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If We Were Having Coffee: Another Beach Trip, Another Day in Paradise

If We Were Having Coffee 02

Hello everyone! Wow, it feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve written one of these. Luckily, I actually have a lot to say this time around, partly due to not doing one of these last weekend. But also partly due to having some good news to share along with it. Anyway, I hope you’ve all been having a good weekend so far. I know I have, and I haven’t really done anything since I’ve been awake.

Hmmm… where to start? Okay, I guess I’ll start with what I’ve been up to during the week leading up to going to the beach last weekend. I mostly spent a lot of that time sleeping, reading, watching television, and playing app games on my phone. Seriously, I really didn’t do too much else leading up to when my sister Laney and her boyfriend Lawrence came to the house Thursday night. Though since my last weekend coffee post, I’ve been a very productive reading reviewer. Since my last coffee post, I’ve completed a total of four books, each uniquely different than the previous. I liked each of these books for a variety of different reasons. But I find myself surprised at being able to read this many books in this amount of time. I think part of it is because it’s been awhile since I’ve given myself the chance to really sit down and enjoy reading. And now that summer is here, and I have so much free time, I feel like I can do that. Not that I haven’t enjoyed the time I’ve spent on the books I’ve been reading while I’ve been employed. It’s just that I haven’t quite had as much time to sit and enjoy them, though I’ve definitely made the point in doing so when I was reading them.

Along with reading these four books, I discovered two other games in the App Store that I’ve started playing and enjoying, one of which I’ve actually played before a long time ago but quit because I felt like I couldn’t really do too much with it at the time. The first game I came upon made me chuckle because I was amused by it, but now I’ve become really hooked to it. And that game is called Pokémon Magikarp Jump. It came out last week, actually on the day when I first heard about it so I figured I’d give it a try and see how I’d like it. So far, it’s been very enjoyable and addicting to me. It has some Pokémon nostalgia that really makes it a fun game to play, even though the Pokémon you’re raising is one of the weakest ones in the games. The other one is called The Sims Freeplay, which is pretty much a mobile version of the games out on PC and console. I think part of the reason I stopped playing it the first time was due to it not having as much stuff for you to do. I remember the first time playing it I spent most of the time in my house working on filling my Sim’s needs and not going out in the world to really do anything. But this time around, it seems like there’s more things to do, and I have quests to complete too. I’ve also been making sure to keep the Sims I have busy by sending them away to work or having them compete in a competition because these things take them hours to do in real time. This allows me the chance to do other things while they are increasing their skills and making money, but can also be a hindrance for playing the game. Especially because the Sims games normally don’t have that time feature in them. Usually when you’re having a Sim do something, you can make time go a little faster and be done with it within a couple minutes. You unfortunately don’t have that option in this one, but that’s okay because these things always give me something to look forward to whenever I do go back to check on my characters. While it’s yet to be as much fun as the ones I know and love, I know once I unlock and build more of the town the game will get better for me.

The Sims Freeplay Image

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how much fun I had when my sister came to visit us last weekend. On Friday, Laney and Lawrence actually had to put in some hours for work so I for most of the day hung out in the living room playing Pokémon Magikarp Jump and reading. I also got my hair cut short, the pixie cut style I love because I like it so much while Laney had a job interview she had to go to. After all of that, we hung out at home for a little bit before going out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant with the people we love. We continued the night after dinner by buying some wine and beer at Total Wine to enjoy at our house. Then on Saturday, we drove two hours to go to Charleston and Sullivan’s Island. We first stopped by the Charleston Marketplace to see what all they had to offer. We saw a collection of all sorts of different things, from necklaces and jewelry to paintings to spices and even Christmas decorations. Then we drove around Charleston to show Lawrence some of the different homes and historic landscapes before heading to Sullivan’s Island to spend the day on the sandy beach. We also grabbed some barbecue to eat for lunch, which turned out to be really delicious.

