Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Monday, December 28, 2009

Super Mario Brothers Rocks

Dustin got me Super Mario Brothers for the Wii for Christmas and it is awesome. He always seems to know what I want better than I do.

My sister-in-law, Trisha and I pretty much hogged the Wii (sorry nieces and nephew) all weekend. We managed to unlock 4 worlds.

The game's got the best of Super Mario Brothers. Mario, Luigi and friends get to use all of their classic powers--the mushroom to make you big, firepower and the star to help you zoom through the koopa troopas and other bad guys. Plus the more modern powers like the penguin suit, ice power, and the propeller suit to help you fly. Fun-loving Yoshi is even there to offer a ride and eat some bad guys along the way. And of course, the music and sounds are traditional to all of the older games.

The game is 2D just like the old Super Mario Brothers on the older Nintendo systems but with better graphics. And it is 4 player. We only tried 2 player. I imagine 3 or 4 player gaming would offer an all new level of fun...and frustration as many of our mistakes would happen by running into or jumping on top of one another.

The controls are the same as the old-school Mario as well. You turn your Wii remote sideways and the 1 and 2 buttons are the same as A and B used to be. There's a little bit of use with the Wii's motion sensing technology. For example, when you fly in the propeller suite, you shake the remote up and down.

If you love classic Mario and have a Wii, then you should definitely spend some of your "gift" money on this game. (As an aside, I got Mario Galaxy last year which is 3D play and is also really fun but much different than the Super Mario Games.)

Just writing about this makes me want to play it right now.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Clintons Cheesy Christmas Party

After the Griz game tonight you can help The Clintons Band celebrate the release of their latest album at The Clintons Cheesy-Ass Christmas Party at Bones Brewery.

The new album titled "Decade" is a collection of 14 "must-have" Clintons songs.

Hurry up and get your tickets in advance at Bones to get them for just $10 or pay $12 at the door.




Although not required, to get in the spirit of the season, be sure to wear your cheesiest Holiday garb. Everyone's got a cheesy holiday sweater. You probably got it as a gift from one of your family members.

Missoula band, Fiancee will open!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Shopping for the Holidays

It's that time of year! Billings is bustling with Holiday shoppers. I was off of work yesterday morning and needed a couple of things at Costco and the place was packed! How can Costco be so busy on a Tuesday morning? I suppose it is a good sign for our local economy.

Once again, Christmas crept right up really fast after Thanksgiving and now I am in a panic as I have very little shopping done! I just can't get in the mood to do my holiday shopping until after Thanksgiving. Those who begin their shopping in August absolutely baffle me. Then, there's those really prepared people who start their shopping the day after Christmas for the next Christmas and they get in on the dirt cheep deals. I'm partially envious of their preparedness but think they are nuts at the same time.

My plan is to try to do Rimrock Mall, Best Buy and other West End stores in the next few evenings after work when they aren't quite so busy. Then, I'd like to make it Downtown over the weekend to check out the specialty stores and boutiques. I always find something fun at Marcasa and I haven't had a chance to check out the new Bottega Men's and Women's Clothing Gallery yet. Several of my friends have had great things to say about the boutique. They've said that they have some really unique clothes and that they range in price from very affordable to...well, luxurious. I can't wait to take a peek. Hopefully, I can keep my focus on shopping for gifts for others!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Poetry Slam: HS or College Students could open for Mayhem Poets at ABT

Venture Theatre and the Alberta Bair Theater are hosting a Poetry Slam!

The Poetry Slam will take place at Venture Theatre on January 10th at 2pm. The winners of the Poetry Slam will go on to open for the Mayhem Poets at the Alberta Bair on January 12th.

High School and College students may apply for participation in the slam as individuals or as part of a group.

Click Here for the full details regarding submission and judging. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 16th.

The Mayhem Poets combine hip-hop, theatre, and improv to perform their unique style of poetry show.

Learn more Here.