With Ellen's retirement, work is becoming increasingly overwhelming by the day. I guess it's finally sinking in. It was yesterday when I realized all the things that will and are becoming my responsibility, or at least what I think they will or taking upon myself because, there's no one else, I think. I am trying to be the person most people relied on, a person with 25-plus years of experience and lots of knowledge in the genetic purity world. I only have 3. So yeah, I am freaking out a little bit. 

I think what makes it a little worse this week is the fact that a lot of people are either on a business trip or vacation, so help is in short supply, plus there is all the other stuff I take care of, the stuff in my plate, which it becomes very overwhelming by the end of the year, like every year.

So here I am starting at my computer screen, trying to figure it out whilst trying to keep it all together, mentally. Typing my feelings away so I can get on with my day. Or at least try.

Dawn of the Monsters on the Nintendo Switch

I had no idea, this game even excised. I am even surprised it didn’t even make it into my radar as someone who’s constantly checking what’s new in the eShop. I believe the game was first released, at least on the Nintendo shop, back in March. It wasn’t until I was watching a resent episode of Happy Console Gamer, my second favorite Canadian, that I made aware of this game.

Side-scrolling, kaiju beat-‘em-up!

When I read that, I was sold! Imagine Streets of Rage meets Pacific Rim! Just like your typical beat-‘em-up, you fight a wave of enemies, all of them monsters, and move to the next area and at the end of it, there will be a boss fight. A simple formula that still works.

You get to pick in between 4 characters, two mecas and two kaijus that’s somehow fight for humanity. You get to select deferent upgrades or enhancements. And off you go.

The story is, so far, simple, save humanity by getting rid of the “nephilim” (the monsters).

The art it’s great, very anime/comic book ish.

The music it’s fine, not mind-blowing like other games of its genre, but it fits.

It has really been a lot of fun playing this game. In fact, I have been playing on local co-op with my oldest daughter, and she’s also been having fun with it. The game isn’t super-difficult, I have probably died once, it can get a little hairy when multiple enemies band together and your daughter is too busy watching YouTube rather than play with you.

Though I have deleted or deactivated my Twitter account a while ago, I kept both Twitterrific and Tweetbot installed. I mean, they are both good-looking apps (or icons, since I can’t actually look the apps interface without logging on to Twitter).

Perhaps for nostalgia, or as part of one of the five stages of grief. Who knows? Today I have finally deleted them from my device.

Bye Ollie, bye angry looking bird 🐦

Usually, around this time of the year, I do an inventory of sorts, of my backpack. I call it, the State of the backpack 20XX edition or something like that. I have been meaning to go through and compose it. Here is the thing though, This year has been, well, it's been a year. *Especially** in the past 6 months, and mostly work-wise.

Therefore, my backpack has become the closest in your house, that you are scared of and you don't dare to open it anymore, *el-oh-el*. I don't even know what things I may have in there. I know for sure My camera is in there, and sometimes, my work computer and random stuff. Too much random stuff. Again, I don't even know anymore.

Recently though, I received a box, a Stitch-Fix box, and in this box, besides a few shirts and jeans, I also got boots and a backpack! There is nothing super-special about this backpack, it is called The North Face Vault Backpack.

Like I said, nothing special, no special pocketses or hidden things or fancy features but I love the color and its simplicity to be honest. For the past three years and then some, I have been using the 20L Peak Design Everyday Backpack, which is outstanding. If you know me, you know I am a backpack junkie, and the fact that I haven't bought anything else in over three years, that's saying something.

The Vault backpack has not replaced my Everyday one in any way – yet. So far I have been using it as a gym bag, the few times I had the chance to go to the gym right after work, which in reality won't be happening again. But it has made me realize that the Everyday Backpack, has become too much for my daily use. I mean, I love the look of it, the quality of it, and how easy is to store and access my camera with it but a lot of it is not necessarily super-practical for me, at this point. 

I may try, to experiment using this less-featured backpack and see how it fairs to my needs, carrying the camera with this one, might be an issue since there is no special compartment or some pocket that could double as a camera compartment. 

Maybe I could find a backpack that could be the happy spot between these two?

We shall see.

I know for sure I don't want to be carrying a ton of stuff anymore other that the necessary things.

Oh maybe, it just occurred to me as typing my thoughts away, I can use the less-featured one just for my daily working days. Then use my Everyday, for my off-work daily shenanigans, and just carry less shit in it.

See? it all works out.

Let me know what you all use, down in the comments.

Okay guys, until next time.

It is the day. The last day of November, and the last day of Ellen, the day I’ve been dreading. Oh! Well!

Besides that, it is cold, and it is snowing 🌨️

The commute wasn’t terrible, but not ideal. Fuck Elon, by the way. Two things you would rather not be thinking about whilst driving to work in these conditions are, I need new wipers and new set of tires 😶

Part of the road was pretty icy and slippery, but I managed.

But your favorite bar is under new management, and whether you want to admit it or not, you know damn well what kind of bar they’re making it into. You need to think long and hard about whether you’re okay with that.

Source: Twitter, failure modes, and your favorite bar | Coyote Tracks