Down the Tubes - My Jams!

A while back I wrote an article about videos on youtube that I love!  When reading through that article I realized something: I freaking love youtube.  It is such an interesting place to get a wide array of talent and content. It's not a perfect place either.  Personally I feel that the copyright claim hammer come down a little too hard on us nobodies and it can make it very hard to establish yourself, but believe it or not, that's also why I love youtube.  We have an amazing task of helping shape this large entity that everyone knows about.  We can influence this place.  We can make it grow with us.  Yeah, I'm being overly rosey right now.  It's just nice to have someplace to go when you need to turn off.  That brings us to today.  I have collected some of the more musical videos I go to when I need to jam out.  I hope you enjoy!

"Five Nights at Freddy's: The Musical - Night 1 (Feat. Markiplier)" Random Encounters 

I'm not sure if you've heard of this one game, it's fairly popular these days.  It's called Five Nights at Freddy's.  Heard of it?  Seriously though, FNAF has blown up on youtube and has inspired many Let's Plays and spoofs!  My favorite by far is the Five Nights at Freddy's musical by Random Encouters!  Their channel has created MANY of my favorite musical spoof of famous games, characters and pop culture and boy to they deliver here!  Also, it features a youtuber you may know named Markiplier!  I find this musical especially near and dear to my heart because Markiplier is by far my favorite Let's Player and his play through of Five Nights at Freddy's 2 was my first real introduction to his channel!  I'm happy to say I haven't looked back!  With a catchy tune and a fun misunderstanding, this musical is sure to tug and your heart strings and tickle your funny bone!  Give it a watch and try not to sing along!

 "Titenic: The Jontron Song" Jontron (ft.Schmoyoho)

I will be completely level with you about this song: I'm addicted.  At first I was confused.  Then I was charmed.  Then I was addicted and I've been listening at LEAST five times a week.  Jontron is my favorite video game reviewer and with good reason!  His comedy, editing, and reviewing is full of passion and polish!  Sure, many people are irritated that his content doesn't come out as rapidly as many youtubers, but his skill in video creation always makes it worth the wait!  Titenic is his collaboration with musical act Schmoyoho and takes you through a rendition of his priceless review of the Titanic video games.  It captures Jontrons random humor and layered jokes in a perfect blend!  Take a dive into this video and taste the perfect concoction that is Jontron!  Note for Jontron: Always take your time!  You're lovely, deary!

"Luigi's Ballad" Starbomb

Is it normal if whenever this song comes on my husband and I break into joyful song?  We seriously considered playing this song at our wedding, but it had one too many curse words to make it "wedding appropriate".  Starbomb is catching, magically catchy.  I strongly recommend that if you enjoy this song you check out their entire album.  It will take you down nostalgia lane with many clever winks to the games we all grew up with and loved.  Then show it to your friends and then their friends.  Before you know it, you will have sing-a-longs in no time!

"Word Crimes" "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic really speaks for himself.  His lyrics are to tight and perfectly put together to the point that I think he might be a wizard or at least a musical genius.  Word Crimes takes a very detailed look into the common fumbles committed in the English language.  If you find yourself constantly bashing your head against the wall because of your friend's frightening grammar, this song is a love letter to you!

"Romeo and Juliet vs Bonnie and Clyde, Epic Rap Battles of History Season 4" ERB

I love so much how youtubers work together on so many projects!   Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig are two creators full of talent and laughs and they bring their A-Game to their appearance in Epic Rap Battle! Two iconic couples take jabs at each other to see not only who's love is strong, but who's rhymes are fiercer!  With quick, clever lyrics and side-splitting performances, this rap is sure to leave you giggling!

I hope you all enjoyed another look down the tubes with me!  I have to say that writing about Youtube has become one of my favorite topics.  I am in the process of creating a more consistent writing schedule and doing my best to stick to it!  I'm also hoping to create more of my own youtube videos soon.  I am just struggling because I only have my web camera to use and my old computer has been causing some issues with the quality of the videos.  Multiple times I have created vlogs only to discover something caused the lips syc to be completely off.  If you have suggestions for a reasonable camera I can get, please leave a comment down below!

Tootles!

Good Morning World!

