Confessions of a Video Gamer:

- For 90% of fighting games I've started off with a female character. The only two exceptions that I can think of are Kage in Virtua Fighter (which I then shifted over to slightly effeminate Lion in 2) and Liu Kang (who was Asian like me!) in Mortal Kombat 1. Then afterwards, I consider playing the effeminate man (like Raphael and Maxi in Soul Calibur, or Benimaru from King of Fighters

- I play the Sims mostly to build houses. And furnish them.

- Whenever I make Sim Paz and Sim Eric, I make me all skinny and cute and I give Eric the "fat" option. He's questioned this before and I told him that it was proportion to real life. I'm smaller than him.

- It's more fun to make roller coasters in roller coaster tycoon that you know will either explode or are too intense.

- I own at least one Pokemon game from each generation: Red, Silver (Possibly Gold), Ruby & Sapphire, Fire Red, and Diamond. I’ve never caught them all.




- I initially pick the Pokemon on how cute it is: I've never picked ChimCar, Totodile, or Turtwig because they are "uglier".

- I used to play only as Peach in Mario Kart, until they made her a medium weight. I switched over to the turtles and baby Luigi.

- I've needed the help from a strategy guide to beat most Final Fantasy games. The ones I did finish with one were 7, 8, Tactics, 9, 10, 10-2, and 12. I never finished 1, 3, and 5 because I got stuck and didn't have a strategy guide. The only two exceptions are Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy 12: Revanant Wings.

- As a kid, I cried at Funcoland because they didn't have Final Fantasy 3 (that's 6 for you dorks who get it) in stock. I was actually entranced by the idea of Moogles.

- I sat on the toilet trying to solve a Professor Layton puzzle for 30 minutes.

- Although I still get a little dizzy playing first person shooters, the worse headaches come from Doom and Quake.

- My best killing spree in Halo 3 was about 6 kills and that was while I was on the phone talking to Eric. Everyone was a little shocked including myself.

- I tend to win Mario Party because I shop too much and win that star in the end.

Continue Reading...

Somehow a blog about Titanic, Theodore Roosevelt, and Asians

I didn’t want to accept the fact that I’ve grown another year. The last year was a good mix of experiences, firsts, and lasts. After graduating, I still would like to talk to and visit friends, but I really don’t know how much I can do. Well, at least in person. I managed to stop in and visit “the Asians” during a club fair and helped table. I hugged one acquaintance and she was like, “So I’ll see you around right?” and I was like, “Uhhh… I graduated.”

“You Did?”

Yes I understand that a lot of times SUNY New Paltz suffer from the 5 year program. Sorry, I guess I was motivated and driven. I had a plan. Although I’m still searching for a job that fits me now, I have made a lot of moves to get me to a place that I like.

Erm, where was I? This post wasn’t supposed to be about my graduation




I watched a special on ABC last night about how prettier people get perks in life. So I have a goal of becoming prettier…err more handsome so I can get perks. I never got perks. Well, I mean I have a boyfriend and I know ugly people who don’t have boyfriends. Then again, I also knew ugly people who dated ugly people and that just is gross. Haha. I’m narcissistic. Step one: check.

As one measure I’m trying to grow out my hair into a decent length, nothing tacky but still “good looking.” I guess I just need a break from spikes. I actually wanted to put some red back into my hair, but I couldn’t find the box-o-red that I used to use. I’m right now working on a middle part, since I realized I suffer from fat face if I have bangs; thus leading to figuring out hairstyles that use a little bit of forehead. So I found an inspiration point: the often handsome Leonardo DiCaprio. I did find him kind of ugly in both The Man In The Iron Mask and Gangs of NY. I’m not sure which era though, I mean I really did like the Romeo + Juliet era hair, but I think I’m going to go for circa Titanic hair. I always wondered if my hair had a light wave to it if I grew it out.

Eric is trying to grow out his hair as well. I met him with longer hair, and although I love him no matter what his hair looks like, I do prefer the short hair. It’s cuter. I actually prefer him looking a little scruffy and with short hair. If he has long hair, I prefer shaved. I guess it’s a hair ratio (I should probably tell him this). I wonder what he thinks of my hair?

(Earlier on in our relationship, we were both thinner. I'm working on losing the weight. I had Ribs on the Run last week.)

Eric’s hair now, because it hasn’t gotten to behind the ear status has a little bit of a flip in the front. It’s odd. Last week he also had a little remnant of Theodore Roosevelt moustache. The beginning stages.

