Computer Games Anyone?

I started playing video games in the early 1980s with an Atari 2600. Since then, I’ve always had games. I had them on Apple II/e, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear, Windows PC (1995 until now), and iPhone.  I think my favourites are on the PC.

The games I like to play the most are Sims 2, SimCity 4, and EA Sports NHL series (I have 2004 and 2009). I’ve also enjoyed playing the Myst series, and I have Civilization V, though I haven’t installed it. In fact, I don’t have a single game on this computer. I just never bothered installing them. But I’m getting the itch again. I think this is what I’ll do.

First, I’ll install Sims 3. I have it, but my wife is the one who always played it, while I had Sims 2. I prefer Sims 2, though. But Windows 8.1 doesn’t like CD based games. I’ll give Sims 3 a try, since my wife now has the Japanese edition.

Second, I’ll install Civilization V. I really have to see if it’s as good as many people have said.  I have Civilization III, as well.

Third, I want to install SimCity 4, because I love developing cities. Unfortunately, my CDs have a bunch of gunk on them, because my daughter got hold of them a year and a half ago after she’d eaten.  I need to figure out how to clean them.

Do you play any games?

Going to the Embassy Is Always an Adventure

Someone is asleep. She wasn’t always like this today. We went to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. It’s in a nice neighbourhood called Akasaka, which is known for its embassies. It’s near the high class Omotesando shopping area and the popular Roppongi, which has many bars that cater to foreigners, especially Americans.

But our day was at the embassy. It was definitely an adventure in parenting. This is what I had to deal with.

First, she kept singing. In the train, in the post office, in the embassy. Not quietly, but loudly. Second, she demanded to stand up on the train. And then loudly complained when I put her back on the seat. And she did this many times. Third, she played with the cover of her stroller, the one to block out sun and rain. She pulled on it so hard while I was talking with the embassy staff that it broke. It’s not possible to fix it. That’s when I had it with her behaviour. The problem is, she didn’t listen. She was very stubborn today. When she saw I was angry, she finally said sorry. I then told her that she broke the stroller, and she started crying. The staff offered her a toy to play with and she just threw it on the floor.

On our way out, she told me she pooped. We went to the bathroom to change her, but she hadn’t pooped at all. We left the embassy and as we walked to the station, she told me she pooped. Another check and nope. No poop.

She fell asleep on the train, so the rest of our trip home should be uneventful.

There were some positives, though. A high school boy waved at her on the train and she waved back. Some high school girls kept looking at her and saying she was soooooo cute. And at Aoyama-itchome Station, we had to get up to street level through what is a maze-like station. Many stairs up and down. She can walk up and down stairs very naturally now. No more carrying her up or down!

At least we should look at the positives even if it was a trying day.