New Realities in 2021

 It's been a chaotic three years.

A new reality is setting in and we are all still adjusting to all the changes that's happened in such a short span of time. Some things ended and some things began.

I wish I could write it all down but there's too many and I'd rather look forward and move on than look back and not move at all. 

Plans, plans and plans. There's a lot of it in our heads. We've discussed and debated. Pros and cons but nothing will happen unless we move forward as a team. Planning is scary but I do not wish to be part of the "Bahala Na" mentality, (translate, "Whatever Happens"), where I leave it to fate and people's good graces.

Fuck that. 

Nate and I know where we want to be and that is a worthy goal to plan for. 

I'll try to post more often, I know I keep saying that, but I will try. 

I Don't Even Know Where To Start...

Seven months have passed since my last post. A lot has happened. I was hoping 2020 was going to be a good start to the decade. We had such high hopes. I think everyone did. A chance to leave all the negativity behind in 2019. Boy, we were so wrong.

It's been a struggle from the start. Not going into world events as it is world events and there's a lot of discussion about that already.

My little family has been dealing well with the quarantine. A house full of introverts, gamers and readers has made the stay at home orders for our state not a big deal. I wouldn't go as far as saying enjoyable, but we are comfortable. I have always wanted our house to be a place of sanctuary and with a lot of effort put into it, it is now a place where we can relax and be with each other without having that feeling of being cooped up or trapped together. There's space to seek personal space as needed.

However, in mid-April we had two pet emergencies. Gohan had an obstructed bladder and required emergency care. He has since recovered and is doing well.

Marley, on the other hand, had more complications. She struggled for three weeks to get better. Our cats have pet insurance and we were able to give her the best care we could afford but to no avail. Marley's health deteriorated and left us no choice but to put her to sleep. We lost our only girl cat on May 1.

I want to speak more about Marley Girl so I am saving that for later when everything with her is finalized. I am waiting for pics to put on her urn and I want to memorialize her life in a later post.

Losing her has been hard on me and Nate. The pain still stings and we miss her so much.

I hate this year.

Anime - Kengan Ashura

I tried to like the new Grappler Baki Netflix series but I felt that it was just too over-the-top with the action scenes and the plot was everywhere and it was boring. I think I got as far as episode 9 and I could go no further than that. Which is a shame as I do remember the old Baki from the mid 2000s and with that series I got as far as episode 6 before it got licensed and the fansub had to end. I had liked the old Baki. The new Baki not as much.

As I browsed Netflix,  Kengan Ashura caught my eye. So we started watching it. I was a bit apprehensive as they made use of the digital anime style which killed Berserk for me. But they seem to have either mixed the anime with traditional and the digital and blended it well or they are just doing it better than how Berserk turned out.

We ended up watching four episodes in one night and binge watched the rest that weekend. This anime has the gratuitous violence similar to Baki but the story was fun, characters were interesting, some crazy fighting styles but not as bad as Baki where you can't suspend belief and the story just turns ridiculous.

The manga was written by Yabako Sandrovich and ran for 27 volumes before it ended. A sequel two years after the original time line began early this year.

Shortest summary intro ever, the protagonist is Ohma Tokita. A man on a mission with his fists. I don't want to spoil the story. Granted, it's not as deep, almost following a familiar track, but I would categorize this one as satisfyingly fun with good visuals.

Another thing that we liked a lot with this anime is it's music. The ending song Born This Way by BAD HOP is awesome. The flow is smooth and the beats are amazing.

Also, please note, we never watch anime in English dub. Always in Japanese with English subtitles. We are of the mentality of watching any foreign movies in it's native language with subtitles.

This series ran 12 episodes when it dropped in July 2019. But we didn't have to wait too long as Season 2 is scheduled to drop on October 31, 2019.

Cannot wait to continue this series. Gotta fill in the space while we wait for new episodes of Seven Deadly Sins!

Summer Slime 3

I am trying to remember when PK left SDCC and started holding his sales offsite.

I am checking my Event albums and the last pics I have of him in SDCC was 2011. I think after that it was moved to 5&A Dime for two years so that's 2012 and 2013.

Then in 2014 PK's offsite event went to Gunnzo in Old Town. It was called A Fistful of Dominoes. I believe Domino Jack was first released during this event.

In 2015 it was still held at Gunnzo and Bwana Spoons joins the line-up for the offsite. No official event name as of yet just Paul Kaiju and Bwana Spoons event. Same name and deal in 2016.

