Tag: Personal

Happy Odaiba Day!

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

… And 99% of the people reading this post just when, “Huh?”

Today is August 1st. Normally this would just be another day, the start of another month, but for fans of Digimon, it’s a little bit special. August 1st is the confirmed day that the original seven DigiDestined from the first season of the anime when to the Digital World for their first adventure. And for so many people, that’s a part of their childhood that they don’t want to forget.

So, let’s take a look at a bit of Digimon history, and where we stand now.

Digimon Adventure, the first season of the anime, started airing in the United States on August 14, 1999. To no real surprise, it was immediately labeled as a Pokemon clone here in the States, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Digimon came into conception following the release of the Tamagotchi in 1996, which was a little digital pet toy that came out in the mid nineties. Inspired by these virtual pets, a one-shot manga titled “C’mon Digimon” was published in V Jump magazine. The success of both the Digimon-themed Tamagotchi and the manga led to the creation of the anime, as well as a manga series called Digimon Advenutre V-Tamer 01 (which is considered to be an alternate universe from the universe the anime franchise is in).

There were a few glaring differences between Pokemon and Digimon that became pretty obvious within watching just a few episodes of each show. For example, the characters in the Pokemon franchise collect Pokemon, and do battle as part of a league. In Digimon, the DigiDestined are partnered with one Digimon (for the most part. Willis in the second 02 film has twin Digimon partners, Terriermon and Kokomon.)

The other, bigger difference is in the story. While there is an overarching story, for the most part Pokemon is pretty episodic. You can go several episodes with nothing happening in the main story (Ash’s journey to the Pokemon League). On the flip side, Digimon is heavily story-based. Most episodes tie directly into the current main storyline, with few filler episodes. Even episodes that don’t seem like they are advancing the plot actually are, as they are giving character development to at least one character of the ensemble cast.

In contrast to the immediate and immense popularity that Pokemon seemed to achieve almost immediately after the release of both the games and original anime, Digimon took a bit more time to take off. It aired during the Fox Kids block, and was pretty popular, but nowhere near what Pokemon was doing. But it aired every episode, and returned for it’s second season when that debuted.

I came into Digimon at the perfect time. I was already somewhat bored with the Pokemon anime, as I felt like the story was going to take absolute years before anything would happen. I happened to watch episode 21 of Season One, “Home Away from Home”, which is actually the episode that inspired Odaiba Day. I turned it on by accident. The episode is set right after a major conflict, and turned out to be the best starting point for me. It focused mostly on Tai, who is basically the leader of the DigiDestined (the “Gogglehead”, if you will. I’ll reference that later.).

Something about the episode, how it was set up and how it continued, caught my interest. And so, I started watching it every week. I caught up on the show thanks to the weekday afterschool reruns and was immediately hooked.

So where does Odaiba Day come from? Well, during episode 21, Tai sees the date on the calendar (they have one of those daily calendars), and sees that it is August 1st, 1999. He almost immediately freaks out, as that was the day that he and his friends ended up in the Digital World, and he thought it had been months, not hours. When he returns to the Real World again eight episodes later, all of the DigiDestined discover that that it has only been minutes, not months. The Digital World moves at a different rate of time.

The episode aired in Japan using the title “Koromon, the Great Clash in Tokyo!” on August 1, 1999. This largely went unnoticed for many years, mostly because social media was just starting to grow.

In the second anime, Digimon Adventure 02, there is an episode called “Ghost of a Chance” in the dub. It’s original name is “Odaiba Memorial.” During the episode, the original DigiDestined mark four years since they first went to the Digital World. They reflect on the battles that they faced during their time, especially those they fought in the Real World.

But what really sealed Odaiba Day as a celebration to Digimon was actually Fuji TV, the Network that has aired most of Digimon series. In 2009, the tenth anniversary of Digimon Adventure, they held a live concert on August 1st in Odaiba, featuring Koji Wada and AiM (Ai Maeda), two of the iconic performers who brought to life the music of the first four seasons. And in 2014, the 15th anniversary, Fuji TV held the “Digimon Adventure 15th Anniversary Event,” which went on to announce Digimon tri, a six movie series that is a sequel to Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02.

Online, fans have taken Odaiba Day and ran with it. There are writing events and art galleries. If an anime convention happens to meet over August 1st, there is at least a small chance of a gathering of fans. It’s nowhere as big as other fan events, but it’s something that the Digimon community still seems to hold close.

I honestly don’t normally celebrate on Odaiba Day, because I usually forget about it. Sad but true. This year however, someone over on one of the discord servers I frequent made a comment about crossing Digimon with 9-1-1, and the idea stuck and went wild and now I have one fic posted and probably another one sometime tomorrow.

