I don't get grossed out very easily. In fact, I recently had surgery on the back of my leg and had the surgeon talk me through everything she was doing. I even asked to see the growth she removed after it was all over. I don't mind blood, I've cleaned up my share of vomit, poop, urine, and other bodily fluids. I enjoy shows like House and CSI because they show the cause of death or illness in detail.
However, today, I met my match. I am hurridly trying to write this blog, because I am seriously going to get rid of my breakfast when I am done.
Today, marks the day in history, when I gave up coffee. (I gave up alcohol in June...that story remains to be written...let's just say the name "Martini Merrick" fits.) But today, Oct 20, 2008, while laughing at Sarah Palin's skits on Saturday Night Live, enjoying a cup of coffee, perfectly flavored with my favorite hazlenut cream, I came to the bottom of the cup of morning gold, and found....a dead fly. Yes, a dead fly flavored, what I thought was, an extraordinarily good cup of coffee. What kind of hurried person doesn't even have time to look in her coffee mug before filling it with her inspiration for the day? I guess that would be me.
I really cannot talk about this any longer. My day is ruined. My mornings are ruined from now on. What do I have to look forward to if not my morning cup of coffee, saturated with cream, forever marred by the giant fly, that probably stopped on Faith's poop before flying to its death in my coffee cup.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Oh yes, one more thing.
A year ago today Haley and I were in our car accident.
First, can you believe it has been a year?
Second, thanks again to all of you who helped out on that scary day.
Third, it turns out that the accident ended up being a huge blessing to our family...we may try to do it annually? (Totally kidding).
Just some useless information from the Merrick Family History Book.
First, can you believe it has been a year?
Second, thanks again to all of you who helped out on that scary day.
Third, it turns out that the accident ended up being a huge blessing to our family...we may try to do it annually? (Totally kidding).
Just some useless information from the Merrick Family History Book.
Just some thoughts
Can you feed your children mac and cheese too much? I was wondering this while I was cleaning dishes that had mac and cheese stuck to them while boiling another pot for today's lunch. Also, used to be when I would say we were having mac and cheese the girls would cheer, today Kayci said, "Mom, that doesn't really sound good to me." It's easy and no matter how low we get on other groceries we always have a couple of boxes stuffed in the back of the cabinet somewhere. I know, I know, I need to do better. I am going grocery shopping today.
We are getting ready for the final 5 year old birthday party of my mothering career. It is sad, but true. Courtney turns 5 next Monday and we are having our promised 5 year old bash this coming Saturday. It really seems like I just did Haley's 5 year old party...but time tells me we will be doing her 10 year old party in less than 6 months. (Sigh) I'm just starting to get the hang of having little kids and now they are growing into big kids. It doesn't seem fair.
I had the honor of being a part of a birth just a week ago. I watched as a new life took her first breath in this world and I was overwhelmed to the point of tears . There really aren't words to describe this miracle. It inspired me to ask Steve if we could maybe, possibly, think about, having one more child. His response was something like, " NO $%#&ing way Jenn." Oh, well, it was worth a try.
We were praying over our dinner the other night at a restaurant and Courtney was very deliberate about her prayer. With eyes squeezed shut and hand clasped tightly together, these were her words, "Dear God,.... and please help Kayci keep her pull-up dry tonight. I'm serious. She really needs to do this..." I cracked up because of the "I'm serious" part. That's what I say, apparently way too much.
Well, the kids have finished their bowl of mac and cheese and we still have school to finish. Thanks for the comments lately. As always, they are inspiring to me.
We are getting ready for the final 5 year old birthday party of my mothering career. It is sad, but true. Courtney turns 5 next Monday and we are having our promised 5 year old bash this coming Saturday. It really seems like I just did Haley's 5 year old party...but time tells me we will be doing her 10 year old party in less than 6 months. (Sigh) I'm just starting to get the hang of having little kids and now they are growing into big kids. It doesn't seem fair.
I had the honor of being a part of a birth just a week ago. I watched as a new life took her first breath in this world and I was overwhelmed to the point of tears . There really aren't words to describe this miracle. It inspired me to ask Steve if we could maybe, possibly, think about, having one more child. His response was something like, " NO $%#&ing way Jenn." Oh, well, it was worth a try.