We’ll see how long I last with the hair growing thing, I did cut it earlier this summer because I couldn’t take it, but it surprisingly has grown pretty quick. Maybe it’s the Rice Milk I’m having with my cereal.

Continue Reading...

It’s a hard rock life

So my parents went to visit my sister last week, then followed it up by going to Maine and visiting my cousin for a few days. Along with mixed stories of food, family, and weird tourists they came back with other surprises.

Firstly, let me say this. I got to give the “bitch please” face to my mother. She turns to me and goes, “Oh your dad loved how his pictures turned out”. What? I spent a good 20 minutes on that damned Kodak machine at CVS cropping, color correcting, and gold eye fixing. It turns out that Kodak machines don’t have gold eye removal. That and Rich’s eyes were closed most of the time. Eric can attest, I was on the phone declaring to all the people at CVS (I’m still learning “cell phone voice”), “Oh My God, White People Taking Pictures” or something to that effect. Eric laughed too when he heard my father took the credit.

Okay where was I? I’m going to ignore the Florida trip for a second and go straight to Maine. My parents came home with Lobster (nice), Jewelry (what? Apparently they found a store they like and visit there every time), and rocks. ROCKS? I woke up this morning to my mother washing rocks. She said that she was using it for her bird. Jesus, which bird? The one she bought at Disney that’s on top of some amethyst-like rock. Okay… but that doesn’t explain why a) Dad got rocks and b) You got rocks on morning walks.

Oh no, I’m going to wake up and my house will be filled with rocks. I guess this is what Eric fears. He’s going to wake up and random tsotchke will be dangling from a string attached to the ceiling. He flashbacks to my dorm room days (which was like 3 months ago, why am I making it sound like it was a year ago) where things like Chef Gusteau and the cute Duck Spirit from Spirited Away dangled from my loft. I swear I only did that because I could. And hey, a Chef Gusteau worked like the voice of consciousness, where Remy really was talking to himself.

So these rocks are now showing up in my house, some claim to be good luck, others just look pretty. It makes it sound like I interviewed several of them. I probably should, then I would weed out some of the bad rocks. I already warned my mother not to toss the rocks into the fish tank or else she will contaminate and kill the fish. Technically speaking, I still think there’s a little bit of soap in the water.

My mom shows me one rock. It was about the size of an avocado. She goes, “This one’s good for hitting someone over the head” and laughs. I contemplated grabbing it and hitting myself with it, but I realized my hell would probably be filled with rocks. And a lot of clumsy-inducing items. I’m already too clumsy.

Continue Reading...

Ma-Mike Revolution, Finally all 2.0 friendly

I feel bad for my old layout. I just recently worked hard on it and had everything all nice html. I have the classic template saved in the background. Oh Photoshop. Yeah I was working on that as well and had the nice background. Then I caved…


To make sure that I got all Web 2.0 friendly and unite a few things on my online world. I created a bare bones (pre-fab housed) base website for myself which is now on the side. Along with that I had to update  my html to xml. Now although I kinda got html, XML is new to me. Luckily I have a book. And I need something to read. Actually I’m in the middle of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Managing your Money. Yeah, I need to prove to Eric that I’m not a spender. But really, Eric is the type who lives off of high quality, good brands and I’m the one buying from the Clearance rack and the 75% off section at Target. I’m also looking at Filene’s Basement which is closing nearby. Sad. A lot of stores are closing.

Anywho, I’ve tried to make this blog more accessible and a little more flashy. Now I had a little problem with flashy back in the day when I had my “Sailor Pikachu” page. Too many animated Gifs because they were pretty. Who didn’t want to see a cute animated gif of Sailor Moon on their website?


I’m trying to unify my footprint on the internet. So in the coming weeks I will do my best to keep everything together.

Continue Reading...

I Started Krumping

A week or so ago, I was at my local Nathans. By now you know that I go there as both a shameless excuse to go to an arcade and to keep my mother off my back. Yes mother, I’m exercising, trying to get in better shape for getting a job. Well, I realized that I’ve been playing Pump it Up! International Dance Floor (Phew, what a long title) for quite a while. I was playing when Ocean One Mall in Atlantic City existed. I looked online and tried to Google when it exactly closed down, and the closest I’ve gotten was 2003. I remember seeing both PIU and a few months later DDR showing up at the arcade there. It was 2001. The game was “The Premiere” version which apparently was the US-friendly version (now with pre-crazy Britney Spears for little 5 year olds!). As an aside DDR’s machine was in it’s 3rd Mix. I find it ironic that I decided to go with Ma-Mike Revolution, because I recall tossing the idea of “Mike It Up!” As the name of my blog even though I am nowhere as good in DDR as I am in Pump.