The thing is, Digimon isn’t a dead franchise. It’s not as popular as it once was, and it definitely doesn’t get recognition by the anime community, but it’s still there. A remake of the first season is airing in Japan, simulcast to most of the world. There was a film that ended the original series that was released last year. An new anime was announced just hours ago, to be released this fall. And there’s a game that is set to be released either the end of this year or sometime next year (delayed mostly due to a new engine and then the pandemic).

As for me, I still consider myself to be a Digimon fan, even though I dropped off during the break between seasons 4 and 5. (Digimon Frontier was a lot of fun, though it wasn’t nearly as popular as Tamers, which is my favorite season. Savers/Data Squad didn’t impress me, especially with the different animation style and the overreliance of Agumon.) I was hoping that the reboot of season one that released last year would catch me, but it really didn’t. Hopefully the new show will do it.

Or they could just give Tamers a damn sequel. Please.

Until next time!

(This was actually written yesterday, but due to internet issues it didn’t get posted until today, August 2nd. Sorry for the confusion!)

I Went to My First Dodger Game!

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

… and we lost.

Controversial ninth inning aside, I had a blast! So, let’s talk about it.

Prelude to Yesterday

When I was growing up, my immediate family was split on what team we would cheer for. Dad was a fan of whatever team was closest to us that wasn’t the Miami Marlins, which meant first the Atlanta Braves, and then the (then known as) Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Mom on the other hand is a die hard Dodger fan. She grew up knowing the greats. And by that I mean she met Sandy Koufax many a time, among other amazing Dodgers. But for so long, she never got to see them, because she lived in areas that had American League teams, meaning that they never showed Dodger games on TV unless they were in the World Series.

Before moving to California, Mom and I watched the controversial 2017 World Series, where the Houston Astros cheated to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. (And no, that’s not me being salty. It was proven. But I’m still pissed that their organization wasn’t stripped of the title. I’d rather have seen it vacated instead of with an asterisk.)

When we moved to California, Mom immediately fell in love with the Dodgers all over again. All throughout the 2019 season, she kept saying that we need to go see a game, but there was never a good time to do so. So we planned on doing it in 2020.

And we all know 2020.

This year, we resumed those plans. We picked July because we hoped it would be marginally safer. Then we narrowed down what team. We wanted to see a team that would be worth seeing. So we picked the San Francisco Giants, because there was one hell of a rivalry going on.

And so we went.

At The Stadium

Getting to Dodgers Stadium wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. The signage was absolutely clear, and luckily we had pre-purchased parking, so we could pull right into our lot with no issue. It also made leaving after the game a breeze.

There were many gates available to get into the stadium. They had security guards walking around and talking to anyone with bags that didn’t fit the requirements of the stadium, which was a good thing. It meant that people could quickly return to their cars before waiting in the line, which made the lines move much faster. I made a point of bring a purse that could barely fit the few items I needed, and I had no trouble.

We were on the loge, or the second floor, when you see it on TV. Excellent seats, behind home plate on the Dodgers side. The view was great, and we were completely out of direct sunlight, so that was a plus.

I did have a few issues with the stadium, however. There were no handrails for people to hold on to while walking down to their seat, which was a problem for my mom. Luckily, I’m used to being her guide crutch, so she leaned on me down the stairs.

Another problem I had was that the seats were smaller than airline seats. Now, I’m not the thinnest human being. I’ll be the first to admit that. Hell, I have to actively remind myself that I am larger than I think. But I’ve also can sit comfortably in a standard airline seat (if we’re not discussing the lack of legroom). But these seats were TINY. Like chairs you would give to a young child small.

Probably the biggest issue I had was the food. I wasn’t expecting much, it is ballpark food. But the popcorn tasted stale, and the heavily-promoted “Dodger Dogs” just weren’t very good. My mom had nachos that tasted terrible as well.

I was outright impressed at one thing, though. I was just ordering food when the national anthem started. The workers turned off the lights at the food counters and all removed their hats, not serving until the anthem was completed. It was just a little gesture, but I was happy to see it.

Game Time!

I didn’t end up getting any game pics, because I was having too much fun.

Honestly, I think my favorite part was the two run homer by Catcher Will Smith in the fourth inning, which had me absolutely freaking out. Smith is my favorite player on the Dodgers, followed by basically everyone in the starting lineup. And it was an amazing hit. The crowd exploded.