We were praying over our dinner the other night at a restaurant and Courtney was very deliberate about her prayer. With eyes squeezed shut and hand clasped tightly together, these were her words, "Dear God,.... and please help Kayci keep her pull-up dry tonight. I'm serious. She really needs to do this..." I cracked up because of the "I'm serious" part. That's what I say, apparently way too much.
Well, the kids have finished their bowl of mac and cheese and we still have school to finish. Thanks for the comments lately. As always, they are inspiring to me.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Stomach Flu, Migrains, and Lice....OH MY
The sparsity of my writing is directly related to the above mentioned plagues. Our summer concluded with a representation from all the categories mentioned in the title, and I can say with out a doubt that I have discovered, so far, what the worst part of parenting is. Looking at the given list, you can choose the one you think worst, but let me bring it to a more personal level before you make your final decision.
Caution: The material ahead may not be suited for just anyone, definitely not the faint of heart, and definitely not anyone who thinks a family with lice is subhuman.
We returned from on annual vacation to Colorado in good spirits. The trip was great. Everyone got along, the food was awesome, and once again I found myself wondering why anyone would live any other place. Less than 24 hours in the door, Kayci started throwing up. She's always had a nervous stomach so I chalked it up to a flurry of activities during the last week. I diligently held her head back as she threw up everything she had eaten in her short life, then comforted her as her body felt, even though there was no more food, it should keep heaving just in case. I lovingly washed her bedding, covered the couch with a towel, selected her favorite movie, and filled a sippy cup with diluted Gatorade and ice. I was doing laundry anyway from the trip, so washing a few more items was no big deal. Especially since this was only the result of a nervous stomach.
I guess nervous stomach is contagious.
During the subsequent days, Courtney contracted this vile illness, followed very closely by me, and soon after by Haley. Steve says his stomach "felt kind of strange," but never actually visited the great porcelain god like the rest of us. My care for the rest of the family greatly diminished as I crawled repeatedly to the toilet wondering if there was a special place moms could go to be taken care of when they were sick. (I would settle for the Pound...they care for sick wounded animals right? Then they put them out of their misery when it looks like all hope is lost?)
So after this epidemic was over, and all the beds had been washed and remade, the second plague dropped. Kayci (why does it always start with her?) came out from her bed saying that her head was itchy. Being very compassionate I said, "There's nothing I can do about it. Go back to bed." She had been complaining about an itchy head for a while and I just assumed that it was dry scalp and a ploy to stay up an extra two minutes instead of going to sleep. She has dry skin, so not a bad assumption. The next morning she was itching her head like crazy and said, "I can't stand it anymore mom!!" So I looked a little closer at her now raw head. (Did I mention there was blood under her finger nails from scratching her head so hard?) I think parent of the year award won't be going to me. I decided to search the Internet to see if it could possibly be lice. (I really doubted it could be this, but I decided to at least rule out this possibility.) After reading about it and looking closely at her head I told Steve of my suspicions, to which he dismissed my idea as idiotic, until we found a "bug" crawling on the top of her head. I immediately went to Target and bought 4 bottles of alcohol and 2 $40 lice treatments, because one thing I did know, lice was contagious and the Merrick girls share brushes. After treating Kayci with insecticide I started to brush through her hair, more bugs than I care to share, fell out of her hair. It was awful. I checked Courtney...live bugs...I checked Haley....live bugs...Steve checked me....live bugs....I checked Steve....NO FREAKIN BUGS!! To make a long story short 28 days later, 2 different shampoos, Listerine treatments, 25 days worth of washing and remaking beds, 4 and 1/2 hours per day of combing through every one's hair picking out lice eggs, steam cleaning all the carpets, running every pillow and stuffed animal through the dryer multiple times, we are finally lice free. We are on day 10 currently of no bugs on us. It really was a nightmare.
The kids are under strict rules to never, never use anyone else's brush or hat. They all have their own brushes and are not allowed to share even with each other. The penalty for disobeying any of these rules is they will be sent away to live with an evil stepmother somewhere. You think I'm kidding...but I am NOT.
