Good morning, Readers!

Death Stranding is possibly they most frustrating game I've ever played.

That's it.  That's the blog post.

Have a good day.

Alright, that's not really the blog post.  It's true though.

Today's blog post is less exciting than that hot take.  It's really just to say that I spent all day yesterday writing up a Sassy Review for Skyrim, the game I (finally) "finished" while sulking because of mouth pain this week.  I'm happy with the review, though it really did take me all day and I'm not so happy about that.

I'm still sad that I've finished the game.  I do think that I'll spend more time in Skyrim, though, as there are things to explore, people to help, houses to finish decorating...  Also, I really want that VR set. Le sigh.  Can I just live there?  I'll join the Bard's College or something.  In Skyrim, I'm rich AF, with many houses... most of which have a library.  And I have a hell-horse.  She's pretty cool.

Anyway, despite not getting much work done this week, I did manage to get a review done at least.

It wasn't a total waste of a week, at least.

Also, did anyone else wake up super early this morning?  My alarm goes off while it's still dark outside, and even then, I was awake at least an hour before it went off.  What the hell, brain?!  I found it rather depressing, since I love sleep so much.  Things are all weird in my brain, I guess.

Honestly, I have no real news for you.  One day I will.  One day soon, I hope.

Right, I should go do things with my day.  Have yourselves a great weekend.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

Last night my jaw was still a bit achy, and I was being a big baby about it, so I did not go to training.  I was sulking.

Part of that sulk was me turning to a long-held tradition of things I do while sulking: gaming.

I played Skyrim.  I've been playing the game on and off for many, many years, restarting and never quite finishing it out.  Last night, I finished the story portion of the game.  I say I finished the story portion of the game because I don't really think that you can possibly finish the game.  There are always places to discover, stories to stumble into, mysteries to explore and never solve... There's a lot still left to do in this world.

I'm genuinely feeling really, really sad about finishing the story part of the game.  Oh well.  I guess I'll just have to get myself a VR headset and 3D copy of the game and go through it again with a slightly different experience.

Anyway, the story part of the game for me ended with the killing of Ulfric Stormcloak.  That's right.  I sided with the Empire.  I genuinely did not make that decision lightly.  I actually agonised over it for ages.  I understood the Stormcloaks and their desire for freedom, and I absolutely believed in their right to worship Talos.  I despised the Thalmor, who believed themselves superior and were willing to kill people who thought differently (like those who consider Talos to be divine, for instance).  Ideologically, I was on the Stormcloak's side.

For the most part.

There was a lot about the Stormcloaks I did not like at all.  Their xenophobia, for example.  They were a bunch of racist fucks sometimes.  Well, more than sometimes.  Often.  Still, it's not like the Thalmor were any better.

One the other hand, however much I disagreed with the Thalmor and the White Gold Concordat, and however much I sympathised with the Stormcloak objective, I agree completely with Legate Rikke.  Tearing the Empire apart makes it weaker, making it harder to break free of Thalmor control.  Better to stick together for the time being, gathering strength in order to fight back against the real enemy - not the Empire, but the Thalmor.

Because, honestly, fuck those guys.

To be fair, I feel my hand was forced.  When it was revealed that Ulfric was intending to annex Whiterun, and kill Jarl Balgruuf, I absolutely could not side with Ulfric.  Jarl Balgruuf is a good man, who leads well and sensibly.  He refused to garrison soldiers of the Empire, and valued free speech enough that he permitted the open preaching of a Talos worshipper.  His concern was for the people of his hold, and he didn't overreach to deny them their freedoms.  He was a good Jarl, and I felt particularly loyal to him.  It's not just because he was the first Jarl to offer me the position of Thane of his hold, but because I genuinely thought him to be a good man and a good leader for his people.  My main homestead (from the Hearthfire DLC) where I will be raising my two adopted daughters, was Hjaalmarch Hall; overlooking Whiterun and close enough to the city to visit often.

I'm writing all of this like they were actual people and not characters in a fictional world, but hell, that's what good fiction does to me.

Anyway, when Ulfric forced the Jarl's hand, I, as his Thane, stood by my Jarl and fought off the Stormcloaks.

It didn't make me feel good to do so, except that I was protecting who I thought should be protected.  I was mollified a bit while talking to Legate Rikke, who expressed her belief in a unified empire being the only chance anyone has against the Thalmor, and also by General Tullius, who expressed his doubts about the White Gold Concordat at the end of the game (just between him and I).

