Reading Time: 7 minutesOh, summer. I hardly knew, thee. Actually yeah, I knew you. You were unbearably hot, and you made my kids think because there’s no school that they can do anything they want like stay up till 11 every night and not do any chores. You …Read More….
Reading Time: 9 minutesBefore I get into the Carnival cruise, let me tell you how we’ve been doing here. We’re a little more than half way through the summer and it’s been a busy one. And no, I don’t mean with the kids driving us to the point …Read More….
Ok, I’m a little out of my element here, reviewing a book, but I guess there’s a first time for everything, huh? This should be relatively short with minor spoilers hidden in a drop menu for your convenience. Maybe I’ll do this again, maybe I won’t. We’ll see!
I’ve had Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman sitting on my to-read shelf for a long time now. It’s one of those books where the cover grabbed me and I knew enough of the topic to be interested. Plus the fact that it was written by Neil Gaiman made the plunge even more enticing. I had been wanting to get into a book of his for a while, as I kept hearing of his works and was always intrigued. So with all the stars aligning, the only thing left to do was set the time aside to read it.
And boy, did I find the time! It seemed like I had just started it and before I knew it I was halfway through, and about a day later I was done. And that’s huge for me! I’m usually a little slower getting through a book. If you’re unfamiliar, Norse Mythology reads very much like a collection of short stories. Myths and folklore Gaiman had collected and researched from various resources. Reading through, it felt as if it was all pure fiction. Reading the tales of the gods and the things they’ve done was a lot to take in. Giants who can be mistaken for mountains, a serpent that can circle the world, unbreakable hammers, apples that grant immortality. It is easy to read it and forget these are stories that have been read for over 900 years. Stories that many believe to be age old truths. I mean, it’s hard to think in such a small world we live in now, where we can communicate with each other across the planet in an instant, that there would be things we could encounter that would prove such myths. You’d think we would’ve found something by now, right? Maybe? What gets me is how the Earth’s oceans have yet to be fully explored… But that’s another post.
Anyway, I started reading because of God of War, which had just released for the PlayStation 4. For the unknowing, it’s a game that takes place and revolves around Norse mythology. So I thought what better way to prep for the game than to read this? I tell ya, it’s one of the better ideas I’ve had! I feel like I’m so much more educated than I was, I have this strange urge to just start random conversations with people like “Hey, remember that time Thor had to wear a wedding dress?! Hahahaha!” Yeah, I’m already socially awkward, I don’t need Thor’s help, thanks.
When I started to read I wondered if I was going to be into it at all, to be honest. In the first few chapters, I was going through that slog of trying to keep up with all the hip new Norse slang being thrown around, trying to learn what is what and who is who’s brother, this dude doesn’t like him, it’s all pretty daunting. But after a few chapters, it evened itself out and established a balance between knowing and learning. I found myself trying to burn through the chapters just so I could get to the next one to see what it was about. I quickly learned the tales of Thor and Loki were my favorite. I was fine with them on their own, but loved the ones with both of them featured together. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy other chapters, But they were definitely a favorite. Perhaps it was my connection with them from the Marvel movies? Maybe I already had established thoughts on them and whatever I was reading in the book was just adding to that? Whatever the case, I loved hearing of Thor’s strength and how feared he was among everyone and everything. And even though he… well, this isn’t a spoiler, but.. even though Loki is a huge jerk, his mischievous and cynical ways were too intriguing to not adore. I guess therein lies the magic and danger of Loki. With all of the trouble he caused the gods, he was conniving enough to fix his wrongs and make things right. Usually with another wrong or two, but still, he handled things.
To give you a taste of what I’m talking about, here’s the spoiler I said I would mention. It stood out to me the most from the book because it not only showed the many levels of Loki, how he can go from dangerous and unrelenting to somewhat helpful to mend what he’s caused. Sure, it’s to protect himself in the long run but he still gets things done. And in turn, accidentally helps create one of the god’s most powerful weapons:
Now, without getting into great details, here is what happened. Thor woke up with his wife and had discovered she was bald. All of her hair had been removed and of course, his first instinct was to blame Loki. He found Loki and after threatening he admitted (while laughing about it) that he did it because he was drunk and thought it was hilarious. He also stated he could not put it back because he removed it from the root and that there was nothing he could do now. So Thor, threatening to break every bone in Loki’s body, every day, until he fixes it, finally got Loki to figure out a way to bring her hair back.
