GameHippo.com, Part 2

Mood: ecstatic

I just got the "happy news" that the webmaster at GameHippo.com wants to "hire" me as a reviewer. Though he used the word "hire", I know it doesn't pay or anything. But I'm still ecstatic about being a part of such a great site. Once I post my first review, I will create a section on the right side of this site linking to my reviews, which will be updated as new reviews are written.

GameHippo.com is the first site listed when you do a search for "freeware games" on Google. I am happy to be a part of such a popular site.

Stay tuned!

GameHippo.com

Mood: encouraged

I just heard back from the guy at GameHippo.com, and he said he will know in a few days. (Why it takes that long, I don't know.) He did say it is promising.

Here is the sample review I sent him. After reading it and comparing it to the other reviews at GameHippo.com, you'll see why it's promising. I'm a damn good writer, I am not embarrassed to declare!

Afro-Santa presents a clever and humorous idea for a first-person shooter: you must find presents and place them under the Christmas tree without being seen. If you're spotted, a bat-like ghost will come after you, which you then have to shoot down. Though this could present a humorous diversion from the usual first-person shooters, the controls are cumbersome (keyboard to move forward, back or sidestep; mouse to look, turn or shoot), making even the Easy skill level difficult for the FPS newbie. Furthermore, the controls can't be configured. If you don't get completely frustrated and quit, you could perhaps grow used to the control setup, which HAS been used in other first-person shooters. But is Afro-Santa, even with it's excellent graphics and sound, worth the effort? Play it for a chuckle or two, then go back to your favorite first-person shooter.

By the way, that game can be found at GameHippo.com if you care to compare my review with your own experience....

Forecast for San Diego

Just checked the forecast for San Diego and it's supposed to be 64° and cloudy for all three days. That, I think, is actually a good thing. (I prefer cold to heat any day!)

San Diego, Here We Come!

Mood: excited/worried

Well, tomorrow is the day! Bella and I are going on a mini-vacation to San Diego. I am excited about the trip, but I am also very worried about the birds, in particular. Well, mainly Ibby. I know Pip the Tadpole and Stella the Cat will be fine; it's easy enough to stock up on food for them. But the birds are another story, especially Ibby. However, I think I've come up with a system that will work, giving Ibby dry food instead of wet. And a huge bowl of water. For the budgies, I may spread extra seed in the bottom of the cage, and they don't go through water very quickly. So my mind is more at ease, but you better believe I will still be worried. They're my babies!!!

I would entrust them to Gran, but she has so much to do already. Not to mention she is getting very forgetful. (For her age, she's doing quite well, though!)

Bella and I will be going to church tonight instead of tomorrow, so we can leave for SD in the (late) morning. As a result, we will be taking Bella's niece and nephew with us to church, which will be a bit odd. First of all, we'll have to sit in the cry room--I mean, the family chapel. Secondly, and most importantly, the kids aren't being raised as Catholics. But I guess their parents have no problem with them going to another church. I assume they are aware of the situation. Anyway, it's not my problem, if it's a problem at all.

I haven't heard back from the guy at GameHippo.com about the sample review I sent. I think it was a kick-ass review, so maybe he just hasn't checked his email yet. (I can never comprehend someone not checking their email at least once a day, but not everyone lives on the Internet like me!)

I've come up with a bold new plan for my business. I am going to be taking it in a different direction. First, I want it to appear more like an actual business, rather than just a freelancer. Second, I will be once again emphasizing web design over just logo design. (The average sale is much higher than that for logo design, and the potential is much greater.) Finally, I will be setting it up in such a way that I can have independent sales people gather leads for me, then I just have to close the deals and do the actual work. With all this, I will be raising my rates to a more industry-standard level, to allow for commissions for the sales team, as well as a greater profit for me. My business has been essentially stuck on the same level since I started it in 2000, and with the prospect of getting married, I really need to push it into high gear. Then I will be in a better position to see if it is actually worth my time to continue the business, or just concentrate on working for someone else.

I'm starving for some oatmeal, so I will stop here. Or maybe HERE.

Okay, here.

Happy When It Rains

Mood: Happy

I don't know why, exactly, but rain makes me very happy. We just had a sudden, and all too brief, spell of rain. I opened the door to see/hear it, and instead I was met by a poor, wet Stella. (Well, she wasn't that wet, but it sounded good.) She meowed, as if to say "Help!" But I had to literally push her into the house. (She's always afraid Uncle John's dog, which shouldn't be here in the first place, is inside. The dog leaves a smell tghat even I can smell, so I know she can.)

But anyway, I am very happy... for the moment. The rain has started again....

