Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "gaming"
5th June 2009
Had a break from working on my book last week-end but was right back at the editing on Monday. I’m also looking for quotes from the bible as headers for each chapter. So far half of those needed have been found; it’s not easy when looking for the right ones to complement the piece of writing. It is also interesting as I find things I had forgotten or missed when I last read the passages in the good book. I have had to use the net to help find some verses, whilst others I knew. The editing/proofreading is certainly helping improve what I have though there are still one or two lines that I just can’t seem to get right. I’m giving myself more time to work on it as with my current situation financially I thought it best. Once I have things sorted with the Social I can think about going ahead with publishing this book, which could be July though. Still look on the bright side, it helps me spend more time looking it over, sorting anything that needs fixing.
I also can give myself time off from writing at the weekend. Give myself a chance to thing about what the story may need. I got a game for my birthday, Hand of God Legend, which I will be able to lose a few hours with. I’ll need to check to see if there’s any online help, though I enjoy gaming I’m not a gamer by any standard. The main thing is that I enjoy it but I know there is more to life than banging on a joypad.
I also can give myself time off from writing at the weekend. Give myself a chance to thing about what the story may need. I got a game for my birthday, Hand of God Legend, which I will be able to lose a few hours with. I’ll need to check to see if there’s any online help, though I enjoy gaming I’m not a gamer by any standard. The main thing is that I enjoy it but I know there is more to life than banging on a joypad.
21st August 2009
Signed on, on Monday but it could be two or three weeks for my claim to be sorted. This means no income till it is, lean times ahead unless someone at the jobcentre decides to do some actual work. If they do then it will be sooner rather than later.
I’ve been stripping wallpaper the past couple of days. My mate Mickey came round to give me a hand. I was glad he did, the more hands the lighter the work, not that it was hard. Being a council house though stripping the wallpaper means one thing, as the wallpaper comes off the walls so does the plaster. Whole lumps fell from the walls which we now need to wait for the council to come and fix it. Of course first we have to wait for the Inspector to see what need repairing. Usually the Inspector is quite quick in coming out but from him coming out to the workers turning up to fix a problem is a month or two, some times longer. So now we have the joy of living in an echo box, every time one of us speaks the echo off of the bare walls amplifies the sound so it sounds like we’re shouting. Now I’m finding myself whispering almost.
I’ve been having a break from writing this week, instead I’ve been playing games. First it was Civ 4, now it’s Dungeon Siege 2. DS 2 is a good game but there have been a few oversights like when you load the game, you aren’t where you saved it but away at the beginning. As I said a few oversights, which you have to look past; other than that it is a good game with plenty to keep you busy and tuned into it. I can see myself playing for another week or so.
I’ve been stripping wallpaper the past couple of days. My mate Mickey came round to give me a hand. I was glad he did, the more hands the lighter the work, not that it was hard. Being a council house though stripping the wallpaper means one thing, as the wallpaper comes off the walls so does the plaster. Whole lumps fell from the walls which we now need to wait for the council to come and fix it. Of course first we have to wait for the Inspector to see what need repairing. Usually the Inspector is quite quick in coming out but from him coming out to the workers turning up to fix a problem is a month or two, some times longer. So now we have the joy of living in an echo box, every time one of us speaks the echo off of the bare walls amplifies the sound so it sounds like we’re shouting. Now I’m finding myself whispering almost.
I’ve been having a break from writing this week, instead I’ve been playing games. First it was Civ 4, now it’s Dungeon Siege 2. DS 2 is a good game but there have been a few oversights like when you load the game, you aren’t where you saved it but away at the beginning. As I said a few oversights, which you have to look past; other than that it is a good game with plenty to keep you busy and tuned into it. I can see myself playing for another week or so.
4th December 2009
By mid-week I gave up trying to beat the block that has held me locked in an iron grip and decided to lose myself in Spellforce 2. It wasn’t my first choice as I checked out some other games but found they weren’t to my taste so quickly shelved them. Between each I sat staring again at the computer hoping the Muses would visit something on me. Nothing stirred in my mind so in the end I decided that Spellforce 2 with its mixture of strategy and roll playing would be a good way to let the ice that surrounds my mind to melt.
