After being down and out with bronchitis, I'm slowly getting back into reality. I had lots of time to lay there and think.

My dream (interpretations?):

I used to get really high fevers as a kid and have hallucinations. This time, I had a high fever, but just had a weird dream:

There was this new kind of tick, that had a long body with a large green translucent abdomen. When this tick would burrow into someone's flesh, the abdomen would glow green and pulsate.

My body was covered with these new insects, all burrowed in past their heads. It looked like I was covered in scales there were so many of them, all pulsing and sucking away my life.

I would methodically unscrew them from my skin and cast them aside, but somehow they filled back in as quickly as I could remove them.

At one point I sat down in the passenger's seat of my car and ran my hands through my hair when, to my horror and disgust, I discovered that even my head, under my hair, was layered with the ticks.

The dream was one where it all feels like reality and just when you're about to abandon yourself to the despair of living your life in the horrid circumstance, you wake up and all you can think about (as you lay there in your broken-fever sweat) is how grateful you are that it was just a dream.

My home office somehow became the dumping ground for everything in my house. So much so, that I started working in my living room on a TV tray.

This situation lasted about a year, until this weekend, when my wife and I decided to reclaim my office! (she was tired of me working in the living room too)

After cleaning and taping and painting we moved in some furniture we picked up on Craigslist that's been waiting in the garage for just such a day.

Most importantly, I finally got to put up the huge Chibi Knight boss posters Jouste made for me and Renaenae printed.

Picture of the amazing wall below and an interactive virtual tour here.

So, I love playing Settlers of Catan, especially the expansion scenario "Seafarers of Catan" where you can explore islands with boats.

My uncle is an even bigger Settlers fan and just recently retired, so I thought of a neat retirement gift for him: Gold Settlers of Catan pieces!

Most companies give you a gold watch or something when you retire, but these will be something he can actually use!

My friend Matt is going to precision cut the pieces for me on his CNC machine out of aluminum, then we're going to anodize them to be gold colored (no I'm not using real gold)

I couldn't find any dimensions for the settlers pieces, so I got out my trusty school ruler and drew up some plans (someone out there might find these measurements useful):

Settlement: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/77 73badb41127bdacf6deaa9d084c36b
City: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/42 f0b83b800a16b6e8341a8ad934da09
Road: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/49 e6919d00845f0b83c2e0e6c557aa39
Boat: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/ca 785e5c6629a17dea6e2d5c05c4b650
Bridge: http://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/ed b4c196707dd7127d0a1ca3e4ace0cb

I'm pumped to see how these turn out, I'll post pics when they're done :-D

I'll be attending the Flash Gaming Summit on the 27th in San Francisco. I figure since I live within driving distance and Chibi Knight was nominated for an award and last year's event was pretty fun, I'll head over again.

If you'll be there, let me know and we can meet up for a glass of milk or juice (did I mention this event is well-catered?).

Every day since the middle of December, the sun rises a little earlier and sets a little later. I can feel the extra minutes of solar power invigorating me and replenishing my energy nacelles.

Please take a sec and vote for Chibi Knight as "peoples' choice" at FGS. If it wins, I'm taking my daughter (who was the voice of Chibi Knight) out for a banana split. http://www.flashgamingsummit.com/award s.html

I was really surprised to find out that Chibi Knight has been nominated for a couple "Best of 2010" awards. So I'm assigning everyone who likes my stuff to go vote and help me win the praises and accolades I DESERVE :-P

1. "The Mochis" - peoples' choice: http://www.flashgamingsummit.com/award s.html
Click the big blue arrow button that says "vote for the peoples' choice award"

2. Jay is Games Best Adventure Game: http://jayisgames.com/best-of/2010/act ion-adventure/
This one can be voted on once a day I think so put it in your scheduling program or something.

In honor of Chibi Knight's nominations, check out these huge fan-art posters Jouste made. Renaenae was super kind and printed them for me. My wife then found a great deal on some giant frames! These will go up on my office wall once I get around to painting. (Meatboy pictured to show scale)

ARE YOU A FLASH ARTIST?

DO YOU NEED A JOB?

COME WORK HERE: http://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/12 25561

Fairly good pay ($15 per hour) and consistent work. Learn while you earn!

At my day job, www.woogiworld.com, my right hand artist just gave his 2 weeks notice (today) and this right when we've had a huge influx of projects. I need some artists to pick up his slack and make sure we hit our deadlines on some big time stuff. If you turn out to be a good team member, this could give you employment for years to come.