Charleston Trip Marketplace
I love going to places like this and seeing what they have to offer. I also appreciate that all of this was indoors so we didn’t have to be out in the beating sun for too long.
Charleston Trip Charleston Homes
Some of the Charleston homes. Was too busy looking to take any more shots.

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip One

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Two

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Three

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Four
In this picture, you can see the wind moving along the beach and picking up the sand.

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Five

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Six

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Seven

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Eight

Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Selfie
Of course I had to get some pictures of myself there too.
Sullivan's Island Beach Trip Feet Selfie
Along with having my feet play in the sand.

As a family, we’ve actually never gone to Sullivan’s Island before. We’ve been to other beaches before, but this was our first time at this one and it was really nice. It was a beautiful day outside, which was something we hadn’t seen for a little while due to dealing with a lot of rain. The only downside was that it was very windy there so I didn’t do as much laying out in the sun as I’d have liked. But that was okay because I didn’t have to worry as much about getting burned. It was so windy that when I attempted to lie down I struggled because my towel was trying to blow away from me. I also ended up getting sand all over me because the wind was so crazy that it was blowing the sand along the beach. So I ended up going into the water to wash myself off, which proved to be a little difficult since I had sand in places I couldn’t reach. Once again, I enjoyed the feel of the sand between my toes along with the touch of cool ocean water brushing against my legs with the smell of the sea lingering in the air and the wild winds blowing against my face. I felt the sense of peace and tranquility I normally feel when I’m at the beach but it was wilder this time around, like the wind was nowhere near close to slowing down. It was a lot of fun though, despite the harsh winds because I was spending relaxing time with the people I care the most about. After our time on the beach, we went and grabbed some pizza to eat before heading back home. On Sunday, we showed Lawrence downtown, then went and grabbed some ice cream to snack on before heading back to the house. After that, Mum, Laney and Lawrence went to the gym while I took a nap. Once they were home, we started cooking food out on the grill for dinner and invited a friend over to eat and watch some movies we rented. After watching these movies, we then all headed to bed so we could rest and get ready for Monday. On Monday, we woke up early so that Laney and Lawrence could start packing up their things. We then went to Cracker Barrel for one last meal together before Laney and Lawrence headed back to Tennessee. Overall, I enjoyed the time we had together, and it was nice to meet Laney’s boyfriend for the first time.

And that’s pretty much all I have to say besides one more thing. The good news I have to share with you is that I have a job interview coming up on Tuesday. I have a friend that works at a new deli that’s opened up downtown and in several other places, and he’s mentioned my interest to them. So after completing my application, I heard back from them about meeting with them for a job interview. This is exciting/good news because I might finally have a job again so that I can make money while the other place I work at is closed. It sounds like they really need some good people so I’m really hoping this interview works out so I can get started right away. I also hope it works out to where I’ll be working full time or something because then I can leave the company I’m at now, since I’m not happy being there anymore. That place has just gotten so full of drama that I’m ready to be somewhere else where I don’t have to worry about that anymore. So wish me good luck because I feel like I really need it.

I hope you all are having a good weekend so far. I can’t wait to hear all about it.

 

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First Impressions: Pokémon Magikarp Jump

Pokemon Magikarp Jump Image1

Last week, a game called Pokémon Magikarp Jump was released onto IOS and Androids. This game centers on a Pokémon in the franchise named Magikarp, one of the weakest fish type in the games. In this game, you catch a Magikarp which you then have to feed and train in order to get it to compete in jumping leagues. As you level up your Magikarp, it gets bigger and its jump power increases with each nugget of food you give it. Once you reach your Magikarp’s maximum level, your Magikarp will go into retirement and you’ll have to raise a new Magikarp from scratch.

I didn’t know about this game until its release. But I’ve actually found myself enjoying it. For one, even though Magikarp is one of the most annoying Pokémon to train in the other games, I like that this game gives Magikarp a purpose in the Pokémon universe.

