Okay, two hours before Sunday ends, and I’m just getting started on my list and I’ve only been able to visit two or three blogs (and catching up on past TToTs on top of it). Where did I go wrong? I used to be so up and prompt with all this Thankful stuff!* I haven’t really been online much all week. I have been productive and figuring out some shakiness on the workfront, but I hope it’s just a minor hiccup.

Lots of girlfriend time, though, and I’m certain that is what most of my list will revolve around. So let’s get to what I’m thankful for this week…


  1. Random conversations with strangers (admittedly not always categorized in the “Thankful” department). This occurred last week, but as I was picking up the grounds around my apartments an older lady walking her dog struck up a conversation as she was passing by. She asked if I owned the place, and I explained I only maintained the grounds and lived on site. She expressed how great the property always looked, and that some people in the neighborhood never seem to care. It was a great compliment (and maybe I was already Thankful for this, but it never hurts to re-remember! After talking about family heritage, work anecdotes, and her dog attempting to bite me when I went to pet it, they were on their merry.
  2. As I said above, I’ve spent a lot of time this week with my ladyfolk** and without divulging any sort of sexy-time schedule***, which grandmotherly sorts tend to find distasteful, I just wanted to say that I’m very Thankful for the time we’ve been able to spend together****.
  3. My girlfriend being able to handle my smartassery (most of the time…). I’m a smartass. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it (well maybe a few butts). Sarcasm isn’t generally a liked quality for some, but I do feel it has it’s place and is an art that can be crafted and honed over time. Sometimes this backfires, and my only hope is it’s known I am not being serious. Though, I admit there is a fine line between joking with sarcasm and slipping into the negative realm of being a prick. Hopefully I don’t fall into that category too often…
  4. My girlfriend being okay with my completely random singing about pretty much anything and everything. I’m uncertain if you’ve ever watched How I Met Your Mother, but I feel that I share a singing quirk of one of the major characters (Marshall) of the show. The singing/songs are usually made up and nonsensical. In the past, this has likely been pretty annoying for some of those frequenting any prolonged amount of presence with me, but Kate seems to be completely okay with this. That’s awesome!
  5. This weekend my girlfriend not only cooked dinner (curry) Saturday evening, but also cooked breakfast (apple cinnamon pannenkoeken, turkey bacon, eggs, english muffins and orange juice!) on Sunday morning. Okay well, dinner was at like… 11:00pm and breakfast was at about 2:30pm. We are really bad at timing meals! Either way, they were both very delicious, especially the hearty breakfast!
  6. Before eating breakfast, Kate brought me to the Farmer’s Market. It was the first time being to one, and I was a bit nervous, but it was awesome. So many fresh fruits (though seasonally not much variety) and vegetables! I’d definitely like to go back (maybe even buy a thing or three) once I know I will be able to actually consume the produce in a timely fashion before it spoils.
  7. Overall, I am extremely thankful for a lazy weekend. We passed up attending Renn Fest, going to a movie, and she turned down attending a baseball game. It was nice to just keep it low key and relax together.
  8. Standing up for myself. Some major events this week — oddly, come to think of it, this was a stressful week...— included some work issues. They contacted me out of the blue saying I owed them a pretty big chunk of change. This was based on rent and bills I supposedly hadn’t paid (some over 8 months old). Well, I have always paid my rent (and the one phone bill they asked I pay) on time, and had documentation of such, though bank statements shows they never cashed the checks. That is an incredible annoyance, because I do technically owe some of that money, but why was this brought up months down the road? Then there were the charges on the ledger they sent me that seemed to come out of thin air. So when breaking everything down about what I owed, and that the mistake wasn’t on my end, and questioning the phantom charges, they agreed with my records and (I think…) we came to an understanding/agreement. Monday will tell...
  9. I’m Thankful I figured and hashed out all my medical insurance problems. I may have already been Thankful for this, but it also deserves repeating. That shit can be a real nightmare and I dislike any problematic circumstances dealing with such!
  10. Finally, I’m Thankful for the cooler weather. Fall is my favorite season and it is fast approaching! This weekend, especially, has been much cooler and it makes for lovely evening walks. I’m excited and hope to find a day, when the leaves are changing color, to go on a roadtrip for some nature photography.

