A Recent Text to My Sister

Half low hot hemlock wasabi zombification shhhh

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I promise nothing sinister is afoot.  😄

Random Things I've Noticed Post-Gastric Bypass

• Blueberries taste like dirt to me now. Blueberry flavored things are fine, but actual blueberries taste terrible to me now.
• My body cannot tolerate egg yolks any longer.
• A normal person's shot of whiskey would knock me out. I would have to sip it over at least an hour.
• Though most people post surgery reach the point where they can use straws again, I can't.
• I used to love golden delicious apples. Now they taste bland. Other kinds of apples are fine though.
• I enjoy the actual flavors of food so much more that I really never want gravy on anything, even for Thanksgiving.
• Going anywhere without a snack, water, and Gas-X is asking for trouble.

The True Completionist Challenge for Fallout 4

The purpose of the True Completionist Challenge is to get as close to 100% complete as possible in one playthrough of Fallout 4.

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To qualify for a successful challenge:
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Minimum 10 points in each SPECIAL
Minimum level 150
Peaceful Endings
All DLCs
All Side Quests
All Misc Quests
All unmarked quests
All companion affinities and romances
All Bobbleheads
All Magazines
All Settlements
    one each shop
    one each workbench
    one built house
    one built greenhouse
    one barn or pen
    all supply line connected
    all buildings lit
    80% happiness
    100 security
    artillery
All map markers found
All top tier recruitable vendors
All types full power armors
Keep all legendaries
All Holotapes
All Notes
All Keys
All clothing items
All armor types
All weapon types
All armor and weapon mods
All ammo types
One each junk and misc items
Build one of each working contraption
Each food item
Each chem item

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NOTES
-For items that must turn in for quests-will show on camera that item is in inventory. Completing quest takes precedence over keeping item.

-If quests can only be completed by breaking the plan for peaceful then will not be completed. Peaceful endings take precedence.

-If quests glitch will try to go back to previous save and fix. If still glitched will continue without quest if possible

-Will play on normal, but if unable to complete quests due to difficulty will reduce to very easy

-Mods, food, and chems can be either crafted, bought, or found

-Will probably stream some, but not all, of the gameplay

-Will try to upload one video per day, probably about 1 hour long each

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FAQs
-Why do this?
I have played through this game at least 20 times and have still not seen all the game has to offer. So this challenge has been developing in my mind for several months due to a desire to experience as close to 100% of the game as possible with one character. Most 100% runs involve merely completing most quests, DLCs, and collecting the bobbleheads and magazines. That just didn't seem enough to me.

-Why peaceful endings?
There is no way to complete every quest in the game in one sitting. The peaceful endings of the main storyline and DLC stories allow the character to play through the most faction side and radiant quests.

-Why not use mods?
I seriously considered using mods. There are two mods that specifically would help prevent me from getting a migraine due to game elements. However, as I planned this challenge I realized that parts of the series would be off air (especially the cataloguing of items in the spreadsheet I created.) I didn't want anyone to be able to come back and say I cheated in items off the air. The only way to prove this would be to never use a mod with this save file since by doing so the file would be marked as modded.

-Why on normal?
I always play the game on very easy. Playing on normal will be a big challenge for me. If someone else wants to do this challenge on survival they are free to do so, but that is not for me, not now anyways.

-Why on Xbox One?
I have the game on all available systems and have gotten all the achievements so far on each. I chose the Xbox for this series mainly because I had the fewest game breaking glitches with it. It also helps that the way I record it would be more reliable and produce better quality video than with the PC version.

-What if it is a terrible failure?
I will likely start over if the failure is due to a corrupt save or a game breaking glitch. If it's because I missed some quests or items and am unable to obtain them anymore, I probably will let it slide unless I am totally unhappy with the series and want to try again.

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Thanks for reading. If you have any questions the best way to get an answer is to leave it in a comment on one of my videos.
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My Thoughts on the Hobby Lobby Ruling

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. The internet immediately exploded with liberals and feminists claiming this ruling was anti-woman. Indeed, you would think the ruling was the cause of the downfall of society.

I have news for you: it isn't. Couples are still getting married. Babies are still being born. Life is going on as usual.

Here are some important thoughts from my brain on the ruling:

1. The case is basically one of religious freedom. If I start a company and want it run based on my religious beliefs the government has no right to step in and interfere with the practice of those beliefs. Would it be okay for a Jewish faith based organization to be forced by the government to provide ham lunches for employees just because non-Jewish employees think they have a right to it? Absolutely not! Those employees can buy their own lunches.