Another day, another dollar, another holiday break done.  This morning it is raining and I have to go back to work.  This post won't be particularly focused or nerdy.  I just need to get some wheels turning and let you (whoever is out there) know that I am officially taking a big step.  I am writing a novel.

I don't know how many details I will share on here, but this blog may become a dumping grounds for warm ups and journaling every-so-often.  I've let my anxiety get in the way a few times lately and prevent me from writing.  It's so strange when something you were once so passionate about becomes a major source of stress.  But I see it as that I have two options: 1. Move on from writing and be okay with it.  OR 2. Get over my pressure to be perfect and just have fun.

Too bad having fun is not something I naturally do.

Let's get back to happy things.  I have started writing a book.  The funny thing is that the idea from the story did come from a nerdy origin.  I have been watching a lot of Markiplier lately and I'm particularly fond of his RPG horror let's plays.  He mentioned a RPG maker that many of the games were created on.  Turns out my husband had got a free version of RPG maker in a humble bundle a while back.  I've played with it a few times and created a little beach map.  I started thinking of a story to take place on that beach and the story that resulted was very interesting.  In fact, it was so interesting I decided it be best placed into a book.  So here we are!  I have the basic idea for the story (it's a scary one) and I have the first few pages written.  The biggest challenge is starting and stopping.  I haven't attempted a novel sized story in many years, so I'm still getting my flow back.  I am finding it so inspiring to talk about writing right now.  Maybe I will create a section of this blog where I talk about writing.  Would anyone like that?

Then again, I'm not sure if anyone is reading this anymore.  But at least I still have my void.

More writing updates to come!

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Babbles of a Fan Girl - What I've Learned in the "Real World"

You may have not noticed because I'm so subtle about it, but I haven't been happy with the direction my career has gone post college.  The other day I was scanning through my old blogs, trying to get some inspiration for future articles and I stumbled upon this adorable, little gem as seen here. Could three years really have changed and bittered my perspective on the real world so much?  Since that article I have worked two jobs: one in promotions/marketing and the other in sales/event planning.  And what have I learned?  Well let's dive into that.

I wanted to put a minion here, so I did.

All That Glitters is Not Gold 
It's pretty simple and I don't think this lesson needs much fleshing out.  If a job seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.  Oh! And do NOT, I repeat DO NOT ever work somewhere you appreciated as a child.  Chances are you will run into a place that crushes you image of what you thought that business to be like when you were a child.  It will make you angry and resentful and you will spend a few years wishing you could make it better only to realize it was a ship sinking long before you ever got on it.  It sucks. Speaking of when things suck....

NO! Not THAT!
(PS: NEVER Google "sexy vacuum")

If Your Work Life Suck, Improve Your Personal Life 
After wedding wrapped up I knew I needed to get back into blog writer ASAP.  Why?  Because I needed a task to make me feel fulfilled in the way work never could.  I try to focus on writing, reading, and just enjoying the internet.  I have a dog and a husband that I will spend many a night with cooking dinner and watching shows on the couch.  I have friends (yeah, who would have guessed that!) and I see them often on the weekend. In short, I have a kickass personal life and that helps balance things out.  If you don't feel good about your day job, do yourself a favor and figure out what you need to make your life at home grand.  Which brings me to my next point:

Get A Hobby 
You know how so many cranky, old people below, "GET A JOB!"?  Well I do the same thing with hobbies.  If you are feeling crappy because you come home from a draining job and just stare at the wall, dreading going to work the next day, it's time to get a hobby.  Ask my husband if you need help coming up with an activity to do.  The man collect hobbies like some people collect bobble heads, and he's damn good at every hobby he undertakes.  Do you know why?  Because he treats every hobby with precision and dedication.  The same precision and dedication you would apply to a day job.  If work has you down and feeling like your brain is turning to the green mush from Troll 2, it's time to get passionate about something!

Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

You Probably Won't Make Money from Your Hobbies....and That's Okay!
I used to think that my blog and youtube channel would one day make me famous enough that I wouldn't have to ever do anything but the two for the rest of my life.  That really is my ultimate dream, to make my art for a living.  I often stop and remind myself though that that is a privilege that few people get.  It requires a raw talent, determination, and dash of dumb luck that very few get.  Plus you can't be lazy.  You can't come home from work and just mindlessly type for a few hours and hit "post". It requires turning your hobby from a hobby to a part-time job. Not that there is anything wrong with trying to turn something like this blog into a business, but not at the point that your creation process suffers.  There was a point where I wasn't writing because I thought the topics I wanted to cover weren't "marketable" enough.  And that's just dumb.  I had some people reading and that was more than enough.  It I start worrying about every schmuck that comes here to read I will probably have an aneurism.  So maybe you will manage to make your hobby turn into a business and maybe you won't.  Just don't let your hobbies suffer because you put a paycheck like and asterisk next to it.  Remember why you started that hobby, because you like it, because it keeps you sane, because it's an escape from that pesky job you've been trying not to think about all morning.  So that's what I've learned.  Work can suck, work can shatter your perception on the real world but it can lead you to doing great things.  Just don't let those escapes turn into another job you resent and dread.

Here's to hoping that something good is around the bend!

My inner Disney Princess is still hoping

Tootles!


Xoxo

Is Being a Nerd a Hobby or Lifestyle?

It's that magical time of the year, E3, where countless video game news becomes known to the general public.  A few years ago, I would have been glued to my computer screen, gleefully watching the announcements in real time.  Now, I have a 9 to 5 job and the best I can manage is to read news articles or (better yet!) watch my Twitter feed for others reactions.  This has left me feeling pretty bummed.  It's no surprise that I kinda, sorta, really hate my job and missing out on E3 is just the icing on the cake.  I know what you're thinking, why am I not catching up or watching coverage after work.  Well, I have run into and interesting situation that I hope to further discuss today.

Picture this, I come home after a long day of being nagged on the phone by people I will probably never meet in real life.  I'm tried.  I kick off my flats, feed my dog, and settle on the couch to check Facebook.  Some nights I then proceed to make dinner.  Other nights I help my husband cook.  We finish making our meal and settle on the couch again to catch up on whatever series we are watching.  We either are sucked into shows to the rest of the night or then try to get things related to our hobbies done, but keep in mind, we are both very tired.  Some nights I need to clean.  Mounds of laundry, begging to be folded are calling to me as I type this very sentence.  There is vacuuming and dishes and scrubbing and sweeping.  There is a pup that needs play time.  There is my tired mind that just wants to sit down, turn off, and watch youtube for a few hours.  I've been musing over why a lot of my nerdy hobbies have fallen to the side.  Am I getting lazy?  Yes, yes I am.  Am I sick of being a nerd? No, never...it's just....

I feel like I don't have the time to be a nerd anymore.

When I first had this thought I then thought I was being ridiculous! I should always have time to be who I am!  I am a nerd!  But then, as my over active mind usually does, I had another thought.  Is being a nerd my hobby or is it my lifestyle?  I can say that right now I am not doing the normal nerdy activities I usually would be doing. Does that make me stop being a nerd?  Have I lost touch with my roots if I'd rather read "Gone Girl" right now instead of the Game of Thrones books?

In my defense I think Flynn and Martin might be cousins

Do I need to cash in my nerd card if I've dedicated the last year of my life to my wedding instead of writing the next great American novel?

I continued this panic for sometime.  Maybe it was time to close up shop, start watching the Bachelorette like so many of my coworkers, and get some highlights.  Luckily, I'm getting better at calming my personal panic.  Yes, the last year of my life I have put many of my normal passions in the backseat.  Writing, reading, my crafts, they are all hobbies, but they are all part of who I am. Being a nerd, just like those activities, isn't something I do just for fun. Well, yes, I do research and learn nerdy things because I think it's fun, but it goes so much deeper than that.  Being a nerd is a culture.  It is being a part of a community of likeminded individuals.  It is a form of express.  It is a passion.  I am a nerd not because it passes the time, I am a nerd because it gives me a place where I belong.  My focus has been elsewhere but I am happy to settle back into my routine.  A year or so of routine change will take a while to adjust.  Also, I have a life beyond being a nerd.  Being a nerd is just one patch that makes up me.  It's a big patch, I am happy to say!

What do you think?  Are you a nerd because it's a hobby?  Do you see it as a lifestyle?  Or is it something more?  Let me know!

It's good to be back!

Tootles!

A Fresh Start

I am officially a married woman.  Well, I was over a week ago, but it doesn't strike me to update all forms of social media with the details the same way is does many other people my age.  So long story short, I am married and it was a perfect, perfect day.  I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better husband.  My little life is getting so wonderful!