He went to the mountains and found well known dwarfs and said to them there is a competition to see who can create the best gift to the Gods of Asgard. He said they must create three gifts and one of them must be golden hair that can attach to the head and can grow and be cut and act as real hair. He then went to the rival dwarfs and explained how the first ones he went to are confident and know they can create better gifts. These dwarfs were not as gullible and knew Loki’s tricks. One said he would agree if he can have Loki’s head for a prize. Loki said fine, knowing he can do whatever he could to sabotage them and make the other dwarfs win. As they were working, Loki transformed into a bug and tried to bite and distract the dwarf from working. One false move or misstep would spell disaster for the gift they were working on. So he continued working, with blood dripping down his face from Loki’s wounds.
The gifts were presented to the gods and the Thor’s wife approved of the hair as it fit perfectly. The competition was at a tie so far with all the gifts fairly equal among the judging gods. But the last gift, the one where Loki was trying so hard to distract and sabotage. It turned out to be the best gift that day. It was a weapon that could not be destroyed. A weapon, that when thrown, will return no matter how far away. Yes, because of Loki being drunk one night, he set into motion the events that would lead to the creation of Thor’s mighty hammer, Mjölnir. Even with the imperfection of a small handle, thanks to a mistake while creating it caused by a distracting bug, it was still the greatest gift received by the gods that day.
There are so many other details in the different stories you’ll read in Norse Mythology. Some funny, some unbelievable. And if you’re anything like me and you were following along so engrossed in everything, the last story will leave you with a scar. Ragnarök – The Fate of the Gods – is Norse mythology’s Judgement Day. It’s what was alluded to throughout the book and when you read the descriptions of the events that occur you feel an emptiness inside. It’s eerie too when you think about Gaiman’s words from the beginning of the book where he explains how he’s not sure if Ragnarök has taken place yet. When you read this chapter and you’re a wuss like me, don’t read it at midnight because you’ll rob yourself of some sleep.
Ragnarök, much like the general portrayal of the gods from Norse Mythology, is a sad, and lonely ending. Usually, when you’re reading of super powerful beings and their tales of heroism or villainy, you get a pretty straightforward ending where you feel satisfied and complete. Happy. No, there is no happiness here. If you’re expecting Marvel’s Thor and the bunch, you should check those feelings at the door, as they are not that similar. Reading of the gods and what they go through and encounter is not for the faint of heart. It is not a romantic trollop through history, where you’ll think fondly of certain characters.
The lives of these gods are full of treachery, sadness, and death. Sure there are plenty of laughs and ale and magical encounters. But the tragic intertwined tales of the gods from Norse Mythology will make you feel empty the more you consume.
With that said, this book is a collection of stories that will be hard to put down. You’ll get tangled up in Odin’s head, you’ll be in awe of Thor’s strength, and you will most definitely fall for Loki’s mischievous charms. As much as I enjoy watching, reading, and keeping up with Marvel’s versions of the gods, reading the myths from which others have studied for more than 900 years is eye opening and just as engrossing.
If you’re a fan at all of Marvel’s Thor and wish to learn more of that world, you won’t be sorry to read up on where those characters derived from. Even though they are not identical, mirror representations, the source material will give you plenty to love and enjoy.
This review was a little painful for me to write. The book takes such a rich, mythological dive into so many things worth researching, it’s almost a disservice to just write a review about the book and not get into the details of certain gods and stories. The Prose Edda and Poetic Edda are 13th century works of Old Norse literature that seem to be the basis of Norse mythology. I’ll leave it up to you to do your own research if you’re interested, which if you are and you read the book, you’ll be going crazy with everything just like I am right now.
Reading Time: 8 minutesA long time ago on a blog never, ever updated… I had plans to write up a post dedicated to Star Wars. I could tell you exactly when it was – about this time, in 2015. How do I remember? Because it was the year …Read More….