With the festive season fast approaching I think it will be after the New Year before I return to Banshee 2. With the pressures, that we all find at this time of year, lifted I’m sure I will find creativity flowing more easily. Yes I have most of the gifts for Christmas in, thanks to my wife. Actually she usually sees to most of that leaving me only to get her present. As you may already know I got her a Wii, which she already has. For this reason I got her a few other presents to open on the day. Nothing as expensive as the Wii was but still I’m sure she will love the two books and the CD. I also got her a small gold ring with some inexpensive stones set into. The books are from one of her favourite authors, Catherine Cookson; whilst the music CD is Meka’s new album. I know she’ll love them all and it never cost me too much. That is important when the budget is limited and with the job front being so slow I have to keep a close eye on the pennies.
With the festive season fast approaching I think it will be after the New Year before I return to Banshee 2. With the pressures, that we all find at this time of year, lifted I’m sure I will find creativity flowing more easily. Yes I have most of the gifts for Christmas in, thanks to my wife. Actually she usually sees to most of that leaving me only to get her present. As you may already know I got her a Wii, which she already has. For this reason I got her a few other presents to open on the day. Nothing as expensive as the Wii was but still I’m sure she will love the two books and the CD. I also got her a small gold ring with some inexpensive stones set into. The books are from one of her favourite authors, Catherine Cookson; whilst the music CD is Meka’s new album. I know she’ll love them all and it never cost me too much. That is important when the budget is limited and with the job front being so slow I have to keep a close eye on the pennies.
15th October 2010
My daughter made the dinner tonight. She may be only thirteen but we taught her how to cook early n life, as we did with my son as well. My wife and I thought it important that they knew their way around the kitchen. Though I must admit that the dinner Tammy made was very simple, a tuna salad. She tried though and that is the special thing about it. Out of both my kids it is my son that is the better chef, mind he did cookery and passed his SQA in the subject. It is also something he wants to do as a career. I must admit I do like cooking as well, at least sometimes. Anyway Tammy’s salad was very good.
My wife has almost finished reading through my manuscript. That means I better get on with working on the graphics for the front cover. I must admit that I have spent another week playing Civ V. Naughty me. When I haven’t been playing that I’ve been job hunting with little success. I have though applied for a couple of jobs, now comes the waiting time. While I wait to hear if I got one of them or not hear as is the usual case, I continue the great search. It can be depressing but that why we take that little bit of pleasure from those things our families do, as with dinner tonight.
My wife has almost finished reading through my manuscript. That means I better get on with working on the graphics for the front cover. I must admit that I have spent another week playing Civ V. Naughty me. When I haven’t been playing that I’ve been job hunting with little success. I have though applied for a couple of jobs, now comes the waiting time. While I wait to hear if I got one of them or not hear as is the usual case, I continue the great search. It can be depressing but that why we take that little bit of pleasure from those things our families do, as with dinner tonight.
27th May 2011
What a week of for bad weather we’ve had this week. Luckily not as bad as the US has had but bad enough that the wind stripped some of the fruit from my gooseberry bush before I could move it to safety. The strong winds also managed to destroy some of my lettuces leaving three though in general my plants survived well. I’m only glad that this week’s gales aren’t the norm for this time of year as it would make gardening very hard.
My lawnmower is acting up again, cutting out after ten minutes running and then when I restart it, it cuts out in thirty seconds. I thought maybe overheating but after leaving it for a bit it still cut out after a few seconds so I have some trouble shooting to do. Maybe it is the oil filter or maybe something else. Really I don’t know where to begin with it so I’ll start with getting a new filter and then take it from there.
Magz got me a new game this week to celebrate my getting older. She was good and gave it to me early so I started playing it last night as I’ve a long weekend this week. You just have to love the long weekends especially when you have a new game. The one I’m playing now is called The Witcher 2. So far I’m still learning the controls, not easy when you start a new RPG though still fun. Magz is regretting getting the game though as it does involve a lot of noise mouse work when fighting the enemies in game. I think that is as much due to me panicking a little as I try to find my way through the game. One thing I will need to do though to improve the game is get a better graphics card which I may be able to do in a few weeks with what I have managed to save over the past month or so even though I spent some of it last weekend. Well what is money for if not spending.