*11:59pm cst Saturday evenings…
**Girlfriend
***Which is ALL the time
****You’re welcome Christine…*****
*****Don't fucken bust my kneecaps!

Feel free to leave your Thankful List in the comments below, if you aren’t participating directly with the blog hop!
I swear they look just like my grandparents!
This is an image I found online while looking for various picture options for an anniversary card. The card I bought for my grandparent’s 25th Anniversary was pretty blank. Too blank. But I couldn’t focus enough to derive words befitting enough to dress the card up. When I came across this picture it was perfect, so I printed it out and added it. This project was all done last minute on a whim, but I think it added so much humor to the gift. I wasn’t around when they finally opened it, unfortunately, but was told they liked it alot.

Kudos to the good people of the world!
Two weeks ago my girlfriend noticed something on my car's windshield. She brought in this note that was left by some random stranger (or possibly a tenant I’m unfamiliar with, as there has been some turnover lately) after they had witnessed someone hitting my car. In case it’s hard to see, it reads as follows:
An SUV (lic. 660 ETA, I believe) backed into this car and took off. (Women drivers… amirite?)

It looks like it scratched your car on the driver-side, rear quarter panel.

Hit-and-runs (or is that hits-and-run?) are total bullshit. If you need a witness, my name is Casey and you can reach me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. After 7:00 pm is the best time to call.

Good luck. I hope you get that fucker.
That was badass and made our day and we laughed about it for some time after. I never did call them, because my car was already DOA at that point. I suppose I could call and thank them for being awesome, though!


I was playing this level yesterday and it seems I broke Candy Crush. The video displays what was happening for originally about an hour before I had company over. Later that evening, as said company was about to leave, I thought about playing some Candy Crush and recalled I still had the level up. Sure enough, 5+ hours later it was still stuck in its janky loop. I’ve warned people I break things…* I had to get a video of it to share, and I even thought about trying to send it in to the company. I’m pretty sure it’s not meant to work that way, and they may want to update the level to stop the chances of it occurring.

*Clark, you’ve been warned...

Do you have family or friends who have thrown 25th Anniversary parties? 50th? Ever been the victim of a hit-and-run?

We have hit the 10 week mark for Trailer Tuesday! While I contemplated doing something special for this entry, I decided it best to not stress over it and stick to keeping it simple. Perhaps when I hit entry 25? We will see.

The holiday season is approaching and we will likely see new trailers being released for the big budget pictures that studios are placing their bets on. Ender’s Game, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to name a few. I will be keeping an eye out (some already have new trailers out) and try to compile them as we get closer to their release dates. For now, I will share some trailers that I have been waiting to highlight, slipped by, and/or recently discovered.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (9/13/2013):

Horror is really hit or miss for me. I love scary, but am not a huge fan of gore, which I feel many horror movies default to. Displays of just how sick and twisted people can kill one another and all that jazz. Then again, as much as I avoided the movie Saw, I ended up falling in love with it when finally giving it a chance. It’s true that as the series went on it became bloodier and gorier, but it was too late — I was already hooked.

Insidious (with the same creators of Saw behind the helm) seemed to follow suit of that first movie of the franchise. Letting your imagination do a bit more of the work to freak yourself out. I never... saw... the first of this series, however. I honestly didn’t expect it to be a movie to produce sequels. I’ve heard good things about the original, like some of the cast (mainly Patrick Wilson), and so now I’m curious about them both.

12 Years a Slave (10/18/13):

October is going to be a busy month for seeing movies. While Stallone and Schwarzenegger plot their Escape Plan, Chloë Grace Moretz rages in the Carrie remake, and Cumberbatch gives us his portrayal of one of the founders of WikiLeaks in The Fifth Estate, this film is also being released. It looks really good, has a great cast (also including Cumberbatch), and is based on a true story.