Reading Time: 7 minutesSo how about we talk about them there fixin’s we done did with this here house! Get ready for some before and after goodness, because I’m excited! I was debating doing a photo gallery vs just placing the pics throughout the post. Photo gallery lost …Read More….
OK, hold on, let me stop you right there! I know, who the heck is this guy, telling you he’s going to be updating and then disappears for months. TYPICAL, right?!
LISTEN.
It’s not my fault.
Yeah, I know, I always say that, but this time it’s true. If you haven’t been following me on the socials then this is going to be news to you buuuuuuuut..
WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!
Not just any house either. An AWESOME house! Now, I may be biased here, but it’s the awesomest house that has the housiest housies that any house has ever housed. (Sorry, bedtime reading tonight was Dr. Seuss)
We’ve been in here for a little over 2 months and I just can’t get over the high. Over the excitement, and joy. And I especially can’t get over… all the damn. BOXES. 2 months and still not unpacked, you believe this?! I only have about 5 left but I’m running out of nooks and crannies to put stuff. And to make matters worse, these are THOSE last boxes. You know, the ones you come across and think “eh, I’ll save this for later, and find a place for it.” Yeah, guess what. That place? You never find it. And those boxes find their way to the garage and it’s there where they’ll die. But that’s not the end, because you’ll take everything out of them and put it all into a new box, and have the whole cycle start again.
Look at me, getting caught up on the boxes that I haven’t unpacked. Trust me, I hear enough about them. And I stubbed my toe a plenty so let’s talk about something else before I trigger my Hulk again.
Like how awesome the house is, huh?? …No? Already said that? Ok, let’s talk details. But not too many because this will turn into a novel that I could’ve just published for money. Instead, I’ll get into the big details and save the good stuff about home renovation and interior decorating we’ve been so into for another post. Seriously, we should have our own HGTV show at this point.
Day 17: The wife is beginning to suspect my addiction to Pinterest. My sudden knowledge of color schemes and DIY wood work may be to blame. Must only allude to good ideas for a while and make her think she’s coming up with them.
— Los (@man_chef_dad) January 29, 2018
It got so bad that the wife had to look me in the eye and tell me adult to adult that I’m spending way too much time on Pinterest, that I needed to stop finding stuff on there to try and do in the house. I sounded so smart though! She’d say something was wrong and I’d say “oh, that’s an easy fix, we could just do [this this and this] AND I could even make something out of pallets too!” I’d get a look and I would realize what I just said and I’d remember I really had no idea how to do any of that stuff. Pinterest, man! Dangerous drug.
For real though, pallets are all the rage now with everything. I’m shocked there’s not a pallet shortage from all the hipsters trying to make rustic coffee tables and accent walls.
So back to it, here’s where I think I last left you: We were coming close to shacking up with my parents as the lease for our overpriced two-story cave was coming to an end. Thanks to what could possibly be one of the worst rental companies in business, we knew we didn’t want to rent anymore. But we didn’t know if we’d be able to buy since our area was very limited. We could only move into the school zone that seemed like you can literally throw a ball across. And since we didn’t want to pull the kid out and have him change schools again, we felt stuck.
Then one place popped up in a rather fancy golf community. Right across the street from where the cave was located, we never anticipated living there for numerous reasons, but we knew the entire community was covered by the school zone. Which is why what was outside the community – the entire 2 blocks just outside the school – is the only non-community zoned to the school. Anyway, a house was for sale and we decided to check it out. By some grace, it was priced lower than what we expected for the community (in our range! [albeit, the top]), AND it was the size we wanted with almost all of things we were looking for.
Our realtor took us to see it one day after we had initially brushed it off a month prior. She was the same realtor we used when we FIRST started looking for a house before we ever got married. Real cool people, so we stuck with her this time again. She took us to see the house and it was one of those “this is it” moments where we knew it was going to be perfect. No, not because we were coming down to the wire with finding a place, but because it was literally perfect for us. Less than a mile from the kid’s school, one story so no more stairs to worry about, big enough for us, it was all just perfect. So we started going through the process and after what seemed like forever, everything cleared, papers signed, and here we are!