Well, except for the woman behind me who couldn’t stop complaining about the Dodgers, and specifically Smith, and how they shouldn’t be allowed to play because of one of their pitchers who is currently under investigation (who’s name I’m keeping off of this post, simply because the case is ongoing and I don’t want to get into a “he said, she said” debate). The Karen kept saying that Smith was still some two bit kid who could catch and like hell he’ll ever hit a ball.

This was his 13th home run this season. Shut the fuck up Karen.

The game was pretty great through the eighth inning. Which is what I’m going to focus on, because you can go look up on social media the nightmare that was the ninth inning during last night’s game. Spoiler alert: I don’t think I’ve screamed and boo’ed so much in my life.

So, How Was It?

Yes, I wore my Old Guard face mask. Fight me.

Honestly? I had a great time, final inning be damned. But at the same time, I don’t think I’ll be back at a game for a while.

One of the big things I didn’t like was the fact that most people weren’t wearing masks. And yes, we were outside. But even in the corridors, where we were supposed to wear them, most didn’t. Security did what they could, but… I basically had a five hour anxiety attack when the game wasn’t actively playing.

Also, I found I missed hearing the color commentators. It was pretty difficult to keep track of the count, and there were times that the crowd saw one thing, but the people at home saw another. And truthfully, I just want to eat my snacks in peace.

So, all in all, it was an enjoyable experience, one that I can gladly cross off my bucket list. I’ll probably go back again, just not until next season.

… Or if our coach quits/gets fired. Then I’ll go and celebrate. Because he sucks.

Until next time!

When Life Gives You a Headache… Part Two (Update from 7/8/19)

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Hey all,

So, two years ago yesterday I wrote a blog post talking about my life with iih, or Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. If you want to read that post first, here it is. I wanted to link it because I’m going to contradict some things I said back then, mostly because I wasn’t exactly truthful to anyone, least of all myself. I’m also going to go into detail on some things, so here’s your chance to back out. This is a

Before I start, let me explain what iih is. Also called Pseudotumor Cerebri, WebMD describes it as “a brain condition that causes the same symptoms as a brain tumor: headaches, vision problems, nausea, and dizziness. But it’s not a tumor.” (source) It goes on to say, “It’s causes by increased pressure around the brain.”

Basically, iih is when pressure grows around the brain due to an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid. To note, this fluid is already surrounding the body’s brain and spinal cord to protect them from injury. Iih occurs when this fluid doesn’t reabsorb into blood vessels, or there is an influx that is not draining properly.

I was diagnosed after having my eyes photographed when getting them checked for a new prescription on Wednesday November 1, 2017. It was a routine checkup, but I had gone in with concerns in the back of my mind (ones that I was planning on addressing whenever I could get to my primary care doctor, if he ever had space for me in his schedule. The curse of living in a town that was frequented by Northerners during the winter months). I had been getting headaches if I looked at a computer too long, I’d had some dizziness at work several times that I’d attributed to the Florida heat, and a few other things that amounted into symptoms (some brief double vision, two very quick blackouts of vision, and ringing in my ears).

The optometrist I went to was new to the practice and very thorough. She went through every test carefully, not rushing in the slightest. At one point, she had noticed that my optic nerve looked swollen, though she though it could just be eye strain, due to the fact that my current glasses had scratches right in the middle of the glass and my eyes were trying to focus around to compensate. Her final test was taking a picture behind my eyes. It was here that the appointment took a turn.

When she took the picture and started to study it, I had sat uneasy. Her easygoing demeanor had shifted to serious. She pulled out my pictures and ones that were from someone else. Mine showed that my optic nerve was swollen, though not due to eye strain. It looked like there was something pushing against it. The other picture did not show this at all.

It was here that she gave me the two options. Go immediately to a specialist that she consulted with, or go to the emergency room two minutes from the store and get an MRI on my brain.

I chose the former option.

And there’s a part of me that kinda regrets that I picked so quickly.

Now, I want to be clear, I’m not mad at this optometrist for scaring me. In fact, she was in the wrong for giving me options. I would come to find out later that she was supposed to (apparently by law) call for an ambulance immediately and have me sent to the ER, as my vision could be compromised. Instead she gave me a choice and let me drive to the specialist, a five minute drive in the other direction.

But I digress.

Anyway, I had to make two calls. The first was to my boss, because I was supposed to go into work not two hours later, and there was no way I would be able to. She wasn’t happy, in the least. I promised to drive down as soon as I had a medical note in hand. She covered my shift, but she was not happy about it. (She got over it the next day when I presented her with my diagnosis and proof of seeing a medical professional. I guess two other people called out with similar reasons, and I was the only one to back it up. She bought me dinner the next night I worked to apologize for being mad.)