Wasted Day

Mood: blah
Last ate: (about to eat) two fried 25¢ burritos

Today has been an utter waste. I didn't go to school because my sites (and email) went down and I was dealing with tech support trying to get them to fix it. Meanwhile, all I achieved was a little reading of a new book (America One Step at a Time by Daniel Rogers), downloads of a couple games, and a lengthy nap. As a result, I'm not in the best of moods.

I really didn't sleep well last night, after having spent several hours playing HeroClix with my brothers and a friend, and feeling bad about not getting to spend quality time with Bella. As she was about to leave, she said "I miss you," later explaining that it felt like she had not seen me at all. And though she regretted saying that, she was right. Right because I felt that way too. And it was my own damn fault.

Don't get me wrong, I had a blast playing HeroClix (I came in 2nd place out of four players), and will play it again soon... just not on a day I am supposed to see Bella.

So now, all this considered, I don't feel like doing anything. Maybe after I digest some fried burritos I'll be in a better mood.

Stella the Cat News
It dawned on me today that Stella has become much more vocal lately. Especially when she wants/needs to go outside. She used to not vocalize at all. In fact, it was a long time before I even heard her purr. She's still not the most vocal cat, but I have noticed the change.

Ibby the Starling News
I am trying to teach Ibby a couple new phrases, but he seems stuck on the first several that I "taught" him. Of course, it wasn't until fairly recently that I actively started trying to teach Ibby phrases; the ones he knows came simply from my talking to him or his neighbors, budgies Max and Frida.

Max & Frida the Parakeets News
Max and Frida have definitely abandoned the idea of mating. Sad!

Pip the Tadpole News
No further growth to report here.

Bad Greg

Mood: in a hurry
Listening to: screams of Smurfs echoing in my ears
Last ate: (currently) oatmeal

I've been killing Smurfs this morning when I should have been getting ready for school, thanks to the folks at GameHippo.com and Loaded Studio. Now, I'm scarfing down a bowl of oatmeal after having taken the world's shortest shower. (If only the Guinness Book people had been here to see it... or, maybe not, on second thought.)

Gotta go!

Can't Find the Words

Mood: tired

Though I have several story ideas bouncing around in my head, I haven't found enough words to get started on anything. I really miss writing. But I have little time to devote to it, so it just doesn't get done. In the old days, I could set aside a few hours to sit down, waiting patiently for something to come out. I just have too many things going on right now to be able to do that.

That's the nice thing about this here blog. I can still hone my writing abilities while I wait for the stories to burst out in a creative explosion. Wil Wheaton's blog has given me a lot of inspiration, as did his three-book deal. But I'm not looking that far ahead right now.

I need to concentrate on:

1. Bella, always Bella


2. school--I'm just about half-way done already


3. at the very least maintaining my business


4. finding a job


5. learning to drive

Notice neither my writing nor my music fit in there. Yet. There will be time for them again soon enough.

Oh, I'm nearly done with The Dangerous Passion. It hasn't helped me nearly as much at coming to terms with my jealousy as I thought it would. In fact, in some ways, it did more harm than good. I would go so far as to say that it brought out a bit of the misanthrope in me that has been put safely away deep within my soul ever since Bella came into my life. (Before her, I openly called myself a misanthrope; I was even proud of that fact.) But then I remind myself that Bella and I are not statistics. What Bella and I have is truly a blessing from God.

The book does conclude that jealousy--for the most part--is a healthy and beneficial emotion. I certainly can't say it's been a waste of time reading it. It's been a quick, mostly enjoyable, and very informative read.

Well, I need to get a little work done before Bella calls. Sorry about my verbosity tonight.

please pass the milk please

Yes, it's true. For Spring Break, Bella and I are going to have a mini-vacation (3 days, 2 nights) in San Diego. We are both really looking forward to it, but more than that, Bella needs it. She has been working so hard! Three days of peace and relaxation is just what she needs.

If you didn't already, check out my latest digital masterpiece, "Grief", which has nothing whatsoever to do with my mood. I just saw it in my mind and it needed to come out.

I am very excited about the possibility of working on music seriously again. I was thinking about it again last night. The first step will be to create some new material. Then, submit it to Magnatune. Finally, I plan on approaching various decision makers to see if I can snag another deal like I did in 2000. Shoot, if I could make a living doing music...

More Fun

Dig the cat on the vibes....

Just for Fun

Mood: Sad (Bella just left)
Listening to: spineCar's "Stay"

I really like the idea of Magnatune. They have a great selection of independent artists in every genre from Classical to Metal. Customers can buy MP3 albums for their choice of $5-18, depending on how much they can afford. Artists get a 50% royalty. This makes me ponder the rebirth of Lucky Tourist, my musical alter ego. I'm just not sure which way I want to take my music. It's been so long....

Also, just for a laugh, check out this music video. Then, have a look around the rest of RatherGood.com.

Now, if I could only remember the URL for Twig's web site....