TKD Time #2

Weekday classes were a lot larger. We arrived early enough Shane got to practice sitting properly.

When class did start, it started the exact same as last time. If the recipe works....

Then there was some variation near the end.

Master Kim went over a series of blocks this time, too. It's all fundamental groundwork for later (as it should be).

Shane found the mirrors on the wall very distracting.

With seven 'knee-high ninjas' running around it was good there were two instructors to run herd.

At the end everyone got a sticker on their progress sheet. Shane picked Michelangelo (He got Leonardo after the first class). If I don't loose the sheet over the next eight classes, he'll get a prize.

Shane was great. Especially considering he was at school all day, after school, and then came home for a snack before we had to run out the door. I would have taken him Saturday, but the dojang was scheduled to close for Labor Day weekend.

Indy Games

Gaming has changed for me. Gone are the days I want a immersive RPG with an expansive story, or an in-depth strategy game that requires time and effort to master. Multiplayer is no longer a concern either, competitive or cooperative. Video games are no longer my go-to escape or stress relief. Anything I do play, I want to be something I can easily save, turn-off, let go, or complete in a small amount of time. I want something with a story.

Only the story doesn't have to be in the game.

Over the past several years I've become more interested in indie games. I love fresh ideas, unique takes, upgraded nostalgia and, in general, passionate people pursing a dream or a labor of love interests me. And that's the kind of indy game that tends to garner notice. It's the kind of life a younger Mike was drawn to.

The indie game that started it all was FTL. It was a kickstarter by a pair of guys who liked a lot of the same old games I did. They got funded and they delivered. Reviews were great, so I gave it a go. It did not disappoint.

That lead me to try a slew of other indie games. Next was probably Legend of Grimrock, an old-school dungeon crawl that reminded me of my early, early days in gaming (only updated!).  Mark of the Ninja couldn't have been too long after. I liked that there were rewards for playing through levels without violence (the story and atmosphere were great, too). Orcs Must Die was another instant favorite for me (though it may be more of a "small developer studio" than indie). I blew through the sequel, too. I bought Defender's Quest after I noticed the developer took the time to write elaborate responses to people's reviews. One-Way Heroics was quirky and unique and translated into English (free in Japanese, I think). Carrie played A LOT of Rogue Legacy. 

The list goes on and on. Not every game has been a hit. I bought Fez after seeing Indy Game the Movie, and I got Penny Arcade episodes 3 and 4 from Zeboyd games after stumbling upon their blog (I enjoyed the inside look). Neither purchase was really bad, but they didn't strike my interest for whatever reason. Thankfully, indie games tend to be much cheaper than big budget games. I don't regret spending a couple of dollars to try something new and support someone's dream (Especially now that I'm an adult with a job. I bought some really old Geneforge games on sale for a couple of bucks on a whim, because I remembered reading about them on a dial-up modem in high school). If anything sticks, it feels like a home run.

It also helps that I'm never in a hurry to buy anything. I read things out of curiosity. If something piques my interest, I read more. Steam usually has a big sale twice a year and I'll buy a slew of games for less than one console game brand new.

For example, Shovel Knight was game on my radar, but it remained on the periphery until the developers released a lot of statistics. That led me to click on some of their blog posts. I enjoyed reading about how much thought went into things I never considered and the behind the scenes money issues and history. I don't feel like big companies are anywhere near as candid or accessible. When it went on sale, I bought it.

Lately, I've been playing Desktop Dungeons. It's quick, but challenging. If Shane gets a TV break, I can play a quick round while I rest. The developers have stated that they want the alpha version of the game to be free....forever. And for anyone. And I like that. They want anyone who's interested to play their game whether they pay or not. I like companies/teams that try to treat their consumers well. The game has a large community/wiki, too. I finally got around to trying Braid, too. I gave up and used the internet on two puzzles to avoid spending forever to solve them.

The other type of games I've purchased are older games. I had a plan to play them with Shane at some point. I'd love to play Shining Force with him when he learns more about how to read, but so far most of what I've purchased hasn't been used. I got them all for dirt cheap on sale, so I'm not worried about it (Hurray, Steam and GOG!). We'll play them, or we won't. We have options.

NOTE: The original draw to "out of the box" games probably came from Portal. The game was brilliant. I showed it to Carrie and she fell in love (That's why we have a portal gun). It started off small, but was picked up by a big studio. My dad worked with the father of one of the programmers. I think she's the one who went on to make Quantum Conundrum, but I'm not sure.

Happy Birthday, Love!

We celebrated by visiting Mira.

Afterwards, we went to Whole Foods to pick up Carrie's favorite flavored creamer and dessert.

Busy Day in the Neighborhood

I taught Shane how to play War Saturday night. He wanted to play again Sunday morning. He likes having a game he can beat me (I get bored and forfeit after 30 minutes).

I was thrilled when Raheem dropped by Sunday night and took my place (insert Tom Sawyer/fence reference).

The boys made snot...,

...and played Twister later. They also had rounds of Simon Says, Hide and Seek, and Run and Thud Until Carrie Says "Calm Down!"

I kicked Raheem out just before seven for a late dinner. Shane ate super fast so he could go outside. A pair of kids a street over came around with a lawn mower.

Smart kids.

Due to a "contractor issue" our neighborhood has gone untrimmed for a month. The grass has gone to seed and tickles my knees. Dogs look like they're on safari when they pee.

Will gave the kids $15 bucks to mow his yard. I followed suit. That's a going rate of $1/minute based on my yard size for a job that left sporadic patches, but I like seeing kids being productive.