The other call, which I made as soon as I left the optometrist, was to my Mom.

Mom was at home, working away, expecting my “all clear” call. It’s something we started doing when I started to go to medical appointments without her, though I always appreciated her support.

And I broke her heart.

Over thirteen years prior, Mom received the “Houston we have a problem” call from my dad, after he went to the ER following work one day, feeling sick enough to drop. He didn’t warn my mom, he just went. He’d called from the ER, while they were prepping to take him for some scans. He was diagnosed with cancer, which would eventually kill him sixteen months later.

And now here I was, giving her the same call.

Mom met me (not beat me to, as I said in the original post) at the specialist’s office and joined me for every step and every test, even though no one would give me a straight answer. It took almost an hour to find out.

When the specialist spelled it out, I almost laughed. I was one of those people that was could be described as disgustingly healthy. I’d never broken a bone, never gotten more sick than a cold during the change of the seasons. Only had strep throat once. Only had lice once, after a breakout in my preschool. No allergies that we were sure of. The only thing “medically wrong” with me was that I needed glasses.

That day, he gave me statistics. Said that he would be blunt, that my weight was the main factor (pro tip, it wasn’t, but thanks). Said that there was no cure (wrong again). Said that this would effect every part of my life (… ok, that one’s true).

I was referred to another practice that was within my healthcare network, and was treated by a doctor that apparently specialized in iih. He had me on diamox (a medicine usually used to treat the ends, though had had some success here) for over a year. I had a spinal tap and a failed operation to insert a shunt, both of which resulted in a week of bedrest.

Since my move to California, two of the symptoms that I was initially treated for have come back. I still get blinding headaches that are borderline migraines which leave me unable to do much of anything. I’ve gained back some of the weight I’d lost because of being on diamox. But according to the doctor I just went to after my last headache (yesterday, hence the late post), I don’t have iih anymore. I just have migraines. He’s not sure what triggers them, yet, but my eyes are fine.

Actually, he said that I probably never had anything to worry about.

Last night, as the headache behind my eyes finally stopped aching, I thought about it. What would have been different if I’d gone to the ER? Would I have been treated immediately there, instead of the runaround that I got? Would I have had answers quicker? Would the doctor that did the shunt operation had done things differently so that it would have actually worked?

Of course, there’s no way to know. I can’t go back and rewrite history. I can only live in the here and now.

So, to recap, I still get massive headaches, but that’s just my head. No fluid buildup, no false tumor. Did I ever have it? Possibly. But right now, I’m healing.

Let’s see what the future holds for me.

Until next time!

Encounters of the Weird Kind

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been trying to limit the amount of “complaining about my personal life” here, but today i had two things happen within a hour that just deserve to be talked about.

Today is what I like to call errand day. It’s where I hit all the places that we need little things, things that we need during the week that can’t wait until our weekly trip to the grocery store, but also things that are just out of the way from said shopping trip. Today’s agenda was quick and easy. First, a half hour drive to Barnes and Noble to take advantage of their sale on book club books (that beat out Amazon by a damn mile) and then to Target for an personal item for Mom. Simple enough.

The Barnes and Noble I go to isn’t technically the closest one to my apartment, but I like it because it usually isn’t too crowded. It’s where I went to the YA Book Club back in 2019 and early 2020. I got along with everyone there, until the pandemic. I didn’t actually go back until about a month, when Mom and I went together as our celebration of me finally getting my second vaccine and clearing the ten days.

I had a list (which is a requirement for me) and started my browsing pretty quickly. Found three of the books that were immediately on my list (Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Sword Art Online Vol 21), then went in for the last, One Last Stand by Casey McQuiston, which was shelved in Romance. Once I found it, I found myself face to face with the former leader of the YA Book Club at this store.

I quickly said hi, asked how she was, the whole nine yards. It was quickly clear, however, that she didn’t recognize me, and didn’t care to even try. She barely looked at me before shrugging and walking away. I wanted the floor to open up and eat me. It was a humiliating feeling.

Later on, after I got to Target and dealt with probably the newest employee at the in-store CVS, I decided to make myself feel better by potentially picking up Spider-Man: Miles Morales. So I headed over to the electronic counter to ask if they had any in stock. (This Target, which is not my favorite, has been known to just put pictures of games in the shelves, and the stock in back, so you always have to ask at the counter.) The female employee started to answer, but the male employee cut in and brought me over to the games where they finally had restocked.