I also like the mechanics of the game. I like that the features of this game are very easy to use so that anyone can play. All you have to do is click to feed, train and battle with your Magikarp. The only real choices you have to make in the game involve the events, when you want to spend coins to increase the jumping power of your food and training, and when you want to battle other Magikarps to become the highest jumper. Other than that, most of the game involves just clicking and watching your Magikarp grow.

Pokemon Magikarp Jump Image2

I like that this game has random events that can occur that can either help you increase your Magikarp’s stats or make you start over because your Magikarp just got eaten by another Pokémon. I think these events add something different to the game, but also make the training process even more interesting. Especially when you have a Magikarp that you’ve developed a close bond with only to have it snatched away from you. While it can be frustrating to some, I just find it amusing because I know I can train another Magikarp anyway that could end up possibly being better than the one that was taken away from me. I like when these events happen because it’s fun to see what’s going to happen next in the game.

Pokemon Magikarp Jump Image3

However, there are some downsides to Pokémon Magikarp Jump that need to be discussed. It’s a game that can easily get boring the higher you have to train your Magikarp before it can retire. This is because much of the game process involves doing a lot of grinding from when you feed your Magikarp to when you train and battle with it. When you first play this game, you don’t experience this quite as much. But once your ranking goes up and your maximum Magikarp level goes higher and higher, you begin to reach that point in the game. This results in the game starting to become too repetitive for you, which is a problem I’m beginning to experience. I’m at the point now where I wish there was more stuff you could do in the game because there’s not too much else to the game other than feeding, training and battling/jumping. I really think adding some more features to the game would really make it a game people would continue to play.

But overall, I think Pokémon Magikarp Jump is a simply fun game for anyone who wants to play and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Pokémon games.

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If We Were Having Coffee: A Week of Writing Fiction

If We Were Having Coffee 01

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve been having a wonderful week and an even better weekend. I’m sorry I didn’t do a coffee post last weekend. I did the Great Strides walk with my best friend last weekend, but I also just didn’t have too much to talk about. But that’s okay, because I have more things this week for you to make up for it.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that the Great Strides walk I went on last Saturday was quite a bit of fun. It’s the second time I’ve done this walk with my best friend, and I’m glad I could make it. I was a little worried at first because the weather was calling for rain, but luckily it didn’t rain at all when we were there so we were good. I really enjoyed doing it though because it really got me walking, which is something I don’t do as often as I need to. But I managed to do okay, considering it was a 3 mile trek and I haven’t walked like this since I’ve been away from work. I also managed to talk to one of Erin’s dear friends while doing this walk because Erin and her husband were busy managing their son. He walked with me the whole time and we just talked about all sorts of stuff. It was just nice having the company, having someone there to keep you going until you completed the 3 miles.

Last weekend was also Mother’s Day too so I spent my Friday cleaning the house for my Mom while she was away at work. I couldn’t think of anything in particular to get her (which quite frankly, wouldn’t have been enough anyway, because my Mom has done so much for me and my sister), but I figured having her come home to an already clean house would be a nice gesture. It meant she would have one less thing to do, and it would allow her to just spend the weekend relaxing if she wanted to. I also bought her dinner Saturday night too at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and we rented two movies: Patriot’s Day and Star Wars: Rogue One. Originally we were going to eat dinner then go see a movie, but none of the movies in the theatres that day were anything either of us wanted to see. So we just figured renting some movies for at home would be better. And it was, because both the films we rented were great.