Yeah, I know, wtf I been doing if everything is all fine and dandy?! Like I said, it’s been cray cray here. Even though the house was perfect for us it didn’t mean we didn’t have work to do. We aren’t like those crazy young couples on House Hunters where the house could be everything they’ve ever dreamed of but OH NO, LOOK AT THOSE WALLS, I CAN’T LIVE WITH THAT COLOR! Or my fave, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS HOUSE BUT I CANNOT STAND CARPET, THIS KILLS IT FOR ME.
No, we weren’t them. We’re sensible. We are not a retired ventriloquist and a part time guinea pig trainer with a budget of $825K. We saw the house for the potential and knew it needed new paint EVERYWHERE along with new floors. It was going to be a lot of work but with the time frame we had we knew we could get it to work. And we did! For the most part… We were taking care of all of the needed renovations all the way up until 2 days before we were scheduled to move in. It came down to the wire! But when the dust settled – seriously, there was dust everywhere – all the pieces fit, and it all worked out.
See what I mean? SO much paint. It looks like we were running an offensive in a painting turf war.
And I’ve been going nonstop ever since we started the process, hahaha. No, seriously, I laugh to keep from going mad. The wife just told me to take a break with stuff because everything big is done and I was burning myself out. Lots of stress with things that still need to be done because nothing is ever really done. But it’s not like it was where things NEEDED to be finished like changing outlets. You ever count the outlets in your house? Go ahead, count them. And imagine going through and replacing every single one. Here’s what it would probably look like, not including all the face plates AND the wall switches. I almost died twice!
Also, the unpacking of boxes. Which bee tee dub, YEAH I FINISHED THOSE between starting writing this and finishing it up. BOO-YA!
So where does that leave us? Who knows? I’ve been wanting to write up a before and after post for the house because MAN I’m happy with how it all came out. When the house is clean – which is rare because, kids – it looks like it’s straight out of a magazine. Especially the living room, and especially if it was an IKEA catalog because that’s all we have in there. (IKEA, call me babe, let’s do lunch)
So until then, thanks for reading and here’s to hoping you’re still caring about what I have to say. I promise I’m going to try and update more. I need an outlet to get my thoughts out and my podcast only gives me so long to talk about games. Which hey, btw, do you like podcasts? I got one if you’re bored 😉
About the song…
Man, this song hits.. well, it hits home in so many ways. In the lyrics, the meaning, everything. We’re living in a place just for us. Our own place. We didn’t think we’d be able to say that for a long time, but here we are. Thanks to hard work, devotion, love… Love, I think, most of all. And while days can get pretty chaotic sometimes, seeming like the sun isn’t shining as bright, or things aren’t going our way. I know it’ll all be work itself out somehow. Things will get better.
‘Cause we’ll be dancin’ in the kitchen in the pale moon light, only care in the world is that our kids are alright.
Daddy loves mamma and mamma loves him, tomorrow we get to do it over again.
We found our home. Something we can build for years
The young and old, I’ll be there to wipe your tears
We all get to see who we grow up to be
An anchor when in doubt, an ocean when in drought
We aim for it all, we lift up these walls
To make this house our home.
So smile at me, baby, take my breath away. With the good Lord willing, I’ll be happy to say..
That daddy loves mamma and mamma loves him. Tomorrow we get to do it over again.
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com The Winter Games are in full swing! I love the excitement in the air when the Winter or Summer Games are going on. Alas, every time they come around I always find it difficult to keep track. But not …Read More….
Reading Time: 4 minutesHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy New Year! Ok, it was more than a week ago, but it still counts! It’s been a while, I know. Yes, I said I was going to update regularly again, I’m aware. You can’t blame me though, life has been cray! We’ve been livin’ …Read More….
Now, don’t get me wrong with my negatives here. I like what Telltale does. They can take a franchise you like and give you a packaged story that’ll keep you intrigued and wanting more. It’s like a cross between a game and a really good book that you are shaping as you go along. The only issue I have is the package they’re giving you feels like it’s straight off the UPS truck during the holidays. No, it’s not an unplayable mess, but there are bugs and such that you wouldn’t expect considering all the games Telltale has been pumping out.
