Happy Friday! Let's Wreck it!

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It's Friday! This means nothing to me. Weekdays no longer hold any bearing on me because I lost my job on Monday. It's all for the best, however. I loathed that job with every fiber of my being. It was clearly affecting me too. I've been ill more times and with far more serious illnesses this year than any other year I remember. I was so unbelievably unhappy at that job. Now, being unemployed comes with some stigma and a level of uncertainty that I am not usually comfortable with, but I have an awesome support system of friends and family, and I am mentally healthier this year than I have been probably in most of my life. I now have more time to dedicate to writing and acting and gaming; the beer glass is half-full, you guys!

So, Monday was a mixed bag of craziness. I went into work fully expecting to lose my job (I won't go into all the boring minutiae of why and how) and I was correct. But, I had my mental shields up and I took it with grace and dignity and I didn't let the devil my former manager see me cry. It wasn't how I dreamed of leaving this particular workplace, but it's also not the first time I've been "let go" or laid off or fired. No one likes losing their job, even if it's a job they hate. My ideal departure from this job would have involved me marching in the office, head held high and walking straight up to the devil my former manager's desk and proudly informing her that I was putting in my notice because I was offered a better-paying/kick-ass position elsewhere. BOOM! Put on notice, bitch!

Thanks OSHA

 But it didn't go down like that. Meh. So, I went home dragging the last 2 years worth of desk contents with me and I took a nap. Because I could. Boyfriend snuggled with me and when I woke up, the entire morning had felt like a bad dream.To cheer me up, and to remind me that he still loved me even though I was now a financial leech, Boyfriend took me on a date to see Wreck-it Ralph. 

Omagodyouguys! Wreck-it Ralph was so great. This movie was made for me. I needed this movie so much on Monday. If you are a gamer, or a Disney fan, and/or an actor and you haven't seen this movie yet, GET OUT OF YOUR CAVE!!! If you are a gamer, a Disney fan, and/or an actor, and you saw the movie and didn't like it, then there is no hope for you, I'm sorry.

The movie takes place inside an arcade inside the world of the arcade machines. The universe that the movie-makers created is astounding and wondrous. The story follows Ralph (played by the never-anything-but-amazing, John C. Reilly) who is a video game villain in the Donkey-Kong-esque arcade game, Fix-it Felix, Jr. The hero of this game is, obviously, Fix-it Felix Jr. (played by the always adorable Jack McBrayer) whose job is to fix the apartment building after Ralph wrecks it. Ralph is the villain in his game, but he feels unfulfilled as the villain because he's a "bad guy" but he's not a bad guy. On the 30th anniversary of his game, Ralph has grown tired of being lonely and never getting to be a hero, so he sort of snaps when he finds that he is not invited to the anniversary party that the other characters in his game are throwing, and vows that he will obtain his very own hero medal and bring it back to rub in everyone's faces. Thus, Ralph sets out on a journey to explore the other games in the arcade to get his hero medal. Along the way, he unexpectedly makes new friends, reveals the dark past of an arcade legend, and learns what it really means to be a hero. I won't spoil anything here because the movie is such a delight that it needs to be seen to truly be appreciated. 

In my humble opinion, Executive Producer, John Lasseter can do no wrong. When he stamps his name on something, I expect to love it. Wreck-it Ralph is no exception. The story is charming and full of so many nods to the gaming industry, it gives me goosebumps. The casting was also superb. Normally, I'm somewhat against big-name on-screen celebrities or talent being cast into voice-over roles just for the sake of having known names on the poster, but this movie was perfectly cast. The cast also included Jane Lynch (who I also think is amazing all the time) Sarah Silverman (who I normally cannot stand but, she is amazing in this movie) and my beloved Alan Tudyk (who I also believe can do no wrong, but he is SO amazing in this movie that I didn't even know he was in it until the end credits rolled.) Side note: if you don't like Alan Tudyk, you are dead to me.