I had downtime in 2003/2004 when Ocean One was gone. I heard the rumor of Pump It Up being in Nathans. I went and checked and it wasn’t there. I was assured again by friends (read: Auntie Susie’s Children) that it was. I checked again a week or so later and there it was, right where they said. I never thought machines could move so quickly. The version was The Perfect Collection and it hasn’t changed ever since. It’s sad actually, Premiere was about 8th/9th edition. Perfect is 6th. I’ve downgraded. Back in the day I even played with Arlyne. Hah. I’m sad I guess, because I still play.

(If I need to play anything really current for the game luckily the Pallisades Mall keeps updated.)

Fast-Forward to now. I’m still playing and I do doubles. I can’t do anything really hard. My biggest accomplishment is Beethoven Virus on Hard. I watch all these videos on YouTube of breakers on Pump it up, and it made me feel quite unaccomplished. So what did I do that day last week? I started Krumping.


…Or what I call Krumping. I figure, I really don’t care if anyone is watching I paid 50 cents dammit and I’m gonna be entertained. And I really needed another way to burn a few calories. So I brought the booty. I’ve started putting steps from line dances. I’ve started to cha-cha-cha my way through some. There’s a little Broadway/Jazz-hands included. Basically, I look like a moron.

There’s the big difference between me and the breakers. I feel like Fanny Pak on America’s Best Dance Crew up against those interchangeable crews Supreme Super Boogie-Wockies.

I guess I put on a show in my own head. I wish I could watch myself play so I could tell myself, I look like an ass, Good work! Eric is oft embarrassed and sits on a bench a little ways away at the Mall, similarly to my dad who was upstairs reading the newspaper in Ocean One.

At least I’ve impressed some mothers in NY, NJ, and in Disney World.

Continue Reading...

Back to Blog

It took me a while to sit back and type my life again. Yes, I’ve had the excuse of “oh I’m busy” but really. I think I was a little lost in why I even write. I mean traditionally there are maybe 2 or 3 people that read this that really care. And I call my boyfriend and my sister often. I speak with my mother and father on some weekends. Why go here? I think I finally realized it…

This is for me…

I’ve really reached a happy part in my life. I can’t wait for the next chapter in my life. Eric and I are happy and are making things work with the large distance between us. I can’t wait until we settle down and pick some snazzy apartment. I swear, I’ll be cleaner.

I understand that I’m gonna graduate and probably never come back to New Paltz (I mean, yeah I’m gonna visit), but I have a feeling that I’ll keep in contact with a lot of people (especially through facebook).

When did I grow up? I saw my graduation picture and I saw someone so much older than I remember. My hair yesterday still looked like I went to my senior year of high school. My hair has gone through the gamut though and I decided to give it one last thing before I graduate, I’m gonna grow it out a little more that I’m used to. Nothing horrendously long, just a little longer. I kinda want to see my hair create a small wave. See if it is really true how my hair had a slight wave when I was a kid.

I forgot how therapeutic blogging is. Eric is there, yes, and he knows everything I said above, but I really do feel like I don’t. I have horrendous self-doubt. I beat myself up on things. I apparently have high standards of myself. Was that parenting? My zodiac combination of Virgo/Tiger? I dunno anymore. But I did grow up similarly to the zodiac thing and the stereotypical nuclear family. I mean yeah, Eric really does wish I used my creative side better (more on that later).

Ideas are racing through my brain on what to say or how to say it. It kinda just stopped right now. So with that, I will sleep, wake up at 7:30, shower and head over to Poughkeepsie.

Much Love,
Paz

Continue Reading...

The fun that is known as Haircut.

Whenever I need a haircut and am in New Paltz, I take a walk into town. Nextdoor to P&G’s there is a haircutting place called Ricci’s. It’s not your average haircutting place. It’s a barbershop. Run by women. Nothing bad there, just a little odd. They play music from a Sound Choice channel which ranges in their mood. Several times that I’ve been there, they have had the wonders of 90s (I'm cool like that) or the magic of Disco (Do the Hustle!) . Plastic/Metal-hybrid folding chairs are on the wall parallel from the 3 cutting chairs. A magazine rack contains a mixture of Sports Illustrated, Consumer Report, Businessweek, and Cosmo.