I've been reading "Gone Girl" a story that shows the exact opposite of marital bliss.  Normally a book like this would make me panic.  "How long until our relationship is this horrible?" or "When is everything going to go wrong?" but no.  I am learning to just let myself be happy.

Now if I only had the day job to match my personal life.

Now that wedding planning is done, I'm realizing how much I need writing again.  I can't wake up and comb wedding blogs for creative ideas.  In fact, I have been avoiding wedding blogs for fear that I will never let go of them.  So what do I do now?  Besides clean my horror of house, that is.  Writing!  I can finally write again!  I have the energy.  I have a writers group I have been a part of for some time now, so I have people pushing me (and boy Alex does that too).  I have FREETIME!  But yet again, here is another introspective post with nothing to do with the content I've promised for this blog.  Am I never going to be a nerd again?!?

No, I'm almost fully past that phase.  I like being a nerd.  I love writing about nerd stuff.  Am I always going to talk about it?  Maybe not.  I am going to branch out!  I still don't have a clear idea of where I am going, but I have a few experiments up my sleeves!

So let's start fresh.  My name is Patchwork (or Alex).  I am 24 years old and I am married to the love of my life (he is also named Alex).  We have a pup named Willie who sleeps like a donut.  My favorite video game is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I danced to Zelda's Lullaby with my father at my wedding.  I am very short, perky, and creative.  I want to change the world with my writing.  Is that a lot to ask for?  I hope you will stick around.

For now tootles!
xoxo!

Being a Big Girl

So, I am getting married in 19 days o_O

My life has been such a fast paced blur this last year.  There has been so much good!  There has been so much stress!  There has been so much creative exploration!  But alas, me using all my creative energy towards the wedding and other outlets doesn't help this blog or my youtube channel.  I'm so tried lately.  Every time I try to write here I feel cornered by the topic of being a "nerd".  It's like my brain for some reason thinks that's not a big enough topic to cover.  Or maybe more honestly it is that the subject is so saturated to the point that I feel like a thumb print on a subway window, sure it's a completely unique design, but that doesn't take away all the other unique print smudged all across the glass.

I'm rambling...again. "Sigh" -_-

Most of my writing has been short stories and poems.  Things I don't feel 100% okay posting because people have warned me leads to copywriting nightmares.  Oh copyrights....my bane and my savior.

I'm so sleepy and it's only 7:13 p.m. right now....ugh.

I've asked before what people want to see from me....but I think I've been gone too long.  The small group I had gathered has branched off to other places, which is deservedly fitting.  I'm still waiting for someone to tell me the right thing to do, my worst habit.  

So do I have any answers?   I'm not sure.  Is it time for a fresh start?  Maybe.

I'm too sleepy to make any forever, big girl decisions.  Why can't I just be a big girl?  I'm getting married soon!  Shouldn't I have everything figured out?  Why hasn't my life path landed in front of me like Dorothy's house freshly plucked from Kansas?

There is one conclusion I have made so far in all of my musing sessions: I am not meant to be a critic.  I think I've just spent too much time creating to art to objectively take others works apart.  Even things I absolutely hate, I usually note good things quietly in the back of my mind along with a grudge.    But if I'm not a critic, than what am I?  I know I'm deep down a storyteller, but there are only so many nerdy stories that happen to me that I can tell you about.  That honey pot will eventually run out.  I could do creative writing, but should I be trying to get that published?  I don't know.  Any thoughts?  Anyone?

I want to fall asleep.

I often hope my dreams will give me answers.  Instead my dreams bluntly tease and torture me.   I'm not kidding.  After recalling a dream to my fiance he chimed "Wow, you're too hard on yourself even in your sleep."  Why can't I just think pretty thoughts.  I'm tried of being angry all the time.  I'm tired of being scared.  I'm tried of being worried.  All three are emotions that have throbbed in me for as long as I can remember.  But how do I learned another way?

This is just another time out of tones and tones of times where I feel ready for change, but get tangled up in the doing so.  I need a push.

It's still too early to go to bed.  I went to bed at 7:30 p.m. last night, that's how tired I was.

Just a few more hours, then bed.

I hope a few of you are still out there.  I don't know where I'm going, but I'm still moving.

Xoxo