Around 2017 was when an official name, Summer Slime, was picked and it seemed to have stuck. Rampage Toys also joined the line-up for the offsite.

Now we are in 2019 and I think PK's offsite event is now called Summer Slime (3) and Anime Jungle joined the event. Not sure if they are coming back or another artist will come next year.

Nate and I almost did not make it this year. We currently have some family issues that we are dealing with and we were seriously considering not going. I was half and half thinking it through all the way to two weeks prior to the event when I said, screw it. We plan this months in advance. We need to maintain a sense of normal in these trying times and it was one day. So Nate sorted the car rental a week before Summer Slime and made plans to head out.

Nate doesn't mind the drive as he and I always talk about stuff when we go down to San Diego. I make it a point to take a pic of the power plant in San Onofre for obvious reasons when we go down the 5.

We also like to stop at Phil's BBQ in San Marcos before we head off to Old Town for the event. I like the fact that there's no early morning rush to get ready to line up etc etc. We can take our time getting there.

Once we arrive in Old Town SD, Nate drops me off at the site as I refuse to walk up that hill and he goes to park the car. The first thing I do is take pics and say hi to people at the event. PK and Gunnzo generously provide the space and have food catering available for attendees.

PK never disappoints with his offerings! The half and half figures along with the Sorbet versions of Boss Carrion, Mockbat, Hyper Kraken and Machine Gun Ghost were one of the most sought after toys. I believe they were very limited runs of five maybe or less.

Bwana's Peanut Killer debut at this event. It is adorable. I love how the figure looks completely hand sculpted. Bwana painted them well and you can't beat that price.

He also brought a lot of customs minis. I love the Puppy Killers but something else caught my eye on his table.

I love the Teenage Randall figure and these customs were painted awesome. It was hard to choose which one to get. There's literally something for everyone with Bwana's selection. So happy I was able to score my first choice. I love Frederick the Beetle too but not fond of green but I miss that figure so much and wish more would be released.

Nate picked up this weirdo. I told him the eyebrows throw me off. He got one anyway. LOL He got a tailed one which I'm not sure is less creepier or more creepier.

Rampage toys brought quite the selection of micros and I made sure to nab a unicorn for me and another for a collector who is also building a herd.

He also made this awesome Boss Charged custom pair. I was like, I want to go home with money left so to my surprise I was able to resist. I think it was still available when I was at his table. Temptation successfully denied.

More socializing and catching up with old friends and opening the blind bags for the Peanut Killers was fun. It was nice to catch up with everyone.

When the event ended Nate and I drove back home. The drive back was faster than the drive down but I love this time as he and I talk about the event, what we were expecting, what we got, people news etc etc. The drive went by fast and we got home safely to our furkids.

Nate and I always look forward to this event. Hope to be able to attend next year!

The Casketeers

I do love this show. At first I was a little wary, I mean, a reality show about funerals? One, I hate reality shows because nothing is based on reality on any reality show. Manufactured drama I call it. 

Two, this could be bad, inappropriate and morbid, but I was taken aback by how the Tipene's treated their clients. Both dead and alive. The staff treated the dead with a lot of respect and dignity and they also treated the families with empathy. 

Maybe I am naive in thinking that, those emotions can't be manufactured for TV, but I feel that they are really passionate about their business and you can see in the show how much care and pride the staff put into their work. 

I am also learning a lot about New Zealand and the different cultures that inhabit the island. The language and interesting funeral customs. What touched me the most is that their dead are never left alone. Families stay with the bodies, overnight even prior to the final service. 

The funerals I have been to here in the US, and thankfully not a lot, have been stiff and formal. Funeral directors I've encountered are very business-like. Not as personable as the Tipene's seen on the show. These differences could be attributed to the culture as it seems like New Zealand's people are very very family oriented.

The show handles grieving and saying goodbye very tastefully. I am not ashamed to admit that when I see the families cry for their loved ones I cry too and it helps me process my grief for my family members that have passed on, those long gone and those who left us most recently. 

I like shows that teach me things and this is one of them. Surprisingly, a reality show that doesn't make me feel dumber just by watching it. Opens the curiosity door and makes me ask and research topics like how many tribes are in New Zealand? How big is the country, what is a haka and what is a mince and cheese pie? What is mince? 

I just finished watching Season 2 and I hope that they do another season as I really like the show.