Nostalgic Gaming, a.k.a. Zach Morris died of Cholera

So my last post was six months ago! Whoops. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize my life hasn’t been bloggable during that time. There have been plenty of things go down, but some events are better left unwritten.

But I’ve decided to break my dry spell with this awesomeness. I was reading my favorite blog, Gizmodo, yesterday, when I stumbled across this: Oregon Trail iPhone Game Hands On.

For the young-ins reading this blog (or those who did not grow up playing on Apple II’s during computer class at the school library): The Oregon Trail was an educational game developed back in 1971 by student teachers using a mainframe computer. Honestly, the fact that student teachers even knew how to use a mainframe computer is somewhat impressive – they’re hard to use now! Anywho, the game became so popular that it was sold on floppy disk in 1985 with another updated release in 1991 and again in 2001 (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

The premise of the game was to take you and the family (which you had the opportunity to name) along the Oregon Trail with limited supplies, money and food – which you then collected along the way to get to the final destination. Of course, random people would die off of various diseases or unfortunate accidents, and most likely if you ever played the game, you got to write on your own tombstone final words of wisdom that could be read by others. (Which most immature people would take that as an opportunity to show-off their newly learned vulgar vocabulary from an older sibling. Clearly, I went to a public school.)

It turns out that I shared a common theme with my husband (who went to the elementary school a few blocks down from mine) – we would name our Oregon Trail posse after Saved by the Bell characters. We would also kill too much buffalo – because let’s face it – we enjoyed shooting. Ironically, as much as the settlers did, since they almost wiped them out back in the mid-1800s. And history repeats itself in a school library. Fascinating.

And after reading the review of the Oregon Trail app for my iPhone, I knew it must be mine. My only hesitation was this – it was freakin’ $6. Up to this point, I had never paid for a single app on my iPhone. Maze Finger, Word Warp, Trace, iGolf, iBowl, Air Hockey, Whoppie Cushion (I will never forget eighth grade algebra and putting the whoppie cushion on the teacher’s seat, and it not working… LOL) – and my awesome metronome and tuner app for when I play violin – I grabbed them all for free.

But after discussing the potential purchase with my husband (which was most likely similar to talking with two seven-year-olds – we had reverted back 20 years), I bought it. And I couldn’t be more delighted. Both of us spent the next hour and a half choosing names for the family (Papa, Nana, Justin, Jenni and Walter) – which accidently got deleted when Ashley called to tell me about how awesome the LOST Season 4 finale was (I’m very excited she has blown through the whole series in the matter of a month, BTW) – we ended up sticking with the default names and went on our merry way.

I’ll say this – the hunting, picking fruit, floating the river – is way better than the Apple II version, yet stays true to the original game. While Indians are not narrowly picking off my family (which was apparently PC back in the 80s… but not in the 00’s), one of the children did get carried off by a bald eagle and was found two days later in a tree.

I’m still on the trail – and I’m doing this in easy mode until I get the hang of it – but all in all, I’d say this game is worth every penny – just because I can sit there and play it with my husband while we talk about the old version and reminisce about the olden days. We sound like we’re already 75 apparently ;)

So if you went to elementary school in MISD – or remember playing this game at school back in the day, grab the game on the iPhone. Better yet, if you are a true dork, download the original version for the Apple II here for free: http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=gmfiles.detail&id=128. Reading the comments even reminded me that it was a two-disk floppy game! Ah, the memories!

And if you were one of the punks that would leave the vulgar tombstones – now you’re free to do that in the comfort of your own living room without fear of a goodie two-shoes (i.e. ME) ratting you out to the school librarian.

“RIP Zack Morris. You were so hot and I wanted to marry you, even though I’m only 11.”

Hurt so good…

After a particularly grueling day of activities at the office (got there at 7:45, left a few minutes before 7… and there was still traffic on MOPAC – go home to your families people!), I came home to a glorious site.

Justin, who will be referred to in this posting as “Man-Wife”, spent the day at home taking care of household chores.

Let me back up to 7:00 a.m. that morning. After getting up earlier (6:00 a.m.) to do some work, and watch Saved by the Bell (the one where Screech and the rest of the gang competes in a beauty pageant), I thought a more gentler approach to waking up “Man-Wife” would be to talk to him until he started talking back, instead of resetting the alarm.

After about two minutes, I begin to get a little agitated, as I need to get to work. Finally he rolls over and says, “I’m going to take a vacation day.”

I was mad, I’ll admit it. I had so much stuff on my plate for work that day, to just hear someone passively dismiss work was upsetting, mainly because I can’t do the same. Call it selfish, childish, rude – I’m all three.

So his butt gets up long enough to e-mail his boss on my still-running computer, and goes back to bed, and Walter follows him to pass out.

But luckily “Man-Wife” went to Central Market for groceries during his day off, and by the time I got home, this gorgeous meal was waiting for me. I mean, Spinach penne pasta, sun-dried tomato sauce, with chunks of fhicken (fake-chicken), topped with three different cheeses. I mean, literally, I walked in the house with a hug and a kiss, food on the table, and a “Man-Wife” who loves me.

Now I know why men like their women at home.

So after that adventure, we go for our weekly (or bi-weekly… just depends on the mood) massages at Massage Envy. There is this couples room, and I always feel more comfortable hanging with “Man-Wife”. Plus, this was the first time I had a guy working on me.

Male massage therapists are probably the most under-utilized. For men getting a massage, to be worked on by another male is insulting to your so-called “manhood.” For women, especially if you are dating or married, it just doesn’t seem right that this guy is getting access to your body typically reserved for your significant other.

But after yesterday’s adventure, I’ll be using male massage therapists for the rest of my life! I’ve never been in so much “good-pain” in my life. I mean, he was tearing into me. I’m so sore today. And being in the same room as “Man-Wife” didn’t make it awkward, because if he tried to cop a feel, I could just be like, “Man-Wife!” and scantly-clad “Man-Wife” lying on the table next to me could save the day. HAHA. What a visual.