The Length of Your Axe

It’s a down week.  Not much is happening here in China, which is human and merciful as it is all rather relentless otherwise.  The U.S. of course, isn’t off and as with the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving, there is no rest.  And the habitrail of my to-do list seems to be grow faster than I can retire the new items added this week. 

It’s as good a time as any to hack a zombie to death or die trying.  In the other room my younger one has her new game up and running boldly on the TV projector's wall.  Generally I avoid whatever is being broadcast in there. Generally I avoid playing any such game.  But out of a sense of duty, as much as anything I park my butt on the couch and ask for a controller.   "How do you use this thing?"

Bloodborne is a rather violent “game” as they all seem to be.  There is no world where you run into strangers and do anything else, it seems, but kill them or be killed by them. I spend the first five minutes swinging at nothing and trying to master motions on the controller.  "Why are you looking up at yourself?"  I have the infants view.  "You need to look up and forward."  "How do I do that?  What does this do?"  I swing at nothing.  "And this?"  I duck and spin.  “How did you extend the length of your axe like that?”  She shows me. 

I head off and meet the first hapless zombie who I manage to maul.  I maul another one by wildly swinging my axe alternately ducking and leaning in.  And I am feeling very good about the fact that I am still standing.  The next meanie kills me quickly and this is unfortunate. My character even gives a little groan.  I try a second time and don’t even make it past the first zombie.  Well, there you go.  Killed some living dead, but retired nothing from my list.  

Friday, 10/06/17