Aug 19
2008

The Calm Before The Storm

by SickNdehed in AMMIH IRL, Wedding

I realize it’s been really quiet around here. We’re trying to get all our little invisible ducks in a row. lol Really the truth is we probably know as much about the wedding as you do . The only solid thing at this point is the date. I’ve designed some save the dates to be printed as magnets. I’ll be sending them out to people on our guest list shortly. Here’s a picture for those that may not be on the guest list.

It\'s right around the corner...

PsychoVandal and I are meeting with a photographer on Friday to discuss engagement photos. I’m hoping we can do something cute and gamer-ish to go with our theme. I’ll try to write more about that soon. I’ll certainly post any new photos in the A Match Made In Halo flicker page. You can find links to us on various websites in the sidebar to your left. Be sure to check them out if you haven’t already.

It’s past midnight, work and school for tomorrow have been canceled due to Tropical Storm Fay. It’s actually relatively quiet at the moment. I don’t hear any wind or rain beating against my apartment windows. It seemed like a really good time for an update just in case we lose power sometime during the storm. I’m really hoping it doesn’t ‘intensify in intensity’. I had to deal with my computer failing earlier this week due to another bad stick of RAM, and was forced to part with it for 4 days while Geek Squad worked hard (pfff!) to repair it. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I ended up reading the entire Twilight Saga to keep my brain occupied. If you heart vampires as much as I do you may want to check it out, but I digress. I don’t have anything else as enthralling to submerse myself in should we lose power. I’m hoping Fay remains a Tropical Storm or perhaps gets demoted to a Tropical Depression….. I’m rambling aren’t I? I tend to do that when I’m hungry :Sigh: I think a run for the border may be in order.

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Jul 20
2008

The Married Gamers

by SickNdehed in AMMIH IRL, Gaming

Married Gamers… that is what PsychoVandal and I wish to be. I’ve actually found myself reading a lot about marriage and relationships lately. I guess knowing how to keep my partner happy through years of marriage are important to me. PsychoVandal and I both agreed that getting married was something we only wanted to do once. I’m sure you think that sounds like common sense but marriage statistics today tell a completely different story. So here are a few tips for helping your relationship which you may or may not already know about:

1. Accept each other for who you are – If you’re constantly asking your partner to change their style of music, the way they dress, who their friends are, or to grow up and stop playing video games, chances are this person is not for you. Asking someone to change everything about themselves to accommodate you not only makes no sense, but it’s unhealthy and draining for both parties. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend that same energy finding someone who already IS all that? I’ve heard far too many stories that begin with “My wife gets upset when I play video games…” The misery these poor men have to endure! :Sigh: It brings a tear to my eye every time.

2. Give Each Other Space – You may not think so, but everyone needs time to recharge their batteries. Being by yourself is important because it helps you learn about yourself. If you know who you are and what you like, you’re less likely to be manipulated by the person that only wants to change you (see #1). Additionally, spending time apart actually helps you appreciate the time you spend together. You learn not only to understand the relationship you’re in, but also the relationships you share with friends and family. Having you’re own friends is EXTREMELY important. When you each have your own friends it helps facilitate spending time apart.

3. Communication – Here’s a big one. Anyone that’s close to me has to know how true this is. I have TONS of wacky unbelievable stories which all leave people asking “What?!?! How is that possible?!?! How did you convince them to be ok with that?!?!? And they weren’t upset!?!?” The answer is communication. From the outside it may seem like I have some insane mind control powers but the truth is I know how to effectively communicate my thoughts and emotions. This is by no means an easy task! It’s taken me years to learn the art of effective communication (which I continue working on everyday) but I’m extremely glad I have. Effective communication means less arguments, understanding each other better, which leads to providing the things your partner wants and needs (and that = Happiness).

4. Sharing common interests – Equally as important as spending time apart is of course spending time together. They say opposites attract when it comes to relationships but does it also keep couples together? People are happy when they do things they enjoy (there goes that common sense again.) This is amplified when you share what you enjoy with someone you care about that enjoys it too! It’s difficult to strengthen your bond if you can’t find someone you like doing together. For PsychoVandal and I it’s cooking, crafting (don’t tell him I told you that) and of course gaming.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to find out we weren’t the only gamer couple out there. It was probably a little less than a month ago that I received an XBL message from MrsLeftyBrown. She apparently found me through a mutual friend on my list.

MrsLeftyBrown and her husband LeftyBrown have their own gaming website and weekly podcast; The Married Gamers. You can catch their live podcast on Saturdays at 7 pm EST on their U Stream Channel. I had the pleasure of listening to several of their podcasts and both Psycho and I thoroughly enjoy them. They even have a ‘Mailbag’ segment where they read and answer emails they’ve received… So I sent one.

