The Professional Gamer - March 6, 2015

Whew, this has been a fun week.  Kinda still fighting a cold, had a trip to the doctor for an annual physical, got a tetanus/diphtheria booster, competed in an Amazing Race style event, and still managed a forty hour week without using any vacation time.  Even with all of that, I've still managed to be a productive geek this week.

Playing: Crystal and I have played a considerable amount of Hyrule Warriors again this week.  I kinda feel like I'm getting to the point of just grinding out the game.  But in any case, I'm still having a lot of fun with it.  Regardless of how repetitive the adventure mode levels are, there is something incredibly cathartic about slaughtering masses of bokoblins.

Reading:  This week I decided to start reading two very different books.  The first is Green Guides: Compost by Rachelle Strauss.  Spring is coming, and that always gets me thinking about my garden and ways to improve my skills.  Therefore, I'm trying to learn a bit more about how best to produce good quality compost to feed my soil.  However, this is really not the best written or produced ebook.  The formating is sometimes a little broken, and the presentation with a recap of information after every few paragraphs is a bit patronizing.  I feel that the book was written for someone who both does not garden and does not regularly read in order to learn about things.  Maybe they were intending the guide for Baldrick.  The other book I'm reading has given me considerably more pleasure.  In preparation for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF), I've decided to read some works produced by some of the featured guests.  This week, I started with Black Hole by Charles Burns.  I feel like this book is a bit hard to explain.  The setting includes an STI that causes those infected to have strange growths (think extra mouths, tails, etc.).  But that isn't really what the story is about.  The story is more about teenage isolation and rejection.  The art is very striking and the story pacing (which includes some rather flexible timelines, drug (or disease) induced visions, and horrifying nightmares) is rather gripping.  I've had a hard time putting the book down at night when I really need to go to sleep so that I can be alive for work the next day.  I haven't finished yet, but my recommendation so far would be a strong yes to this book.

Watching:  What do you watch when you are sick?  Do you have a particular movie or series that you put on to help you feel better?  I honestly don't have a singular thing that I reach for, more of a stable of things that are fun no matter what else is happening.  And that's how I found myself watching The Slayers again this week.  This is an old series (originally aired in 1996), but it is still so much fun.  If you have never seen it, you should pick it up.  The first three seasons are available for about $35, which is a really good buy.

That's about all I've got for this week.  I wanted to let you all know somewhat ahead of time that I'll be attending TCAF this year (as a normal attendee, I have not tried to secure press credentials).  But, if you live near or can otherwise get to Toronto for Mother's Day week, I would recommend that you check them out.  The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2015, Saturday May 9, 9am-5pm, and Sunday May 10, 11am-5pm, @ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street. Attendance is FREE to the public. 

Have a great week and game on!