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mid-november updates

2023 nov 18

what's new with the site?

small, but meaningful update today:

• fixed certain color discrepancies between pages;
• started adding replies to guestbook entries;
• added section on stamps page for other's buttons;
• added links added to "other cool sites" page;
• implemented ( unofficial ) game review policy;
• made game journal portion of the site mobile-friendly!

the main reason for this post is to announce, i finally dipped my toes into the world of responsive web design. it wasn't actually as terrifying as i had been imagining it to be, so hopefully you can expect a friendlier layout for the main site soon as well.

you may have also noticed the new "review policy" item -- because i have such a backlog of games to review, i've decided i want to try and write up at least one journal entry a day. while this will mostly mean "minimum one new review once a week", it might also mean i add additional write ups and things to existing reviews. i'm so concerned with this site's functionality and framework, i've lost site of making Content(tm) for it! so hopefully this keeps me motivated and refreshed enough to crank these guys out now and then. ( and hopefully it helps me get better at writing, too. )

finally, i wanted to clarify really quick the differences between the "other cool sites" page, the "affiliates" page, and the new section on the stamps page:

• "other cool sites" is for sites i happen up on that i like, nothing official.
• "affiliates" are like sister-sites; they're friends or people i've come to an agreement with to link to each others' pages. if you want to be added to this list of highlights, you can reach out to me, but don't feel bad if i don't agree to a total stranger's request for affiliation, hahah.
• the new stamps section is similar to the "other cool sites" page, but specifically for sites that have buttons.

simple, right? 0:-) anyway, that's all for updates.

what's new with me?

not much. still kind of going through a rough period, but hanging in there. we had a nice number of folks stop by for halloween ... still not a lot, but enough to take nearly all of the candy we bought. so i'm satisfied~

thanksgiving is looming for us in the USA. i love the food and flavors of this time of year, but i hate trying to travel between four separate families ( both my partner and i have divorced parents ) and i hate how manufactured the whole thing is. a local tribe hosts a gathering for folks around this time to come by, enjoy food, and learn about the culture ... i've always wanted to go, but i'm too socially uncomfortable to do it ... i should just go though, even if i feel like i'm going to die of stress the whole time. ideally i would just spend the day cooking with my partner, but i don't think our families would tolerate that ( my partner likes seeing her family as well -- my relationship with my own family is a bit strenuous ).

what else? i found and played the outer wilds alpha, which was wonderful. i love concept and production art, so seeing a game i look up to so strongly in such an unfinished state was really, really cool. i'd like to make a game someday, but i worry my ideas and general production abilities won't make anything i'm satisfied with ... but the alpha has grounded me and made the process of creation more tangible. i don't think i'll ever make anything as groundbreaking and beloved as outer wilds, but hopefully i can make something someday that at least i'm happy with.

we are going to begin the process of looking for a house soon ... i'm rather scared. our land lord requires us to sign our lease well in advance, so we will barely have even 5 months to find and buy a house, and i have no idea how the process is supposed to go. every rental we've moved into, we've done with the idea: we stay here until we earn enough to comfortably buy a home. but every rental has been disastrous to some degree, and forced our hand to move somewhere else. we're sick of it, so we're just biting the bullet and trying to find somewhere affordable. i'm worried that we'll buy somewhere that's secretly completely trashed ( like one of our rentals ) and we'll be bankrupt trying to clean up someone else's mess ... i'm worried we'll move somewhere and the neighborhood will turn out to be terrible ... i'm worried our taxes and mortgage will be so dire we won't be able to afford living in the place, even if we can secure a down payment ... i'm just worried!! all we can do is just prepare the best we can and roll with the punches, i guess.

kind of a rambling entry today! thanks for reading it, if you did. i'll see you all next time~