The stress of the lice sent me into the worst migraine ever known to a human being. I know about pain because I have given birth three times AND i have had kidney stones, apparently equal to child birth in pain level. The pain was so bad that I had to go to the ER and even their strongest narcotics only dulled the pain. I told them I was at a level 9 for pain when I got there, but apparently this only encouraged them to ask me more questions. My friend Tana weathered this storm with me and sat in the ER and talked to me to keep me from taking my own life. My friend Lisa also dropped everything she was doing to come and take care of my lice infested kids. She is a true friend considering she has 4 kids of her own with full heads of lice inviting hair.
While I think these were some of the worst times I have had as a mother, I was humbled by Kayci one night while we were saying our prayers. She said, "You know what mom, having lice hasn't been so bad, because we've stayed home together, we played a lot of games, and you spent a lot of time with just us by ourselves."
There are so many things I can learn from this statement.
Caution: The material ahead may not be suited for just anyone, definitely not the faint of heart, and definitely not anyone who thinks a family with lice is subhuman.
We returned from on annual vacation to Colorado in good spirits. The trip was great. Everyone got along, the food was awesome, and once again I found myself wondering why anyone would live any other place. Less than 24 hours in the door, Kayci started throwing up. She's always had a nervous stomach so I chalked it up to a flurry of activities during the last week. I diligently held her head back as she threw up everything she had eaten in her short life, then comforted her as her body felt, even though there was no more food, it should keep heaving just in case. I lovingly washed her bedding, covered the couch with a towel, selected her favorite movie, and filled a sippy cup with diluted Gatorade and ice. I was doing laundry anyway from the trip, so washing a few more items was no big deal. Especially since this was only the result of a nervous stomach.
I guess nervous stomach is contagious.
During the subsequent days, Courtney contracted this vile illness, followed very closely by me, and soon after by Haley. Steve says his stomach "felt kind of strange," but never actually visited the great porcelain god like the rest of us. My care for the rest of the family greatly diminished as I crawled repeatedly to the toilet wondering if there was a special place moms could go to be taken care of when they were sick. (I would settle for the Pound...they care for sick wounded animals right? Then they put them out of their misery when it looks like all hope is lost?)
So after this epidemic was over, and all the beds had been washed and remade, the second plague dropped. Kayci (why does it always start with her?) came out from her bed saying that her head was itchy. Being very compassionate I said, "There's nothing I can do about it. Go back to bed." She had been complaining about an itchy head for a while and I just assumed that it was dry scalp and a ploy to stay up an extra two minutes instead of going to sleep. She has dry skin, so not a bad assumption. The next morning she was itching her head like crazy and said, "I can't stand it anymore mom!!" So I looked a little closer at her now raw head. (Did I mention there was blood under her finger nails from scratching her head so hard?) I think parent of the year award won't be going to me. I decided to search the Internet to see if it could possibly be lice. (I really doubted it could be this, but I decided to at least rule out this possibility.) After reading about it and looking closely at her head I told Steve of my suspicions, to which he dismissed my idea as idiotic, until we found a "bug" crawling on the top of her head. I immediately went to Target and bought 4 bottles of alcohol and 2 $40 lice treatments, because one thing I did know, lice was contagious and the Merrick girls share brushes. After treating Kayci with insecticide I started to brush through her hair, more bugs than I care to share, fell out of her hair. It was awful. I checked Courtney...live bugs...I checked Haley....live bugs...Steve checked me....live bugs....I checked Steve....NO FREAKIN BUGS!! To make a long story short 28 days later, 2 different shampoos, Listerine treatments, 25 days worth of washing and remaking beds, 4 and 1/2 hours per day of combing through every one's hair picking out lice eggs, steam cleaning all the carpets, running every pillow and stuffed animal through the dryer multiple times, we are finally lice free. We are on day 10 currently of no bugs on us. It really was a nightmare.
The kids are under strict rules to never, never use anyone else's brush or hat. They all have their own brushes and are not allowed to share even with each other. The penalty for disobeying any of these rules is they will be sent away to live with an evil stepmother somewhere. You think I'm kidding...but I am NOT.
