.  I don’t think she’s into me the way I’m into her…I’m not sure.  But she has a lot in common with me and is totally sweet.  So, yeah…who knows what is going to happen?  I’m not getting my hopes up because I’m sick of getting hurt.  So, there it is.  Enjoy.

Yep...I'm probably going to die alone.

So, where to begin…in writing, it is always so hard to find a good beginning.  I guess this beginning could “begin with an ending” in a sense.  You see, sometime this month my ex and I will be filling out and signing our divorce papers.  Yep.  We’re taking our obvious failure of a marriage and slamming the “FAIL” rubber stamp on it officially.  So, that is going to be tough.  I still hurt a lot and get upset a lot when I think about it.

In other news, I’ve been looking at dating on some of the dating websites out there and I’ve got to say that it is pretty depressing.  I thought I took my time and set up a pretty good profile.  My pictures were the best I had of myself.  I’m really trying, right?  So, why is it that I’ve only had a handful of girls contact me?  I’ve had dates with two girls who were nice and who I’d like to get to know more, but after one date with me they haven’t been too eager.    Yep.  Evidently, I suck at life.  I just don’t understand what is so wrong with me.  I’m polite.  I bring flowers.  I pay.  I make conversation.  I make sure I smell good.  Yeah, I can be a tad shy and I’m not a fricking male model with a perfect body…but I always thought girls were supposed to be able to see beyond that.

Maybe people can look at me and see that I’m practically dead inside or something?  *sigh*  I mean, I work full-time as a computer technician.  I take care of my home, my child, my dog, and myself.  No, I don’t get out a lot because I’ve got a lot of responsibility.  I chose to make my son the top priority in my life when my marriage failed.  I thought that women admired a man stepping up like that.  I know I am a good person and not just a total jerk or dud.  My coworkers like me.  Yeah, my light has faded a bit and I’ve been hurt really bad by two women.  But I’m doing my best…I really am trying.  Maybe I’m trying too hard?  Maybe I’m sad, lonely, and I reek of desperation?  I don’t know.  I don’t get it.

Is it time for the self-proclaimed "chick magnet" to throw in the towel and admit defeat?

Is it so bad to just not want to be alone and to want to find somebody like me out there?  Do girls just see my mug and think, “My God, how dare that ugly oaf even send me a message?”  All in all, it is more than a little depressing.  But I will continue on and try to believe that there must be somebody out there who is perfect for me…any advice on dating and life would be appreciated, though.  Ciao.

So, I don’t even really know where to begin.  Life as I know it is completely changed, now.  It has been forever since I’ve posted on this website.  I still draw, although my skills haven’t greatly improved.  In the time since I’ve posted last, my wife has cheated on  me and moved out of my house.  I grieved for a long time.  I even begged her to come back, offering to forgive and forget any and all transgressions, just so we could be together again and save our family.  But it was never enough.  It is amazing to me how a person can go from loving you completely (or so they say) to completely betraying your heart, your trust, and choosing a completely selfish path just because they’ve got an itch they can’t scratch.  Anyways, so here I am.  I live here alone with my son and my pug.  I work.  I cook.  I clean.  I exist.

I’m trying to turn over a new leaf in some instances.  After moving on and realizing that what we had will never be reconciled – it is dead – I came to the conclusion that if I am ever to have any type of future in romance, love, or any of those sweet, sweet fantasies (to quote Mariah Carey), then I need to change my image.  I do regret to say that as many people do, I let myself go while married.  But between juggling work, school, a toddler, and an emotionally upset wife who has the time to work out and focus on their image.  I was doing well to make it through the day in some instances.  But now I’ve decided to make some positive changes.  I’m currently trying to cut out soda as it is simply empty calories, extremely unhealthy, and probably the main thing keeping me with a keg around my middle as opposed to a six-pack.  I’ve began lifting weights again to build back some muscles because, as we all know, the ladies like the guns.    I’m drinking water in place of soda.  I haven’t begun doing cardiovascular activities other than the ones I already pursue such as chasing my child around in games.  I know I need to, but it is so hard to get motivated and I get winded so fast that it is embarrassing.  But I am working on myself.  Sad to say, but I guess I’ve realized we live in such a shallow world that no woman is simply going to fall for me for my charming personality alone…no, women today want the whole package.  Charms and good looks.

So, I had an outing with a young lady recently and I’m over thinking like I always do.  We really clicked – or so I thought – but it seems like I’m the only one who pursues conversation and communication.  Is that because it is supposed to be that way?  I don’t know.  In a way, I’m just ready to give up.  Twice I’ve given all I had – and I don’t mean material possessions – to a woman and twice I’ve had it all blow up in my face and kill me emotionally.  So, according to my odds, even if a relationship starts out great and seemingly successful, it would seems that in the end it is doomed to failure.  I just get discouraged so easily.  I don’t know what to do.

