ExtraLife Game Day 2016

Just like last year, I'm using this event to start off another vacation week.  I love my ability to plan, sometimes.  Like last year, I may have slept through some of my alarms (in my defense, I thought I had an 8:00, an 8:20, and an 8:30am alarm set... but I apparently didn't have the 8:30 one on).  So, I am getting started slightly later than anticipated... but 10:30 isn't too bad.

If you are interested in donating or checking out my fundraising for the year, please do so here:  Zadrya's Personal ExtraLife 2016 Fundraising Page.  I'm about $100 away from my $500 goal, and it's not too late to help out!

I will be continuing to blog throughout the day, just as before.  However, I will also be posting on Facebook (maybe with a video or two) and sharing these posts here as well.  I do also have a PetCube (which would be the only way I can essentially "life-stream"), so if you are interested in this opportunity, just contact me, and if I'm comfortable with you watching over my shoulder, I'll get you set up in the app to do so from your phone.  (You get the added bonus of being able to interact with the cat and dog while I'm away at work.)  I also have a Twitch account that I just set up, so I'm going to be learning how to use that once I start up the XBox One (thanks to my lovely boyfriend's birthday gift).

@11:00am: While enjoying a nice vanilla-orange smoothie and a side of coffee, I decided to wrap up a series I've been working on before moving to something new:  Mass Effect 3.  I am in love with this series (many thanks to Jackie for making me get started with it in the first place) and the depth of the story.  [Side Note:  I did apply to become a voice actor for the new Mass Effect: Andromeda... so keeping my fingers crossed that I may be a bounty hunter in that one.]  But, for now, I'm busy kicking some Reaper butt and romancing Kaidan along the way (I failed to woo Garrus in the second game.  :(  )

@3:30pm: I have two things to say at this point in the game:  1) THANE!  :'( and 2) Kaidan! <3

@5:58pm: Thank goodness for pre-cooking from that Blue Apron shipment the other night--I just had a delicious meal (roasted chicken, apple, butternut squash, and golden potatoes) while reading through Shepard's "emails."  I can't believe I've already been playing for almost 7 hours now.  About a quarter of the way in, and the story for Mass Effect 3 continues to draw me in (even though I died at least 3 times during this time frame...).

@7:34pm: O.O  The game just froze as I was completing a quest in the hospital on the Citadel, and when I restarted the system, I got an error message that there may be a corrupted file.  Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

@12:21am: Ok... so that was a little bit of a false alarm, but still gave me a good scare.  More than halfway through it by now!  I had to finish off a few quests again, but the game was intact after a reset.  I also didn't realize I wasn't as close to being done as I thought.  More flying around the galaxy for me... I suppose...

@6:15am: Starting to crash and burn.  My vision is getting blurry and the bed is calling my name... almost there... and I can only hope I don't have dreams like Commander Shepard does--those are creepy!  Kind of regretting that I started an hour later than planned... gotta keep pushing on, though!  The end is near.

@11:21am: That was one of the best showers ever... now, the next 24 hour period will be filled with random nap-attacks, writing up my thank yous, and finishing off the Reapers.  I'm one of those people who can only play a single sprawling, epic story-based game at a time... so I've been putting off all sorts of other games, like The Witcher, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Dragon Age off so that I can finish this one.  There's also a certain sadness to completing a series, so I switch to a bunch of little indie games in between each main one.  Even if you aren't a gamer, you know that feeling--when you finish a good book and you know it's over.  *sigh*  Off to make more coffee and try to normalize out my daily pattern again!
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11/14/16 @12:30pm:  I wanted to take a few minutes to thank everyone who donated this year--friends, family, and co-workers.  As always, a special shout-out to my mom and her company, Andler Bottle Co., as they have always been one of the biggest supporters of this event.  Si-Si, you were far too generous this year--but we love you for it!

Although I finished off a little shy of my $500 goal, it's nothing to be ashamed about.  I currently sit at $425... with a total 5-year grand total of $1683 for the Boston Children's Hospital.  Here's to another successful year, and I hope we can continue to spread the word about this event!

Thank you again from myself and on behalf of the Extra Life charity, #FTK (For the Kids, not the standard shorthand of "For the Kill," in this particular case...)
 - Zadrya (Nicole)