The stress of the lice sent me into the worst migraine ever known to a human being. I know about pain because I have given birth three times AND i have had kidney stones, apparently equal to child birth in pain level. The pain was so bad that I had to go to the ER and even their strongest narcotics only dulled the pain. I told them I was at a level 9 for pain when I got there, but apparently this only encouraged them to ask me more questions. My friend Tana weathered this storm with me and sat in the ER and talked to me to keep me from taking my own life. My friend Lisa also dropped everything she was doing to come and take care of my lice infested kids. She is a true friend considering she has 4 kids of her own with full heads of lice inviting hair.
While I think these were some of the worst times I have had as a mother, I was humbled by Kayci one night while we were saying our prayers. She said, "You know what mom, having lice hasn't been so bad, because we've stayed home together, we played a lot of games, and you spent a lot of time with just us by ourselves."
There are so many things I can learn from this statement.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
English please
I really am not a racist. However, after reading this blog, some of you may feel that I am right on the border of becoming one.
Yesterday, while driving Haley to yet another sleep over. (This kid is so lucky!) We realized that we had forgotten to pack her toothbrush. I was on a tight schedule anyway and didn't want to turn around and go home. Plus we have spent almost $2700 on her braces, and I don't want there to be holes in her teeth when the braces finally come off. So, being the good mother that I am, I stopped at an AM PM mini-mart. Apparently, toothbrushes are in high demand, or at least stolen a lot because the only way to get a toothbrush was to wait in line and have the cashier bring me one. You know, kind of like buying cigarettes. I thought this was odd and slightly annoying, but I got in line. When I finally arrived to the front of the line I said, "Could I have a toothbrush please?" And immediately there was a look of panic that went across the cashier's face. During my request I had pointed in the general direction of the hanging toothbrushes, where also hung, dental floss, combs, chapstick, and other highly theft worthy items. Above where these things hung, was a shelf full of tampons. And that is what the cashier brought me. I said "Toothbrush," she hears "Tquwiojlso" and notices the big letter "T" on the box of Tampons and assumes that must be what I asked for. She put the box in front of me and I said, "No, no, no a toothbrush." She again looked panicked, said something in Spanish to her co worker, who was too busy to answer. She turned her back to me and looked closely at each product hanging on the wall. Unfortunately, the word toothbrush is not written on the package. So she showed me a comb. To which I said, no and gave the international sign for toothbrush. Then she understood. She apologized and rung me up. I couldn't even speak, I was so shocked by this occurrence.
I know there is a big controversy about whether or not people who speak different languages, that come to this country, should be required to speak English or should we (English speakers) make sure all signs and documents are linguistically accommodating. I have my own opinions. However, it seems obvious to me that if you work in a store you should at least know all the English words for what you are selling. Maybe I am unfair, but I doubt if I go to France and need a toothbrush, and ask for a toothbrush, that I will get a toothbrush.
And in related news, while picking up a cake at VONS yesterday, the checkout lady, with an obvious knowledge of the English language asked me if I could just carry the cake because, "I don't GOT any big bags." And the kid who helped me in the bakery, when asked if he could write on my cake said, "Sup...I'll get someone to help you."
"Sup?????" Do I look like a homey? I am concerned when our customer service in America can't even address an adult correctly, say a sentence that is grammatically correct, or understand the words coming out of a customers mouth.
Remember, we are the change we have been waiting for.
Yesterday, while driving Haley to yet another sleep over. (This kid is so lucky!) We realized that we had forgotten to pack her toothbrush. I was on a tight schedule anyway and didn't want to turn around and go home. Plus we have spent almost $2700 on her braces, and I don't want there to be holes in her teeth when the braces finally come off. So, being the good mother that I am, I stopped at an AM PM mini-mart. Apparently, toothbrushes are in high demand, or at least stolen a lot because the only way to get a toothbrush was to wait in line and have the cashier bring me one. You know, kind of like buying cigarettes. I thought this was odd and slightly annoying, but I got in line. When I finally arrived to the front of the line I said, "Could I have a toothbrush please?" And immediately there was a look of panic that went across the cashier's face. During my request I had pointed in the general direction of the hanging toothbrushes, where also hung, dental floss, combs, chapstick, and other highly theft worthy items. Above where these things hung, was a shelf full of tampons. And that is what the cashier brought me. I said "Toothbrush," she hears "Tquwiojlso" and notices the big letter "T" on the box of Tampons and assumes that must be what I asked for. She put the box in front of me and I said, "No, no, no a toothbrush." She again looked panicked, said something in Spanish to her co worker, who was too busy to answer. She turned her back to me and looked closely at each product hanging on the wall. Unfortunately, the word toothbrush is not written on the package. So she showed me a comb. To which I said, no and gave the international sign for toothbrush. Then she understood. She apologized and rung me up. I couldn't even speak, I was so shocked by this occurrence.