My lawnmower is acting up again, cutting out after ten minutes running and then when I restart it, it cuts out in thirty seconds. I thought maybe overheating but after leaving it for a bit it still cut out after a few seconds so I have some trouble shooting to do. Maybe it is the oil filter or maybe something else. Really I don’t know where to begin with it so I’ll start with getting a new filter and then take it from there.
Magz got me a new game this week to celebrate my getting older. She was good and gave it to me early so I started playing it last night as I’ve a long weekend this week. You just have to love the long weekends especially when you have a new game. The one I’m playing now is called The Witcher 2. So far I’m still learning the controls, not easy when you start a new RPG though still fun. Magz is regretting getting the game though as it does involve a lot of noise mouse work when fighting the enemies in game. I think that is as much due to me panicking a little as I try to find my way through the game. One thing I will need to do though to improve the game is get a better graphics card which I may be able to do in a few weeks with what I have managed to save over the past month or so even though I spent some of it last weekend. Well what is money for if not spending.
3rd June 2011
Isn’t it great to see the sun after weeks of bad weather? The sun came out yesterday as I made my way home from work and was shining bright as I head for work this morning. Though it was a very hot sweaty day inside it was wonderful to come out of the factory with the sun beating down and there was just the slightest breeze to make it perfect. Unfortunately it isn’t to last but I still enjoyed making my way home then checking my garden under the golden orb. I’m sure my plants are enjoying it as well.
I order my new graphics card last night after checking my budget. It helped when I check and saw that the price of the 6670HD had fallen in price which is the best that I could afford. Still that should help lift the frame rate of my new game The Witcher 2. Though I am able to run it at the lowest setting it would be good to see some of the bling the games makers have crafted into their title. As for how well I’m getting on in it that would be not bad. I did have to get help with on part from my son. Killing the Kayran just seemed beyond me yet Calum had it dealt with in half an hour. Is that me just showing my age? Probably. Of course I will be playing it more this weekend though I also need to work on another poem that came to me at work. Adding to that I need to try and get my lawnmower going again. My sister had her boyfriend have a look and they thought it was fixed. My son used it today for it to cut out on him so it needs more work. I’ll change the spark plug to start with and go from there so it could be a voyage of discovery.
I order my new graphics card last night after checking my budget. It helped when I check and saw that the price of the 6670HD had fallen in price which is the best that I could afford. Still that should help lift the frame rate of my new game The Witcher 2. Though I am able to run it at the lowest setting it would be good to see some of the bling the games makers have crafted into their title. As for how well I’m getting on in it that would be not bad. I did have to get help with on part from my son. Killing the Kayran just seemed beyond me yet Calum had it dealt with in half an hour. Is that me just showing my age? Probably. Of course I will be playing it more this weekend though I also need to work on another poem that came to me at work. Adding to that I need to try and get my lawnmower going again. My sister had her boyfriend have a look and they thought it was fixed. My son used it today for it to cut out on him so it needs more work. I’ll change the spark plug to start with and go from there so it could be a voyage of discovery.
17th June 2011
Today was different at work. Ian, who usually runs the lidding machines, was off so I was thrown into the deep end. Well not really the deep end as the job must be one of the most boring. You just have to keep the machine topped up with lids and keep an eye on the cans as they come out on the way to retort, big boilers where thy are cooked for a couple of hours. Easy really, but enough to be compared to counting sheep if you know what I mean. Still at least they day didn’t drag as you might have thought though I’m glad I don’t have to do that every day. To be fair to Ian though he has a lot more to do in paper work which I didn’t have to worry about as the supervisor did that and Ian also has to grease the machines in the morning. Again someone else had taken care of that process so I had little left other than watching cans drift past all day. Glad it’s Friday.
Still lost in my game though I am some how blundering through it. With the new graphics card it was very absorbing last Saturday. I started play about five in the evening and only just manage to pull myself away seven hours later. Magz was happily watching a horror film with my daughter so luckily didn’t seem to mind. I’ll need to try not to spend quite as ling tomorrow night as there are a few programmes that Magz taped during the week that I want to see as well as one that I should have watch last week that I didn’t find time to.