Look, whose side I was going to take in the civil war in Skyrim had taken up a lot of head space for me, and my indecision was a big part of the reason I didn't "finish" the game sooner.  I know everyone has already had these arguments years and years ago, but I just really needed to explain myself today.

I may, I think, write a Sassy Review for it, though I'm not sure.  It's hard to write a review for a game that never really finishes.

Also, I really need to save up for a VR headset.  This game is already so immersive, I may just disappear into it entirely.... that might be an argument against VR, actually.

Right, I have work, so I'll sign off now.  Have a great day.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I apologise for not posting yesterday.  I had booked an appointment with a dentist due to some pretty severe tooth pain last week, and I didn't have the time or the wherewithal (pain hates rational thought) to schedule a post for the day off I took yesterday so I could go to the dentist.

Everything is fine, by the way.  The pain had resolved itself days before I got to the dentist.  I decided to go anyway, because I haven't been to a dentist in [undisclosed] years.  Lack of funds kept me away, and while I don't actually have the funds for it now, precisely, I figured I really should do what I can to take care of my mouth.  I can do a payment plan with them, so it's not too terrible.  I guess.

As it turns out, by some miracle of genetics (probably) and despite my long, long absence from the dentist, my teeth are actually in great shape.  I was expecting some sort of Lovecraftian horror show going on in there, but no.  My teeth are strong and stable, and my bones are doing great in there too.

That said, I do need to go back next week so the dentist can finish up the work they started during my brief appointment yesterday, and then there'll be a final follow up before I head into a maintenance schedule, with just a visit a year or so.

Honestly, so much of a person's health and well-being starts in the mouth, and I find it frustrating and stupid that our health care doesn't cover dental at all.  It should.  Mouth health affects everything.  Literally everything.

Anyway, that's my gripe for the day.

I'm exceptionally glad that my mouth is doing so well despite the neglect.  I'm also really happy with Southgate Dental, who took me in on short notice and were exceptionally kind and non-judgemental about my dental situation.  I'm so used to dentists trying to up-sell me on things I don't need, preying on my insecurities to try and sell some braces and a few whitening sessions.  I will have nothing more than a good cleaning, a new-patient set-up (more X-rays, etc), and then a regular maintenance schedule.

It's expensive, but could be much more expensive.  And they deal a lot with folks like me who don't have insurance.  They know the drill... uh... so to speak.

All in all, it was a positive experience yesterday.

I'm sore and grumpy today, though.  There was a lot of poking and prodding around in there yesterday.

I also have a lot of things to catch up on.  Like querying agents.  I was supposed to do that yesterday.... I should get on that now.  Right, I'm off to work.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

So... I have gotten no writing done whatsoever this week.  It's not been a good week for writing.  At all.

So much for establishing a routine.

In my defence, there's nothing that kills productivity quite like querying.  All those emails sent, asking for some random person who is overwhelmed with such requests to read and like my stuff enough to sign me up and help me make a career of writing.  It's stressful, exhausting, and, thanks to the inevitable rejections, really, really disheartening.  I suppose that when I've exhausted my list of agents I feel I could have a good working relationship with, it'll feel a little less like pulling teeth to write.

Also, I was focussing on my return to training and martial arts, all of which happened in the same week.  I feel like I had only the energy to establish one routine at a time, and my physical health (martial arts, weight training and running) won.  Also, I've not yet established the routine properly even.  The first week is not yet complete, and it can take up to two months to turn this new thing into a habit, where it won't feel like an incredible drag to get up and do the things.

I don't have two months to wait before I start writing again, thank you very much, but I do need to get a start on forming my other habits.  I figured I'll pick one up a week... or try to, in any case.  Next week should be getting back into writing, but I have a feeling it won't be.  Not that I won't try to write, it just won't be the focus of my attempts at forming a new habit.

That'll probably be my early morning, guitar practice.  I really want to be able to be good at it, but I won't get there unless I practice, and I have so little time in the day thanks to... every other project I have going on right now.  So if I can make it a habit to get up earlier and practice a bit before I start my day, I think that'd do me some good.

Music is not a bad way to start the day, after all, and I do miss making music. 

I just wish I was good at it.  But I will get good.  I will.  I just have to force myself to practice.

While writing this week has suffered as I try and pull myself together after the mess that was the holidays, I have managed to go two weeks strength training.  Or will have, when tomorrow rolls around.  It was so nice to get back to it last week, but the fatigue is setting in this week.  I imagine it'll take me another week or so to get used to it, even more so now that martial arts training and my running training have been re-added to the roster.