2.  Birth control is still available to those who want it throughout the country. Even women who work at Hobby Lobby have access to birth control. Depending on the type, Hobby Lobby may or may not cover it, but women still have the ability to BUY IT THEMSELVES. The ruling was NOT a ban on birth control, so stop acting like it was.

3. Just as before this ruling, women can choose to NOT work at companies that don't support their own beliefs. For goodness sake, if you work at Hobby Lobby and you are not happy there then find a job somewhere else! If you want better insurance coverage by an employer then find a job that provides it!

4. If you are trying to explain to others why you think the ruling is unfair and use use name-calling, insults, and swearing to do so, you will convince no one. In fact the opposite is true; you will appear to be unreasonable, selfish, and negative. Other people will not care what you think if you are yelling 4-letter-words at them.

5. If this ruling, or any other thing going on in the world, causes you to lose your faith in society, it is up to you to restore it and make the world a better place. The best way to do this is by living an honorable life and being a good example to others by what you do and your positive outlook.

My Theory on Doctor Who and The Valeyard

When I watched the season 7 finale of Doctor Who I was confused. I had never heard of the side of the Doctor, now being personified by the actor John Hurt, called The Valeyard. My son tried to explain it to me and found a wiki description for me. It stated:

The Valeyard was similar to several of the Doctor's incarnations, cunning and verbal, with a knack for manipulation. He had a bit of a temper, and was prone to outbursts, but generally calm and collected, traits of several incarnations of the Doctor. However, his actions were constantly defined by his egotism. The Valeyard would risk or sacrifice anything to ensure his own existence, even break the Laws of Time and kill his own past self and try to control the Dark Matrix despite the dangers its presence would pose to established history. (TV: The Mysterious Planet, The Ultimate Foe, PROSE: Matrix)

Suddenly it all made sense to me. The Valeyard is simply the incarnation of the Doctor that is trying desperately to hold on to life. I remembered this Doctor Who Interview in which the new idea of unlimited regenerations for the Doctor is discussed. Putting 2 and 2 together I came up with the following scenario and told my son about it.

Since John Hurt is an older individual, and they obviously would not reveal him as the Valeyard/Doctor without his actually being able to play him soon for age reasons, Matt Smith has decided his tenure as Doctor will end soon. The next regeneration will be the John Hurt Doctor. As the Valeyard he will cunningly try to do all he can to bypass the time lord's regeneration limit, and he will succeed at a price. The price will be his own end I.e. The Valeyard/Doctor must die/regenerate in order to have the unlimited regenerations problem solved. Since John Hurt is also a big name actor I am guessing that the BBC cannot afford to pay for him to be the Doctor for more than one season. Therefore the Doctor following John Hurt will be known within a year.

I know I'm onto something because my son immediately told me to shut up. He hates it when I'm right. Now that we all know that Matt Smith is leaving the role by the end of the year I know at least part of my theory is correct. What do you think?

What You Won't See in Epic Build Episode 3

Some fun behind-the-scenes shots.

Some Screenshots of Behind the Scene Antics of Epic Build Episode 2

Lessons Learned

Since being married a few weeks ago I've learned a few interesting things about my new husband.

1. He sometimes talks in his sleep. And hugs too.
2. He snores a little in his sleep, like me.
3. He owns a whole bunch of pairs of headphones, most of which are broken in some way.
4. He takes Mark 10:7 a bit too literally sometimes (i.e. he can be very clingy.)
5. He is the most patient man I've ever met.

What can I say? I'm still madly in love with him, faults, quirks, and all.

The Human Alarm Clock

Yesterday my lovely daughter woke me up with hysterical laughing. She walked all the way upstairs laughing. She paused in the hallway to laugh some more. Then she opened my door and proceeded to laugh even louder than before. Then she left the room, still laughing.

I never found out what was so funny. I'm guessing God wanted me to wake up with a smile.

Minecraft

I have spent a lot of spare time the last few months playing a computer game called Minecraft. I have heard it described as a Lego computer game with old graphics. It is a lot of fun if you like building and designing things. I am a fairly creative person so it really appeals to me.

I have put up some videos of my Minecraft experiences on Youtube. Feel free to watch and comment.

Celebrating Catholic Media Promotion Day

Today is Catholic Media Promotion Day. In honor of this, I am going to share some of my favorite Catholic resources on the internet.

Blogs:

Maria Johnson's blog is funny and thoughtful. She is a real person who likes to have fun and love God.

Sarah Reinhard's blog is full of country Catholic mom mayhem.

Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP, PhD's blog is a splash of Dominican goodness. I especially love his Coffee Cup Browsing posts.