But of course, asking for the game had to be trouble. He proceeded to question if it was for me, and if so, I really needed to play Spider-Man first, because it was a much better game for “beginners”. And he gave me that look, you know, the mansplaining “I know I’m right” look. I was not in the mood for playing that game and just snapped out that it’s 2021, get over the fact that girls play games. Give me Spider-Man: Miles Morales please and thank you. I got another “you should really play the first game before you touch this one, it might be hard” and I damn near lost it. I beat Spider-Man in a week, would have been faster if I didn’t have to work, get out of my face.

Once the game was in my hand, I did an about-face and stormed back to the electronic counter and asked for the manager, or at least the number to corporate if there wasn’t a manager readily available. The female employee was happy to hand over the number with an apology for her mansplaining colleague.

I know that both events were just tiny things that shouldn’t bother me all that much, but I just wasn’t in the right headspace. It threw it off completely today.

We’ll be back to our normal posting tomorrow. I just needed to get this off my chest.

Until next time!

What. A. Weird. Day.

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I’m totally aware I always aim to post a new post at around Noon Pacific Standard Time. That’s my personal goal. But today turned everything on its head, and now here it is, almost 10pm PST, and I’m just now having ten minutes to type this up.

So, where to begin.

My original goals for today were as follows: post finished and scheduled by 10AM. Febuwhump post #25 finished and edited by Noon. Work on some stream stuff until 1PM, then join mom for a late lunch and Opening Day for the Dodgers. Once that was over, watch 9-1-1: Lone Star and make dinner, with finishing setting up my stream for tomorrow’s long stream.

What actually happened? Well…

I woke up early and started reading. Once I realized it was already ten, I jumped up, only to almost fall because I twisted my ankle last night and forgot about it, and it got tangled. I hobbled over to my desk, and then got called out to mom’s desk in the living room, because she needed my help.

From 10-12 I was her gopher, which I can’t complain about because she’s my mom. Then I got an email that I could get her signed up for her vaccine, which I prompted did, only to discover that the earliest appointment was today at 3PM. So, she took the day off early, we watched the beginning of the Dodger game, then took off for Ventura.

And of course, let’s not mention that the Dodger game was a dumpster fire. Either the refs are willingly blind, or they just hate the Dodgers, but every call put the Dodgers back. Add to it Kershaw falling as a pitcher and Dave Roberts’ inability to pull him when he should have, and you have the nightmare that was today.

We got her shot and headed home, got caught in traffic, and I developed a massive headache. So, once we got home at 4:30ish, I curled up on my bed for awhile, to rest my aching head.

Dinner was ordered in, and finally I was able to sit down and work on my stream overlay. I finally got my alerts set up (I hope), got my donation link set up, and I finally have a timer I can use. So yay, I’m all set for tomorrow.

Only… it’s now nearly ten, and I’m beyond behind.

So yeah, I did the major things, with the added bonus of finally getting my mom’s first vaccine. The only thing left is to treat myself to the first episode of Lone Star, and then go to bed early, because 9AM and nearly 10 hours of streaming are ahead of me.

And for some reason? I can’t wait.

Until next time!

(If you want to find my stream, I’m over here on Twitch! No pressure, just Legos.)

“Fun” Gaming Encounters

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

For context, this post was written as it happened on Saturday, February 6, 2020.

I had a fun little encounter with a neighbor a few minutes ago. It’s one that had me laughing, but also kinda annoyed for the next generation.

To set the scene, my bedroom in our apartment is the closet to the park in our complex. In my room, my computer and tv are set perpendicular to the window (lack of space thanks to my four bookcases, because priorities.) If you walk past in one direction, you’re able to see what’s on my TV if I have the blinds open, which isn’t a normal thing I do.

Today, however, I have my window cracked and blinds open. I was planning on taking a bit of a mental health day – once I get my story for Febuwhump finished (that’s a post for another day), all I was going to do was blast through the last half of the story levels in Lego Batman. In fact, as motivation to finish writing and get playing, I had the game already loaded and on the home screen.

I was mid-sentence into today’s story when I heard a female voice loudly proclaim from outside, “Kids, this is what happens when you drop out of school! You don’t have a job and are a sad person playing children’s games.”

I will admit, it took me a second to understand that yes, she was directing that statement towards me, and yes, she had a group of kids with her.

I turned my head and just gave her a look. You know the one, the “are you really serious right now?” look.

She was still standing there, children chuckling around her. I wanted to say a lot of things, and nothing at all. So, I went with something simple. “Worry about your issues, and I’ll worry about mine.” Then I turned back to my computer.

