October 17, 2017
A life update
I haven’t really talked about my non-gaming life, even though it is the majority of my life…oh well. But games are just more exciting!
I’m currently a post-doc, which is basically a job where I do more research and get paid about 50K US, which is pretty good for my level, while I hope to get more papers out and convince the government, a university or two, and/or wherever else that I have an idea worth funding. I happen to care about Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegenerative diseases in general; I am a bit lucky as a lot of research money is going to this area. I also don’t want to get Alzheimer’s disease or suffer from it when I get older. How else could enjoy my video games if my mind isn’t there? Basically I am self-serving. I think I can get a handle on my cardiovascular and diabetic risks, though I do indulge in cake, cookies, and crackers a bit too much. But I have managed to play handheld games while on an exercise bike, and I walk partway in the mornings to work (~20-25 min) unless the rain is awful. So hopefully doing okay there.
(I’d really like these grant applications to get funded by the way. I didn’t kill myself doing them but it was a lot of work. Not expecting the initial submission to get funded per se [I have to be realistic] but hopefully reviewers are overall positive and it can be funded next time!)
Outside of work and video games, my biggest thing is still knitting. I haven’t designed too many video game-related designs recently and instead have been knitting designs again. Now I have Soul Eater fingerless mittens in blue and orange! And partly in progress hymmnos mittens (my initials) in green. I was supposed to be making a hymmnos-design bag but got distracted and then wanted to do something pride-related, so I finished a pride-rainbow (aka 6 colors not 7) bag. I bought way too much yarn for it though so maybe rainbow pillows are next?
Knitting is great to do with other things. Like I’m back into watching NCAA volleyball. I want to get back to watching pro leagues too, but stream quality and timing sucks when most of it is in Europe and I’m on the west coast. Ah well. I’m also watching some anime. This season it’s Blood Blockade Battlefront and Beyond for me. I’m not really into a lot of the more recent shows; they just feel shallow. I wanted to like GAMERS and I liked little moments of it (the MC gives major love to Star Ocean 2 in one episode which was nice) but the rom-com was too much. Yet I finished that trainwreck. I feel like I should be excited for the Persona 5 anime but I just want to replay Persona 5 instead. Next year will probably be too early to since I want to lessen my backlog more. And maybe finally get to the Witcher 3. I haven’t decided if I’ll pick up Horizon Zero Dawn complete sooner or later, but that game is definitely in the plans too.
Anyone think Atlus will be making Persona 5 Arena? The reason I’m replaying Persona 4 and hoping to get farther is to next go on to P4Arena. I (unfortunately?) know the major spoiler for Persona 4, which is beyond where I last finished the game, so whoops…
My other time is, unfortunately for some of my visitors, not spent working on VG music transcriptions but rather reading. I do enjoy some historical non-fiction, but at the moment I’m reading more of the Raksura books by Martha Wells. It’s a super cool world she’s built. Highly recommended.
Well with the grants submitted I am “safe” from grants for the year. I am happily returning to gaming most of the weekends, though Sunday is also a few volleyball matches. I really need to clean my apartment, but I also have lived in this for a while, so it can’t be that bad… I am working on it…slowly…
Next month I’m out of the country for two weeks. Looking forward to the trip but I think next year I will need to have a gaming vacation. Take a few days or a week off to just play games. I am currently contemplating taking a half day next Wednesday to enjoy some Nights of Azure 2. I would have taken off the whole day except I believe I have a training obligation that afternoon…ruining my plans!
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