Podcasts:

I was introduced to SQPN via the wonderful SaintCast. It's still a favorite of mine.

Catholic in a Small Town is funny and full of real life stuff, Catholic and otherwise.

Since I'm a Lay Dominican and love Scriptures I really really love The Word, which is a podcast of various Dominican family members preaching on the readings of the day.


Other Media: (My favorite Catholic YouTube channels)

EWTN

Irish Dominicans

Daniel Smrokowski


Random Catholic Things Online:

My adopted patron saint

Dominican Catholic News

Bizarre news and speculations


My own projects:

My art on Deviant Art

My Twitter

I am working, slowly, on a possible video game Catholic podcast. But I don't have a website for it yet. I was thinking of naming it either the Faith-Filled Gamer or the Joyful Gamer. Any thoughts or comments on that would be appreciated. In the meantime you can look at my Raptr profile.

Divine Office vs. Praystation Portable

It has been quite a while since my last post. I had all of my points written down for this post on a slip of paper on my desk. The day after my last post I lost the paper. I haven't found it yet. But in honor of Catholic Media Promotion Day I have decided to get courageous and write that planned post off the top of my head. Hopefully I can remember most of it.

Here are the two contenders:

Divine Office (to be abbreviated as DO) is an audio podcast of the Liturgy of the Hours that can be consumed either via their website, via iTunes or other podcatchers, or via their app.

Praystation Portable (to be abbreviated as PP) is an audio podcast of the Liturgy of the Hours that can be accessed either via the SQPN website or via iTunes or other podcatchers.

How they compare:

1. Cantors/Speakers: DO uses multiple speakers in their recordings, both male and female, while PP is cantored by one man only. Because of multiple speakers, the DO format features the back and forth reading between sides that one would experience if reciting the Hours in or with a community.
   
2. Songs: In DO hymns are sung, though sometimes not in a way that one can accompany it. In PP the song lyrics are read and never sung. Both podcasts include all of the verses for each song.
3. Time: The PP podcasts are the shorter of the two podcasts. The cantor speaks quickly and on occasion does not enunciate properly. One example would be the word Alleluia which often sounds like 'Aleuia.' In the DO podcast the entire pace is slower. Speaking is slower and there are longer pauses between sections. Words are usually enunciated very carefully.
4. Feast days: Both podcasts celebrate Feast days and memorials of saints. However optional memorials are not covered by either podcast. Therefore, if you want to celebrate the optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin on a Saturday, you're on your own.
5. Hours: Both podcasts include the day's major hours, with the exception of Daytime prayer which is not available in audio via DO.
6. Office of the Dead: Neither DO nor PP have an audio form of the office of the dead for one to say in honor of the deceased.

I know that I had more points written on my long-lost paper, but this is all I can remember for right now.

So which do I recommend?
Well, I guess it depends on what is important to you. If you want to make sure the recordings fit into a tight schedule then the shorter Praystation Portable is for you. If you want the podcast to mimic more closely the way the Hours are recited publicly then you want to choose Divine Office.

And which do I use?
I actually use both. I download Praystation Portable onto my iPod and often use it. But I also access Divine Office via their website when I am on my laptop.

Which do I prefer?
There is no clear winner for me. The Praystation Portable cantor speaks so fast that I cannot recite the Our Father aloud with him. And sometimes the emotive quality of the cantors in Divine Office just gets on my nerves. Ideally I would like a third choice, but none exists as of yet.

Helping Ribbons and Guidance

Imagine there's a book you've been longing to read. You've heard so much about it and are excited to begin the story inside. But when you open the cover and start to read you find yourself very confused. Apparently the book is not meant to be read on consecutive pages. For some reason the author has written some parts of the story on one page with the next part of the story some 50 pages later. The next part of the story can be found in the back of the book followed by a section in the beginning. While each part is labeled accurately you find it extremely difficult to figure out how to read such a seemingly disorganized mess. Surely no one would blame you for putting down the book, never to see it again.

This is how someone picking up and trying to pray the Liturgy of the Hours for the first time feels. Different parts of the prayer are on different pages. The prayers for certain feast days are in one part of the book while prayers for week days are in another. In other sections one can find special prayers to be used in Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. There are also hymns, prayers for certain types of saints' feast days (Pastor, virgin, etc.,) and a small section with instructions. One's immediate reaction is to be overwhelmed.

Thankfully the book comes with a series of ribbons with which to mark the different sections of prayers. The ribbons are different colors, and one can use whichever color is wanted for each section.

