Attleboro Library Summer Reading Kickoff

Super Sized Marble Run
Photo-A-Day #4083

On the last Friday of the school year Andrew and I had an active and fun day. We started rather lazy at home where we played some Splatoon and also watching some Phineas and Ferb. Those are two things that he enjoys so much. We hung around home till around 1pm because we were going to a fun event at a local park to kick off Summer Reading. We had learned about it from our last day of Playgroup.

There are a lot of good programs for kids and families in my city. I’m really appreciative of the programs and they have been very beneficial to our kids. Both Eva and Andrew have attended the free playgroups. I’ve enjoyed the past few years taking Andrew to Playgroup. He’s made some nice friends and I’ve met some nice people to talk with. We saw a bunch of our friends at this free event. There were all sorts of things to do like Face Painting, the High School Band led a parade, some obstacle courses and even giveaways. I signed the kids up for the reading challenge and renewed my library cards. I even signed myself up for the Adult Summer Book reading.

We had a fun time which also included a trip to Tex Barry’s for our lunch. When it was over we headed home and Andrew was exhausted and if I had taken the long way home I’m sure he would have slept but his face was covered in face paint and I didn’t really want him getting his sheets covered in it. So I took him home and he wanted me to wash his face paint off right away, glad we waited in line for 25 minutes. Then we went up to my bed and watched some Netflix. I tried to sleep but that didn’t happen. I did have some time with my eyes closed so that is something.

Millennials and Nintendo. Are they the true NintenDads?

nintendads

So I got this graphic sent to me by the PR firm for Nintendo. They never do squat with me except to send me press releases. This one is for Father’s day and it is really sweet. The thing that cheesed me off was the copy attached.

“For dads today, especially the millennials, Nintendo was a big part of their childhood. These “NintenDads” have fond memories of playing Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. (that celebrated its 30th anniversary last fall) and the original NES, Super NES and Game Boy systems.”

Can you guess what bugs me about this?

“Especially Millennials” !!!

Really, what about Generation X or Generation Y who were of prime age to get the first NES games and systems? I got mine at 10 years old and played every day after school and into the night. I’m 42 now I loved every minute of game play. My very first NES has serial number 000001 (true story). I played it so much that it broke and I got a second one. I still have it and all of my old games. I had the power glove, I watched The Wizard like it was a documentary. I’d mow lawns to save up for so many games.

Millennials?

It is the Gen X and Gen Y dads who most remember playing Nintendo every day and have a fondness for it. No matter what other game system that has come out since they are still loyal to Nintendo. They can still do the Konami code in their muscle memory and remember having to blow into the cartridges of their games to make them work. Or saving up their lawn mowing money to get the Game Boy so that he and his friend could play games, linked by the cord, in a car all the way to Florida. Buying stockpiles of AA batteries so we could keep playing?

Millennials?

Damn It! I feel like an old man yelling for the damn kids to get off my lawn! Yes there are so many other things to worry about in this world then something silly like this. Maybe I should just look at the image and see that it is of a dad who loves Nintendo and who is glad that his kids love it, too. That is something to enjoy this Father’s Day. Playing Splatoon with my kids and introducing them to classics like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Brothers.

Millennials?