State of the Neko address: week 68

song+ Better than Revenge- Taylor Swift- Speak Now
book+ Pokemon Emerald guide
quest+ getting my back normal again
upper+ X-Men: First Class was amazing!
downer+ i may not have enough for hair dye?
attire+ pajamas for a while longer
drink+ milk

so i've been less present than normal this week for internet-ish things. my computer's monitor died last weekend (after about 6 years of pretty much constant use) so my only access has been Kyu's laptop. this sounds fine in theory, but having my computer remember 90% of my passwords for me has me struggling to sign into anything more than e-mail. X.x also, the convenience of the laptop encourages nestling it in my laptop for hours of whatever-ing and being hunched over for the better part of a week has left my back incredibly sore. i've been trying to fix it for a day now with exaggerated leaning back and elaborate pillow constructs designed to help me stretch out the cramping. fortunately Kyu has a lead on a replacement that'll actually fit at my desk. i like my desk, but it was designed by a snob that assumed everyone on earth has a flat, non-bulky screen for their PC. it kinda limits my replacement options since only certain types will even fit.

otherwise i guess things are going fine. the Pathfinder game continues to be fun, and a select few of us are thinking of doubling up and playing a secondary game to explore alternate characterization. i've got the base colors on Krista's ranger character model. the details will get finished when i can find my super fine brush. my animal companions have been painted rather accurately and my Druid model has been primed. any further progress is waiting for the back pain to recede since i'd rather not have my efforts wrecked by involuntary twitching. X.x

i found my copy of Zelda: Minish Cap this week and started a new file on it. for the first time i managed to beat it! i'm kinda thrilled over it still as the unrelenting boss difficulty has always held me back before. one of my attempts stalled at the (real) air temple, and another at the final series of fights. this time i made it through to the Vaati fights at 8 hearts (with no way to refill) 3 bottled fairies (which do revive in this game, but only restore like 4 hearts!) and Farore's bottled charm (increased dmg output/ half dmg taken for a limited time). i used all of my fairies after dying in rounds two and three and the charm at the last minute (i'd honestly forgotten i had it). i ended at two and three quarters hearts and the volume off so i wouldn't hear the obnoxious "you're about to die! oh no!" chiming. thanks game, if not for your persistent beeping i'd be entirely unaware that i'd gone from 19 health to less than three! ugh. it sounds like i'm complaining, but i enjoyed playing it. i think it's one of the most challenging Zelda titles without edging into "the game is cheating" unrelenting difficulty. i can't beat Spirit Tracks because the haunted trains cheat and there's a mini game that stops me after two temples that i've never managed to pass. if i could bypass the touch controls i'd likely do better, but i can't so i've yet to beat that game though i was really enjoying it until that point.