I know there is a big controversy about whether or not people who speak different languages, that come to this country, should be required to speak English or should we (English speakers) make sure all signs and documents are linguistically accommodating. I have my own opinions. However, it seems obvious to me that if you work in a store you should at least know all the English words for what you are selling. Maybe I am unfair, but I doubt if I go to France and need a toothbrush, and ask for a toothbrush, that I will get a toothbrush.
And in related news, while picking up a cake at VONS yesterday, the checkout lady, with an obvious knowledge of the English language asked me if I could just carry the cake because, "I don't GOT any big bags." And the kid who helped me in the bakery, when asked if he could write on my cake said, "Sup...I'll get someone to help you."
"Sup?????" Do I look like a homey? I am concerned when our customer service in America can't even address an adult correctly, say a sentence that is grammatically correct, or understand the words coming out of a customers mouth.
Remember, we are the change we have been waiting for.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Happy Anniversary
When I woke up 12 years ago this morning...from a night of fitful sleep...I could have never dreamed what this day, 12 years ago, would be the beginning of. Yes, I knew I was marrying the man I had been dating for almost three years, but I honestly was too young to understand that it was more than just a cliche' that my life really would "never be the same," as of this day. For those of you who know me well, you know that I am not that great with change. This is really a gross understatement, because there are times when change makes me physically ill. Getting married was a huge change, obviously. So my wedding day was not the joyful occasion is usually is for brides. I cried most of the day and pretty much for the next three years straight and intermittently since then. Poor Steve.
We got married, took a limo 45 minutes east to our first hotel, where a U-haul truck waited to take me away from everything that was familiar and easy. Yes, on top of the giant change of getting married, we also moved all the way across the country. Big Change #2. Every night of the honeymoon Steve would get me to stop sobbing by telling me he'd take me back home the next day. I would fall into an exhausted-from-crying-all-day sleep. Then I would wake up the next morning and feel like maybe I could go on toward Boston for one more day. Steve says I either cried or slept the whole 10 days we drove to Boston. Nice honeymoon huh? I will say it again, poor Steve. He should have left me on the side of the road, but what has proven true to his character over and over, he is loyal and stubborn and he doesn't give up on people. (Even people he should give up on).
We made it to Boston. We survived and even enjoyed our time there (thanks to some true friends who visited). We definitely grew up a lot there by navigating around a city we'd never been, braving blizzards, walking a block to do laundry, surviving on $1400 a month, starting jobs at a strange school, just to name a few of our growing up experiences. We returned home to California, two years later, with the idea that life was finally going to be a little easier for us, only to discover I was pregnant with girl-child #1. Three girl-children later, a new house, financial struggle, job changes, car accident, good memories, bad memories, more growing experiences and cliff hanging circumstances we are now celebrating 12 years together. I told him last night, at the end of the day, he really is my perfect match. He said, "what about the beginning of the day?"
This morning when Courtney jumped into bed with me and said, with her little hand on my face, "I love you sooo much mama, I just had to come tell you....can you fix me breakfast," I was overwhelmed with the memory of this morning 12 years ago. I was so sad, so young, so worried, but had I known what was coming, had I know what waited for me because of this decision of marriage, I think I could have done it all better. If some one had set me down and said, "Yes, this will be the most challenging thing, and the most uncomfortable you've ever been, but just wait for the good stuff that is coming....you can't even imagine." Maybe I would have enjoyed the steps it took to get here, instead of kicking and screaming through most of it. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here. Just maybe....
....maybe I won't have to kick and scream through the next 12 years which I know will include my three girls becoming teenagers, learning to drive, bringing home boys they like, forming opinions that have nothing to do with me, making decisions that I wish they wouldn't make, and slowly leaving the home Steve and I have made for them. I know that there are going to be a lot of tough times in the future, but I am guessing that the good stuff that is coming...I still can't even imagine. Of all the unknowns that the future holds, Steve's love for me and loyalty to me and his girls has proven itself over and over. I have a partner, a steady, confident partner, that won't have to pull me through the next 12 years, but that will walk through these years with me.
