Catching, so many things you can catch aren’t there? You can catch a ball, a cold, a bug. You can catch a thought an idea, a stray cat even. When I was a child I used to enjoy catching a ball. Sun would magically stay out longer and we would go to the park, or just in the road in front of the houses and we would play catch.
I have a mitt here, in the closet.. I can see it from where I sit typing right now. It has two old beaten down balls in it, signed by My younger Daughter. Older daughter wouldn’t really play catch but I did use my mitt to help her with Lacrosse. My Son didn’t enjoy baseball, but the middle child… she played softball, pretty good at it too. Signed baseballs proves it, given as gifts.. see the dust It’s been a while, wonder if she has a glove still.
I think as we get older we get a bit nostalgic for simpler times,. Times spent just casually throwing a ball back and forth as a kid, talking about what? I wish I could remember. Years later playing catch with your own kids, still couldn’t tell you what we talked about I remember the time spent though, and the laughter as a ball went by because we missed it. I miss it… but I didnt miss doing it. Make sure you don’t either.
That is the question isn’t it? What am I doing if blogging is dead? Well, long story short, it’s not! Just like quilting and needlepoint and hundreds of other hobbies the hype of the early years may be gone but we still love it. I blog because it lets me spew forth weirdness into the yawning abyss that is the internet. I have friends who blog much more reliably than derive an income from it, in some cases a substantial one. Not me though, I do silly crap or vent. That is alright, it’s whay we are all here!
Toss that blog into the fire.
I enjoy blogging, when I didn’t do the A to Z challenge last year I missed it. I was actually trying to get my text to speech program to work too . I didn’t end up going that route out of sheer overwhelming frustration with the Bells Palsy (tip if you have it, swim goggles when washing hair). I see almost all of my Blogging friends are still here still tip tapping away, blogs are assuredly not dead. With all of the varied events like the A to Z that I am taking part in now there will always be a core group of people, like writing in cursive… or even older calligraphy.
One final thought on the matter. With the news media in the shape it is in perhaps smaller private organizations or individuals, not looking to make a name. People not looking to be an influencer, but rather disseminate accurate truthful information to people. It has gradually and noticeably gotten away from that. For shame.
Yep A is for Anyway for this years A to Z challenge. I need to get a move on and things are difficult as it is so here we go. Ooof – yes indeed, took a year and change off from blogging. Had a hell of a 2023, not one damn thing in that year was good. My Mom passed in January. She had been sick over the Holidays and she just couldn’t recover. We knew it was coming Mom and I had taken steps over the years to settle everything. Everything was said that needed to and everything that had to be done was done… still though That was a hard, hard thing. Two months later I was afflicted with Bells Palsy making everything in my life difficult. Eating, washing, driving, blinking, reading, smiling sleeping… everything. While testing to rule out everything else they found old stroke damage in the learning and memory area of the brain. Over a year now I have Synkinesis from it and go to PT, may need eye surgery and still it won’t ever be right. Oh and the stents they put in to fix my leg… started to fail. So… I don’t have a plan for A to Z this year… but I also don’t want to miss it again. I usually look forward to doing this. Anyway…
I’ll just ramble on for a bit… Looks like my website could use some work too, and what is this new “Block” feature? Seems I have to click more buttons now to do what I want to. All over the place right now… I have to turn my head to read my screen. I don’t even know where the Masterlist for the A to Z challenge is for 2024. It’s ok though I will settle down eventually. What else has changed…
I started to go to the gym to help with the, well everything really. Exercise helps with a lot of problems and there is all this talk of feeling great when you finish a workout. Lies, that’s a pile of poop.. I hate the damn gym. I just left there, I am tired now, that’s it just tired. I changed my diet too, no processed sugars and basically cut out all things white, no white rice, white bread, flour. Now 2024 my bloodwork numbers look ok and I look better even if I didn’t drop much weight. I do feel better though.. so I keep going, even though I HATE IT!
Welp that is all I have for Anyway… just a quick little catch up on why I missed last year. I’ll do my best to visit every person on the master list this year Just like I have every year I participated. Like most things it will take me longer than it used to.
Now starting year 6, Last year I still did this even with everything going on. I hope to hit 1k again this year and I could use everyone’s help. If you have two dollars I’ll take it, that’s 2 more than I had to reach my goal.
For the last Five years I have streamed video games as a charity event for an organization called StackUP! Starting a week before Memorial Day and running until Veterans Day. I Stream games to raise money to support our Veterans and their Families. The fundraiser itself runs for a year at a time but I set aside this time to focus on it. My daughter got me involved in the program and we are on team BTU. The first link is to My Fundraising Page If you are happy just taking my word for it with no other info needed then click away and make a donation, even a dollar helps me get to my goal.
“Founded in 2015 by a combat veteran who personally experienced the positive impact gaming can have — emotionally and psychologically — on veterans, Stack Up is the only charity directly supporting the military and bringing together veterans and civilian supporters through the shared love of video gaming. Stack Up programs provide support and gaming benefits to U.S., NATO, Australian, and New Zealand veterans.” Below are some stories, news and Studies on gaming and it’s effects for people with PTSD. Their work with Suicide prevention and the StOP Initiaitve. StackUp! does so many things. I’m proud to be associated with them even in such a small way as fundraising.
The video’s below are from my Stream last year during Stack Ups Call To Arms. The first video is a 150 player Battle Royal We we’re the winners of that match, beating out 148 other players.This was me and BTU Member EchoEri from Canada winning our first match of the night.
Raft is a nice relaxing game, except when Bruce the Shark comes. I think there was at one point 15 people on our tiny raft that night, this clip is my favorite though 🙂 My Daughter had gone to get some Tea, or maybe get hit in the face with a pie for a donation.
During my Last Call to Arms my Supply Crates went to Wayne and his family. Click the pic to read the story. I want to do more this year if possible and with your help I can.
This next Image is last years totals for the Call to Arms event. 256 supply crates full of games and fun for Veterans and families. Six Air Assualt Events so much good done.
The StOP Initiaitve. is one of the programs I like best, The gaming is great but sometimes people need a person to just listen, to really listen and to me thats what this program is.
So there we have it folks my Late “S” Post for the A to Z Challenge. If you want to hear my voice and see me play games you can find me below doing streams for StackUP! Just Click the Team logo. You can also see us on Twitter at OnlineBtu which is the Squad BTU’s Twitter feed several of us use it. Thank you for following me through the A to Z This year and thank you for reading, please donate and have a wonderful day!
Outside Perception 