Well, I suppose this is all I’ve got for now.  I just needed to get this out of my system.  I know putting these thoughts, feelings, and words out on the Internet is insane and open to anybody who wants to read it, but it just feels good to know someone might read it and understand.

“After reading your article, it makes me wonder…have you really tried the product you are slandering? I think that if you had then you would probably not speak so negatively about it (unless you did, by chance, try one of Dippin’ Dots knock off competitors like Mini Melts or Itti Bitz – they are worthless and cheaper for a reason).

Don’t get me wrong. I understand that you’re taking a cheap jab at a slogan that was created in 1988 as a sales tool. Yeah, they had the same slogan for a long time. Haha. Hilarious. You’ve done a wonderful job in pointing out the obvious. You get a gold star. (Sorry. Where are my manners?)

The point of the slogan was that Dippin’ Dots was taking a tired idea that had been created and eaten the same way for a long time and revolutionizing it into something fun and creative. Dippin’ Dots isn’t just ice cream…it is ice cream that seems to emphasize breaking the rule of “not playing with your food.” It is a family treat that is aimed at kids much like traditional ice cream. But what fun is hand-scooped ice cream? You can buy that at Wal-Mart and take it home and eat it.

Also, note that Dippin’ Dots seems more expensive because (as Reilly pointed out before) because a larger volume of Dippin’ Dots can fit into a smaller bowl than a traditional ice cream because, whenever it is flash frozen the air is removed from the product. So, a traditional bowl of ice cream (if you were to remove the air from the product) would not fill the same space as a similar bowl of Dippin’ Dots. With Dippin’ Dots you get 100% ice cream made with high quality materials. That is another reason for the price. You can buy a knock off product for less but who knows what you’re putting into your body?

So, now that you know a bit more of the truth about Dippin’ Dots, maybe you won’t feel as strongly negative about the product? I suggest that you go find a Dippin’ Dots stand and give the product a shot. It is great. I have the opportunity to work where Dippin’ Dots are not difficult to come by and I will say that I am hooked.

Anyway, let me conclude by saying that I enjoyed reading your article – I even got a chuckle at the references to Super Mario Bros. 3, Sonny Bono, and Brooke Hogan. Although I agree with Bear Silber that Super Mario Bros. 3 is epic (and it is sort of the future of gaming as it has been re-released on both the Nintendo DS and the Wii due to its fame and large fan-base). Lastly, for somebody who is so strongly against supporting Dippin’ Dots, answer me this: Can over a million facebook fans be wrong that Dippin’ Dots is great? I don’t think so. Thanks.”

I just felt that this information was important to portray.  Dippin’ Dots is a great product and I think they deserve a little better informed representation than this guy was presenting.  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this.

Ah, World of Warcraft.  You have never let me down in the past.  One might even go so far as to say that you are the perfect MMORPG.  You’re fun.  Exciting.  Innovative.  Entertaining.  You succeed where every other MMORPG has failed.

Now, that being said…why hast thou forsaken me, World of Warcraft?  I’ll admit.  I had to quit you for a while.  I got married.  I had a kid.  Life got busy and I had to focus more on work, family, and real life.  But I told you that I would come back…couldn’t you wait for me?

You say I cheated?  I never cheated.  I never even touched you for the entire time I was away…so how could it have been me?

I spoke to Blizzard Technical Support today because I want to get back into World of Warcraft.  A buddy of mine wanted to “bring me out of retirement.”  I was so freaking stoked.  Until when I first tried to log back into my account only to find that it was permanently closed/banned.  Why?  Because, somehow, somebody using my account was caught cheating during my absence from the game.  How is this possible?  You tell me.  I wasn’t there.  I don’t know.

So, I say to the technical support representative (his name was Fabio), “Well, what can be done to reactivate it?”

His response is simply that he will send the account back to be reviewed for possible reactivation…but there is no guarantee.

I say, “Fabio…can’t you make something happen here?  I was the victim of an unfair and unjust crime!  Can’t anything be done.”

He proceeds to tell me that my account getting hacked is my fault/responsibility.  There is nothing he can do.  Fabio doesn’t care about my dilemma.  Blizzard doesn’t care about my dilemma.

I have a bad feeling that my account will not be reactivated.  Blizzard will not show kindness to somebody who has been there since the open beta before the game went live.  They will not give me back that which has been taken away.  And why…because I’m a victim…or because I was mistreated and abused…or maybe because they’re too busy counting their money?