Along with the stereotypical pictures of 90s haircuts on the wall, each girl has placed random nick-nacks on their mirrors. While I was sitting on the left chair, usually run by Maria (not a Ricci and she wasn’t there, more on that later) I stared at a picture of a doggie, and two postcards of men. One where he was in a Speedo in Switzerland, the other was a group shot of men in Speedos lying on a beach. It was the same postcards that I saw as a kid in Atlantic City, next to the shot of Showboat or Sands. Along with that I can see Maria and Kristina’s Licenses. Kristina has a normal picture of her attached, Maria’s on the other hand looks like it was taken in P&G’s while drinking. A very typical facebook/myspace picture.

There is usually have a little dog running around, and they have a little fence door for the dog. It wasn't there the day i got my haircut. The owner (Kristina’s mother who probably started Ricci's or took it over from her father or something) whose name I still haven’t figured out laughs about it, “You know even though the door is there to keep the dog in, it’s good for keeping kids in too.” They give lollypops to kids, and the time I was there it seemed like this one kid knew the drill, he was being nice while his younger brother was being a little ADHD on the seat occasionally turning and looking at me. I’d smile back. I feared that he’d have a funny cut in his hair because of the turning. The older kid though was done, had asked nicely for a lollypop, took one out of the drawer, thanked the mother cutter, and asked his mom if she could remove the plastic wrapper for him. I swear he was only 5. He sat back in one of the chairs patiently waiting for his younger brother to finish.

I usually get my haircut from Maria, even though I like Kristina’s haircutting skills better. Timing I guess. The day I was there, Maria wasn’t there, but a woman named Dawn was in her place. She looked like she was in her 40s, has taken too much drugs in her life, and has peroxided her hair so it was a very platinum blonde. Her hair was in messy curls. She wore clothes like she wanted to fit in with the late 20-something Kristina. There is traditionally a little banter between the haircutter and I and because Dawn is new to me I got the basic questions. You know, yes I am a student, taking business classes, from Yonkers, older sister, yeah, mmhmm. She got a phone call and took it and excused herself, I didn’t mind at all. But all I heard were these two phrases:

“Did you find my pills?” and “Did you feed Autumn yet?”

It was worth sitting back and thinking how I didn’t like the fact that my head looks a lot rounder from the way Dawn and Maria both cut my hair. She returned, apologizes and continues. By the time we were done I got the traditional question of how I style my hair. She responded with “messy” and I agreed with her. She asked if she could put gel in. Traditionally I would say no, but today I said okay. Just because it was from a random woman who got a little ocd by the end. She rubbed gel into her hands and then ran it through my hair. Then she spent the next 5 minutes rubbing my head trying to get it right. She gave me one tip: Gel all my hair back, then lightly push forward. I thanked her, paid my dues, tipped her, and went on my way.

The next five minutes I called up Eric and discussed what just happened. Eric believes that she is taking Vicodin for her years of drug usage. We still aren’t sure of Autumn is her daughter or dog. Eric told me not to count out that she may have named her son Autumn. I really hope not. I find Dawn to be a stereotype of a New Paltz Townie:
One that has taken drugs, partied, maybe a little too hard, but is happy here making a living, talking to other townies and students about life and the newest gossip around the Paltz.

For an eight dollar haircut, I get a lot of entertainment.

Continue Reading...

Just a typical Thursday morning

As I sit here in my dorm, eating my orange for breakfast I have been contemplating what to write about today.

Toys R Us hasn’t called yet, so that’s made me nervous since I was interviewed on the 24th and said they would call me back. Does it always take a long period of time? Is there some mistake on my criminal records (which I don’t have) since the names “Michael” and “Pascua” are kinda common in some places like California and Hawaii? I am never too sure what to think, but this orange tastes yummy.

Sometimes I wonder what a person defines as successful. I always dreamed of being “successful” but I always put “Happy” in front of it. Always imagining a day off from work where Eric and I go to the park and stare at ducks that try to drown each other, not having financial troubles, and then going to dinner where ever we wanted. Possibly Ribs on the Run. Maybe we’ll watch a good movie. Or Supergirl.

Now I get nervous as school is ending soon. I pretty much have a year to go, trying to get a part time job, trying to find an internship for next spring, since no one ever responded to my request this semester, fixing my resume (which I think is meh), and running around for Asians. Well at least I have time to blog.

Eric always asks me why I blog and I realized what it is, it’s a good outlet. I mean Eric is an amazing….outlet but its nice to have nobody and everybody read in at the time. Having an outlet to bitch about school, trying to get a job, and stuff. I’m probably never gonna stop blogging. I may sound more mature (I doubt it) later on, but it’s gonna keep going.

It may take a long gap between posts but I will.

- Paz

Continue Reading...