All the Fun Stuff What I Seen Yesterday

So, kind of a lousy time to start a Patreon, perhaps. I’ve just begun a new job, and have been learning the ropes the first couple of days this week, and yesterday saw me have to build things up ahead of time so I could go out to get my health card renewed. I went out to do that, and for various reasons I won’t get into, that didn’t happen.

Frankly, it left me in a foul mood, so I needed some time to cool off. Fortunately, I was in a good place to do just that, and I took some pictures of my little trip.

Incidentally, if you follow me on Twitter, I already posted a bunch of these there before coming up with the idea of making something of a Dinosaur Dracula-inspired-esque article. Maybe next time, I’ll think better of it before doing that.

Okay, right off the bat, this one’s kind of a cheat: I actually saw it on the subway going down to the office before everything went pear-shaped for me.

All the same, this is… a thing. I never knew this existed, but here it is. It may not be A Streetcar Named Desire with Ned Flanders in the lead, but I’m interested nonetheless.

Really, this can only go one of two ways, review quotes notwithstanding: Either it turns out to be pretty awesome, or it’s just so bad that it has to be witnessed. I’m pretty sure there’s no middle ground here.

That said, I have to appreciate the passion of the people behind it, all the way down to the “MrBurns.ca” web address and discount code “Otto.”

One other “before” shot, but this doesn’t count for the “fun stuff” anyway. Here sits what used to be a Cinnabon, one my wife and I partook in quite a few times. The only thing worse than it being gone is the fact that there’s nothing to replace it. It’s as though the Cinnabon died for nothing, and everyone who treks through that station is all the poorer for it.

Here we go: After the Ministry of Health fiasco, I was starving, so I got a Burger King Kid’s Meal to tide me over. For the price, it’s just right– and of course, it comes with a toy.

Well, “toy” is a term to use loosely. This was my prize: A storybook featuring The Magic School Bus and recycling. The obvious joke is to toss it in the recycling bin, but I might know someone else who can make better use of it.

After my mini-meal, I decided to drop into EB Games and was greeted by this wall full of glorious Nintendo plush toys.

Goomba! Bullet Bill! Iggy and Lemmy! Nabbit! Toon Link! Cat Mario and Cat Luigi and Flying Squirrel Toad! It’s a nice selection, and there’s even a Birdo behind the Goomba.

Speaking of which, I really don’t get the pricing here. Goomba was about $10.49, but the smaller Bullet Bill was $16.99. If I remember right, the Koopalings were $20-something. Are these Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, or is someone going into business for themselves here? It reminds me of how Toys Toys Toys will take Transformers from the same assortment that are supposed to be priced the same, but mark them all willy-nilly.

If I’d had ten bucks, I’d have simply gotten my Goomba and been on my way.

The main reason I’d gone into EB Games in the first place was to try to find a copy of LittleBigPlanet 2 for the PlayStation 3, which I’ve been hoping to get for someone (preferably for cheap). They didn’t have it (and it cost more there than I thought it would, given how old it is by now), so I tried Shoppers Drug Mart. They actually carry low-priced games the way some places (including themselves) carry cheap movies on DVD, and I was sure I’d seen the game at one near our place once.

When I got there, the game bin was an incomprehensible pile, so I did the only logical thing: I started taking games out and placing them aside as I searched. I didn’t find the game I was looking for, but I did leave the bin a better place than I found it, with all the games organized by console. I even rooted out a few cases that were missing games (or in two instances, were stuck together by used chewing gum) and handed them to one of the (possibly stunned) employees.

Honestly, this probably did more for my demeanor than anything else. What can I say? I like organizing stuff. It would be great if I could get a job that was just doing that.

I dropped into Winners, because sometimes they have cool stuff. I was hoping I might spot a nicely-priced Transformer like Arcee, but alas, they had no such things.

They did have this awesome lenticular “3D” mug, though, which features the Green Hill Zone from the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. Man, if I’d only had eight bucks to spare, this thing would have been mine and I’d have photos e-mailed straight to Dinosaur Dracula’s Coffee Cup Exhibition.

That it’s Classic Sonic hurts all the more. I like Modern Sonic just fine, but on certain items like this, there’s a certain joy to seeing the original I grew up with.

A trip to Dollarama, and I found something I need for my Solid Snake cosplay I have planned for Otakon later this year. I only need the knife, though it’s going to require some paint to achieve my vision. Then again, the other stuff might make for fun decorative gear as well.

Hopefully I can afford it, though I’m perfectly willing to accept some help and write all about it later. It’s going to be a sight to behold, believe you me. And if you’re familiar with my cosplay of past years, you might have some idea of what to expect. I don’t know if any of the other Metal Gear cosplayers are going to want Revenge, but they’re certainly going to get it!

Also from Dollarama: These two suckers. The wife wanted Cotton Candy, and I decided to try Pink Lemonade. They’re still wrapped on the counter.

And here we have the dinner I brought home: Two original chicken sandwiches from Burger King for just $5, each cut in half. No lettuce, since shredded lettuce keeps terribly in the fridge, mainly when it’s on a sandwich. These were joined by a handful of leftover tater tots and mozzarella sticks we had in the freezer.

So there you have it: An 1,100 word article that seemed like a much better idea when I started it than when I finished it. I hope you enjoyed this little ride through… I don’t know, does this count as my psyche? …as I attempted to cleanse my spirit before coming home to write about video game stuff. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this, or if I should never touch a keyboard with such intent again.