Chances are I will give this a viewing at the theaters, much like The Butler, but I still get a bit wary when they claim it’s based on a true story and being uncertain how much is embellished.

Delivery Man (11/22/13):

This trailer is one I saw a few weeks ago, and oddly it was around the same time I saw the trailer for the original foreign movie it’s based off of. There seems to be some changes, but that is to be expected when Hollywood remakes a movie. Just depends on how far they stray from the source material. I’ve never seen the original Starbuck, but I don’t like the idea of remakes being done within a two to three year timeframe of the original.

I hope I never have this main character’s issue >.> *cough*

I have liked Vince Vaughn since Swingers and this seems like it could be a cute, touching movie. Since I haven’t seen the original, I feel I won’t be as judgmental about this remake (unlike The Departed). With all the other movies released during the holidays, though, I may wait for a RB/NF viewing. This was a trailer featured when seeing This is the End which reminded me to share it.

Seventh Son (1/17/14):

I stumbled across this trailer last week just after I posted Trailer Tuesday IX. That was kind of a bummer, but I suppose I already had a full roster. I made note to remember to include it this week and voila! I know absolutely nothing about this movie or the series it’s supposedly based off of, but it looks like my kind of movie! Warriors, magic, dragons (wyverns?), swordplay — What’s not to like? Okay, I may be biased towards fantasy…

I’m a fan of Jeff Bridges and I may have missed R.I.P.D., but really hope to see this on the big screen. The movie is "inspired" by a series, which makes me worry they stray quite a bit from the written word. It may not be so bad if seeing the movie first and then delving into books afterwards.

RoboCop (2/7/14):

A friend beat me to the punch on seeing this trailer. I’ve been waiting for months! The only released footage was a teaser trailer almost a year ago? The movie itself was pushed back from this August to next February. The studio opted the slot for Elysium and since then rumors have been rampant. Generally, I become concerned when a movie is pushed back — especially so far out — as it’s usually an indication of many issues with the film. This may be akin to the rumors swirling around World War Z’s delays and reshoots (I’ve heard many were displeased with that adaptation, but I still hope to check it out soon).

RoboCop is a classic. I’m not exactly sure what qualifies a movie as a “classic”, but this one is for me. Some old school actors like Peter Weller, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith (That 70’s Show), and Miguel Ferrer are some you may not recognize by name, but surely by face. When a movie becomes embedded as a favorite in your memory, the talk of a remake of that material can seem like a threat. This is no different for me.

From the trailer they seem to hold true to many of the fundamental themes of the original, and they did well with filling out the cast with some well-known actors. The major actor I’m unfamiliar with is in the lead role (Joel Kinnaman). Kinnaman is of The Killing fame. A TV series I’ve had a friend urging me to watch, but I’ve yet to check out. I love the supporting cast of this remake and they are all more than able to give solid performances, but my main concern is the lead. Perhaps after watching some of The Killing I will be more at ease. My friend seems to be stoked about the actor receiving the role… I still have to verify it for myself, though.

I hope they stick to the silver suit, but as seen in the trailer (at least for part of the movie) they opt for a new sleeker black suit. The traditional look is still featured throughout most of the trailer so I remain faithful… sort of… Regardless, I would like to see this in the theater (and review it) when released.

Neighbors (5/19/14):

Fair warning, this is a Red-Band trailer. I avoided posting it last week, but considering I just saw This is the End I wanted to place it up. I love Seth Rogen and this seems to be more of the same. Thankfully, I like the majority of his movies and this film seems to feature a handful of the supporting cast from other movies he’s been in. To be honest, I’m curious to see Zac Efron in this role, because he seems to be constantly cast as a loving heartthrob. I’m sure this movie will be hilarious!

Did any of the highlighted movie trailers interest you? Have you seen Insidious and, if so, do you plan to see the second installment? Are you familiar with the series Seventh Son is based on? Are you a fan of the original RoboCop? Do you plan to see and/or have any opinions about the remake?