The kids were even smarter than I thought. They borrowed the lawnmower from another guy down the street. He said "Bring it back when you're done," and wished them good luck.

I saw the kids continue around the cul-de-sac after Shane and I went inside. They can probably afford their own lawnmower now.

Quick Reaction

Social Media: There's a free petting zoo at Br....

Me: BOY! GET YOUR SHOES!

 It was a small set-up.

The line for tacos was ridiculous, too, but it was a great way to get Shane out of the house for a little bit. Would you rather sit in front of a TV all day or almost get bit by a duck?

Key word: Almost. I could understand your hesitation at getting mauled by a duck. Shane almost learned not to grab the hard way. He was gentler after that.

There was an art park/blues festival across the way.

It was pay to get in and the music started much later, but there was still stuff to do.

Thanks for the heads up, social media! You're not all cats and silly pictures.

First Taekwondo Practice

I signed Shane up for Taekwondo Saturday. It had been on my mind for a while. I liked what I saw, too.

The first activity of the day was the instructor made all the kids practice with "Yes, sirs!" and listening. Then he had them all give high fives. First with their right. Then with their left. He'd pull his hand back and dodge if the wrong hand was used. Later, he pulled a "down low, too slow!"

If that doesn't seem too martial arty, I picked up on the value quickly. Learning right from left is important at Shane's age and for future instruction. The respect, listening, and learning to react and anticipate are all building blocks, too.

The next activity was "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

Again, not overtly martial arts. The instructor varied the verse to include 10 different body locations. That works memory and builds vocabulary so that the instructor can use the locations in instructions.

Other activities included running and cleaning up an obstacle course. If you moved too slowly, you could get whacked from behind with a pool noodle!

The train was mostly for fun.

There were a pair of stances and some punches and kicks worked in throughout. I was very pleased with the focus and flow. My priority is that Shane has fun and learns how to control and strengthen himself, mind and body. The self-defense part is nice, but last on my list.

When class ended, Shane wanted to go into the back room and watch TV! He was conditioned from summer camp! I offered to let him have an episode when we got back instead.

Shane asked for peanut butter for lunch. Sadly, we were out of bread. I improvised and Shane got a peanut-butter, honey "taco" (a folded tortilla).

Don't knock it before you try it. Shane wanted another one before we went to Costco on Sunday.

Patty Pick-Up

Uncle Patrick swung by today! Shane wanted to show him the Angry Birds Cartoon.

Patty needed to pick up some stuff Nana left for him. He liked the clippers. "Free hair cuts for life!"

Patty and I talked books, series, and eventually chickens.

 Raheem joined it. Patrick remembered his name and said, "Hello!"

Then we sat on the porch until Patrick moved on. I think Patrick was tired from watching alone. I know I was!

First Day of Kindergarten!

Time flew. I got Shane up on time, got him dressed, Carrie started to stuff his backpack and then it was a scramble. We got him to the bus in time, though.

Shane was playing and chasing kids around on the playground when I picked him up.

"It looked like you were playing 'monster!'" I said.

Shane corrected me. "Dad, I was a goblin!"

When I asked him how his day was, Shane told me to "calm down!" I almost broke into a fit of laughter. Shane wished he could have ridden the bus home, but he liked school. The music teacher was just like him; They both liked music. He got to go on the playground three times (two in school and then one after). He was really excited that there was a "real" Pete the Cat. Pete the Cat wrote his class as a message and they were going to go look for him in the school tomorrow.

"I love [my school!]"

Music to my ears.

T-Minus One Day

Shane had to go to work with me for the last workday.

It wasn't all play. He got his hair cut.

I didn't think we were that active, but he acted tired when Mommy picked him up. I had to stay for open house.

He had a plethora of energy when we went outside after I got home.

School starts tomorrow!

End of Summer Bash

Shane's preschool friends threw an end of summer bash Saturday. 

"We're sorry about the late notice..."

No need to apologize. Shane and I were there. I hoped someone would invite people over. Our house isn't conducive to large parties due to parking and plague problems. We'd all be stomping right over Nova's head and while the cul-de-sac is great, it's not a big yard.

Hayden's family had a great yard.

They moved in July. The new house had three acres for the kids to run all over.

And there were a lot of kids. Hayden's big brother, Harrison, had invited over a bunch of his old kindergarten class mates, too. There was a lot going on.

Including dancing.

The kids were in and out and out and in. There were enough adults around that there was plenty of coverage. They kids got along fantastically.

Hayden was all about silly. "Shane! Do you want to be a monster and chase me!?"

When Shane got off him, Hayden laughed, made a face, and said, "Shane's a monster!"

The day ended with boys sharing tunnels together. If there would have been a time for a squabble, it would have been when all the boys were overtired and trying to co-inhabit a tunnel turned sideways.

Nope. They still got along.

"Daddy! Can I come back again! I want to live here forever!"

"If they invite you back."

"Hayden! Can you invite me back?"

Nana and Pop Drive-By

Nana and Pop dropped by on their way south again. 

They brought a card for Carrie's birthday, but it was Shane who got all the presents.

Our present to them was the chickens.

Nana got to live the dream vicariously if only for a moment.

Shane was into it, too. Pop and I stayed back to take pictures.

Mo and Nibbler took the opportunity to stretch out their wings and bask in the sun.

Then it was time to rejoin the flock. The humans had to eat.

We went out to Fry Spring's Station for an early birthday dinner. No one ordered chicken.