Monthly HapPENings: March

*looks up from my laptop* Oh . . . a quarter of 2019 is gone.

. . .

Okay, someone needs to fess up and tell me why you injected this year with super speed serum!

So, for life stuff this month . . . *hems and haws for a while* I dunno, I don't have a big social life, or do anything too extravagant outside of work and chilling at home. I'll see if I can dig a few highlights out of the ol' memory box.

One such special event was that one of my cousins--the same one who invited me to watch Aquaman back in January--texted me and asked if we could hang out again. So we did, by first catching supper at a local restaurant that served some cultural food, as well as other "more normal" dishes. He'd never been, so I insisted that we go. Then we went for a walk afterward for half an hour to an hour or so. The wind was very nippy that evening, and I hadn't worn the proper clothing for it, but we had lots of laughs. We ended by going to a place that had European food, and I had a delicious strawberry cream cheese crepe. We always have a good time nerding out over soundtracks and Marvel and whatever, and I walked away feeling happy and refreshed.

Another occasion was the birthday of Preston, one of my Kiwi buddies. I had messaged his sister, Megan, back in February or maybe even in January about getting him a birthday present. He had totally surprised me with a YouTube video for my birthday that both knocked my socks off and had me laughing very hard, so I wanted to return the favor. I told Megan that I was planning to get him a 2DS XL--which I was fully prepared to pay for myself. She was like, "Well, it turns out that I have no idea what to do for him, so let's split the cost and give it to him as a gift from both of us."

I had no problems with that, so she went out and got him the system, which came pre-installed with Mario Kart 7. When I sent Megan the money, I also sent a birthday card and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (unfortunately, the game was region-locked and he had to send it back). Suffice it to say that he was quite shocked by the gift, and that he's definitely enjoying it!

Aside from that, there were just fun little things like laughing and hanging out with Chloe and Kaitlyn while we watch episodes or play Wii U, talking with Tracey about writing and Marvel, relaxing and joking around with my family, that sort of thing. I was going through a bit of a slump last month, but talking about it has really helped. I feel I'm in a better place now than I was then. Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement!

Bookish HapPENings

I didn't finish any books in March, because the novel I'm currently reading is kinda meh. It doesn't exactly make me feel desperate to go back in and read, but at the same time, I wanna get it done and over with so I can move on to the next book on my to-read stack. Hopefully I can complete it within the next couple weeks.

HapPENings on the Screen

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What movie had me either laughing or crying nearly the entire time? Christopher Robin, that's what! This was such a precious, wholesome film. It made me so nostalgic . . . honestly, Winnie-the-Pooh gets better with age. I think I love the franchise more now than I did when I was a kid. Ewan magnificently played a grown-up Christopher who'd forgotten about his best childhood friends, and hearing Jim Cummings play as Pooh and Tigger again was nothing short of magical. I didn't care as much for Rabbit's and Piglet's new voices, but you can't win them all. It doesn't change the fact that this is an amazing movie.

If you haven't gotten a chance to see this one yet, DO SO! It is more than worth your time. As Larry the Cucumber once said, "I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob."

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I walked into the theater to watch Captain Marvel with uncertainty. I'd heard all sorts of negative things about it, so I had no idea what to expect. I tried to clear that all away, but one of the main reasons I decided to see it in the theater was because I wanted to be prepared for Endgame.

Honestly, this movie was very enjoyable! I didn't think it was Marvel's best, but it definitely doesn't deserve all the hate it's gotten. Should an SJW actress determine whether or not you watch it? I don't think that should be the deciding factor. The film was interesting, the humor on-point (Samuel L. Jackson killed it), and the twists unexpected. I'd definitely recommend it.

I rewatched Aquaman, and it was still a great film! While the D-Box and the 3D added a level of enjoyment, they weren't the only reasons I originally loved the movie. If you're looking for a great DC title, this is certainly one.

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I finally started watching S4 of The Flash (as in, I've seen one episode so far), and I'm loving it! It's already got me hooked, and I hope the rest of the season continues to be as good. The actors have such good chemistry, it's unbelievable. Whoever did the casting needs to get an award or something. And even though the main villain of the season was on screen for, like, thirty seconds, I'm liking him already. I can't wait to watch more!

Also, I did watch my other shows (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ninjago, and Trollhunters), but I'm feeling too lazy to add all the pictures this time. Suffice it to say they're all continuing to intrigue me, and each of them are getting intense in their own ways. Highly recommend all those shows!

Gaming HapPENings

As you all know (or probably know), I finally got around to finishing Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I already reviewed it here, if you're interested. Man, what a killer game it was! More than deserving of being on my list of my favorite games of all time. But even though I completed it close to a month ago, I'm still not nearly finished with the "excellent story" hangover. Even just listening to some of the songs on the soundtrack--especially the ending theme--leaves me with a hollowness inside. I just want to relive the adventure all over again! Play this game if you have a member of the 3DS family of systems. If you don't have one, buy one, then play the game. It's just that great.

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I've played a lot of Mario Kart 7 with Preston lately. It's always a lot of fun. We say some of the stupidest stuff and find it absolutely hilarious. Then we'll taunt each other during the races and complain about the people who always seem to be winning. We even had one race--on the Rainbow Road course, no less--where we had a hacker in our midst. This person kept using infinite Blue Shells to make life difficult for everybody. That was quite the experience, lemme tell ya. I really hope Nintendo doesn't stop supporting the online stuff for the 3DS for a long, long time.

Writerly HapPENings

I wrote 3,504 words in March, which was better than what I did in February. It won't be long now until my boys begin their globetrotting, but I had to first get them into Esserstead, the capital of the human race, so that they can be questioned by the Houses. I definitely think they'll be on their way this month, as I joined Camp NaNo! If you follow me on Twitter, you can get daily updates on my progress. It should be fun!

That's all for me! How was your March? Any highlights, big or small? Are you joining Camp NaNo?