IX | TRAILER TUESDAY | IX


It seems that the holiday weekend made my days get a bit off kilter. I thought it was Monday today, and I wasn’t looking to do anything but catch up on some fellow blogger action. This weekend got very busy, but it was a lot of fun spending time with family and friends. Surprisingly, though, there was no grilling. Considering I sometimes post one minute to midnight (though I’m sure it’s seconds to midnight once in awhile), it’s likely no one would have ever known just how close I came to missing this week’s Trailer Tuesday post! But let me tell you… it was close…

Last week, during The Butler, I saw a handful of trailers I’d never seen, so I’m going to share them today. Some are even associated with that Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) I mentioned. While I get back to replying to comments on earlier posts and blog hop around, take a moment and check out these following previews and let me know what you think.

Finding Vivian Maier (Sept 2013):

I think this documentary (highlighted at TIFF) looks really interesting. It would be crazy to make a discovery like this and it really makes you wonder about said individual. What was their drive? Their thoughts? Is she currently rolling in her grave over this film? Hopefully some of these questions are answered. This may be a very limited release if not straight to DVD/RB/NF release, but I’m really interested in checking it out!

Runner Runner (10/4/13):

Before you see his run as Batman, catch Ben Affleck flexing his asshole bad guy muscles. I hope his bat suit doesn’t have nipples on them… Anyhow, back on task, this movie looks okay. Not certain I’ve any interest to see it on the big screen short of a $5 ticket. I like what I’ve seen from Justin Timberlake in terms of acting (I still want to see In Time), and have nothing against Affleck, just not an extremely interesting storyline for me.

Dallas Buyers Club (11/1/13):

Another TIFF entry. This is one of two trailers featuring Matthew McConaughey today. Never been a big fan of his, but this movie (and the other) look really good and I think it would be nice to see him in a role where he isn't a surfer-like burnout, high school girl stalker, or romantic heartthrob. Granted, these are only the roles I personally am familiar with seeing him in. Not that all of them were bad performances at all, though I did skip most of those romantic comedies, I just feel this one looks a bit more interesting. I rarely see Jennifer Garner in movies anymore, or at least ones that become blockbusters, nominated, or the like. Then there is Jared Leto who I didn't even recognize and am pretty excited about being in the movie.

The Book Thief (11/15/13):

While this movie looks really good, I fear the trailer may pretty much show you the movie in close to it's entirety. At least most of the major plot points. I may be mistaken, and it doesn't change the fact I would be open to attending this movie while it's in theaters. It will likely depend on what all is out during the same time frame, which given the holidays and other announced releases — like the selection below — it may be a tough sell for me. I'm not very familiar with Geoffrey Rush, but what I have seen I've really enjoyed. He is the only actor I recognize out of the cast and maybe that is why I'm not as overly stoked to give the film priority over some of the other options available.

The Wolf of Wall Street (11/15/13):

This is a movie trailer that some of you may already be familiar with. Originally when starting my series I pushed it off for 3 weeks, and then forgot about it. I was trying to place up previews of movies with sooner release dates. That and usually big budget movies generally have two or three trailers associated with them. Thought I'd finally get it up and share it, in case there are a handful that haven’t already seen it.

The Wolf of Wall Street is one I'm really excited to see. I like a majority of the actors involved with the film and I imagine the performances will be amazing. My only concern is that Martin Scorsese and I have a love/hate relationship. His movies have generally been hit or miss with me, but the real scarring was over The Departed of which I loved the original (akin to Old Boy, another movie getting a Hollywood makeover). It, in itself, was still really good, but the more Hollywoodization of the movie just irked me some. On the other hand, I loved Casino, Goodfellas, and Shutter Island a lot! So I have some faith I will thoroughly enjoy this one, with the cast involved and from what I take away from the trailer.

August: Osage County (1/2/14):
 

The third and final TIFF trailer, and the last for today's post. This trailer was shown during The Butler and with the cast (it's been a long time since seeing Meryl Streep) I have a feeling this movie has a lot of potential. Julia Roberts, however, is one of my least favorite performers. I'm not sure of the reasoning for this. Maybe I need to actually watch Pretty Woman or something? Either way, I don't allow this to completely discount seeing any of her movies, some of which I thought were really good.

With Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis (another I haven't seen in ages), and Sam Shepard it's pretty hard for me to pass up this movie. In general, I try to see more glitzy movies in the theater, but with the current letdown of blockbusters (and the fact I'm attempting reviews) I think I'll be widening that genre-restrictive mentality. This has already begun considering... well... I went to see The Butler.

Did any of the highlighted movies interest you? Do you know any prolific photographers whose art you enjoy? Have any opinions on Matthew McConaughey, or any movie recommendations that he's in? Are you a fan of Martin Scorsese films? Do you have an actor you can't stand and avoid most any movie they are involved with? 

VIII | TRAILER TUESDAY | VIII


The Toronto International Film Festival has been releasing/featuring a handful of movies and trailers (most seem to be Indie based), and while some are decent I’m only sharing one today (though not positive it was from TIFF). Perhaps next week I can have an Indie theme, much like last week’s Hanky Panky trailers.

Today we have some espionage thrillers, some drama, some horror, and ending with some teaser trailers that I’m certain others will be more familiar with their source material than myself. Both Elysium and Kick-Ass 2 offered new trailers for movies already announced and previewed, but not much beyond that; at least through the theaters attended.

Not sure if these two teaser trailers are for movies that may end up blockbuster releases next year, but they are based off of best-selling novels/trilogies. As I said, perhaps you will be more familiar with them than I am...

Closed Circuit (8/28/2013):

Eric Bana doesn’t seem to be very popular these days, but I still appreciate his acting and am interested in seeing this movie. The trailer may give a bit too much away about the film, but with these kinds of movies it’s really hard to say. Beyond Julia Stiles, I don’t think I know anyone else besides those two actors. This movie seems a bit under the radar, and I’m curious if it could be due to the subject matter, which may be too sensitive after the Boston incident. Regardless, I feel the movie has potential and could offer some good acting, suspense, and plot twists. If I can get in on a matinee I may give it a shot.

Parkland (10/4/2013):

This movie seems a bit under the radar as well. I never heard about it until this week, and with an October release I would have expected trailers a few months ago. It does seem the production company may be lesser-known or more independent based. Either way, I think it has many talented actors and the storyline (albeit usually more from a conspiratorial standpoint) is one I’m passionate about. It looks like a great movie, and for a first time director, an excellent debut. Here’s to hoping it isn’t a limited release, and I can find it somewhere in theaters!

Carrie (10/18/2013):

Just in time for Halloween, a classic horror movie is remade to grace a new generation. It’s sad, but I’ve never seen Carrie all the way through or read the book by Stephen King. I am, however, very familiar with the content within. I’d imagine with today’s movie magic, they can bring a lot more of the literature to life. I know they made a sequel to the original movie, but I didn’t think it looked all that great. Julianne Moore seems incredibly creepy as Carrie’s mother and feel she will be excellent in the part. Though, Chloë Grace Moretz — granted I’ve only seen her in Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2 — will likely steal the show. It will be interesting to see her role as a more mousy, sheepish girl compared to the ones I’ve seen her in. That is, until shit hits the fan...

Squirrels (TBA 2014):

Oh My Nuts! Squirrels! The Indie trailer [possibly] from the Toronto International Film Festival I couldn’t not share. The title makes it pretty abundantly clear as to why — that is, if you’ve been following along. Who wouldn’t want to watch a movie about cute, cuddly rodents and their obsession for nuts? This trailer is marked as a Pre-Production Sales Trailer. Not sure if that means it’s basically a Beta trailer or what, but it’s quality is better than most pre-production trailers I’ve seen.

Vampire Academy (2/14/2014):

The first of two teaser trailers. I know absolutely nothing about the source material for this movie, beyond it being a popular book (or trilogy, I assume). I feel the trailer is well done, and the style of the movie is appealing… except its “vampires in school” basis? I think I’m forever traumatized by Twilight, because I feel I always go back to comparing movies to it now when involving similar material. I’ve read comments that this is supposedly a darker series, which would be nice, but the release date of Valentine’s Day kind of throws me for a curve. Not sure what to make of this, but will check out future trailers (probably spoiling too much of the content) once closer to the release date.