Picked some of the first of this year gooseberries for the wife this week. It brought back memories from when I at school as the thorns scratched at my hands. There was a bush in a lane near our secondary school that in late June, just before the summer holidays, that my friends and me used to descend upon to fill our bellies. The first one always drew your cheeks in. Not much has changed, at least for me. Magz said they were sweet though. Well there are plenty more still to pick maybe she might make them into a pie or something? I’ll just need to wait and see.
Still lost in my game though I am some how blundering through it. With the new graphics card it was very absorbing last Saturday. I started play about five in the evening and only just manage to pull myself away seven hours later. Magz was happily watching a horror film with my daughter so luckily didn’t seem to mind. I’ll need to try not to spend quite as ling tomorrow night as there are a few programmes that Magz taped during the week that I want to see as well as one that I should have watch last week that I didn’t find time to.
Picked some of the first of this year gooseberries for the wife this week. It brought back memories from when I at school as the thorns scratched at my hands. There was a bush in a lane near our secondary school that in late June, just before the summer holidays, that my friends and me used to descend upon to fill our bellies. The first one always drew your cheeks in. Not much has changed, at least for me. Magz said they were sweet though. Well there are plenty more still to pick maybe she might make them into a pie or something? I’ll just need to wait and see.
30th December 2011
Another storm hit this week leaving my garden gate off its hinges. I hoped my son would fix it while I was at work. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t with him so it is still propped up against the side wall. With the New Year just a couple of days away I don’t think I will find the time to repair before the bells. You know how busy this time of year is but I am off until Wednesday so maybe I’ll get it sorted before then.
Christmas was a good one this year though it was quiet. I hope you all had a good time as well. I got a couple of computer games Oblivion and The Witcher-Platinum Edition. I haven’t started them or even done anything other than sit them on top of the printer. I just haven’t been in the mood to play them. I will eventual get playing sometime next year. Having played The Witcher 2 it will be interesting to see how the story began with the bonus of having the add-ons. Some fun to look forwards to in the coming year in losing some time in gaming.
It’s funny how we so often try to lose ourselves in thing. Be it TV, the internet, games, etc, etc. If it wasn’t for that time lost to hobbies or whatever life would be rather boring don’t you think? It is those things that take us away from the mundane day to day that makes life, like family, worth living. We work all week to provide for the essentials but it is when we get the time to indulge ourselves we can enjoy those selfish moments without guilt. If only there was more time to do so without impacting on those we love. Sadly the ordinary daily things are needed as a balance so we get the full joy from our leisure time. Here’s hoping that you all have a great year to come and that you all find plenty of time to enjoy your diversions. Happy New Year.
Christmas was a good one this year though it was quiet. I hope you all had a good time as well. I got a couple of computer games Oblivion and The Witcher-Platinum Edition. I haven’t started them or even done anything other than sit them on top of the printer. I just haven’t been in the mood to play them. I will eventual get playing sometime next year. Having played The Witcher 2 it will be interesting to see how the story began with the bonus of having the add-ons. Some fun to look forwards to in the coming year in losing some time in gaming.
It’s funny how we so often try to lose ourselves in thing. Be it TV, the internet, games, etc, etc. If it wasn’t for that time lost to hobbies or whatever life would be rather boring don’t you think? It is those things that take us away from the mundane day to day that makes life, like family, worth living. We work all week to provide for the essentials but it is when we get the time to indulge ourselves we can enjoy those selfish moments without guilt. If only there was more time to do so without impacting on those we love. Sadly the ordinary daily things are needed as a balance so we get the full joy from our leisure time. Here’s hoping that you all have a great year to come and that you all find plenty of time to enjoy your diversions. Happy New Year.
6th January 2012
I hope you all had a good New Year. We had more stormy weather that has caused more damage to my fence. Now I have to got to B and Q to get something to brace one of the fence posts which snapped close to the ground. I’m hoping to find dome metal plates to bolt it back together. While I’m at it I have to fix both my gates as the second one was torn down. The gates themselves need some TLC before I can re-hang them. Going to B and Q will give me a chance to think about what I’ll be planting this year. One thing that I will be growing again is peas. They did really well last year even though it wasn’t that great a summer. It was on the news this week that it was one of the wettest on record which I can believe. Let’s hope this year will be better.
