Entry: Dodo's Log 4, slow media

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I had an absolutely non-productive weekend. I stayed mostly inside (freaking cold weather), listened to audio books for 14 hours, sipped tea and played indie games.

And when Monday arrived I felt so refreshed. It felt like time stretched, almost like the weekend would have been 3 weekends long. For a couple of years I have been trying to consume mostly long-form media content. (Sometimes I slip into old habits and scroll through instagram mindlessly. I can’t abandon social media completely since it’s part of my job.There is a lively community of writers, illustrators and publishers.)

It’s such a great thing to feel bored. That’s when I get my best ideas.

Sometimes I wonder what the ___ happened to the world, when did people become so detached from reality..? Oh yes, I remember, I was there when social media emerged. I studied visual communication and digital media, just when web 2.0 took over. Those were scary times for humanity.

Maybe that made me a cautious media consumer..

Spending time looking for interesting things leads into funny paths: I started playing a game called “Snowman Story”

I picked up the game from Nintendo eshop just for the cute pixel graphics and it being a winter themed game. I wanna be surprised when I pick up indie games and avoid reading descriptions.

Before I knew it, I was hooked. Controlling a cute snowman through the woods trying to escape spring and melting, meeting cute animals (who had a lot to say). Finding melted remains of other snowmen and gaining ability to read their memories and find out how they met their tragic endings. What else could you ask for? Yes, puzzles, those are there too.

The game has a thrilling dark philosophical vibe to it.

SNOWING

-22°C

EATING

Entry: Dodo's Log 3, Trip to town & childhood memories

Woke up quite early, I never use an alarm clock, and rarely a freelancer has to.. I watched the sunrise, which was gorgeous. Though that usually means evening storms. (The sky is getting cloudy already.) Sipped 2 cups of coffee.

Today I didn’t have much work to do. Or designing a book cover, that can be a lot of work, but after 2 hours I had a solid sketch approved by the publisher.

I have been planning to make a trip to town, to buy some groceries, new colored pencils, pet food etc. I hesitated a bit, since it was quite cold: -17 celsius. And my car is around 30 years old. I’m trying to treat the poor old fellow the best way possible, and I think it’s kinda unfair to start up in this weather if not absolutely essential.

While I was pondering my friend contacted me, she needed a ride to the railway station. Great! now I had a reason for a winter ride.

After dropping her off at the railway station I headed to the super market.

Gladly I had a shopping list, there was quite a hustle and bustle, like usually at the end of the work week. Everyone shopping for the weekend. I got almost everything what I needed, except I forgot to buy bird seeds.

Now it’s time to spend a cozy evening with the dogs, they got new (very smelly) bones.

My plan is to cook salmon and smashed potatoes, enjoy it by the fireplace and play Pokemon Crystal. I’m in Ilex forest at the moment. As a kid I had owned Pokemon Gold (still got it), so playing thru Crystal is a completely new experience.

Some weeks ago I repaired my old beat up gameboy color, I left it as a kid in my dad’s car in summer heat. And the front cover melted! I never threw it away, even when I got a new one. It spent years in a box, now it has a new blue shell. I’m still hesitating if I should change the original screen to a backlit one. I kinda want it to be as close to my childhood one as possible. I spent so many summer holidays sitting outside by the creek with my gameboy.

It feels like a dream now. Hot endless summer days, you know, the sun is not setting here up in the north. We didn’t have AC that time. I guess no one had, and the coolest place was by the creek under big willow trees. Grasshoppers were chirping so loud!

Every kid walked with their gameboy in a backpack and asked around “Did you find Pikachu? Can you trade me one?”

” I’m still looking for one, but let's meet by the creek tomorrow! I’m here when the sun is at its highest!” That’s how we made friends for a life.

SUNNY

-17°C

LOOKING FOR

Entry: Dodo's Log 2, birdwatching

It has been very wintery weather the past few days. I stayed mostly inside watching birds from the window. Feeding forest birds is kinda exciting.

There are some regular visitors, and some birds just passing by.

I like to imagine how they talk with each other about feeding spots, where the best spots are, who had dinner with whom. Are there any gossip or arguments..?

There is one Great tit who knocks on the window when the feeder is empty in the morning. I leave nuts for him on a big stone.

Very peaceful indeed, until a very rude visitor appeared: a sparrow hawk! Very majestic bird, but I almost choked on my tea when he attacked the sparrows. Gladly none got hurt. (Sadly hawk had to stay hungry.)

I have never seen one so close, only 2 meters away. There are many kinds of hawks living near. But I have never seen one visiting my yard. My dogs usually chase anything away.

Oh! I didn't tell you I have dogs. They are the cutest and goofiest guys you can find. The younger one loves to sit on the yard, and bark, just for the fun of barking. Older one likes to lay on my foot when I work, and my foot is always sweaty.

They are both spitz-type of dogs with thick winter furs, so they love to get out of the cabin around 100 times / day, just to sit on snow.

SNOWING

-9°C

EATING

Entry: Dodo's Log 1, cabin in the woods

My first entry, writting this in my cabin. Somewhere in wintery Scandinavia.

Lately I got back to coding and retro games. I found Neocities and my mind travelled back to 2000's.

Life has been busy, working as a freelancer isn't too easy. So this little page has become my cozy corner.

Today I had a day off, worked like crazy all night to finish illustrations for a book. Spent my day playing Pokemon Crystal. Sometimes I wonder how that original hardware withstand the test of time..?

SNOWING

-7°C

EATING