bradsalomons I have been making extensive headway on The Underfoot this past couple of weeks and I’m comfortable with thinking about my next steps with the novel. In that mood I’ve been contemplating taking another serious stab at an #audiodrama version, produced with some music and sound effects. I found myself down in the #rivervalley this morning then recording some #foley and wandering through the woods trying to find the quietest place in the city… which was not easy. In fact I hiked from the dog park over across the bridge to the wilderness on the way to fort edmonton park, and hid in the bushes with my recording equipment. All of that was in service of capturing some autumn sounds of the woods and birds and leaves as background fill. Who says the life of a part time writer is dull, huh?

bradsalomons Despite the shartyness of the week so far, I have been making significant progress on my #writing and specifically the #editing of the novel. I’m hoping to have all of part one to the next stage by the end of the day, and this #sunrise view and a #coffee is certainly going to help with that effort. [read more...]

8r4d How can one little gumball make such a big smile? Adventures at #westedmontonmall

8r4d Our days of snow-free #walk adventures are getting fewer and fewer as we creep into November.

pixelazy The November #sky saved a bit of daylight this morning.

8r4dsfeets Post-run the fallout from #halloween earlier this week is evident in the parking lot.

8r4d Thanks to a minor foot injury I haven’t been out #running in about two weeks and sadly missed the last couple #autumn run opportunities of the season. Now the first snow has arrived and the temperatures have fallen and it seems like winter running season is here again. We locked in a simple #10k through our fallback winter route. Sigh.

gamerdad Now that I’ve paid my pre-order for the updated version of this game, I’ve been itching to play. But FS22 is still sitting there in my game library (tho only for another couple months) with a save that I’ve got about 20 hours of progress on.

Two play sessions ago I had started a big contract—and I do mean big, like $85k worth of work, which for those in the know is a solid ten hours of simulator grind—and I had made my way about 75% of the way thru whilst listening to an audiobook. And for all the times I’ve left off half way thru game quests in my life, for some reason this hanging contract was nagging me to finish before I moved on from the game in nine days. That, and it was the evening before daylight savings and I needed some motivation to stay up en extra hour and time shift my brain. Three more long his of digging potatoes later, and I was getting asked if I was coming to bed anytime soon—but I got it done and got paid.

As goofy as this game premise is, there is something about farming sims in general that speak to a primal kind of urge to build something into the world and to grow, well, anything. Online, as the release of the new version draws near there are guys lamenting the bittersweet transition: a new game but an old play left behind. They are posting screenshots of their accomplishments and digitally weeping for the change In not quite that far sunk, but I get the vibe. It is something.

8r4d Oh sure, the #snow may have held off to leave the kids alone long enough to trick-or-treat, but now that it’s November the white stuff has finally arrived. It pretty much all melted by mid-afternoon, but still—a harsh reminder that #winter is due soon enough. [read more...]

adventuredog The #snow arrived for the season on the morning of the second day of November, and guess who was excited to sniff around in the cold and wet.

adventuredog #halloween

gamerdad I realized that the previous version of this sim game was probably one of the last reasons In have been hanging onto my Playstation membership (being the only monthly game giveaway I still play and haven’t purchased outright) so having made the decision to cancel that when it comes up for renewal in January, I put the money instead into pre-ordering the next edition—which comes out in about 2 weeks.

I figured out the general vibe of the game on version ’22 and I think this might be a game I can really see myself sinking into for some casual playtime. Really. I must be getting old huh?