What happened to 2011? Oh well...

So my new stepson started his own blog--which got me thinking about this one, and made me feel like I ought to post something. So here I am. What's up with me?

TV: Very much enjoying two new shows created by people involved in LOST.

Once Upon A Time seems a little girly at first, but it's actually pretty good. Every fairy tale character you've ever heard of--who coincidentally all lived in the same magical kingdom--got cursed. So what's the curse? They have to go live in our world (yeah that is pretty stinky, isn't it?), they can't remember who they are, and oh yeah--they can never leave this tiny little town in Maine where they live (somehow they never notice that part). The only people in town who know the truth are the evil queen (now the obsessively power-hungry mayor), her adopted son (who nobody believes because he's a kid), and the local pawn-shop owner (random, I know--but his character is pretty cool). The protagonist is a blond P.I. who chases bail-jumpers and just happens to be the mayor's son's biological mom. Got that? Pretty cool show--some good twists.

Alcatraz is a show created by J.J. Abrams, who created LOST. The premise is that when Alcatraz State Penitentiary shut down in 1963, all the prisoners weren't transferred, they vanished into thin air. Naturally the government covered it up (I mean, really--when do they NOT cover up anything even remotely out of the ordinary? At least according to TV) until some of the prisoners start randomly showing up--still the same age they were when they disappeared--on the streets of San Francisco. A plucky young female cop gets pulled into the fray by the sorta-creepy black-suited government guy who seems to know more than he's telling, and they drag in an author who's an expert on Alcatraz history (Yay Hurley!....I mean Hugo....I mean Jorge Garcia) as comedy relief, and the (weekly) chase is on! (Thankfully the prisoners are thoughtful enough to only show up one per week--keeps the episodes even). The scenes go back and forth between the 1960s in Alcatraz and present day, which is fun for the history buff in me. And there are plenty of mysteries (ala LOST) to keep you intrigued. Good times.

Life:

I've been married (and no one is more surprised by that than me) almost a year now to a wonderful lady who loves me and plays video games with me, watches Star Trek and Boy Meets World with me, heck she even finds it attractive when I do something smart/geeky! I keep asking her if she's pretending to like this stuff to be nice, and she insists that she isn't. I finally have some good luck in love--and it's great. I'm really happy. I also get a son out of the deal--who likes me, likes video games, and wants to spend time with his parents. For once in my life, I feel like a pretty lucky guy.

Video Games:

Terraria is the game that keeps on giving! Myself, my wife and son all played it to death together about six months ago, and had a lot of fun. Got tired of it when there was nothing new left to do though, so we gave it up. Now low and behold, it's back with a bunch of new (free!) content and we're at it again! Very fun, simple to learn, but challenging and always giving you new stuff to do/try/fight/etc. Great game.

Skyrim is awesome in it's own right--complex, beautiful graphics, good storyline and voice acting, 101 quests to do without even advancing the storyline one iota. Only downside--1 player only. Too bad. Now if I could just get my son to stop telling me about parts before I get to them... Violence level can be a little high. Not a game for little kids, but lots of fun.

Both games are more than worth the price tag, especially Terraria. Awesome bang for your buck.

Job front:

Finally decided to jump in and become a substitute teacher. Even got hired on by my son's school district! Well, almost--they haven't finalized it yet, but I'm supposed to hear from them soon. Then I might finally get into a job I actually LIKE!

Church:

I'm co-teaching Sunbeams (3-4 year olds) with my sweet wife. It's cool, just trying to get used to working with that age group. They're cute kids. Also am a home teacher, trying to keep up with that.

Still spending a fair amount of time with genealogy, which has become a passion. I love doing detective work and finding a new family (or even a new individual) to add to my tree. So addictive! Maybe someday I could become a professional genealogist as a side job :)

Think that's enough of a novel for now. Life is good. Hope everyone out there is enjoying theirs too. Keep smiling.