December 11th, 2020

Better Late Than Never

Um… hello! It’s been quite a while since I posted here. As I was thinking on how my 2020 went, I realized I never put together a Year in Review for 2019. I know it’s something I don’t have to do, but I’ve always liked having a recap for myself.

Saying Goodbye

Unfortunately, my 2019 started with saying goodbye as a high school friend unexpectedly passed away. It happened 6 months after we coincidentally ran into each other and talked about catching up. Unfortunately, we never did, so I missed my chance.

Part way through the year, I also lost one of my uncles to cancer. He was the oldest sibling on my dad’s side, one of the kindest people I knew, and a supportive rock to the family. Though it was a sad occasion, it was also nice to see so much of my extended family.

Both were wake up calls to keep in touch better, something I’ve always been bad about. I ended up meeting up with several former coworkers who I had not seen in a while, but I had been meaning to catch up with. My cousins and I also talked about traveling to meet up more (which of course, got ruined by 2020).

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Comments Off on Better Late Than Never · Posted in Year in Review
December 29th, 2019

Gaming year in review: 2019

Though I haven’t been able to play as many games as I used to, I’m still happy that I’m able to play some games throughout the year and complete a few! I think the biggest shift for me is playing more console games than PC, which is opposite of how I used to be. With a toddler now, being on the couch to play consoles has been easier than sitting at my computer.

So here’s my usual annual gaming year in review! This is where I briefly review the games I played this past year, and I start with my favorites of those, which may or may not have been released in 2019.

Favorite Single Player: God of War

Wow. I get it now. I get why this game is so highly rated. As someone who played and enjoyed the first three God of War games, I’m amazed that this one managed to improve on every aspect of the series. The story was wonderfully crafted with its own take on Norse mythology. The open world unraveled in a clever way. The combat felt cleaner and worked well with Atreus. And finally, finally, FINALLY, Kratos has more personality. It was so refreshing to see him have a vulnerable side and actual character development as the game progressed. Really well done, bravo.

Favorite Multiplayer: Risk of Rain 2

I never played the first Risk of Rain, but I knew it was a sidescroller roguelike. I thought changing it to 3D and over the shoulder was an interesting choice, and it became the perfect co-op game for people with babies. We didn’t have to keep up with progress or level. It was great being able to play co-op with friends again and start anew every time (since it was roguelike).

Favorite Indie/Download: Cadence of Hyrule

Though I haven’t played the first Crypt of the Necrodancer, I’ve always thought the rhythm gameplay it had was interesting. I loved that it was combined with a Zelda game, making it part roguelike, part rhythm, and part Legend of Zelda. I had a lot of fun with this one, was addicted, and ended up beating it three times (solo, co-op, and permadeath mode).

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3 · Posted in Gaming, Year in Review
September 29th, 2019

Why, hello again

Was my last post really in April?? I have to admit, I didn’t expect to abandon my blog for that long. I was hoping to post at least once a month – not because I felt obligated to, but because I actually liked having a monthly recap that I could look back on at the end of the year.

I knew I’d have less time with a baby, but I do still have time for my hobbies. I just don’t have time for all of my hobbies, and so I’ve had to prioritize and balance them. Well uh… I didn’t balance them. I basically prioritized toy photography, video games, and baking.

But anyway, my last recap was for January and February. What have I been up to since then?

March

  • Celebrated my birthday with a lot of eating
  • Started refactoring my team’s Vue JS project from our company’s hackathon

April

  • Took a week-long staycation for the first time ever. I’ve taken days off before, but anytime I take off a week or more, it’s because of holidays or traveling. It was nice to just relax at home with my family!
  • Helped organize a work picnic for our engineering department
Tali and I at a botanical garden

Visiting the botanical gardens during my staycation

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7 · Posted in Life, Monthly Recaps
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