PixlBit

In mid-September of last year, I managed to get a decent deal on a used Samsung laptop that has Windows 11, runs decently, and didn't cost too much. So, coupled with the idea of a New Year's resolution and the ownership of a decent laptop, I want to blog here (and on other sites) more often and just get into the effort of writing/posting again. I've fallen out of the habit and i honestly miss it. 

So...how do I sum up what happened or what I've been playing for the past year? Well, I'll start with some highlights right off the top of my head. 

- I'm still employed at my job as a custodian for the University of Arkansas. On my way to approaching 8 years of service. It's been a good job so far.
- Still living in my residence in Prairie Grove, AR for 8 plus years. I pay my rent on time and help out my landlord who operates the local motel in town mostly by herself. We've become good friends over the years and I love living here so I try to stay in her good graces. 
- My family suffered a brutal blow last November when Jennifer, my sister-in-law, lost her battle with liver cancer. It took a toll on her, my brother and my nephew, especially in the past year when she was going in and out of hospitals. She was only a couple of years older than i but repeated chemo treatments just take a toll on the body. Myself and other family members (my parents in particular) did all that we could to accommodate Jenn and my brother, mostly by taking turns looking after the nephew, cleaning their house, preparing meals, etc.
   The funeral service was lovely. She was well-regarded by the community and the church she attended so the turnout was big enough to reach almost full capacity. It truly felt like a celebration of life and we assured my brother and nephew that we'd always be there for them and so we will. Jenn was truly as good and straight as a person could be and I've known nothing but kindness and generosity from her since she and my brother started dating. I still miss her. 

Gaming-wise, I made some notable purchases that could be quality of life.
I upgraded controllers for both my Xbox Series S and PS5. I got good deals on both an Elite Controller and a Dualsense Edge controller. Those are pricey, to be sure, but they are game-changers for me. Better designed and durable and the customization options are great, especially for the DS Edge. Assigning L3 and R3 inputs for the back pedals alone was such a relief. 

While I have dipped my toe into emulation for certain devices (the SNES mini and my DSi) I actually bought an emulation handheld last summer. It's the Miyoo Mini + and while it looks like a GameBoy only slightly bigger than the palm of my hand, it's an emulation beast: NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, Genesis, Master System, Neo Geo, NG Pocket, TurboGrafx 16/PC Engine and some Arcade/MAME roms for good measure. Paid $56 for one on Amazon with a carrying case, purchased a separate micro sd card (since the stock one is reportedly so-so), installed the Onion OS and I've been building up a libary on-the-go for retro titles. I'll get into some highlights in a future post. 

It's nearly 2:30 am as I type this so I'll end it here. I truly hope that life has treated everyone here as well as possible and i hope to converse with all of you more often in the future.

Until then, laterz.