A small guide for each version of the Office can be purchased which is also invaluable in keeping track of which sections of prayers are appropriate for which calendar day in the current year.

When I was learning to pray the Office, years ago, I found even these to be not enough. It took repetitive listening to others' methods of praying the Office to commit the system to memory. Unfortunately it took me quite some time to get the hang of it, especially since I did not meet up with others praying the Office more than monthly.

In recent years podcasts, apps, and websites have been introduced which can also be of help to those learning to pray the Divine Office. I sure wish these had existed when I was learning! In my next post I will compare two of the available podcasts of the Office that will hopefully help anyone who reads this and needs guidance in this area.

Happy new year!

I hope everyone has a truly blessed 2011.

I fail

Well despite the best of intentions I didn't increase my word count much since my last blog post. So you could say I failed at Nanowrimo. Or you could say I succeeded at trying.

Between governmental paperwork, doctor appointments, dental appointments, my daughter getting her wisdom teeth out, and her panic attacks I have had a busy time of things. I have actually been exhausted, and so I am glad I didn't push myself too hard.

Another wall

Here I am working hard at my novel, which is a change since I've procrastinated it almost constantly. But I've hit a rather unexpected wall.

I am at about 10,000 words. I have 40,000 more to go. But I am almost at the end of the story that I had outlined.

What to do, what to do.

Do I just finish it the way I have it and not worry about winning Nanowrimo?

Or do I add more to it? Perhaps an extra few chapters or more characters. Maybe even a huge flashback sequence would need to be added.

I just don't know what I want to do.

But I do know that chocolate will make me feel better.

More than just hitting a wall

I had two lovely days of writing bliss, working on my Nanowrimo novel without any real inconvenience. Then life decided to tell me I was foolish.

My cold is worse. I have a fever that requires Advil plus Tylenol plus Aleve in order to reduce. I am extremely tired and could probably sleep all day if I wanted.

My daughter's mental health issues have reared their nasty heads and she therefore requires extra attention and help getting through the day. It doesn't help that she has a three day weekend.

I am having difficulty concentrating. I don't know if it's because of my cold, some anxiety over government red tape, worry for my daughter, or whatever else. Maybe it's all of the above.

I don't know if God is trying to tell me that I was foolish to think I could do this novel. Maybe it's just a test of my perseverance. Either way I'm 2 days behind now in my word count. There will probably be a few more days of no writing until I feel better. I don't know if I'll be able to finish it this month. But I would like to try.

Lots of stuff

Since I posted last there has been so much going on.

My fiance was in town for about 10 days. We spent a lot of quality time together including finishing our pre-cana activities and setting the date. I also gave him his own engagement ring, which is actually the One ring. I'm glad he loves it.

I figured out how to get the most important songs off of my iPod and onto the new computer so that I could sync it again.

I bought new shoes, jeans, and a Gir hoodie.

I learned how to eat with chopsticks.

There are a few new games in the house and a new Xbox 360 that the kids seem to be enjoying. Hopefully I'll get to try them sometime soon.

I'm also mildly freaking out about Nanowrimo. I know I can do it if things go right, but I'm worried that I will overthink things and overcorrect my writing, which will impede my progress. There probably won't be many blog posts in November because of this.

Anyway, blessings to everyone and anyone who reads this!

Computer woes

In the last week I have had to replace my family's computer. The old PC has been having problems with the power supply. It would turn off several times in the morning before it warmed up enough to stay on for the rest of the day. Annoying but tolerable. I should have paid heed to the warning though and backed up our files. I thought about it Friday but was going to put it off for a day or two.

A day was too late.

Saturday morning the PC would not turn on at all. No flicker of light, No hum (or even grinding) of the power supply. It was dead. And it took all of our data with it.

I know the data is salvageable, if you know how to put together and repair computers that is. Since I am unskilled in that area (as is pretty much everyone I know) the only option for us was to get a new computer and mourn our data loss.

I thought my iPod would be okay but iTunes won't let me download my songs from my iPod back into the new iTunes library. It only recognizes the songs I purchased from iTunes. So it will take some time trying to get my library back, including all the podcasts I had been subscribed to and all the CDs I had transferred to it.

Today there was a small glimmer of joy when a very important file was able to be recovered from an e-mail. The thought of spending a few hours recreating it was so daunting. Finding that attachment intact made my day.

Strange things

I heard a few strange things today:

1) "Can't you see the nerves in my toes?"

2) (In a big superhero voice) "I am JOSHUA!"

3) "Leave my gnome alone!"

4) "That decapitation was awesome!"

5) "Get that conjugal cranial parasite off of my nosecone!"