I posted the poem that I wrote for the competition on Absolute Write on GoodReads.com, I’ll also post it at the end of this post. I unfortunately didn’t win any prizes but that was to be expected given the high standards of the other entries. It was fun though so that is the important thing and was why I did enter after all. Though the poem “Unseen” is of a more serious nature as you will see.
I also plan on playing The Witcher this weekend. I finally got the bug to play earlier this week and now can’t wait to get back into it. That is the way with games though isn’t it?
Anyways here is Unseen.
She wanders like a ghost
invisible to all around
only a strong human scent
driving the sightless crowd aside.
Hugging tightly to her possessions
the few things of happiness
from a broken childhood,
the baby never born-
beaten from her,
the lover that threw her aside.
Like a phantom
she slipped among the cracks
falling into the darkness,
the fog of mental collapse;
no-one to offer aide.
So she came to be
a spectre upon the street,
scavenging the discarded
from alleyway bins,
fighting maggots for a morsel
to ease her hunger.
Sleeping in doorways
till the long arm moves her on
to begin again
the never ending march
till final rest
under unmarked turf
in a corner of nowhere.
I posted the poem that I wrote for the competition on Absolute Write on GoodReads.com, I’ll also post it at the end of this post. I unfortunately didn’t win any prizes but that was to be expected given the high standards of the other entries. It was fun though so that is the important thing and was why I did enter after all. Though the poem “Unseen” is of a more serious nature as you will see.
I also plan on playing The Witcher this weekend. I finally got the bug to play earlier this week and now can’t wait to get back into it. That is the way with games though isn’t it?
Anyways here is Unseen.
She wanders like a ghost
invisible to all around
only a strong human scent
driving the sightless crowd aside.
Hugging tightly to her possessions
the few things of happiness
from a broken childhood,
the baby never born-
beaten from her,
the lover that threw her aside.
Like a phantom
she slipped among the cracks
falling into the darkness,
the fog of mental collapse;
no-one to offer aide.
So she came to be
a spectre upon the street,
scavenging the discarded
from alleyway bins,
fighting maggots for a morsel
to ease her hunger.
Sleeping in doorways
till the long arm moves her on
to begin again
the never ending march
till final rest
under unmarked turf
in a corner of nowhere.
13th January 2012
Hopefully you haven’t had a unlucky Friday the thirteenth. Mine has been a mixed day but not to bad.
I got my fence fixed but some more windy weather is forcing me to go out this weekend and see if I can make it more secure. I didn’t get round to sorting the gates but tomorrow is to be dry though cold and cloudy. Still if I wrap up warm as well as have a few tea breaks I might just get everything ship shape.
I was a bit of a naughty boy last Saturday, staying up to around three in the morning playing The Witcher. It is like many games very addictive. I suppose that is why we play them. The same can be said of a good book that you can’t put down. How may people have found they can’t put down a book till they reach the end? I know when I was younger I was like that with a few books. I would read right through the night only putting it aside after I had reread the last page at least twice because my eyes were struggling to stay open. I’m glad I haven’t done that for a while and I don’t think I could. As I was playing the game last week I found that I began to get turned around and set off in the wrong direction. It was then I knew I had to save and get to bed. It is for this reason I haven’t played it all week but will be getting some gaming this weekend. That is after I see to the garden.
I got my fence fixed but some more windy weather is forcing me to go out this weekend and see if I can make it more secure. I didn’t get round to sorting the gates but tomorrow is to be dry though cold and cloudy. Still if I wrap up warm as well as have a few tea breaks I might just get everything ship shape.
I was a bit of a naughty boy last Saturday, staying up to around three in the morning playing The Witcher. It is like many games very addictive. I suppose that is why we play them. The same can be said of a good book that you can’t put down. How may people have found they can’t put down a book till they reach the end? I know when I was younger I was like that with a few books. I would read right through the night only putting it aside after I had reread the last page at least twice because my eyes were struggling to stay open. I’m glad I haven’t done that for a while and I don’t think I could. As I was playing the game last week I found that I began to get turned around and set off in the wrong direction. It was then I knew I had to save and get to bed. It is for this reason I haven’t played it all week but will be getting some gaming this weekend. That is after I see to the garden.