I’ve dealt with this woman before. She’s part of a group of parents that has actively discouraged social distancing and mask wearing amongst their group, including the children. They have gone so far to comment on people who do wear masks, like my family.

I’m just so done with people ragging on female gamers, or people who want to play Lego games. Your gender does not dictate whether or not you can play a video game, and age shouldn’t dictate what types of games you play, for the most part anyway. (Like, don’t let your five year old play Resident Evil or whatnot. But adults have the choice to play what they want).

I don’t care about people’s comments. It’s just tiring to feel like I have to defend my choices all the time, whether it be about my family’s choice to wear a mask every time we step outside (due to worries about my immediate family’s health issues) to what I do with my free time.

As I was writing this post, I noticed that she’d returned to outside my window, though without the kids. I was doing my best to ignore her. And then.

“I don’t appreciate you talking back, kid.”

Because of course, she has to have a comment.

I honestly wasn’t in the mood to deal with her. But you know what, I opened my mouth. “Ma’am, I don’t appreciate being used as a lesson for those children. I’m thirty years old, I can use my free time as I wish. Now please, keep your comments to yourself. There’s no one here that wants to hear them.”

“You are so rude. Didn’t your mother teach you manners?” She snapped at me. Because the irony was lost to this woman.

“She did, ma’am. She also taught me that when do don’t have something nice to say, you don’t say anything at all.” This is where I finally got vicious. “But the best thing she taught me is that people who try to cut me down aren’t worth my time. So do me a favor and leave me alone.”

To my honest shock, she stormed away.

I know, I lost my temper a little. But I’m just kinda done with so many people in this town feeling like opening their mouths to say something so damn stupid is their God-given right. Sure, this was just one moment. But damn, do I feel better about it.

Honestly, I wonder what she would’ve said if I’d still been playing Disneyland Adventures. Because my rant about how Disney is for everyone, not just kids would have been legendary.

Until next time!

Dear Future Me

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Something that I really wanted to do this year is to write a letter to myself. It’s something that I used to always do while I was in school. I’d write a letter to myself on the first day and then reread it on the last. It was always kinda cool to see where I was and what happened in between. Since this year is so different (coming off the nightmare that was last year), I wanted to do it again. I’m a bit delayed (I’m writing this January 19th, to be posted the next day), but I really wanted to go ahead and do it.

I’m actually posting it publicly, and then I plan to revisit it in December. Here’s hoping that things will have changed this year. So, here we go.

Dear Future Me,

It’s January, after one of the worst years of my life. 2020 was a nightmare and a test of patience, all wrapped up in a dumpster fire from Satan. There really isn’t much that came out of last year that I really liked. Honest.

We got The Old Guard and one of the fastest growing fandoms I’ve ever been apart of. (Did we finally get the sequel announcement?) I finally got back into writing, which is something that has blown my mind to do again. Mom and I now have an amazing relationship, mostly because we have a wall and two doors between us, so privacy has returned! Oh, and I’ve now played like all the Lego games I possible can on PS4 and Xbox One. And I 100%-ed Lego Dimensions! Talk about news.

As I’m writing this, our country is going through a massive upheaval. I’d already figured January 20th would be a day that I wouldn’t forget, mostly because President Biden would be sworn in during the middle of a pandemic. Nothing could have prepared me or the family for the events of Wednesday January 6th, when our (insert rude words here) outgoing president helped incite a riot to march on the US Capitol building during the counting of the electoral ballots. Even though it’s been two weeks, I’ve been really stressing about it. I just don’t want anymore violence. Watching that was horrific, and that’s putting it lightly. I’m really hopeful that the next twelve months will be dedicated to healing.

This year, I have so many goals, both personal and private, as well as public and large. I hope I’m still streaming on a more consistent basis, either on Twitch or whatever platform has become popular. Plus, I really hope this blog is still going. A big hope is that I finally got to reading the way I use to, for fun and enjoyment, not because I forced myself to.

On a more personal level, I really want to drop another pant size. Seriously, yes, I’m hoping for that. The hell that is Mom’s stationary bike better be worth it. It still rocks side to side, right? With the devil’s seat?

Here’s a fun thought: did we finally het Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga? And if yes, how fast did I finish it on Xbox and PS4? Because we all know the chances of me getting a next generation console is pretty slim in 2021.

The final thing, the most important thing: where do I now stand with the family? It’s always be common knowledge that being the black sheep of the black sheep of the black sheep (and yes, that’s the right amount of sheep) that I would stay on the outskirts, besides with Mom of course. Is everything the same? Seeing the cousins once in a while, talking less, stretching thin and away, the same with the Floridians? It’s been a quiet worry for me during the last ten months of this pandemic, and especially leading into 2021, what with barely hearing from the locals. It’s lonely, but I’m not honestly too surprised anymore.