Star Wars Rogue One Darth Vader

What I enjoyed about Patriot’s Day was how true it stuck to the real events that transpired with regards to the Boston Marathon bombing. I also liked it because it felt real personal. Besides having family members who lived in Boston around the time it happened, I felt like it was just a great film showcasing the real life of those who the bombing really affected. Especially near the end when they showed interview clips from some of the survivors and the police officers who handled the case. What I enjoyed about Star Wars: Rogue One was the characters, and how the storyline connected with the rest of the Star Wars series. Though the ending caught me completely off guard and mad me sad, I felt like it was a good side film that could hint at what could come in the rest of the series.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’ve gotten a lot of writing done this week. I made the decision to write a post about journaling, because it’s something I’ve been doing since middle school. It’s also something I think every writer should do so I wanted to talk about how keeping a journal has benefited my life. I also have this story I’ve been working on since middle school too that I hope to one day get published into a book so I was working on that one day during the week. I’m planning on working on it some more once I get the chance because it’s a project I seriously want to complete. I’ve also completed another Flash Fiction Challenge, which I also think has some serious potential of becoming a novel. It’s a story I started working on that I believe is going to take a while to complete, but once it’s done could be a really good piece. I don’t know yet necessarily if that’s something I’m really going to do with it, but I’m just going to wait and see how far I can get with it at least before I make that call. I’m also going to be doing another guest writer post for my friend Lesley. So look out for that in the next couple weeks whenever it comes out.

Gardenscapes App Game

I’ve also been playing a couple of App games on my phone. In particular, I’ve been playing a game called Gardenscapes, which is a matching level game that allows you to build the outside garden of your dreams. It’s a game I stumbled upon by accident while on Facebook, and I haven’t been able to stop playing it since. Part of it is because it’s such a cute game, and I like the look and feel of it when I play. There’s also just enough of a challenge that makes me come back to it again and again, even when I run out of lives. I don’t know how else to explain it just yet, but I’m considering doing a review of it in the near future. I know I’ve definitely been playing it enough that I could. Plus, I haven’t done any video game reviews in a really long time.  I don’t know, I guess I’ll just wait and see.

I also recently started and finished this book called The Shotgun Arcana this week. It’s a book that’s equal parts western, fantasy, and historical. But it was a really enjoyable book, so be sure to see my book review for it this upcoming week.

Next weekend, you probably won’t be seeing one of these posts because my sister is coming home this Memorial Day weekend, and her boyfriend will be coming too. So we’ll be spending some time together and I’ll get to meet her boyfriend for the first time. But either way, that’s really all I have to say for now. How’ve you all been doing? Did you all have a wonderful week too?

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If We Were Having Coffee: Feeling the Heat

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve had a good week. I know I definitely did, with my trip to the beach on Sunday, which I talked about on my last blog post. What I didn’t mention, however, about that trip is the amount of sunburn I received. I got burned pretty badly from our day at the beach. My back, waist and feet received the worst of it, resulting in me keeping things easy this week. Even now, I’m still dealing with some of my burns. Though, they aren’t as bad now as before. They just itch, which means the skin should be peeling off anytime now. But if you want to hear more about my trip (and not just about the sunburns), check out my post titled Weekend Oasis.  I promise you won’t be disappointed because I have a lot to say about the trip.

But that’s not all. If we were having coffee, I’d tell you not only did I go to the beach with my best friend, but I also helped her celebrate her birthday by going with her to the tattoo shop on Monday. There were a couple tattoos she wanted to get so her husband said he’d pay for them as a birthday present. So I went with her when she received her very first tattoos, which both turned out really great. Her first tattoo said “just breathe,” and had the Hakuna Mottata symbol in-between those words, and her second tattoo is a semicolon. It was quite an enjoyable experience. So much so I’m actually considering getting tattoos of my own. I have a pretty good idea of what I want. But I’m not going to say. I’ll save that for when I get them so I can explain why. It was an experience I know I’ll never forget, since my best friend invited me to go with her.

Sunday’s trip to the beach and Monday’s tattoo adventure were the most exciting things that’ve happened recently. Because I didn’t do much else while at home. I mostly worked on letting my sunburns heal, using aloe vera to start the process. Oh, I also continued watching American Horror Story. I’ve finished season three now, have moved onto season four, which is really good too. Though there are times where I’m debating whether I want to continue watching or not. Not because I’m not enjoying it, but because of how weird the show can get. It’s not really a scary show, though there are elements of horror in it that make you want to continue watching to see what happens. But I don’t know, I’ve already invested a lot of time into watching it.