I love being a member of the NG community where I know there are vast pools of talent just laying around reading front page posts....join meeeee on the light side of children's educational flash games :-P

FYI: I'm doing a short yoga routine every morning, eating right, trying to get some sun every day, and trying to keep a healthy balance between work and relaxation, I'm also working out 3 or 4 times a week and playing basketball with some church friends on Saturdays. I'm also over my flu, which helps a lot. Thanks for all the advice and help with the blue funk of my last post <3

Do you ever get a feeling of emptiness around this time of year?

I feel what equates to writer's block in relation to many things I want to accomplish, I know what needs to be done, but can't seem to bring myself to get in gear.

I want to exercise, but can't get off the couch.

All I want to do is eat terribly unhealthy food and desserts even though that's all I've been doing over the holidays.

I find it extremely frustrating that it gets dark outside before the end of my work day.

I finally watched the last season of Lost.

I have a nagging dry cough that sometimes brings up disgusting chunks of flem, and other times is so relentless it makes me feel like I'm having a brain aneurysm.

On an intellectual level I know I have many things to be happy about, but I'm just not feeling it emotionally.

Newgrounds, can you get me out of my nasty emo funk?

Play the game here! http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/
553864

Brother Nephi's Ultra-funtastic Point and Click Adventure Chapter 2

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Official Walkthrough
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Hints
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1. Hot Dog Salesman - Lemuel ate all of his toppings, he's looking for something special to offer, namely "MUSHROOM PASTE." How could you combine some items in your inventory to make MUSHROOM PASTE?

2. Camel - Rumor has it that this camel is afraid of felines.

3. Girl by the Well (Camille) - She's obsessed with falling in love. What romantic item might she be interested in?

4. Hippie/Dreidel guy in the bar - He's the owner of the camel parked in front of the bar. He's so much of an animal lover that he wrote a strangely romantic poem for his camel. Defeat him at a game of dreidel and he'll turn the poem over to you. Word on the street is that he's under investigation for animal smuggling.

5. Dreidle Game - The camel guy is a cheater, so maybe you can even the odds by preventing his evil table slamming.

6. Under-cover cop - He's staking out the bar to try and capture an animal smuggler...

7. Bartender - A stoic figure who runs the "Red Yamaka." He won't say much, but you might be able to get one of the pretzels on his bar counter.

8. Hobo - This guy is always up for a trade...as long as that trade involves food. Try out any edible items you find on him to get something special in return.

9. Jacob (Kid by the kitty) - He seems harmless enough, though he's mighty interested in whatever's sparkling on the cat's collar that's stuck in the tree.

10. Kitty - A cat in a tree. It's likely that Jacob had something to do with getting him stuck up there. What might get a cat's attention enough to lure him off the branch?

11. Pirahna plant - This fella grew from a strange block with seemingly radioactive soil. No wonder he's so vicious! If you can get rid of the plant, that soil might be the perfect incubator to grow something special.

12. Mud Pit - What an inconvenience! You need something to lay across it sturdy enough to get Nephi's "large-in-stature" body to the other side. Some people say that the attic of the Red Yamaka has a bunch of junk that might do for somethin like this.

13. Laban's Guard - This character thinks he's so funny with his shadow puppet act. Fortunately his achilles heel is his penchant for wine drinking...you might want to try out something "X-tra strength" on him.

14. Laban - Your uncle is drunk in an alleyway...he's stolen your stuff, and tried to kill you and your brothers...we think you know what to do...

15. Turbo-Anti-Korihor 2000 (laser security system) - I wouldn't touch it, but maybe you're carrying something reflective you could stick in the beams...

16. Bloody Clothes - Zoram, Laban's personal assistant, won't let you into Laban's house with bloody armor on. It seems like there was a bunch of water around here somewhere where you could wash those clothes off...

17. Plates Choosing Game - Only one set of plates is going to be useful to you and your family in maintaining a history of your ancestors!

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Video (This contains spoilers, only watch it if you're REALLY stuck!)

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What's up Home Skillets?

Brother Nephi's Adventure is coming out this Wednesday, I hope you're all amped as much as I am.

FYI, if you have an Android phone you'll be able to buy a mobile version of the game too!

Here's a little trailer for it (listen with headphones if you've got em):

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