Amethyst's Shiny Pebbles

Someone else has gone to the trouble of making a nice world map of Crystal Bearers!  I will still continue my mapmaking, partially because it's fun (and because printing out the full map would be something of a spoiler).  But I probably sha'n't continue with making prettified maps with Google Documents (Drawing), as someone has already done that work for me.  I may even email the mapmaker to thank him.

Whether I continue trying to keep track of particularly good combinations of materials for items, particularly as they seem less than 100% guaranteed to give you spiffy items, remains to be seen.

I
 think I've just received the most exciting piece of news I'm likely to hear this week:  Okami, a flat-out gorgeous adventure game for the PS2, is FINALLY confirmed to have a Wii port in progress!!!!!

This is a game that Wii owners have been dreaming about pretty much ever since the console was initially released, because one of the main actions in the game is painting.  Having tried to 'draw' a circle using an analog stick, I can tell you that it's pretty darned clunky.  But the IR functionality of the Wiimote is absolutely perfect for such actions - take the 'sketching food items' minigame in Rayman Raving Rabids.  Consciously or otherwise, Okami must have been dreamed up with such controls in mind.

One of the best parts of the news?

We're not going to have to wait forever for the port!  It's currently scheduled for Spring 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell that a new game has suddenly sprinted to the top of my Wii Games We Must Acquire list?  :D  Squeeee!!!!!!

1.  Dad came home yesterday!  His depression does in fact seem to be basically gone, although according to the social worker, he's still 'fragile'.  (Surprise, surprise.)  His memory, both short and, alas, long, are another matter entirely, and that's presumably why he's having a PET scan next week.  And the aphasia?  Well, it's there.  He's not been told about the diagnosis for a couple of reasons: it's only tentative, and they realize perfectly well that *if* he were told right now, we'd probably have a relapse on our hands.  But, he's home and seemed pretty happy about it last night.  :)

2.  I raced very well in Wave Race last night, and had more than sufficient points after the fourth race in the series to finally open up the other two courses in the Normal Mode.  And ended up third overall in terms of points in the six races - whee!

3.  It's Friday.  Just about always a good thing.  :)

4.  We're seeing a bunch of local storyreading friends this weekend!

5.  In only two weeks, we'll be seeing a whole bunch of less-local storyreading friends!!!!  Yaaaaaay!