There is something very comforting and secure about knowing that.
We got married, took a limo 45 minutes east to our first hotel, where a U-haul truck waited to take me away from everything that was familiar and easy. Yes, on top of the giant change of getting married, we also moved all the way across the country. Big Change #2. Every night of the honeymoon Steve would get me to stop sobbing by telling me he'd take me back home the next day. I would fall into an exhausted-from-crying-all-day sleep. Then I would wake up the next morning and feel like maybe I could go on toward Boston for one more day. Steve says I either cried or slept the whole 10 days we drove to Boston. Nice honeymoon huh? I will say it again, poor Steve. He should have left me on the side of the road, but what has proven true to his character over and over, he is loyal and stubborn and he doesn't give up on people. (Even people he should give up on).
We made it to Boston. We survived and even enjoyed our time there (thanks to some true friends who visited). We definitely grew up a lot there by navigating around a city we'd never been, braving blizzards, walking a block to do laundry, surviving on $1400 a month, starting jobs at a strange school, just to name a few of our growing up experiences. We returned home to California, two years later, with the idea that life was finally going to be a little easier for us, only to discover I was pregnant with girl-child #1. Three girl-children later, a new house, financial struggle, job changes, car accident, good memories, bad memories, more growing experiences and cliff hanging circumstances we are now celebrating 12 years together. I told him last night, at the end of the day, he really is my perfect match. He said, "what about the beginning of the day?"
This morning when Courtney jumped into bed with me and said, with her little hand on my face, "I love you sooo much mama, I just had to come tell you....can you fix me breakfast," I was overwhelmed with the memory of this morning 12 years ago. I was so sad, so young, so worried, but had I known what was coming, had I know what waited for me because of this decision of marriage, I think I could have done it all better. If some one had set me down and said, "Yes, this will be the most challenging thing, and the most uncomfortable you've ever been, but just wait for the good stuff that is coming....you can't even imagine." Maybe I would have enjoyed the steps it took to get here, instead of kicking and screaming through most of it. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here. Just maybe....
....maybe I won't have to kick and scream through the next 12 years which I know will include my three girls becoming teenagers, learning to drive, bringing home boys they like, forming opinions that have nothing to do with me, making decisions that I wish they wouldn't make, and slowly leaving the home Steve and I have made for them. I know that there are going to be a lot of tough times in the future, but I am guessing that the good stuff that is coming...I still can't even imagine. Of all the unknowns that the future holds, Steve's love for me and loyalty to me and his girls has proven itself over and over. I have a partner, a steady, confident partner, that won't have to pull me through the next 12 years, but that will walk through these years with me.
There is something very comforting and secure about knowing that.
Friday, July 11, 2008
I am back
Things have been busy since I last posted. Thanks for those of you who have kept checking faithfully. I appreciate those of you who were concerned for my well being and even checked in. It's hard to get time with my own computer these days. As I talked about before, my kids have turned into video game junkies and we are constantly battling to claim the right to the computer. With three kids, (Four if you count the senior video game junkie), each with an hour of allotted time, I don't see my computer until the evening and then, the garble that is my brain, cannot be deciphered into a coherent blog. My friend Jodie has kept up, everyday, with her blog. But she is amazing and I am...well I'm just Jenn.
The video game phenomenon that has entered my home is surprising. I don't think I was much into such things as a kid. We did have Atari and that was cool. I do remember spending some time in front of my favorite game "KABOOM" that required great skill and speed. This game, for those of you who have never heard of it, consisted of three barrels of water stacked on top of each other. From the top of the screen a bad guy of sorts dropped lit bombs over a wall. The object was to catch the bombs before they fell to the ground. Each level got faster and faster. If you dropped a bomb then you lost a barrel of water until you had only one to catch the fast falling bombs. I really loved this game and if I can be so bold as to claim that I was actually the best at this game in my family. I should probably qualify it with JRS was not yet walking when I mastered this game, but the best is the best...and that was me. I also remember how cool we thought the game "PONG" was, and how, even my parents, were very into "BEZERK" and "SPACE INVADERS." I do remember how cool it was when PAC-MAN came out. It was a game that one could only play in the arcade, so when it became available to play in your home, things began to get interesting for video game fans across the country. My parents even used to play Atari with our neighbors. That was annoying, because, what were we supposed to do when the grown ups were the ones playing with our toys? ASTROIDS was another that provided hours of entertainment. The graphics of this game were so simple compared to what we see today. The wedge shaped gun in the middle that moved in a circle, at your control, to shoot white or purple blobs that may or may not have been shaped like rocks. There were also the white dots in the back ground that gave the illusion of being in outer space. It was simple, but I thought it was cool!!