If we were having coffee, I’d also tell you I’ve made some good progress on the coloring book page I’ve been working on. I’m really excited about it because I think it’s really looking nice. I’m excited to see how the whole thing will look by the time I’m done with it. I’ve also been playing Kingdom Hearts Unchained X again on my tablet and Temple Run on my phone. Both games are fun to play, one is nice for killing monsters and unlocking more storyline while the other is enjoyable because you get to go fast and collect coins to unlock more characters and abilities.

Other than that, there really isn’t that much for me to say. I did some job applications most of the day, and Mum and I rented Manchester By the Sea, which was a total bust. The movie focuses on a man named Leo whose brother recently passed away and is left dealing with the aftermath. He’s depressed due to the death of his children in a house fire he feels fully responsible for. The reason this movie is a bust is because it drags on. There’s no reason or purpose for some of the events that follow, and the characters are not likeable due to lack of character development. The only thing I like about Manchester By the Sea is the setting, which the directors of the film do a good job at showing off. It’s a beautiful location for the movie, and I wish I could see more of it. Otherwise, the whole movie is completely depressing, and I found myself wishing we never watched it.

Next Saturday, I’ll be doing the Great Strides walk with Erin, and I may not do one of these posts, depending on how I feel. I hope you’re all having a good weekend. Can’t wait to talk to you next time!

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If We Were Having Coffee: The Hours Pass Quickly on Daylight Savings

Woah, it’s been awhile since I’ve done another one of these. Sorry for that, by the way. It’s because I didn’t feel like I had a lot to say. I haven’t really been quite as productive lately, due to being off from work because of Spring Break. But after this week, I feel like I can feel you in a little about what I’ve been up to since I last did one of these posts.

So a couple Sundays ago (I want to say it was the weekend before last week, but not entirely sure), I went to Dreher Island State Park with a friend. We walked around, spent the day there and just had a really good time. I’ll put up some of my pictures below of the trip so you can see some of what I experienced.

This was probably one of my favorite parks to go to along with the other park I went to many weekends ago where I took quite a bit of photos. There was just quite a bit to see at Dreher, and I wanted to share a lot of the photos I took from that trip before I really get started because I enjoyed a lot of the park I captured in these photos. It’s definitely a place I’ll want to visit again soon. 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you my Spring Break was actually pretty boring. I was mostly at home, hanging around the house. Though I did start picking up Okamiden to play again, hoping to finally beat it after all this time I spent away from it. I also have continued watching Criminal Minds, though I’m sad to announce I’m on the last season of the show that can be found on Netflix. Daylight savings also occurred on my last day at home before I started to work on Monday. I didn’t even realize it was daylight savings until later, but it made sense to me because it felt like Spring Break went by so slow for me until the end. But with my last day off came an unexpected snow that while it didn’t stick was quite a beauty to behold. 

While I knew the snow wouldn’t last, it was a nice beginning to my last morning at home. 

If we were having coffee, I’d also mention I started this new wonderful book series while I was at home called The Lying Game. I know you all already know about it, since I’ve posted my reviews of the books in the series I’ve read so far and quite a few of you liked them. It’s been quite an enjoyable read for me, which completely surprised me. When I first started reading the books, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy them. But since reading past the first one, I’m happy to say I’ve been enjoying what I’ve read of them so far. I know I still have two more books in the series left to read, which I haven’t had the chance to do since returning to work, but I’m really looking forward to them and seeing how the author ends the series. 

Speaking of work, one of our co-workers had a job interview this week and it sounds like she’s been offered the position. This means now her position will be available and while it’s not exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, I might consider looking into it. But I think before I do that I want to talk to her when I go into work this week and find out more about it. Because if it’s a full time position and I can work during the summer, I just might consider it. I need a job this summer and if this job is something I can do where I make more money, why not try it and see? But first, I need to talk to her first and get the answers I need before doing anything at all about it. 