For instance, I was 2 episodes in on Batman. I was excited to get into the 3rd and realized in the “previously on Batman..” movie before the episode, that none of the choices I made were carried over. Before, I questioned if the choices I made throughout the game were even significant. So it wasn’t until this point I realized I actually do care because I was ready to call it quits if I had to replay the whole thing. I had to search and find a random reddit post where someone from Telltale explained a crazy loophole that danced around the glitch. They said a patch is in the works, but seeing as how the 1+ year old game that was just ported to Switch is still receiving complaints on glitches, I doubt we’ll see anything.
Knowing who was who and how Telltale decided to portray the characters made everything Batman feel fresh for me.
Other than that, I adored the game. I’ve been drifting away from Batman for a while now, not caring for him as a character or respecting him as a superhero like I used to. Maybe it’s because Iron Man is better? I dunno. The Marvel fanboy in me could be what’s making me bias, but let’s be real. Iron Man wins every time.
Ok, I’m just fueling flames here, back on topic. Batman: The Telltale Series made me care about Batman again. See? That’s the point I’m trying to make here! While playing through the story and watching it unfold, I couldn’t help but feel engrossed. Even days after completing it I was thinking of the twists and turns the story made and the impact some characters left. Having a good general consciousness of Batman and his universe made it all a great experience. Knowing who was who and how Telltale decided to portray the characters made everything Batman feel fresh for me. Penguin, for example, is one who made a huge impact on me while playing. Typically, he’s a robust, and somewhat grotesque looking character. Here, he’s thin, very cleaned up (in appearance), and I was shocked to see that’s who he was.
It made me want to get into Batman again, and that’s saying something because it’s been forever since I cared about him.
It was so dark the way Telltale twisted everything about, taking almost everything you know about Gotham and the Caped Crusader and making you rethink it all. It made me extremely excited for the new Batman Telltale series – Batman: The Enemy Within – that just started back in August. With a new story featuring the Joker, Mr. Freeze, and my favorite Batman villain, The Riddler, I cannot wait for it to come to Switch…
Which brings me to the last point I wanted to make here. I guess you can say I’m done with the actual review of Batman: The Telltale Series. The glitches were present but the story and characters made you feel aaaaaaall better. There. Ok. Now that that’s out of the way, let me get to the one thing I learned from playing this game: All Telltale games – past, present, and future – need to be on the Nintendo Switch. With who I am as a gamer right now, I’m talking parent/husband first, food blogger somewhere in there, with a dash of wannabe reader these days, it’s all pretty hard to juggle with a measly 24 hours in the day. Not since Destiny 2’s launch have I forced myself to sit in front of a T.V. to play a game. So I know without a doubt I wouldn’t have made any sort of exception for Batman.
All Telltale games – past, present, and future – need to be on the Nintendo Switch.
With it being on the Switch, it made it a bajillion times easier to burn through it. And the formula of Telltale games is so amazingly easy to digest on the go. Nothing too button dependent or twitch reflexes needed (though that may be debatable). The sound was hard to hear at some points but it could’ve been just me and the noise levels in the room. Despite the bugs and glitches I experienced, the game was an absolute dream on the Switch and I can only hope Telltale brings their library of games to the system. They’ve already confirmed as much, it’s only a matter of when at this point.
I can’t say much for other Telltale games that have been released the past few years. I’ve come very close to buying Guardians of the Galaxy but I refrained. The last one I played was A Wolf Among Us, which I thoroughly enjoyed as you can tell from my review. I purchased Game of Thrones and was very excited for it, but like I said, asstime™ is hard to come by. And when it comes down to it, if I’m on the couch, I’m playing something that will take a good chunk out of my Pile of Shame™.
With that said, Batman: The Telltale Series just hit the PS+ lineup for January 2018. So as of this writing, if you have PS+, get on this because it is well worth your time if you dig Bats. Like I mentioned, I’m beyond excited to visit Telltale’s Gotham again in Batman: The Enemy Within which takes place close to a year after the events of Batman: The Telltale Series. I hope you’ll check this out and enjoy Telltale’s Batman universe like I did. In the meantime, I’ll be here anxiously awaiting them to release everything else they have on the Nintendo Switch.