So, what was supposed to be more of a introspective letter became a pile of questions. But I’m hoping that Christmas 2021 is so much better. And please, let me actually have done shopping in person this year. Online shopping was a damn nightmare.

Yours,

Me.

Ps: Did I ever get that Xbox 360? I’m honestly curious.

A Fun Encounter

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

(So this was supposed to go up on Monday, right after it happened, then got delayed to Wednesday, then was delayed because of the obvious reason. So, now I’m a week late with this one. Whoops!)

Once a month, I go inside the grocery store. Most of the time I use drive up pick up, as I find it safer because it minimizes the amount of potential contact with others to basically zero. But once a month, I have to go inside for a few things I need that I have to enter the store, as they are either brand specific or just not offered for pick up.

So, like I said, I planned on going into the store last Monday. I masked up and headed inside. Here’s what my mask looked like, because it is actually important to the damn story.

Please ignore the fact I look completely exhausted. I have anxiety, and it always ramps up when I have to go around crowds. (And yes, this comes from the girl that used to love to go to theme parks and conventions. It’s gonna be a nightmare when it’s safe to go back to Disneyland…)

Anyway, I was standing at the deli, waiting for the employee to finish with my order when I heard someone yelling. I wasn’t really paying attention, I was chatting on the Immortal Disasters Discord (which is the best Old Guard discord, if anyone is curious. Which you’re probably not. I’m stalling. Ignore this). And then I realized this lovely person, this woman, was yelling and focused on me.

So I turned my head and saw this woman standing about eight feet away, pointing at me. I gave her a glare and went to go back to my phone (the discord is too much fun I swear). She started shouting again, gesturing to my mask. I pulled out my headphones (which I totally forgot I had in, whoops).

She was screaming that I was an adult, and I should be wearing a plain mask. I’m not some stupid kid, how dare I wear something like that.

Guys, my mask isn’t vulgar. It’s the silhouette shot of the Old Guard before the Kill Floor scene. It’s basically plain. And it’s fun to support my favorite film of 2020.

I just glared and said, “Who hurt you? Go away.”

She got bitchier. How my mask is inappropriate, I should be setting an example for all the little kids around… Basically having a cow. I told her to go away. If she continued to bother me, I’d call the cops and report this as harassment. The store’s security, called by the deli employee, came up and told her to leave me alone.

All in all, it was a five minute waste of my time. And honestly, it shouldn’t even be worth thinking about it. We both had masks on, we were distanced enough, it should have never happened. But I guess wearing a mask from a film makes me a bad person? I don’t know anymore.

But honestly, with anxiety, the whole incident was a bit of a nightmare. I’m anxious whenever I leave the house these days. My town is filled with people who defy the mask order, and yet we’re right next door to Los Angelus County, which is currently topping the country in COVID-19 infections and deaths (unless Florida has overtaken us again).

It’s just an annoyance that left me feeling off the rest of the day. I honestly have never shopped faster, even though I had a large list. I don’t know why it made me shut down when I got home, but it did.

The best thing that came out of this was the reactions. My family thought it was hilarious (and said I should have told the woman to F Off). My friends on Discord thought it was hilarious, and also where did I get my mask, which was Redbubble if you’re curious. But the pièce de résistance was that I put a pic on Twitter and talked about what happened, and Gina Prince-Bythewood, the director of The Old Guard, liked the tweet with fist bump.

Dude, if I ever run into this woman again, I’ll thank her for helping me get noticed by one of my favorite directors. Because I may have screamed. A lot.

So that’s what happened. A five minute encounter that both screwed my head, and set up my feelings for Wednesday’s nightmare, which I’m not going into. At least not right this moment.

I’m off to finish up some projects. I’ll see you all Wednesday!

Until next time!

2021 Check In Post – #1

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Hey all,

So, 2021 is already off to a dumpster fire of a start. I had something happen to me on Monday January 4th (don’t worry, I’m fine, I’ll explain next week), and of course the lovely terriorist attack on the US Capital on Wednesday January 6th. So, my mental health has taken a beating. It’s pretty obvious, but I had to step away from social media and basically the internet as a whole for a couple days.

Hopefully things will have calmed down next week, where I hope to be into my new routine full time. We shall see.

Keep strong, there is a light at the end of this very dark tunnel. I’ll see you guys Monday.

Until next time.

Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Happy New Year everyone!