PsychoVandal and I are mentioned in their 50th podcast! Listen to it here: http://www.themarriedgamers.net/?p=500

Be sure to check out their other great podcasts, and remember, couples that play together stay together! =)

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Jul 14
2008

WANTED: Selfless PHP Guru

by SickNdehed in AMMIH IRL

I noticed a while back that the blog isn’t posting comments properly. I spent some time trying to fix the issue but I’m not that familiar with PHP. It gives an accurate comment count, states the author and date but leaves out the comment. A very peculiar error indeed. Posting on the wordpress forums proved to be pointless. I posted three times and four weeks later there are still no reponses.

Soo…. If you’re really good at PHP, like our website and think you can fix our little bug, we’d greatly appreciate your help. =) Just send an email to Guardians@AMatchMadeInHalo.com

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Jul 07
2008

A Quickie

by SickNdehed in AMMIH IRL

NEWSFLASH: SickNdehed is finally in Orlando!

After a 24 hour drive and over $500 in gas I’m finally back in Orlando with my honey bunny – ahem, I mean PsychoVandal. I should be more careful about what I call him. He has a reputation to uphold after all.

I realize it’s been a while since the last time I’ve written. However, I expect much to change from here on out. We still have a lot of unpacking to do but I’m not worried about it. The hours here are so much more productive for me. I’ve actually spent the last half hour writing a list of things I’d like to accomplish tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll at least get half of it done. At the top of my list is properly updating this blog. There is lots to tell! I’ve got some pictures too!

Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know we’re still alive and kicking. I will post more very soon.

Hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July!

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Jun 12
2008

Wedding Deposit Box

by SickNdehed in Geekery, Wedding

Shortly after getting engaged, I assigned Psychovandal the task of saving up for our wedding (while I save up for a down payment on our house). I thought it would help get the ball rolling and make it easier for him if he had a really large container to begin depositing loose change in. Obviously I don’t expect to save up for the entire wedding solely on loose change, but I wanted to give him a little something to get him excited.

:enter Etsy Alchemy: Etsy.com is an online marketplace that allows artists to sell their hand made artwork, supplies, and materials (there’s even a vintage section too!) I’ve been designing and selling cards and stationery on Etsy for over a year now. Alchemy was inactive when I originally joined but has since been revived with much fervor. This feature allows you to post a custom listing requesting a hand made item. Artisans then bid on your listing. After reviewing all bids received, you can chose 1 or more Artisans to create your item.

A little over a week ago I created an Alchemy listing requesting a personalized Wedding Piggy Bank. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I accepted 3 different bids. Each one was unique in it’s own way and I just couldn’t resist. Only one of the three piggy banks have been completed and shipped so far. I expect Psycho will be getting it in the mail today.

Wedding Deposit Box (Inside)ThingsThatShine is a talented Etsy jewerly maker that offered to decoupage a wooden box for us. I’ve completely fallen in love with the inside of the box and am very happy with how it turned out. Visit our flickr page to check out pictures of our new Wedding Deposit Box from different angles. I can’t wait to see what the other two artists come up with! I’ll post pictures as soon as I get them.

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Jun 06
2008

Wii Fit is IT!

by SickNdehed in Gaming

For the last year I’ve been trying to change my eating habits. I’ve been steadily losing weight though reluctant about exercising. I can blame asthma, my lack of decent sports equipment, or the blazing Florida sun. But deep down I know it’s just pure laziness on my part. I also realize I’d probably be losing double the weight, in addition to sleeping better, if I just started exercising. So why haven’t I? Probably because I haven’t found anything with a lasting fun factor… till now that is.

About a month ago I started listening to the “Give Me My Game!” podcasts on myspace. They announced a contest during one of their podcasts. It consisted of naming the movie a particular song was from. Surprisingly, I won. The prize was a limited edition Legend of Zelda cell art print and a green Wii Fit wristband. Wii fit? hurr? I must have been living under a hole (in a hole?) because up until winning that wristband I had no idea what Wii Fit was.

After a little googling and a few minutes later, I realized I had to have it. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a fun factor rating of 5. The hoola hoop game is one of my Aerobic favorites. I think I’d actually consider buying a hoola hoop at this point if I actually knew where to get one. Sadly though, I quickly discovered I can hoola to the left but not to the right. I was told for most people it’s the other way around. WTF?

My second favorite is the Soccer Ball Dodge. I mean where else can you have that much fun working out your love handles while dodging flying Panda heads?

One of the best features has to be the fact that the Wii Fit board can calculate your weight, BMI, training and weight loss progress. There are currently four different training categories; Aerobic, Yoga, Strength Training and Balance. Yoga is definitely much harder than I was expecting it to be. I haven’t ventured into the strength training so I can’t really say much about that.

As you play the mini games you earn time that is later deposited into your Fitness Piggy Bank. After earning a certain amount of time you begin unlocking more and more mini games. I’ve only had Wii Fit for a week but I’ve been pretty excited and consistent about playing. Hopefully that means I can still reach my weight loss goals by my birthday.

So if you’re a lazy fool like me, and have been looking for a good excuse to exercise, Wii Fit is IT!

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