The movie-makers seriously did their homework for Wreck-it Ralph. There are so many homages to old-school games and lesser-known aspects of the history of gaming.  The movie has heart and a sweet message, but also speaks to nerdy gamers and has tid bits of "potty" humor for the kids and the kids in all of us. But, my favorite part of this movie? Disney acknowledged that girl gamers not only exist, but that they are common and just as into gaming as boys! They showed this through "Moppet Girl," a character that acted as the audience's eyes in the outer world of the arcade. And clearly, someone at Disney reads my blog because they based Moppet Girl on me:

I'm totally in this movie, you guys.

I had a hard time coming up with things that I didn't like about this movie. Boyfriend pointed out that he really disliked one of the songs used in a driving montage scene, "Shut up and Drive" by Rhianna. To be honest I only vaguely remember the song in the movie, but after using my Google-fu and hearing it again, I have to agree with him that it is a bit out of place with the rest of the film. My friend Max also said he wished the movie had shown the inside of more games. I understand what he means, Ralph only travels inside a handful of other games, but there are so many subtle references to other games and their characters that I feel like if the movie took the time for Ralph to actually travel to other arcade games, the story would feel drawn out and stale. Plus, there is such a thing as too many montages, so even a quick montage of other games might feel like too much.

So, let's sum up! I lost my job. Meh. I saw Wreck-it Ralph. Yay! Cute and creative story, fun and funny, girl gamers are great! The End.

I give Wreck-it Ralph 4.5 out of 5 Panicked Q*berts.

P.S Ok, I was sort of joking when I said that Moppet Girl was me. But my Google+ clearly seems to think Moppet Girl is me when I do an image search. (I swear I did not make this up.)

R is for Resloution (UPDATED)

Note: This blog is a day or two late.  I'm sort of falling off the wagon this week as far as writing every day.  I did write most of this post yesterday, I just wanted to go back and tweak it before publishing.  I'm warning you now, it's not a happy one.  It's not depressing, just a little bit angry. I think you'll understand why. Also, I would like to say that I am grateful to have a job when the economy and job market are not the best.  However, that doesn't mean I have to like going to work every day. Does it? These were my thoughts yesterday...

Resolution: noun

the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

I understand that in this economy and job market that competition is fierce and people are desperate, pressure is high, and everyone has to bring their "A" Game. But what do you do when your A-game doesn't seem to be enough for some people?  What do you do when you have a supervisor so far up your ass every day you can taste her hair spray?  What do you do when the very thought of having to answer another customer's phone call makes you have a nervous breakdown? Is a poor job market a valid excuse for staying at your job as a verbal punching bag year after year hoping and searching for something better? 

I'm all for helping your fellow wo/man when they need a helping hand, but when it comes to survival of the fittest in such a dog-eat-dog corporate world when your head  is threatened by the chopping block is it ok to throw someone under the bus if they deserve it? I don't like to play dirty if I don't have to, but I also don't want to have to live on unemployment and without health benefits again. But then, do I really want to stay in a place that is so big and cold that my manager doesn't actually even know (or care about) what I do on a day-to-day basis, only how she looks?  Do I want to work in an environment where someone that I'm supposed to "report" to every day sleeps at her desk without reprimand?  Do I really want to stay in a place where if I'm out sick for a few days someone my manager steals my birthday balloons because someone else had a birthday too? (I so wish I was kidding.) Which one is really the lesser of two evils here?

My therapist tells me she's very impressed with my progress and that she knows that I am intelligent, compassionate, and have a great work-ethic. I am stronger than I think I am. This goes back to my oar analogy from a few days ago. If held a lot of stock in "signs" from the universe, I would say that yesterday was a giant neon sign with a cattle prod poking me in the direction I should go.  I need to leave to go on to something better. I can see what I think is an oar floating out there, I just need to be brave enough to jump out of the boat.

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid."
-Franklin P. Jones

 

My bravery tattoo

P.S You know what also starts with R? Roaches! I am sick of those little bastards. There was a gargantuan one under our fridge the other night and another one was hiding in my coffee-maker. NOOOOO! Oh glorious magical brand new birthday present coffee maker!!! I will save you, coffee!

Dear Roaches,
This is your final warning. Leave my apartment or face retribution. Die demon seeds!!!
Smiles,
Jess