I ended up feeling so damn drained from the holidays and Blogmas that my drive to do anything decided to take a hike. Seriously. I basically just crashed in bed for the last couple days, playing games, starting a couple books, and catching up on my sleep (which ended up further destroying my sleep schedule, must fix that).

I know I had said I was going to post on both Monday and Wednesday, but I hope you can forgive me. I honestly wouldn’t have made much sense at that point.

So, recap of the last week.

I played Bugsnax! This is a cute game that came from the developers of Octodad, which I never got around to playing. For looking so damn adorable, it’s also incredibly dark in the story it tells. It took me about three days to take care of it, and it was actually pretty good! I was having the time of my life finding all the Bugsnax, though I still hear Bunger when I’m sleeping. Because of course the burger snax wants to get revenge.

I also did something I’d been gunning for since the beginning of this year! My silent goal of 2020 was to finish Lego Dimensions on PS4, especially after doing it on Xbox One. And I did it! I only had the Story Packs to complete. Now, I’ll be honest, I didn’t go for 100%. I just went for trophy completion. I probably would have done it, but I was running out of time to finish by midnight. I’m just happy that by finishing the game to trophy completion, I technically have completed every Lego game on PS4 (ignoring Lego Worlds, which I do not count). Next up is to do it on Ps3 and Xbox 360.

Speaking of Xbox 360…

This has been the year of having massive delivery delays, and I totally get that. I found out on Christmas Eve that my “big” gift of the year was to be an Xbox 360, something I asked for simply because I wanted to make a bad joke on Christmas. Oh, and because most of the Lego games I wanted to play on Xbox aren’t backwards compatible. Unfortunately, Mom ended up ordering from a third party seller, and it never was shipped. So, no Christmas meme for me. We’re hoping that it’ll actually ship at some point, or she can get her money back. And then I’ll just head over to Gamestop and pick one up there. For the record, she knows that’s my plan, and she’s almost heartbroken that the one surprise for me failed. (Especially since all the clothes she bought me didn’t fit.)

Anyway. The other big thing I did (video game wise at least) was set up my streaming stuff again! I have my capture card and camera set up, and my mic (though I may just not bother with it, and just use my headphone mic). But the big thing is the other surprise gift from Mom, a 4″ ring light. I’ve been looking for one for months, because where I have my desk set up requires more light, and now I have one that will work perfectly. So hopefully starting next week I can get back to streaming! Oh, wait, AGDQ is next week. Gonna have to push that one more week.

I’ve also finally gotten back into reading! One of the books I was given on Christmas was Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault, which is the first book in The Queen’s Council series. From what I’ve been told, this series is a new imagining of the Disney Princesses and the real world history behind their stories. Basically, a well-written version of the live action movies. This first book is based on Beauty and the Beast, which is one of my Mom’s favorite Disney film. I haven’t gotten too far into the book, but I’m hoping to knock it out this weekend.

One of the big things I spent a few minutes doing this past week finishing up the prep of my bullet journal! I was hoping to have it done during Blogmas, but the fates had different ideas. It’s something that makes me really happy! I’m really hoping that this will be a tool that will help me this year. The honest to god good this is that the November Owlcrate box came with a reading journal that has more than enough space to use as a regular planner should the bullet journal not work out. I’ll be posting pics (without any identifiable details of course) some time next week.

So, the last thing I spent time doing this week was setting up a specific schedule and goals to follow each week (of course part of it will be skipped due to AGDQ, since I’m hosting that on my Twitch channel and I have like ten runs that I want to watch). My plan is to stream on Twitch for two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (about 3:30 to 5:30 pm PST). On weekends, I want to do longer streams, probably four hours (so around 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm PST). The reason for the short streams is because I can’t stream while Mom is working, because it knocks her off, and I have to start dinner around 5:30 (I cook every night as a trade off for not having a job yet). I may also do evening streams, but it really depends on what my family’s plan is after dinner. We watch movies and shows together, or play board games.

Other things on my schedule is that I want to post twice on Instagram. I want to read a book a week, with a book review to be posted on here on Monday/Wednesday weekly. I want to post here three times a week, the aforementioned Monday-Wednesday-Friday. One other big thing is that I want to post at least one fanfic a month, if not two a month. I was hoping to post one starting today, though it’s delayed until tomorrow because I totally didn’t remember to finish this post until I was halfway through cooking dinner. Whoops?

Anyway, I’ve rambled long enough. It’s New Year’s Day, and I’m tired. I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and prosperous 2021, and please be safe! Wear a mask, wash your hands, social distance, and honestly, make the sacrifice now so that we can get back to normal soon.

Until next time!