Before I’m done with this post, I’d like to quickly thank everyone who reads/follows my blog. Earlier in the week, my blog reached up to 100 followers, which is something I take pride in. I know when I first started this blog, I wasn’t completely sure how I was going to go about creating it. I had a very basic idea of what I wanted to write about, but no exact plans of how I was going to make it all a reality. Now, I feel like everything has fallen into place and it’s become more than I expected from it. In many ways, I feel like I’ve created a home here on WordPress, made out of words waiting to be shared with like minded and welcoming individuals. Since being here, I’ve received nothing but kind words and acceptance from those who’ve commented on my posts and those whose blogs I’ve enjoyed. And I always find myself inspired to continue writing on here even on my darkest of days. 

And it’s all thanks to you. Because as long as someone reads my work and enjoys what they see, I want to continue writing. So thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to read my blog. Your welcome to come back anytime and leave a comment too, if you’d like. I promise I won’t bite. 

But now I think it’s time for me to go. I really have nothing new to say and should probably be getting ready for the St. Patrick’s Day party I’ll be going to at 6:30. But I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and chat with you soon! 

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If We Were Having Coffee: Super Bowl Sunday Weekend 

Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a great weekend so far and that this week hasn’t been too bad for you. 

If we were having coffee, I’d let you know why I haven’t been writing as much on my blog. I’d tell you my laptop is permanently unusable and that I need to get a new one. I’ve been using my tablet for all of my writing needs and will continue to do so until I have enough money saved up to get one. But until then, I’ll continue doing the best I can to bring some fresh content to my blog in the near future. 

I’d also tell you about work. It’s been okay these last couple weeks. I still feel the same way about my job as I did last year. But I’m actually trying the best I can this time around to stay positive and not let all of the negative energy there affect me. Some days it’s easier said than done for me. But the good thing is that the hours have changed to where I’ll be getting off work earlier than I used to. There aren’t as many students here this semester so they’ve been cutting hours. And I also did ask about getting off earlier because it’s easier for Mom and I. It saves her gas money and she doesn’t have to worry about going back and forth to come and get me. Plus, it gives us a couple extra hours to spend together at home. And so far, it’s been a really great change to my schedule. It allows me a little time at home to relax before bed away from work and I don’t have to deal with whatever is going on at work when I’m not there. I also go in earlier too so I’m not hanging around, waiting for my shift to start. 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I feel like things have been crazy here. Not here as in my life, but in the United States of America. I don’t want to get too political on here, but I do feel like this briefly needs to be addressed. Ever since Trump has been sworn in, I’ve just been feeling a little uneasy. Also more aware of what’s been going on by reading more of the news on a daily basis. I know it’s mostly because I’m not at all a Trump supporter (and probably never will be) and because the things he’s doing aren’t necessarily great or going to really benefit our country in any way. I don’t know what’s going to happen in these next couple years, and I’m trying too hard not to think about what he’s done already. I just know I’m feeling angry about him being our president because of the choices he’s already making and also mentally preparing myself for what’s to come next. I just don’t think he’s going to make a good leader for our country. But unfortunately, we are stuck with him right now. 

Anyway… I’d also want to tell you that I’ve slowly but surely started back to reading again. Just with these new work hours, I haven’t done as much with my free time as I’d have liked. Mostly been watching some of my favorite Youtubers play Undertale. But now I’m continuing to read Crown of Midnight, the second book in the Throne of Glass series I’ve started. I’ve also since this weekend started playing the game Fire Emblem Heroes on my phone. I saw someone I follow on Twitter posting pictures of their team in the game and it intrigued me enough to want to play it too. I also was interested in playing it because I’ve never played any of the Fire Emblem games, but have always wanted to. So that’s something I’m going to do now with this game. Once I’ve played it for a little while, I’ll post my review of it here on my blog for you all to enjoy.

And that’s mostly it. This weekend is also the Super Bowl, which I’m not too excited about because I don’t like football as much as I used to. I do however have family that lives in Boston so I know they will be cheering on the Patriots to win this game. But even though football isn’t really my thing, I hope everyone that does enjoys the game enjoys what’s left of the weekend. 

