Marcus and the Games He Play

The weekend is once again almost over but it’s one of those days when Marcus has impressed me a lot. Last night I discovered that he can already comprehend how Magnet Adventure works. It is a puzzle game I downloaded several months back but back then all he did was just watch and annoy me while I spend time thinking how to deal each of the cases. This time, with some advice, he manages to complete some of the basics.

Marcus has also showed great improvement in PC car racing. I still have the old Need For Speed software (from our ex-company’s home PC program) and tonight he played its hot pursuit game and was able to catch 6 out of 6 bad guys. In another PC game, he has reached the tracks’ finish line although he complains that he ends up with no rank.

And now, I watch him wrap up this weekend as he plays his most-loved game — Lego. Awhile ago he finished a Ninjago cobra structure without looking at the manual and now he’s building a Lego City police car while referring to the instructions in the book that came along with the kit. I’m impressed Marcus, I’m impressed.

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Today also marks our return to La Salette. For several months we stopped attending mass there as Marcus’ frequent misdemeanor made me leave church more of a devil than a refreshed Catholic. This afternoon he showed some signs of stubbornness but not as much as before. (I laughed when my wife told me on our way to the mall that she was actually praying for me: “Dear lord, don’t make my husband snap.”)

Ideas from Sleep Deprivation

I have been deprived of sleep lately and the place I am supposed to catch up on it doesn’t live up to my expectations. And so to make sleeping quarters a more conducive place I call upon the geniuses of this world to invent these things:

Silent plastic bags. The call to recycle has its own drawback as people reuse plastic bags not just for groceries or shopping but also to store personal stuffs and among the things that annoy me is the ruckus a plastic bag creates when someone opens and searches something in it while inside the dim sleeping quarters. Every time it happens I begin to have nightmares even before I hit REM. (I am sure moviegoers will love this as well.)

Zip-free zippers. I know that it is an onomatopoeia of the sound it makes whenever it is closed or opened but I guess it is high time that manufacturers, like the famous and enduring YKK, make one that is zip-free. But for now, the closest thing I can do is suggest to ban people from opening and closing their gym bags while inside the sleeping area or resort to the costly approach of finding and distributing a copy of little Ms. Manners for Dummies book.

Glow-in-the-dark socks. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending precious time figuring out where that certain stink is coming from. A pair of socks therefore that would glow in the dark if it detects some fungal activity would at least warn others to pick a better sleeping spot.

Anti-snore spray. Nope, this isn’t one in the market that a person buys to cure his(her) own s leeping disorder. What I want is something like a pepper spray — yes, one that can be discreetly aimed and sprayed from a distance to someone who is snoring. A mounted laser aiming device would be a plus.

Slow door closers and fixtures. Shh. I am aware that these exist but one company seems not to know yet. Again, shhh.

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I drafted this post using my myphone with alphanumeric keypads. One that produces a crisp sound. Annoying sound. While inside the sleeping quarters. So I guess, I have gotten even then. Ti abi.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Past 1 in the morning. Marcus and I still awake.)

An Eco-friendly Campaign Period

Sen. Loren Legarda posted this morning an appeal to the politicians that they try using biodegradable campaign materials this election period. It’s a good call to action but here’s why I don’t believe it is 100% possible.

So can we achieve an eco-friendly election campaign period? Well, yes and no.

Yes. Politicians’ promises are recycled.

No. Most of our politicians are plastics.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Watched Marcus acting out as me. He’s good. Funny kind of scary.)

Five Things I Learned From Pizzas

1. A great dough is the result of skill and patience combined.

2. Having the complete ingredients help but spreading everything evenly matters most.

3. An expensive pizza cutter does not guarantee equal slices.

4. If it is good, everyone will love it.

5. Sometimes it pays to be a bit cheesy.

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Mood: 3/10! (I blame last night’s pizza.)

WTW

I am just your boy next door in a typical neighborhood. The place where I live is an ideal place just like in most Western movies — it has almost everything a bachelor needs to have. In fact, my own home is furnished with stuffs I need access to at any time of the day: a full fridge, a comfy sofa and a TV (though CRT), and my own bedroom has an equally cozy bed. In the toilet, decent fixtures are installed.

My proximity to the essential places is also something that most people might be envy of. From my house, the municipal hall is just across the street; to give me the things I need for my interests is an adjacent hobby shop; few more walks, along well-paved sidewalks, is a grocery store, and a couple of meters more is a bistro just in case I feel like dining in. Finding a job isn’t that hard too. At the very least, wherever I choose work, I get paid a hundred dollars at the end of the day – more than enough to sustain my daily needs.

Remarkably, social life couldn’t be any better. Just nearby are houses of several people. I can name a few acquaintances – there’s Nina, Luke, Marcell, and Kia. Most of them are friendly as long as chatting with them remains constant and relevant. I have yet to meet the others however I am quite sure that it is just a matter of time when it will be fulfilled.

But just like anyone else, I feel that I need more. There are days when I wish to woohoo. Yes, woohoo. It doesn’t sound like a familiar word for any four-year old but it is something carnal. This item is already on queue among my other wishes like wanting to repair, to get promoted, and to plant a corn. Woohoo kid. I know you can see it. Make me woohoo.

That’s my life. I am a Sims 3 character under the control of a kid with an iPad. I don’t know when he will make me woohoo but sooner or later I know he will see figure out. Sooner or later before he turns five.

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And this is the reason, Marcus, why you won’t see the Sims 3 icon on my iPad anymore. I have deleted it. I know you enjoyed it but after seeing that ‘wish to woohoo’ I just knew that it’s a bad game son, bad game. Go play Angry Birds for now.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Lunch was good. Thanks, wifey.)

‘Masa’ iPhone in the Works?

Apple is not stopping and it seems to target the lower-end market this time. If the article from rappler.com is true, then people who currently can’t do anything but envy those who can afford to acquire (whatever it takes) an iPhone will soon be able to get one for themselves.

According to the report, this less pricey Apple smartphone will use cheaper materials for its housing but the rest of its features, hopefully most capabilities, will be retained. Rappler.com adds, however, the folks from Apple have neither denied nor confirmed that this is happening soon but I know that less privileged consumers can wait. At least, I can speak for myself and until then I might stay stuck to this my|Phone which I bought just yesterday to replace my Nokia 5800 phone. Ti abi. Life of a masa.

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I’m back to basics. The my|Phone B88+ Duo has made me deal with one that doesn’t have a touchscreen and with only an alphanumeric keypad. It is a far cry even from my 5800 — which has quit working — but anyway it gets me connected…through SMS.

Update: Apple has spoken and it’s bad news: the rumors aren’t true which means pricey iPhones stay. Conos — 1, Masa — 0.

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Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Kiddo demanding to go biking.)