As the following Penny Arcade comic shows, perhaps Blizzard simply can’t help themselves:

I am so upset, right now.  Has anybody else experienced these issues?  Does Blizzard not care about the gamers as they sit upon their throne not made of ice but of money?  Please, gamers, help  me to rise up and bring fairness, justice, and a caring attitude back to World of Warcraft.

I’ve spent the majority of my life just passing through it.  I used to be so strong in my faith.  It used to give my life purpose.  Now, without it, I just feel like I wander aimlessly, sometimes.  No, it isn’t just my faith – I felt like this before.  It seems as though life could quite possibly be meaningless.  We have our basic needs:  We eat.  We sleep.  We find shelter.  We procreate to further the survival of the species.  There you go.  That is a great word for it:  We SURVIVE.  It has always seemed to me that life must have so much more to offer.

I feel this way a lot…this sense of loss and hopelessness.  I felt it even when I had my meager faith to cling to…it didn’t give me peace in this life but rather a sense of peace about after this life.  Should that be enough for me to just go through this life?  I have my family.  I have my career.  I have my hobbies.  Yet I still feel unfulfilled.  If I died today would I leave any type of mark on the world…or would I be forgotten?  If I died today would anyone cry for my loss?  Am I making a difference in this world?  Am I living a life worth living?

The answer is no.  I’m out of shape, lazy, and unmotivated.  So what can I do to make this life more worth living?  What gives people purpose?  Can other people keep that sense of purpose in this life without looking at the big picture (life and death) and feeling dread?  Does anybody else feel this way?  Is this simply the way it is?  I feel like we live in a world of sheep or cattle.  We go to work.  We clock in and clock out.  We eat our meals.  We go to sleep.  We do it again.  And, in between, we mindlessly tune out to television, video games, music, or whatever.

I believe Homer Simpson said it best when he said to Bart that he used to have dreams until the weight of the world crushed his spirit.  I was talking to my wife, today, and I told her how I thought it would be great to be a kid like our son Aiden.  He’s carefree.  He doesn’t watch clocks.  He doesn’t have anxiety.  His biggest worries include being fed, having his diaper changed, and playing with his toys.  Maybe it is just a disappointment to me that life seems like one long burden to be suffered until we inevitably break under the pressure and old age takes us back to that great beyond.

I almost feel guilty feeling the way I do.  I have a beautiful family.  My son is so precious and I would give anything for him.  I do have a lot to be thankful for.  Yet, still, I cannot help but feel that life wasn’t meant to be lived this way.  Or maybe there is no point to it all.  Don’t get me wrong – I still have my faith (along with a healthy dose of skepticism).  But no longer am I naive.  Perhaps man is both blessed and cursed to have the intelligence to allow us to ponder these thoughts and despair.

I would normally apologize for being so negative, but I’ve decided it is unnecessary.  I appreciate comments as it is good to know that, somehow, the ripple of thought that I put out there can cause other ripples in the ocean of life.  Please, share with me your philosophy or feel free to comment on my own.  Thanks.

Well, until Thanksgiving, that’s all we’ve got, folks.  Enjoy!!!

Anyways, it’s been a long time since I’ve thrown some pics on here.  Unfortunately, my Olympus camera bit the dust – it saddens me because it just randomly quit working one day, and I’ve read such great things about Olympus.  It blows.  Oh well…here’s some pics from a camcorder.  The quality isn’t perfect, but better than nothing…enjoy!

He’s a heavy drinker…as you can see. 

Doesn’t he LOOK so innocent…?  Yeah, right! 

Why, hello, daddy…what do you have there??

I’m a little scared…how did I get way up here?  He looks so innocent and cute here!

And this is him showing his true colors…he’s so MAD!

And, of course, we can’t forget our little baby puggadoo…poor lil Havok.    We love you, too!

I want to throw some props to Scott Kurtz.  I don’t know if I’ve ever really talked about him on here – I’m sure I must have – but he really is one of the strongest influences in my longing to be some sort of cartoonist/webcomic artist.  Although my comics are horrid and I’m completely and utterly untalented, it is still something I’ve always enjoyed (both drawing and reading comics…especially the Sunday funnies…they’re the only reason I buy the Sunday paper!) and would like to pursue further.  Unfortunately, being a husband, father, and help desk technician comes first…not to mention I’m incredibly lazy and not that self-motivated.  I am getting better, though.

Well, it’s just me and Aiden tonight while Kristen goes to school for a few hours…won’t that be fun.    He’s so aggravating in the evenings.  He’s nine months old and all he does is whine, whine, whine.  Does anybody else experience this sort of behavior in their toddlers?  My natural thought is that his mother and grandmother have spoiled him rotten…but I’m unsure.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Okay – back to work.  Later!