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First Impressions: The World Ends With You

Released in 2008 by Square Enix and Jupiter, The World Ends With You is an action, role-playing game. The story centers around a young boy named Neku in a city called Shibuya, one of the biggest cities in Japan. He wakes up in the middle of the city with no clue who he is and how he got there. He quickly realizes as he explores the city that he’s in the Reaper’s Game, a seven day challenge where the players have to complete one mission a day under a time limit or face being erased from the game. As Neku continues exploring Shibuya, he also fights these creatures called Noise and makes allies with other players in order to survive.

In The World Ends With You, you are partnered up with another player in order to fight Noise and given unique pins. These pins give you powers that allow you to defend yourself against Noise as well as scan the people around you to read their thoughts and further complete your missions. These pins are one of the things I enjoy most about this game because they give you a unique battle experience.

Here are some of the pins from The World Ends With You.

When battling Noise, you are given slots for your pins. Each pin you put in a slot are the ones you can use when fighting Noise. You can put whichever pins you want in a slot as long as they aren’t the same type of pin. This gives the player the opportunity to use a unique set of pins to fight off their foes and level up their pins.

During each fight, you and your partner are on separate screens while battling the Noise. The great thing about this is you can control both characters during your fighting in order to give out more damage. However, whenever you receive damage, your health is depleted from the same bar and controlling both players isn’t always the most ideal because one player could be losing health while your controlling someone else. This can easily be fixed in the menu screen so you can focus on controlling Neku and not have to worry about your partner losing health.

While I enjoy this fighting style, one of its weaknesses is controlling the pins. When fighting Noise, sometimes the pins don’t always work even when you’re doing things correctly. I know part of the problem is because all of the controls during battling involve using your stylus, which can be quite a big turn off during gameplay. I know I definitely can find it annoying at times when I know I’m using a pin correctly, but it’s not doing what it’s supposed to.

What I also enjoy about playing The World Ends With You is the unique art style and storyline. When playing the game, the art really catches my eye. I find it to be beautiful and completely immersive because it reminds me of comic books. I’m also enjoying the storyline because the plot doesn’t give everything away at once. With each day, you learn a little more about the characters you didn’t know before. But you also find out more about this Game and understand why the players are in it.

Overall, my experience with The World Ends With You has been a good one so far. I hope to continue playing this game to find out what other secrets have yet to be unlocked for me.

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If We Were Having Coffee: Be Thankful For the Things You Are Given

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Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great week and that your weekend is everything you want it to be right now.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask you about your Thanksgiving. I’d want you to tell me how it went, would want to know about your Thanksgiving traditions. Then, I’d tell you how mine went. I’d tell you my sister came from Nashville to spend time with Mom and I and that we invited one of Mom’s friends over to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.

I’d say we have a lot to be thankful for. Because that’s what Thanksgiving is about: being thankful for the things you are given. At least, that’s how I choose to celebrate it. I choose to be thankful that I have a life and that I have clean water, food and a place to sleep. Because not everyone has these same comforts in life. I might at times complain a lot about the way things in my life are going. Life is hard and everyone has their own struggles they have to deal with. But I’m lucky because not everyone has things as easy as I do.

Yes, I’ve had my own struggles. But that doesn’t mean I can’t sit back and reflect on the things I’m grateful to have. I might sometimes hate my job and definitely wish I worked elsewhere, but I’m glad I have one even during the roughest of times. I’m grateful for my family. Because while we might be a small bunch, we are really close and there isn’t anyone else I’d want to spend my holidays with. I’m grateful for the friends I do have because while we might not talk as much, they are important to me and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.

I’m thankful for this blog. I love it so much because I can express my feelings and emotions in my writing to others in a welcoming community of people. I might not know every single person who reads my blog, but I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my posts. I’m thankful for my blog most of all because I can express myself. I can be my own person here and talk to others who share the same passions as me.