Then came the day that my dad brought home an IBM PC jr with a dot matrix printer that was the size of the desk by itself. It had the real floppy floppies and was run using DOS. I remember learning how to program just a little. For example, I would program it for each family member's name. As soon as one entered their name I had it set to give a specific message to each. At one point when dad would enter "John," I would have the computer respond with, "Hey John, I heard your head is so oily you can drill an oil well on it." Nice huh? I bet more parents wish they could have had such a charming child. I was about 12-13 so I can blame it on adolescence. I learned how to type on this computer using a game called Mastertype. The words were in all four corners of the screen inside space ships that were coming toward the center. The goal was to type the word before it blew up your mother ship. It was very fun and I am the typist I am today because of it. The coolest game on the IBM was KINGS QUEST I. To this day, I would love the opportunity to play these games again. I think they have gone as high as KINGS QUEST V. These were fun games. You had to find things, solve puzzles and keep the prince alive until the quest had been completed. I had hours of fun on this game.
Did I say I wasn't into video games when I was a kid? How soon we forget!!
The video game phenomenon that has entered my home is surprising. I don't think I was much into such things as a kid. We did have Atari and that was cool. I do remember spending some time in front of my favorite game "KABOOM" that required great skill and speed. This game, for those of you who have never heard of it, consisted of three barrels of water stacked on top of each other. From the top of the screen a bad guy of sorts dropped lit bombs over a wall. The object was to catch the bombs before they fell to the ground. Each level got faster and faster. If you dropped a bomb then you lost a barrel of water until you had only one to catch the fast falling bombs. I really loved this game and if I can be so bold as to claim that I was actually the best at this game in my family. I should probably qualify it with JRS was not yet walking when I mastered this game, but the best is the best...and that was me. I also remember how cool we thought the game "PONG" was, and how, even my parents, were very into "BEZERK" and "SPACE INVADERS." I do remember how cool it was when PAC-MAN came out. It was a game that one could only play in the arcade, so when it became available to play in your home, things began to get interesting for video game fans across the country. My parents even used to play Atari with our neighbors. That was annoying, because, what were we supposed to do when the grown ups were the ones playing with our toys? ASTROIDS was another that provided hours of entertainment. The graphics of this game were so simple compared to what we see today. The wedge shaped gun in the middle that moved in a circle, at your control, to shoot white or purple blobs that may or may not have been shaped like rocks. There were also the white dots in the back ground that gave the illusion of being in outer space. It was simple, but I thought it was cool!!
Then came the day that my dad brought home an IBM PC jr with a dot matrix printer that was the size of the desk by itself. It had the real floppy floppies and was run using DOS. I remember learning how to program just a little. For example, I would program it for each family member's name. As soon as one entered their name I had it set to give a specific message to each. At one point when dad would enter "John," I would have the computer respond with, "Hey John, I heard your head is so oily you can drill an oil well on it." Nice huh? I bet more parents wish they could have had such a charming child. I was about 12-13 so I can blame it on adolescence. I learned how to type on this computer using a game called Mastertype. The words were in all four corners of the screen inside space ships that were coming toward the center. The goal was to type the word before it blew up your mother ship. It was very fun and I am the typist I am today because of it. The coolest game on the IBM was KINGS QUEST I. To this day, I would love the opportunity to play these games again. I think they have gone as high as KINGS QUEST V. These were fun games. You had to find things, solve puzzles and keep the prince alive until the quest had been completed. I had hours of fun on this game.
Did I say I wasn't into video games when I was a kid? How soon we forget!!
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