Divergent (3/21/2014):

Another movie based on a best-selling novel/series/trilogy, and one I’ve actually seen recently at retailers. I really like the covers of the books (though, I’ve only seen two books I think…) and had meant to research them, but had since forgotten. Now the movie(s) are being made, and I feel inclined to read them if they come recommended by friends. This one seems to have The Hunger Games feel to it. After watching the trailer, though, I’m uncertain if the premise would be as interesting and engaging for me. Perhaps when the full trailer is released I will find it more appealing, though they seem to offer enough of the content in the teaser.

Did any of the highlighted movies interest you? Have you read Stephen King’s Carrie and/or seen the original adaptation? Will you see the remake? Have you read the Vampire Academy and/or Divergent series? If so, would you recommend either? How do the trailers seem to stack up to the novels?

recent CHRONICLES

Featured In I, Jak
Hello, Friend
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Hello, Friend
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It’s been a long while. I briefly discuss some of this year’s shortcomings, and in doing so, find it’s just more of the same.

Then I attempt to give a more positive spin…

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Extra Life Game Day 2021
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Extra Life Game Day 2021
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Extra Life Game Day 2021 has arrived! It’s Year 8 for myself and I am looking forward to once again raise money for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. Team Cryton Crusaders is ready (kind of) for the annual fundraising event involving a 24-Hour Gaming Marathon! I kept last year’s fun, but likely impossible Milestone to reach!

Learn more about the challenge where my team and I play games and heal kids!

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recent ENTERTAINMENT

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102 | TRAILER TUESDAY | 102
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102 | TRAILER TUESDAY | 102
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Welcome to Trailer Tuesday, a weekly Generation Jak blog series where a multitude of movie, video game, and sometimes even book trailers are highlighted for your viewing pleasure!

This week's Featured Trailers:
Jessica Jones Season 2 - Teaser Trailer | Ready Player One | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Alita: Battle Angel | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Teaser Trailer

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101 | TRAILER TUESDAY | 101
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101 | TRAILER TUESDAY | 101
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Welcome to Trailer Tuesday, a weekly Generation Jak blog series where a multitude of movie, video game, and sometimes even book trailers are highlighted for your viewing pleasure!

This week's Featured Trailers:
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recent DREAMSCAPES

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A to Z 2017 [FLASH FICTION]: REFLECTIONS
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A to Z 2017 [FLASH FICTION]: REFLECTIONS
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This year's A to Z Challenge is over, but how did I fare with another attempt at producing Flash Fiction and Poetry throughout it all? Did I run into the same complications as last year?

Join me as I reflect on the challenge and the thoughts about my continued participation on Dreams in the Shade of Ink.

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A to Z 2017: ZACHARIAH
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A to Z 2017: ZACHARIAH
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Dreams in the Shade of Ink is back with more Flash Fiction for the A to Z Challenge 2017! Last year my segments throughout April painted a puzzled tapestry of prose and I hope to provide some new, entertaining stories that you'll enjoy!

Come share in my inky dreams full of fiction, sprinkled with poetry!

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recent META

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A to Z 2017 [MAGIC MIXER]: REFLECTIONS
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The A to Z Challenge 2017 is over and it's time to reflect on how the event went! There were booster pack openings, there were storylines and mechanics to observe within the world of Magic: The Gathering!

Join me as I discuss the ups and downs of this year's Magic Mixer theme.

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A to Z 2017: ZENDIKAR
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This year for the A to Z Challenge 2017 Meta MTG presents the Magic Mixer! What's that mean? Your guess is as good as mine... What I do know, however, is that this year's theme is obviously still all about Magic: The Gathering!

Join me as I attempt to highlight a different Magic set each day of the challenge in different ways, from pack openings to discussions about a set's storyline and/or mechanics!

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