So if you’re reading this post right now, thank you. I appreciate you and hope you are having a wonderful day because you deserve it. Know that you are loved and don’t stop believing in yourself.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you what all else I’ve been up to. Besides spending time with my wonderful family, I’ve also made some time for myself too. Maybe not as much time as I’d have liked, but I was with family so it was okay. I was able to write a post about one of my favorite video games Kingdom Hearts for Chapter Six of the online course I’m currently taking, which can be found here if you’re interested in checking it out. I’ve been thinking about this post a lot so I figured I’d go ahead and write it so I can continue this class and become a Creator on the site.

Along with finally writing another post, I’ve also started playing one of the games in the series mentioned Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. I’ve felt the itch to play this series games in their true order to try the best I can to actually beat all of the games. We’ll see if I’ll be able to accomplish this or not, but I’m definitely thinking about writing a post about all of the games once I do.

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Characters from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.

I’ve also continued watching Criminal Minds whenever I’ve had the chance and just recently started rereading a book I haven’t read in a long time. Criminal Minds is still very enjoyable for me, probably one of my favorite crime shows today. And the book I’m currently reading is still as enjoyable to me as when I last read it, which I plan on telling you all about on my next book review.

But other than this, I haven’t been up to much. When I go back to work tomorrow, I only have two more weeks until we have our Christmas break, which roughly lasts a month. So with that, I plan on thoroughly searching for a job in my field or trying to get a job closer to home.

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the rest of what’s left of this weekend.

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First Impressions: Transistor

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Transistor is a science fiction action role-playing video game. Published by Supergiant Games in 2014, the game centers around Red. Red is a very well-known singer in Cloudbank, a futuristic city where nothing is as it seems. In an attempted assassination on her life, Red acquires a weapon called the Transistor that is owned by the Camerata and has to combat creatures called the Process in order to survive in the city.

As you explore the city of Cloudbank, you learn more about the Transistor. You also fight the Process using these set of moves called Functions. Red also has a unique ability called Turn() that freezes you in time so you can use your Functions to fight the Process. This ability is one of my favorite combat features in the game because it makes fighting the enemies a little easier.

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Turn() is an ability that can really help you. Especially when you find yourself in a serious pinch.

Transistor is such a uniquely beautiful game, completely different from any other game I’ve played. I enjoy playing it because the game takes you immediately into the action and explains the further you progress. It tests out your ability to fight the Process with the set of Functions you start off with, making it enjoyable to fight against your enemies.

I also enjoy playing this game because of the relationship between Red and the Transistor. In the beginning of the game, Red acquires the Transistor via pulling him out of a dead man’s body. You don’t know anything about what’s going on at this point, but it’s perfectly clear Red and the Transistor know each other. While progressing in the game, Red and the Transistor have little interactions with each other that I find to be very enjoyable to hear. Their relationship continuously gets stronger the more of the Process you fight and the more you explore Cloudbank. I enjoy seeing their relationship because I’ve never seen anything like it in any other game I’ve played this year. Its serious but also playful and fun whenever they fight enemies together. I also think it offers a brief commentary on the relationship between humans and weapons, which I find to be a very fascinating thing to think about.

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https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/transistor/

While I enjoy fighting enemies in Transistor, there are certain aspects of the battling system I don’t particularly enjoy. I find having to click on the enemies to use your Functions to be very tedious but also hate that once you use Turn(), you have to wait until the bar is all the way full before you can use your Functions again. I understand that in many ways this allows for Red to recharge her abilities, but it also makes it difficult for you to use Functions on their own if you find the Process your battling to be low on health. I also dislike that when an enemy takes your health all the way down, you lose one of your Functions. I find that to be very annoying because you have to wait until you can get to an access terminal to reinstall them.

Besides these two issues though, I really think Transistor is a well-crafted, beautiful game that I can’t wait to play more of as I progress through the city of Cloudbank. I highly recommend it to those interested in a unique gaming experience who love science fiction as much as I do.

To view this post on Creators, click here.

 

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