By the way, any tips for dealing with the fatigue are very welcomed.  I've been fighting fatigue since I can remember.  It is, alas, one of the symptoms of my depression, and so probably won't be fully rid of it.  All I can do is manage it, and I'm up for tips and tricks.

This is boring stuff, I'm sorry, but it's what's happening with me now.

For now, I'm going to go stare at a blank page for a bit.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

Today, I'm over at Black Gate Magazine, talking about the Netflix series The Witcher, and whether or not I enjoyed it.

​(Spoilers, I did)

As promised when I first blogged my thoughts about the then-upcoming now-released Netflix adaptation of The Witcher IP, I did, in fact watch it. To prepare myself for the first season, I read The Last Wish, which I thought I ought to do before I watch the series, and enjoyed it enough to look forward to the rest. I’m going to run down to the bookshop in a bit to buy The Sword of Destiny, which I think is another collection of short stories set before the saga with Ciri. When I’m done with that, I’ll head back for the rest of the books. They’re pretty good. That’s neither here nor there, however.

I’m very pleased to say that the show followed the books quite closely, near as I’m able to tell, with only a few changes, all of which made sense for an adaptation; and also helped make Geralt appear less like a twit in some cases. That said, he still falls in love at the drop of a hat, and that will never not make me laugh at the ridiculousness of it.
​
The point is, I watched the show – more than once… because I was going to review it here. Yes. That’s totally why – and I have thoughts, people. Quelle suprise

​Welcome to Sonia’s Sassy Reviews, reviews of games from the unique perspective of a total newbie gamer whose only just started to indulge a lifelong love of video games, who also happens to be an adult(ish) woman. So, here we go!

Disclaimer: my little brother worked on this game, but I promise that his efforts here have not influenced my enjoyment of the game. Also, he gave me this game for my birthday when it came out in 2016. I’ve only played it now because I am the worst big sister ever.
​
Warning: Spoilers. Duh.

Good morning, Readers!

This weekend was a good 'un.  Saturday, I went and saw good friends of mine for dinner.  I had not seen them in a long while, and I missed them a great deal.  The food was delicious (thank you, Agatha!), the company and conversation were lively and intelligent, and I got a lot of puppy snuggles.  Best of all, however, was the gift of a second edition of the Welsh Triads.  It's a brilliant book that has the triads, but also cross-references the stories  and events which these triads are either referenced it, or may have alluded to.  I have never been so in love with a reference book, and I have many lovely reference books that I have and do love a great deal.

This one, though... this one is special.

Yesterday was spent with friends filming my silly SFF book and film video podcast, which is a lot of fun (and the second episode of the seventh season just went live this morning).  On my way home, I went over to upgrade my phone hardware.  I set aside my ancient iPhone 5s for a more modern iteration of the thing, signing a two year contract with my provider.  With the new phone, came a drop in my monthly fees, and also finally a phone that is compatible with the Apple Watch that a friend gave to me when he upgraded his.

I spent all of yesterday afternoon setting up the phone and the the watch and pairing them together.

Today is the first day of my wearing the watch.  It's been... weird.  First, getting texts through on my wrist feels so future-tech to me that the fact that it is happening is making me feel a little weird about the world.  Also, the watch has a 'Breathe' feature, where, twice a day, it will remind me to take a little time out and take seven deep, slow breaths.  That happened first thing this morning, and it was actually... nice.

Also, I have the whole, 'get up and move, you lazy-arse' feature enabled.  Every fifty or so minutes, I'll get a reminder to get up from my desk and walk around for a little bit.  That happened just a couple of minutes ago, and it was odd.  I think it's a good idea, though, so I'll keep with it.

I spent a bit too much on the phone, but I'm hoping the reduced monthly fee will prove worth it.  I'm also glad to be using the watch, instead of having it hang around in a drawer forever.  There's still a lot to learn about using the thing, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it pretty soon.

It'll be interesting to figure out what the heck I'm supposed to do with it when I head to the gym today.

Right, I have to go and get a tonne of things done.  I have four episodes of Nights at the Round Table to edit, upload and schedule, yet more agents to annoy, French lessons to get to, and, if I'm really lucky, a few more words to add to my current WIP.

I hope everyone's weekend was lovely, and today goes well for you.

​Ciao!